When it comes to martial arts, it’s always good to specialize in one particular craft. If you’re reading this, the chances are that you’ll be practicing BJJ anyway. However, it’s also often said that you should try and compliment this art by training other skills alongside this. For this, you may want to try other styles that expose you to holes in your game and show you new stuff.
For instance, there’s nothing worse than a BJJ black belt whose stuck in their comfort zone and thinks they’re invincible without every training other martial arts. This is where cross training can come in. Whether it’s for a few months to get vaguely acquainted with a new art, or something you consider training more often – the good news is that there’s an array of different martial arts out there that can complement your BJJ perfectly.
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BJJ & Judo or Wrestling
Let’s face it, whilst Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is great on the floor, it often lacks the same quality that you’ll find with a good wreslter or Judoka. Too often, BJJ guys will have subpar takedowns compared to these arts and even after a few years of training, there’s a chance your stand up game won’t be great.
The great thing about this is that you can often learn these alongside BJJ. As BJJ descended from Judo, they actually have a lot in common. Remember, every time you start sparring whilst standing, you also get a chance to test your take downs.
Not only this but too often people think about Judo as gi only, or wrestling as no gi only. Whilst these are certainly their strongest areas, you can still do Judo in no gi, and wrestling in the gi. Of course, it’s good to seek out experts in these fields if possible. However, if your budget is tight then you can still learn these arts online.
If you have a spare 10 minutes before class, get drilling with a partner and see if you can pull off certain throws in sparring. Some gyms also have designated wrestling or Judo classes to help with stand up alongside BJJ. If possible, attend these classes. By doing this, your BJJ should flourish and become more rounded. Even on the floor, there’s certain Judo and wrestling moves that can also help your ground game.
In summary, train as much stand up as you can. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best guard passer in the world, if you can’t take someone down then it’s a shame to let your passing skills go to waste a little. These arts are also more explosive than BJJ, which will only help you turn into a more assertive, dominant grappler. Similarly, in a self defense scenario, takedowns are essential for BJJ players and help put the grappling pieces of the puzzle together.
Check out this Judo DVD that specializes in shoulder throws
BJJ & Muay Thai
As mentioned, BJJ is awesome if you can get to the floor and be in control, or if you get put to the floor and need to escape. However, it can also be worthless if a fight doesn’t go to ground. This is where Muay Thai comes in and can really make you more rounded as a martial artist.
It’s no secret that Muay Thai is brutal and uses its elbows and knees as well as traditional striking. Perhaps one benefit of Muay Thai is that it also has some foot sweeps that would compliment your BJJ stand up game. Not only this but Muay Thai also does a lot of work on the clinch. If you’ve sparred takedowns in BJJ, you will be aware of the clinch but adding Muay Thai to this practice will only help your style.
Here, you can throw knees to the face whilst clinching which adds a different dynamic. The result is that if you add Muay Thai to your BJJ game, you should become competent both at standing and on the floor. Elsewhere, Muay Thai will also enhance your cardio whilst striking. Whilst BJJ will help your grappling cardio; your cardio using Muay Thai is very different. Here, it relies on different movements and techniques.
Because of this, you may think you have the best cardio in the world whilst grappling, but it may suck when it comes to striking. Therefore, you could get caught out in a real fight on the feet. This is where Muay Thai helps turn you into a cardio machine wherever the fight takes place.
Check out this Muay Thai DVD that focuses on kicking and blocks
Conclusion
Overall, there are many martial arts to chose from and it’s fun to explore different fighting styles. Other arts of note include boxing, certain types of karate, sambo and if you like headbutts then lethwei is also very effective.
However, in terms of more mainstream arts then the ones originally suggested are ideal. The next thing to do is figure out where you want your style to go. If you want to focus on purely become a top grappler then Judo and wrestling are something to consider. If you’re looking at adding striking to your resume, then Muay Thai is also an excellent choice.
Ultimately, it’s up to you and it depends on your tastes. One thing is worth noting though, whatever you do – it won’t hurt your game to add in new stuff and should improve your chances of winning fights as a result.
