I like to be entertained, I admit. But enough is enough. One thing that has bugged me for some time is the “bloodsport” image that gets perpetuated about mixed martial arts. It’s very popular to market MMA with the extreme sport angle: heavy metal, bikini babes, gruff voices, blood spatters and tattoos.
The thing is, I think the testosterone driven approach will always push MMA from being totally mainstream. Sometimes it gets a little immature for me.
Plus, I don’t think the public really gets how professional many MMA fighters are - partially because of a self-perpetuated stereotype. Many just see the brutal highlight reels and competition event names like ” Fight Night XX: Abomination”, “UFC Z: No Remorse” and “MMA Challenge II: Penultimate Destruction full of pain.” MMA fighters are top notch athletes and extremely physically talented, not some brutish animal pushed into a cockfight. I’d like to see them get the approval they deserve in the sports community, and if that means means less strippers and death metal, I’ll go for that.
Anyway, I enjoy the complexity - and dare say ART -of MMA. I just don’t like all the attitude. A little attitude I can abide … but that’s the end of my soapbox rant.
Tags: rant
Pull ups are a measure of your toughness - and lets face it, a barometer of your true manliness - whether you’re a fighter or not. Nearly since the dawn of time, the US military has been using pull ups to de-sissify recruits and weed out wimps. If you are a mixed martial artists, the pull up definitely needs to be in your rotation of exercises.
The Reasons
But why should you do pull ups in favor of other exercises? Glad you asked. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: conditioning, mma conditioning, mma workouts
Part of me doesn’t want me to say it, but I just can’t hold it anymore. I can see the future.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: MMA, musings
After posting the million different variations of the omoplata, I wanted to give you some deeper instruction on the reverse omoplata, aka the inverted omoplata. Over at Aesopian’s blog, he mentions
As a beginner at the time it struck me, “How many ways can you think about a position? When is mount not just mount? When is guard not guard?” Those questions have become a kind of mind-clearing Zen koan. It opened me up to thinking about a lot of things in new ways and a lot of good has come from it.
What happens when I think of mount as “guard from the top?” I get omoplatas.
He then proceeds to walk you through a tutorial with 3rd degree blackbelt Eduardo de Lima.
This whole detailing of the omoplata - it isn’t just about the submission, it’s about the thought process. I love the dynamic, nebulous and mind expanding nature of jujitsu. Most submission techniques are usuable in many positions and situations - the limiations are due to your static perception. Anyway, if you’re inclined, expand your mind with the revrese omoplata instruction here.
Tags: jujitsu, omoplata, submissions
I know many people have whined, “Where do I go to see the UFC pay-per-view events in Utah?!”. I know. I cry with you. I don’t like the idea of shelling out $50 to watch it. Plus, I don’t even have cable. Where in the heck can I go?
I’ve been calling around and found where you can go to a sports bar/ regualr bar and watch the UFC 91 pay per view show tomorrow. Remember, the following are VERIFIED - Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: pay per view, places, ufc 91