Should you be quitting BJJ for Boxing? Leaving any martial art in favor of starting another is quite drastic.
It is understandable if you “switch” from one martial art to another in the same category. For example, you are switching from Boxing to Kickboxing or Muay Thai as you improve your striking in all of these arts.
As long as there is some spare time in the schedule, there is no need to abandon your martial art completely. But, some people change their focus entirely to their new martial art.
Let’s take a look at some principles that can help you decide whether or not leaving BJJ for Boxing is the right move for you.
Table of Contents
The Benefits People Find In Training BJJ
BJJ Benefits
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu not only allows the practitioner to learn how to control the opponent, as much as it shows how to control yourself.
The drills allow the body to develop:
- Resistance.
- Strength.
- Speed.
- Dexterity.
It also allows the practitioner to use flexibility and learn to process the information received to improve their problem-solving skills.
Its principles show methods to beat larger opponents using leverage and weight distribution instead of brute strength and conditioning.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is just as much a physical art as it is a mental and tactical affair.
don’t miss the Best bjj gis
Boxing As A Supplemental Martial Art For BJJ
Boxing
Boxing is known as the sweet science. Thanks to its entertainment value and media exposure, it is one of the most popular combat sports globally.
The discipline itself is a full-body workout, and it allows the body to build up strong muscles in areas like:
- Legs.
- Hips.
- Core.
- Arms.
- Chest.
- Shoulders.
Boxing is also an excellent method to develop strength, speed, hand-eye coordination, better reaction time, agility, endurance, and power.
The sport itself is limited to a few techniques, but it requires tons of hours spent on each move to improve and master.
In other words, we could say that in Boxing, you spend a few months learning how to use your weapons but a lifetime sharpening them.
don’t miss the Best Boxing gloves
Cross-training BJJ And Boxing
There are multiple benefits of cross-training BJJ and Boxing.
For example, grappling and striking training make you a well-rounded combat athlete, which could be helpful in MMA and self-defense scenarios.
Another detail is your reaction time and hand-eye coordination improvements, which are great tools to develop and improve for live rolling.
When Is The Right Time To Make The Switch?
As someone who has practiced multiple martial arts and had a few MMA bouts, I can tell you that the moment you want to learn something new and develop a different skillset is the right time to do it.
There is nothing like the drive a person gets when they are curious and excited about something different in their martial arts training.
However, talking about BJJ and Boxing is not an easy decision to make. BJJ is one of the top grappling martial arts. While Boxing could be one of the best striking tools in your martial arts arsenal.
There should be plenty of time to go back and forth between the disciplines to hone your skills in both.
If you feel you’re are ready to quit BJJ to focus on Boxing, let’s check a few questions that might help clear your head to take the step.
What are your goals for Boxing?
Boxing is one of the biggest sports in the entertainment industry, and the money a world-class athlete makes in this sport is significant.
But, here’s the thing. Not all fighters make it to the top of the world. As of 2017, there were at least 20,000 active professional boxers registered. There is little to believe that the number has decreased since.
If your goal is to make a living fighting, it is better that you don’t spread yourself too thin and focus only on one discipline.
If you plan to train Boxing to support other fitness goals, you do not need to quit BJJ.
What would you lose by quitting BJJ?
As a practitioner who has just started practicing BJJ, you may lose as much as you got so far if you quit.
You may understand how locks and positioning work, but your body has not mastered the moves. Once you return to it, you’ll feel the “Ring Rust.”
Things are quite different for those who have spent some more time on the mats learning Jiu-Jitsu.
With more experience on the mats, your game is well developed, and the details are engraved in your mind.
You are likely to develop ring rust, but being in good physical shape should always allow you to have your BJJ ready to go as needed.
Your grappling conditioning might suffer. Grappling and striking use different energy systems. Switching your conditioning focus from BJJ to Boxing might impact you in the long run.
Tips To Decide When To Quit BJJ For Boxing
You can use this three-step process to decide the best time to switch from BJJ to Boxing. I would rather cross-train than abandon a martial art, but that is my opinion. Also, I like MMA.
Step One: Figure out where your passion stands
If you have just started in BJJ and already plan to switch to Boxing, then it’d be safe to assume that Jiu-Jitsu didn’t spark your interest and passion once you started practicing.
The switch is not as difficult as you are still hunting for a discipline that you enjoy entirely.
Step Two: Work on your schedule and budget to better match your interests
A common reason to move from one discipline to another is the budget and time available to practice.
If your budget does not allow you to practice both arts at once, you need to sit down and focus on what you get from one and what you’ll be missing out on the other.
If you have more room for improvement in one of the disciplines, you should make that pick and focus on getting the most out of it.
If time is the issue, you could always focus on going three days to one discipline and two days to the other, so you can go back and forth on your cross-training and get the best out of both.
Alternatively, if you only have three days a week to train. You can dedicate two days to your leading martial art and one day to the other.
Step Three: Analyze if the switch is due to being burned out or not
There is one more important detail, and it happens to lots of practitioners in any martial art.
Reaching a burnout state in BJJ is not a pleasant thing. You spend your time on the mats, but you feel no progress, no improvement, and you are not excited about grinding mat time to get better.
There are whole forum discussions on this topic, and it is the reason behind the “Blue Belt Blues” being a thing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In BJJ, improving and reaching a higher rank takes time. Unlike other combat sports, Jiu-Jitsu has fewer ranks but still takes almost twice the time to make it to Black Belt.
This condition can create mental fatigue and burnout for practitioners, who will switch to different disciplines or just quit martial arts altogether.
If you believe you are in a burnout state, taking a break from Jiu-Jitsu is fine. Also, switching over to Boxing for a while will help you clear your mind to come back into Jiu-Jitsu with a fresher look.
If Boxing takes over your heart and you decide to stay there for any reason, you know that you can always go back to BJJ when you feel like it, so there is no issue.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Quitting BJJ For Boxing
I gathered ten questions that might help you decide if you’re ready to move on or not.
Grab pen and paper and be brutally honest with yourself while you’re answering. After, you should have a pretty good understanding of whether or not you should quit BJJ for Boxing.
- What benefits have you found in training BJJ?
- What are the things that have improved in your day-to-day life since you started BJJ?
- Why are you thinking about quitting BJJ for Boxing?
- Are you burnout?
- Do you crave something different?
- Are you uncomfortable with BJJ or the gym you train at? Why?
- What are your goals for Boxing?
- Do you switch due to health and fitness?
- Do you plan on fighting as an amateur/professional?
- What do you expect to get from boxing practice?
Quitting BJJ For Boxing Final Thoughts
If you plan on switching over from Jiu-Jitsu to Boxing, for any reason that you may have, I hope that this article has helped you make your decision.
If you know anybody else who is making the same decision, don’t hesitate to send him the link to this article to read and reflect on the choice.
We will be delivering more interesting articles for you to read on similar topics. We hope we will see you on the mats or the ring soon!
