hardest to learn

[MMAguy]

which do you think is harder to learn stand up (striking), or ground (grappling)?

[sirdarksol]

I think it depends on the kind of person you are. I prefer to avoid being in another person's grasp, so striking is easier than grappling.

[eYoon]

both equally as complicated... but i think ppl can pick up striking quicker than they do grappling because the concept is simpler... until u get to the more advanced stuff.

[Hatori]

Grappling on the gorund is truly exhausting. When we used to do Ground-fighting it would feel like you'd been doing it for 6-7mins and you'd then realise you'd been fighting for less than 2 minutes!

[disgruntled]

i think that grappling is harder to learn because there is so much technique you need to know to get even the basics. with striking, i think there is less to learn initally, but to become advanced, it is just as hard.

[MMAguy]

i have been able to pick up striking faster too.... i think it is because you can still make some good strikes with bad technique, but it is really hard to grapple with poor technique.

[eYoon]

Originally Posted by MMAguy

i have been able to pick up striking faster too.... i think it is because you can still make some good strikes with bad technique, but it is really hard to grapple with poor technique.

mhm that's completely right. sometimes ppl just get "lucky" with a wild strike.

[Hatori]

Totally agree with the last 2 comments - Striking in naturally in herent to most people as they can through a half-assed strike but it can still be effective whereas grappling as a lot more technical that requires understanding of physics, maybe physiology too

[disgruntled]

you can get "lucky" with grappling too, but you have to be a lot stronger than your opponent and waste a ton of energy using muscle and not technique.

[rolltroll]

if you look at ground fighting like you look at lets say oh um wing chung, you have energy drills which you must first learn, oh and kick boxing, boxing, karate, fencing, they all have a movement drill of one kind or another, ground fighting has the same thing, if you don't learn it then ground fighting will seem hard to learn, besides the fact that laying on the ground feels unnatural, solo drills can be bridge and roll, sit through and so on. with partners you can do basic position drills start by escaping the mount and moving through all the positions, there is also the around the clock drill, were you and your partner start in side control and the goal is for the person on top to move from one side to the other utilizing the north south position the person on the bottom is learning how to unbalance the person on the top by trying to roll him/her over or achieving the guard. the basics of ground fighting are simple once you have been instructed in them its all the darn submissions that get you.
stand up is my nemesis at the moment, trying to work in new combos that are great in Kata/shadow boxing, but once i hit the heavy bag, speed bag, or throwing dummy they seem a bit awkward.