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