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Other/Mixed I really think strength afficionados would love wrestling combat sports

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Kozushi

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Every new strength gain I make I apply immediately at judo practice. This gives me constant feedback on my strength gains, makes my judo better, and gives me satisfaction seeing my strength actually being applied to something moving around instead of just being dead weight.

I think that wrestling sports like wrestling itself, BJJ or judo would be a delight for all who love developing their strength. If we're talking about moving your own bodyweight or moving an external weight that is a respectable weight, wrestling sports fit the bill nicely! Many sports reward finesse, speed, endurance, but wrestling sports in particular reward bodyweight and free weight strength in all angles of force and resistance.

In India the old adage is "Wrestling is strength".

Something to think about at least for those strength afficionados wanting to take their strength into the realm of sport or martial art.
 
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I gave up wrestling and took up boxing because wrestling was too hard. It was the most physically taxing activity I've ever done. Brutal
 
I gave up wrestling and took up boxing because wrestling was too hard. It was the most physically taxing activity I've ever done. Brutal
:)

I like wrestling.

I've done kickboxing and super enjoyed it as well. Boxing was part of the training, but we didn't learn to actually box per se. Real boxers are incredibly skilled. Unbelievable! I've trained with some!

How do you think your strength training relates to your boxing?
 
How do you think your strength training relates to your boxing?

I was boxing in the 1980s and only bodyweight exercises were used (chin ups, push ups, sit ups etc).

The gym (Police Citizens Youth Club) had a weights training area but only bodybuilders used it, not even rugby players weight trained in those days.

Bro science was the only science accessible back then and it held that any use of barbells and dumbbells would inevitably create a bulky, bodybuilder physique, completely unsuitable for weight delineated competitions such as combat sports and those requiring endurance like rugby and Australian rules football.

Mind you it also wasn't obvious that anything was missing. Bodyweight exercises seemed to do the job. Dudes were strong and fit and walked around with some awesome physiques (that pulled the chicks). In particular I hung around with some serious martial arts and gymnastics guys who never ever touched iron and looked fantastic.

I became addicted to barbells about a decade after stopping boxing and if I knew back in my boxing days what I know now I would have weight trained but not gone overboard. Simple compounds, push/press/legs, heavy weight, low volume, minimal hypertrophy. Definitely the deadlift. But still emphasising bodyweight exercises.

In boxing you want very strong legs, when things go bad they will be the only thing keeping you upright. Otherwise I would trade speed for strength every time, you don't have to knock the other guy out to win. Points matter most. Plenty of champions have jabbed their way to a title.
 
I was boxing in the 1980s and only bodyweight exercises were used (chin ups, push ups, sit ups etc).

The gym (Police Citizens Youth Club) had a weights training area but only bodybuilders used it, not even rugby players weight trained in those days.

Bro science was the only science accessible back then and it held that any use of barbells and dumbbells would inevitably create a bulky, bodybuilder physique, completely unsuitable for weight delineated competitions such as combat sports and those requiring endurance like rugby and Australian rules football.

Mind you it also wasn't obvious that anything was missing. Bodyweight exercises seemed to do the job. Dudes were strong and fit and walked around with some awesome physiques (that pulled the chicks). In particular I hung around with some serious martial arts and gymnastics guys who never ever touched iron and looked fantastic.

I became addicted to barbells about a decade after stopping boxing and if I knew back in my boxing days what I know now I would have weight trained but not gone overboard. Simple compounds, push/press/legs, heavy weight, low volume, minimal hypertrophy. Definitely the deadlift. But still emphasising bodyweight exercises.

In boxing you want very strong legs, when things go bad they will be the only thing keeping you upright. Otherwise I would trade speed for strength every time, you don't have to knock the other guy out to win. Points matter most. Plenty of champions have jabbed their way to a title.
Boxing is super interesting. If we're talking about the age of ancient combat sports or martial arts, it's probably second after wrestling! I'm not good at boxing but I've done it and I think it's about as real as you can get for a fighting thrill and it's all super practical for fighting skill and theoretically for a base for weapons training too like sticks and swords and knives etc. We used to do a lot of non-scientific boxing to supplement our judo etc training. Super good stuff!

Interesting what you say about the bro science of the 80s. My parents bought me a barbell and adjustable dumbbell set in my youth and I used them - curls and floor press I think was all I knew about back then, but those are good moves. I think my weights were too light for deadlifts and I thought cleans were just lazy bad curls! Hahaha! I'm trying to put myself back in my youthful mind to remember why it was I went towards bodyweight chinups, pullups, commando pullups, wall sits and dips. I think it had to do with the idea that pushups were a real super good exercise that made you bulk up - saw the marines and guys like Rocky and Arnold doing lots of them in the movies, and we did them in judo and karate class - and so by logical extension chinups and dips would also bulk me up. They did of course by the way. I had an excellent physique. I was too shy for "chicks" though, hahaha. Probably a good thing anyway looking back in hindsight. I always felt that the "real" strongmen lifted heavy barbells and machine weights, so I considered myself not very strong at all. I was just concerned I guess mainly with appearance so as to not look weak. Hmmm, I guess it was more for the intimidation factor to scare off the other boys. In any case, I didn't know of any other moves to do. I kept at the dips and chinups through my competitive judo career thinking I was developing second rate strength only. Now I've kind of come full circle back to the bodyweight stuff through learning a lot here at SF, but it's a qualified full circle as I'm not just doing the old stuff the old ways any more, I've got plenty more stuff going on and it certainly shows in judo. I'm in my 40s and I've never been stronger nor as good at judo. I'm thrilled! I've been learning an awful lot here!
 
I kept at the dips and chinups through my competitive judo career thinking I was developing second rate strength only. Now I've kind of come full circle back to the bodyweight stuff through learning a lot here at SF, but it's a qualified full circle as I'm not just doing the old stuff the old ways any more, I've got plenty more stuff going on and it certainly shows in judo. I'm in my 40s and I've never been stronger nor as good at judo. I'm thrilled! I've been learning an awful lot here!

I really enjoyed boxing although I was not that good at it. The adrenalin buzz, when that bell rings, and someone starts trying to punch your lights out, is really something else. And as I said I tried wrestling first but it was just too hard. I was very impressed by the commitment of the martial arts guys I hung around with. They were very serious athletes and just by the look of them their bodyweight routines lacked for nothing.
 
I really enjoyed boxing although I was not that good at it. The adrenalin buzz, when that bell rings, and someone starts trying to punch your lights out, is really something else. And as I said I tried wrestling first but it was just too hard. I was very impressed by the commitment of the martial arts guys I hung around with. They were very serious athletes and just by the look of them their bodyweight routines lacked for nothing.
I've been at judo 31 years in all. I think a key element is to find a coach who is a professional if at all possible. The same is true for strength training. Of course the most important thing is you get your heart rate up and keep it up for an hour or so, and you can do anything badly (like learning judo wrong) in order to accomplish this. But, there is satisfaction in learning to do something well and technically correct and effectively, and for this you need a professional coach. I'm not one. I'm a part-time amateur athlete I guess. But indeed, getting to higher levels of judo is no joke and it takes years and years under professional trainers. Judo can't become the big thing in martial arts because it is too difficult. It is based in tumbling/acrobatics so you don't get hurt when you are flung down onto the mat. This is a huge thing to learn in and of itself let alone all the tactics and conditioning! BJJ at least avoids this part, and Karate too, which explains why these are so popular but things that are cousins to them like judo to BJJ and boxing to karate, are not very popular and never will be very popular, but they are always going to have a lot of people doing them since they are excellent.
 
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