Mixed Martial Arts; A Man’s Game
Bruce Lee, the famous martial arts icon, believed the best fighter is not one specialized in a particular discipline, but one who can adapt to any style and adopt his challenger’s fighting style, without being enslaved to any style or system. What a remarkable thought from a fighter such as Master Lee. In a world more competitive than ever before, the battling arena is no stranger to increasing adrenaline needs and the drive to strike gold every single time. With fighting being the ultimate testosterone-charged male activity, MMA or Mixed Martial Arts has become a wrestling experience on steroids: more skill, more violence and more competitiveness. Prior to early 1990, mixed martial arts were mostly focused on three fighting disciplines:Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, amateur wrestling and submission wrestling. Prior to this end-of-the-century decade, fighting competitions took on from more formal and traditional disciplines. From sumo to kick-boxing, and everything in between, mixed martial arts before 1990 were definitely a more formal affair, involving all moves within the discipline – effective or not. As the sport evolved, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, amateur and submission wrestling made their entrance into the fighting world with one thing to their advantage: they all took the best of fighting disciplines concerning efficacy within the MMA competition frame.
Perhaps it was these newer disciplines’ more grappling and striking, together with an overall tendency towards submission that led to what we know today as MMA fighting. And as great Master Lee said, the more versatile a fighter is, the better performance he will have in full contact fights. But MMA champions are not born out of thin air. Of course, training and technique require these athletes to perfect their skills. Not only are MMA fighters great at disciplines individually, but they also have an immense capacity to seamlessly combine all skills and react before their challenger.
But why on Earth would someone want to go through the intense training these killing machines go through? Easy: MMA fighters have the leanest muscle built combined with the most strength and endurance. Forget muscle builders and their impossible necks, arms and thighs. They are #1 generic Viagra candidates due to steroid abuse. The perfect body in terms of muscle has turned radically towards a well-toned, strong but discrete body that favors not only strength but limberness as well. Being the fast cats they are, MMA fighters are about the hard muscle as much as they are about flexibility.
Iron pumping muscle, based on rich diet consumption and power shakes is helpless before the leaner and much more attractive flexible built of any MMA fighter. MMA training has now taken over traditional bench press and dumbbell gyms, turning these bloody disciplines into one heck of a workout. Able to rip any body willing to work hard and sweat tons, MMA training includes each discipline’s particular strategies; however, cross-training provides them with much more complete and well-rounded skills. For fighters, MMA training is the best weapon; for men in training, switching over to MMA is the best workout any exercise fan could get.
For those that have experienced Muay Thai, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu and similar training, you all know these are no easy task. Often played within the master-student roleplay, students are mercilessly punished for messing with training rhythm. From bamboo stick strikes to deadly reps, training like an MMA fighter could seem barbaric. However, these more brutal sports payback in the form of sportsmanship, camradery and an inner necessity to conquer – be it you or your team mates out there on the mat.
