| You stand there and look across the cage at | | | | system. |
| your opponent. He stares back at you. Nothing | | | | |
| else in the world matters except this person | | | | Enter Mixed Martial arts. Mixed martial arts |
| that you know is going to try to defeat you, | | | | (mma) competitions have been around a long |
| hurt you, make you give up. The key word is | | | | time, more recently popularized in the United |
| try! You have been studying this fighter, | | | | States. Mma style usually combines Thai |
| watching his fights and training hard for | | | | boxing, wrestling, bjj, (Brazilian |
| this day. You know what you are going to do; | | | | jiu-jitsu), kick boxing, boxing, and other |
| your game plan is ready. The ref says | | | | standing and ground techniques. The point of |
| "fighters, are you ready." No turning back! | | | | mma is to be able to have the skill to trade |
| | | | punches with a good stand up fighter or the |
| Modern day mixed martial arts. It is such an | | | | skills to submit a good ground fighter. This |
| exciting sport. It has been around for many | | | | is where mma drifts away from traditional |
| years, but now is becoming more mainstream | | | | styles. If a fighter's opponent takes him to |
| due to a certain popular reality show. What | | | | the ground and mounts him, he must rely on |
| is meant buy reality fighting? Usually the | | | | his "ground game" to escape or look for a |
| term indicates that the fighting systems used | | | | submission opportunity. (Just because you are |
| by mma fighters are more applicable to real | | | | on your back does not mean you are losing!) |
| fights as opposed to traditional martial art | | | | If the same fighter's opponent decides to |
| styles. I am not going to argue this issue | | | | stand and punch it out, well that's ok to. |
| but merely help identify the difference. | | | | Mma is very versatile and an outstanding |
| | | | sport. The one thing that has remained the |
| Traditional martial arts. When I speak of | | | | same between the traditional martial artists |
| this term I am referring to the arts of old | | | | and mma fighters is the respect. Both groups |
| such as certain styles of karate, judo, | | | | of fighters have respect for each other and |
| aikido, etc. These arts have been around | | | | the opponents they compete against. When you |
| longer than anyone really knows for sure. | | | | get down to it, it is a competition against |
| They have certain forms, traditions, | | | | yourself. What I mean by this is that are you |
| philosophies, and a pretty particular way | | | | going to do another set of bench presses, |
| they are to be taught and learned (there are | | | | another set of squats, extra sprints, intense |
| always exceptions.) All of these styles are | | | | rope skipping, 15 more minutes on the heavy |
| great. They all make up our wonderful vast | | | | bag or mat.... 15 more than your opponent? |
| world of martial arts. Are any of these | | | | You are only held back by yourself. |
| styles an absolute to fighting? Will any of | | | | |
| these styles work in a "real" fight? Many | | | | No matter if you want to practice traditional |
| people are aware of the martial art great | | | | martial arts or get into mma, the reality of |
| Bruce Lee. His movies did not make him great | | | | fighting is the respect. The key principal |
| to the martial arts world, but his philosophy | | | | martial arts are based on. |
| on fighting did. He believed that you should | | | | |
| take many styles and combine their best | | | | This article is for information purposes only |
| techniques to have a well-rounded fighting | | | | and is not meant to be instruction. |