MarksTraining.com: MMA

Showing posts with label MMA. Show all posts

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

MMA Fighters Endurance

There are some fighters who can run for miles and miles without getting tired. They are very fit with great muscular endurance. During the course of a fight however, some don’t seem to be able to last more than two minutes without losing stamina or “gassing” as it is now commonly referred to in the MMA world.

This is mainly due to the fact that when fighting or sparring, you are constantly using different muscles throughout the body to perform different types of strain. Strikes, throws, grappling, defending etc. All of these require different muscles to be used aerobically and anaerobicly. To perform combination after combination of punches and kicks requires great muscular and heart endurance, while an explosive throw or a takedown requires a quick boost of strength of the muscles as when performing a heavy bench press for example.

When performing a cardiovascular exercise such as running or cycling, the same muscles are used aerobically. Your body adapts to this exercise after a short period of time and this is what gives you the ability to continue the exercise for a while.

For this reason it is always a good idea for a mixed martial artist to train like a mixed martial artist. When trying to improve your stamina and strength for fighting, don’t rely on just running and weights. Constantly mix up your training. Perform heavy bag training consisting of 2 minute rounds where you strike as fast and hard as you can, run long distance jogs with sprints occasionally thrown in. Perform weight training with heavy weights one day, and lighter weights via a circuit the next. Combine shadow fighting and bodyweight exercises to create a stamina building workout, spar for five rounds rotating grappling only for one round and striking only the next

Always vary your training. Keep your muscles and endurance levels surprised each workout as this is the best way to improve there abilities and the only way to get them used to the ever constant changing pace involved during an MMA fight.

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Are MMA Fighters Predictable

Mixed Martial Arts is the greatest method of combat for anyone. By mixing different elements of different styles a fighter can become on all round expert. However is MMA becoming just a mix of Mauy Thai, BJJ, and Wrestling?

Many MMA gyms nowadays have fighters who have excellent BJJ skills, great Mauy Thai techniques and can wrestle nearly all to the mat when needed. They can fight standing, on the floor and anything in between. Maybe this is all they need to survive in the cage or the ring.

The problem however is, that nearly all that fight in MMA do exactly the same. They may be seen by some to be predictable. They expect low Thai kicks , boxing style punches, and BJJ rolling and can easily defend them.

At the beginning of the UFC most fights where over in seconds through knockout or submission. The reason being, one fighter was dominated by the other because they encountered a scenario they where not familiar with. Royce Gracie beat all with his grappling because not many knew grappling. Ken Shamrock used ground and pound and viscous leg locks and no one had answers to it. Today MMA fighters know what to expect and can defend accordingly.

Occasionally though you get the odd fighter who can shock others through unusual ways of fighting or rarely seen techniques. Lyoto Machida with his karate skills for example or Cung Li with his array of different kicks which always seem to land. Karo Parisyan uses judo throws to dazzle his opponents who dont see them coming.

MMA is MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, not just a couple combined together. There are many techniques from other arts like Taekwondo, Kung Fu etc and occasionally you may come across these techniques. Practise them and try and combine them to make yourself a less predictable fighter.

Below is a great knockout. It seems to be some kind of Capoeira style kick. Would it work again? Maybe not, but it was definitely not predictable and the result was devastating.

Marks

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Technorati Tags: MMA, mauy thai, bjj

Monday, 23 June 2008

How do I Become a UFC Fighter

Almost every time I go on to Yahoo Answers I see the question, “how do I become a UFC fighter” or “how much do I need to train to become a professional MMA fighter”. Many martial artists think that it’s an easy task to reach the top or to be able to fight in the cage. Well I’m afraid it takes a little bit more than you think to become the best.

Firstly you have to train in martial arts diligently. To get good you train 2 times a week, but to get great you train 6 days a week, leaving a day for rest. You have to train hard, with full focus whilst maintaining a burning desire to succeed. Even when you get bored of training, (which WILL happen every now and then) you have to push yourself harder and harder because this is what it takes to be the best.

Aside form the countless hours of martial arts practise, you must also build your body in order to take the demands needed for fighting. This means you have to work out with weights in order to build strength in your muscles but more importantly you have to enhance your cardiovascular endurance to its peak. You can be the greatest martial artist in the world but if you do not have the strength and endurance to last 5, 5 minute rounds of striking and grappling your skills shall not show and you will not get very far.

As you can see, training involves a lot of demand which would mean a lot of commitment and time. It may be that you have a job, or you go college or school. To fit your training around your other commitments you may have to get up an hour or two earlier to train, or instead of going out with your friends on a Saturday night, you may have to find the determination to hit the gym instead. You wont like it, but this is what it takes to be the best.

You shall also have to become committed to restarting certain food types. Training hard is one thing, but destroying your hard training through a poor diet is another and you shall have to watch what you eat from now on I’m afraid.

As you can see, the money and fame which pro MMA fighters achieve is really attractive, but please also understand that a lot of lot of hard disciplined work is needed to achieve it. If you thing you have what it takes, then go for it and good luck to you.

Marks

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Technorati Tags: mma, ufc, martial arts

Friday, 6 June 2008

Students becoming Masters

Someone new to martial arts first goes to class with the hope of learning something new. Obviously they wish to be taught by the master of the school. Being taught a technique by one of the schools students, which sometimes happens, could result in the newcomer never coming back. After all, you want to be taught by the master, not the student. But when does the student start being called the master. And what must happen for him/her to be given this special title?

Does the student after years of training suddenly wake up one morning and think “I shall regard myself as a master from now on” or maybe he/she has to win a certain amount of fights or tournaments. Someone who is successful in competition with others has a lot to be proud of. Training hard for them and coming out on top over others who wish the victory as much as the winner, is a great achievement but does not necessarily make them a master.

Fedor Emilianenko is probably seen as one of the greatest ever MMA fighters and maybe has earnt the right to be called a master, but how about when he is in front of his coaches. Would he then be seen as the student and his coaches seen as masters or would they all be seen as masters.

Rickson Gracie is seen by some as the ultimate master of Jiu Jitsu. His won countless amounts of fights. So could Rickson teach someone how to be gracious in defeat? Probably not, as he has never lost! If someone has had 100 fights without winning a single one on the other hand, they maybe could teach this and could be seen as a master in it.

Maybe the right thought would be that a master is someone who can pass on knowledge and a student is someone who can learn that passed knowledge. This would make everyone masters AND students. No one is perfect but everyone has something that they can pass on, it just so happens that some have more to pass on than others.

Tuesday, 3 June 2008

Self Defence and Going to Far

Most martial artists have the attitude that on the streets, they will not go looking for trouble and only use there skills when there is no other option. Of course there are some which don’t follow this rule and all I can say to them is, what goes around comes around, but the majority keep themselves to themselves on the street. But when the unfortunate time of having to defend yourself comes around, how far must you go to defend yourself successfully.

In most countries, there are specific laws regarding defending oneself and going too far. If a thug in the street tries to strike you and you retaliate by striking him back then running away while he is dazed that’s one thing, but if that strike knocked him out, then you continue to hit him/her whilst they are on the ground unable to defend themselves, then that would make you the aggressor and you would probably get into trouble for it.

To some people the above is obvious, but to many new martial artists who are not familiar with there countries laws, it is always best to research them so as to know how far to go on the street without getting yourself into trouble.

Up until a few years ago in many countries if you held a black belt in a specific martial art, it was your duty to inform the police so they could register your hands as so called “lethal weapons”. Although this is not the norm now, some authorities still see martial artists as people with an edge over untrained people and when they are involved in any kind of street fight, defending themselves or not, the fact that they are martial artists is taken into account and if they have been seen as using unnecessary force during that fight, they could get into a lot trouble for it.

MMA is my favourite sport, I love MMA training and think it is the number one fighting sport in the world with some of the most well trained athletes, but the fact is when some people see kicks against someone on the floor or ground and pound in MMA, they may get the impression that in the street this is what you must aim to do. The aim is to defend yourself successfully. If there is no need to keep hitting someone on the floor, DON’T DO IT. If the person has a weapon and is intent on really hurting you, it may be necessary to use this kind of force. You must correctly judge yourself, how far to go. Defend yourself, but keep within the law.

Marks

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Technorati Tags: self defence, street fight, mma, ground and pound

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

The Inverted Heel Hook

Uchi Mata for MMA, the Exorcist Crank, Karo Parisyans Knee Bar, these are all recent articles which I feel give great demonstrations and explanations of certain MMA techniques which are definitely worth holding in ones arsenal.

The following is another great demonstration of the Inverted Heel Hook and how it can be applied in defence to an attempted ankle lock. Explained by Bas Rutten this technique requires correct leverage, correct body positioning and control in order to be successful. The reason I say it needs control is that it is a very dangerous joint lock which can not only damage the ankle but also the knee and if care is not taken when applying the technique you could injure your sparring partner or if it’s in competition, you could find yourself disqualified.

Marks

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Monday, 12 May 2008

Sumo Wrestlers in MMA

Whilst surfing on YouTube I came across the following clip of a seemingly very strong, yet small sumo wrestler Asashouryuu.

I was thinking how these guys would do in MMA. Obviously they would have to learn some striking and submissions and maybe boost up there cardio if needed but maybe they could do quit well.

Friday, 9 May 2008

Is MMA Safe?

In a Renegades Extreme Fighting bout in 2007, Sam Vasquez took on Vince Libardi. The fight was over after a punch to Vasquez in the third round which saw him lose consciousness, suffer a blood clot and remain in a coma for 42 days where he then died. RIP SAM

It is a great tragedy for someone to die doing what they enjoy. When the UFC first started, people saw it as brutal and unacceptable. It was labelled as human cock fighting and still some see it as completely unsafe. But is this the real case?

Compared to boxing gloves MMA fighters use smaller ones which don’t hold enough padding. And this is exactly why they are safer than boxing gloves. Because boxing gloves hold lots of padding, more punches can be absorbed, which means a fighter can be hit more times. These constant hits over the course of a fight can leave a traumatic effect to a fighter’s head. If you watch a boxing match most of the hitting is done to the head area. Few people attack the body much as the best way to knock someone out is through head strikes. In MMA fighters don’t limit there striking to just the head. They strike the legs and body also as kicks are allowed, so less blows are absorbed to the vulnerable head area.

There is no standing 8 count in MMA. In boxing if a fighter is in trouble, the ref will momentarily stop the fight via a standing 8 count allowing the fight to recover slightly but then the fight resumes allowing for further possible punishment. In MMA if a fighter is in trouble, the fight will be stopped, allowing for no further punishment.

Rarely, you see fighters choked out or get injured due to not tapping out. This is there own fault. If you are caught in a submission hold you should tap out. The ones that don’t are silly and risk injury. But if this happens not only will the ref instantaneously break the hold, but doctors are on hand to examine any injuries.

Where there could be accidental injuries is through falling. Slams, throws, and take downs are all allowed in MMA. Although there are rules regarding these, such as you cant drop an opponent onto his head or neck, accidents may happen. But it has to be remembered that MMA athletes are used to falling and getting thrown. They learn the correct method in break falling and these types of accidents are very rare.

This discussion could go on and on, and with various people, it shall. What is a fact though, is that MMA has been around for a number of years. Rules are kept so as major injuries can be prevented and up until now they are proving successful.

Instances such as Sam Vasquez are rare. Injuries happen in most sports and will continue to happen, but long as we train safe and train smart, major injuries can easily be prevented.

Marks

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Technorati Tags: mma safe, boxing, sam vasquez

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Importance of Stamina for Competition

The sport of MMA is a hybrid of all the practical fighting methods available. To be an efficient fighter you need a good understanding of the different phases of combat, from long distance stand-up fighting to ground grappling submissions and everything in between. Having abilities in all of these situations though is not enough.

Throughout this website, the importance of cardiovascular endurance has been stated plenty of times. You can have all the fighting skills in the world, but MMA is a sport. You are competing with someone who is also a good fighter. Someone who trains just as you do, so they shall have skills also. When you compete in the ring or cage, you shall each be trading blows, takedowns and submissions. All of these things require energy and stamina. If you do not have good stamina then after a couple of minutes, you shall get tired, start to drop your hands leaving yourself open to knockout blows, will not be able to defend takedowns effectively enough and shall probably lose. In the street, it is rare that a fight will last more than a few seconds so stamina would not be as important, but this is not the street. Along with good technique, stamina is a top priority for ever fighter wanting to compete.

Prepare yourself correctly before competing. Eat clean good wholesome food, work on your technique and prepare your body for combat by improving your stamina, flexibility then your strength.

Friday, 4 April 2008

Bas Rutten Interview

I came across the following video of Bas Rutten describing MMA training including,
Training involved to become a pro fighter,
How MUCH should one train to become a pro fighter,
The best style to study to become a pro fighter,
Where to find a good MMA gym.

It really does answer some questions that many, if not all beginners ask themselves. Bas talks about his own training quantity, and what is interesting is that Bas says he dose not "max" out always with his training. By doing this you shall wear yourself out and maybe do yourself more damage than good. Enjoy!

VideoJug: Mixed Martial Arts Training Tips

Marks

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Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Striking and not Striking whilst Ground Fighting

In the martial arts world, when people mention ground fighting, they usually refer to grappling and submissions, but with the ever growing popularity of MMA and UFC style fights, martial artists are becoming better at striking whilst also grappling on the ground. The worst thing a grappler can do is forget this.

There are some things you can get away with when ground fighting without strikes. If you are mounted by your opponent, you can have space between yourself and your opponent. If strikes were allowed, and you were mounted, the first thing you should be thinking of is pulling your opponent close to you as if hugging him/her so as he/she does not have the room to land hard strikes at you. If you are caught in a side control, or upper four quarters position, if no strikes are allowed, a lot of people tend to relax slightly while thinking about what there next move will be to escape. With strikes being thrown, knees to the body or head or downward elbow strikes must be looked for and defending against. Also there are certain submissions that you may have to use with precaution. For instance, if you are in position for an arm bar (juji gatame) and your partner bends his arm to defend it, you may decide to go for a forearm crush, which would force you to use both of your hands for just one of your opponent’s arms, leaving him/her free to strike you with the other.

I think grappling is brilliant. I love watching grappling tournaments, and think it is a very misunderstood art by some people. It is definitely needed to become a complete fighter, but so are strikes, standing and on the floor. Grapplers should sometimes train with strikes so as they learn the best way to defend against them and to can become overall complete fighters.

Saturday, 16 February 2008

Ultimate Fighting VS Boxing

What do people from MMA think about boxing, and what do people from boxing think about MMA,

The reality is that "Ultimate Fighting" and boxing are both sports. The rules of boxing are that you can punch with your hands only. In ultimate fighting you can punch, elbow, kick, knee, throw, grapple and submit. Does this mean that people who train MMA (for ultimate fighting) have to work harder to become proficient with all the extra techniques they can use, or that because boxing focuses on just the hands, it is more aesthetically pleasing to watch. What do you think.

Tuesday, 23 October 2007

Where to Guard when Punching

Karate, Kung fu, Boxing, whatever you fighting style, as long as you punch, there will always be the need for a guard. Unlike kicks, when you punch, unless you are extremely tall with long arms, you shall also be in reach for your opponent to punch you back. This is where your guarding hand comes into play. Boxers and most martial artists nowadays tend to have there guarding hand clenched as a fist, and held near the cheek area protecting the delicate chin. An argument to this is that if you are wearing big boxing gloves which increase the size of the guarding area and provide a cushion if hit, that is fine, but what if you are not. The fist without gloves is small which may not guard enough and there is no protection to the front face area. Some people believe that the more effective guard would be an openhanded one held in front of the face which protects the facial features, but then again it doesn't protect the chin which if struck hard, is the best way to score a knockout. It could be said that it depends on the situation. In a boxing match a guard on the side of the face could be appropriate, where an MMA fighter might prefer the in front of face guard. Also, in the street your guarding hand could be used to grab the opponent or to control his arms which could allow for a more accurate strike. In my opinion, the situation decides the position of the very important guard, but it must always be in the back of your mind when punching.

MarksTraining.com

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Tuesday, 8 July 2008

MMA Fighters Endurance

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Are MMA Fighters Predictable

Monday, 23 June 2008

How do I Become a UFC Fighter

Friday, 6 June 2008

Students becoming Masters

Tuesday, 3 June 2008

Self Defence and Going to Far

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

The Inverted Heel Hook

Monday, 12 May 2008

Sumo Wrestlers in MMA

Friday, 9 May 2008

Is MMA Safe?

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Importance of Stamina for Competition

Friday, 4 April 2008

Bas Rutten Interview

Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Striking and not Striking whilst Ground Fighting

Saturday, 16 February 2008

Ultimate Fighting VS Boxing

Tuesday, 23 October 2007

Where to Guard when Punching

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