| Growing up we've all heard tales of great | | | | often hear various slurs, like street |
| Roman gladiators fighting until the death. | | | | fighting and human cock fighting, in |
| These warriors were trained fighters, in | | | | association with MMA but these detractors |
| various disciplines, and gifted athletes. | | | | couldn't be further from the truth. The |
| The thing that separated them from all others | | | | biggest misconception is that your average |
| was the courage and lack of regard for their | | | | tough guy can enter one of these events and |
| own safety exhibited by these fighters. They | | | | hold their own. Would people expect your |
| honored having the opportunity to fight for | | | | average golfer to be able to keep up with |
| and entertain the fans and they had the | | | | Tiger Woods or your average basket ball |
| utmost respect for the other combatants. You | | | | hobbyist to stand a chance against Michael |
| may be asking yourself what this has to do | | | | Jordan? The answer is no because these |
| with MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) or any martial | | | | athletes are extremely trained and incredibly |
| art for that matter. If you subtract the | | | | athletic. This holds true for MMA as well. |
| fighting until death aspect you will see that | | | | No, the fighters you see competing in mixed |
| MMA fighters exhibit many of the | | | | martial arts are not street fighters or thugs |
| characteristics of these past warriors. You | | | | they are highly trained athletes. The |
| could even say they are our modern day | | | | average fighter trains for 1 hour a day each |
| gladiators!What is MMA? Firstly it stands | | | | in boxing, jiu-jitsu and wrestling. They |
| for Mixed Martial Arts and it is a relatively | | | | also do an hour of cardiovascular training as |
| new combative sport that combines wrestling, | | | | well as an additional hour of strength |
| boxing, karate, Jiu-jitsu and pretty much any | | | | training. That's 5 hours of intense training |
| other Martial art you can think of. Some | | | | in martial arts and conditioning. You're not |
| events are held in a cage while others go the | | | | going to find many other pro athletes with |
| traditional combative sport route and use a | | | | that much of a work ethic.Mixed martial arts, |
| ring. A match pits two competitors against | | | | is becoming the fastest growing combat sport |
| each other usually for 2-3 five minute | | | | in the world with many representatives from |
| rounds. A fighter is allowed to use strikes | | | | every continent. When you look at the fact |
| consisting of elbows, kicks and punches and | | | | that just 5 years ago there weren't many |
| is allowed to grapple with their opponent | | | | mixed martial artists taking home more then |
| both while standing and while the two are on | | | | ten thousand dollars a fight and now some of |
| the ground. A fighter can win a match by | | | | these same fighters earn 250 to 500 thousand |
| either knocking their opponent unconscious, | | | | dollars a fight it definitely shows how far |
| applying a submission hold and having their | | | | this sport has come. Boxing better make way |
| opponent submit or by going the distance and | | | | because mixed martial arts is here to stay. |
| having the judges decide upon the outcome.You | | | | |