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MAM

Is Mixed Martial Arts for Me?

by: Sarah Aswell

After watching a few fights on TV and drinking a few beers, most dudes will claim that they, too, could be MMA fighters – and then tell you that one story about the time they got into a fight at a bar. And, while watching fights, most dudes are happy to shout advice at the screen. “Throw an elbow!” they’ll say, from the couch, or, “Take him down!”

But, although MMA may look like not much more than a flurry of strikes and a jumble of wrestling moves, it takes years of training and hard work to become an effective fighter. More than that, though, it takes a certain type of person with a certain mindset.

Most successful MMA athletes either have a background in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, or judo. Aside from their specialty, though, they must also be proficient in other areas of the sport. For example, if you are predominantly a kickboxer, you still need to know the basics of jiu-jitsu so that you can defend against take-downs and submissions.

However, as the sport has gained popularity in the last ten years or so, the sport is beginning to see athletes who have grown up training specifically for MMA – their specialty is not one or two facets of martial arts, but the new sport itself.

Aside from general strength and athletic skill, fighters also have to have a few other attributes. Discipline is absolutely necessary – which separates MMA fighters from your ordinary bar brawler. In addition of having discipline in the gym and the ring or cage, fighters often follow strict diets and schedules.

Having exceptional cardio is also becoming increasingly important as MMA athletes improve – in order to survive three or four five-minute rounds in the ring while keeping your breath and keeping up your strength, your heart has to be in top-notch shape.

A strong chin is also an important fighter attribute – very few fighters will get through an entire bout unscathed, and the ability to take punches and kicks is just as important as the ability to block them. Sooner or later, a stray punch will get through to you and if you have a weak chin, the battle could be over in seconds. This seems to be a lucky or innate aspect of the fight, and it’s always sad to see an otherwise talented fighter struggle against the easy knock out.

Besides natural talent and almost-constant training, there are a few less concrete traits that most professional fighters possess. To put it briefly, most fighters have a strange passion for fighting – both hitting and getting hit, both submitting opponents and being submitting.

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