Monday, October 4, 2010

MMA Training: Pre-Workout Tips and Activities To Get You Prepared For Combat

With your MMA equipment packed and ready to go and some free time to kill before you head to the gym, here's some pre-workout suggestions that can help get you prepared for combat:

Just about every student has their individual pre-training routine. This may include doing a light warm up prior to going down to the gym, or enjoying a couple fight videos to get motivated and in the right state of mind for training. Here are some tips that you really should read over if you are seeking to develop a pre-workout regime that can be used to help ready yourself for tough workouts.

Exhibit Superior Hygiene

Having decent cleanliness is important for MMA training. Not only is it necessary for safety reasons – it will help reduce the spread of harmful fungi and bacteria on the ground mats and training apparatus – but let’s face it, no one wants to be training partners with somebody that exhibits poor cleanliness!

Just because you are going to the gym to work up a sweat and maybe even draw a bit of blood, there isn’t any reason to show up smelling like a wet dog! Of course, most of us develop body stench whenever we workout, but the microorganisms that produce this scent takes time to develop. Showing up at the training center smelling good, very likely means that your B.O. won’t be really bad by the time you complete your training. At a minimum, it’s a nice gesture to your MMA exercise partners and the training center as a whole.

Trim Those Nails - Hands and Feet

Regardless of whether you’re kick boxing or grappling, it's very important that your nails are cut short and that any sharp edges are filed down. When kick boxing, a pointy toenail can cut an opponent quite easily. While in rolling sessions, long finger or toe nails can very easily scratch and scrape your jujitsu opponents.

Many practitioners find it convenient to keep a nail clipper inside their workout bag all the time. This way they don't have to think about clipping their nails in advance.

Dry MMA Gear Smells Better

Are you among those people that let your sweat soaked MMA gloves, shin protectors and various other gear sit in your workout bag after every exercise session without the possiblity to dry or air out? This is a significant faux pas if you wish to offer your MMA gear the longest possible life expectancy. It’s additionally a guaranteed method to make your exercise gear smell really awful.

Your exercise gear will smell – there is no way around that. Nevertheless, you can constrain this smell by airing out your gear after every training session. Hang them up, put them on your front porch, or do whatever it takes to have them dried out before you show up at your next MMA workout session.

Don't Eat Before Working Out

Perhaps the most common mistake that folks make prior to attending a MMA class is that they consume a large meal right before they start training. Doing this ensures a rather uncomfortable exercise session, because the body’s digestive system is interrupted by all of the physical exercise that you are performing. This can make you feel sick, roly-poly and less energized.

If at all possible, have your final meal before a workout no less than two hours beforehand. After that, as the time of your training session gets near, have a light snack to limit hunger pangs and also provide you with an energy charge.

Shadow Box and Stretch Before You Go To The Gym

When you are with a bit of time to spare before a workout, try a light warm up to get yourself mentally and physically geared up for the challenges ahead.

Each and every MMA fighter ought of do shadow boxing whenever they get the chance. Shadowboxing prior to a training session is a good way to rehearse what you would like to perform during your training time. It will also help you initiate your fighting tempo while offering your muscle tissue an easy training session.

Following shadowboxing, your muscle tissue will likely be warmed up sufficiently to carry out a light stretch. Pre-workout stretches should be light and involve continual movements. You do not want to perform a heavy stretch or hold a particular stretch for too long, as this may set off a rest and relax effect from your body – not at all what you're looking for before your training sessions!

Should you incorporate a few or all of these ideas into your pre-workout regime, you’re certain to go to your workout routines feeling more comfortable and hungry to work. This may bring about superior, more productive workouts, offering you the edge to drive even harder.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

MMA Training: Five Reasons Why You Absolutely Should Workout

Have you ever thought that perhaps you should start training to become a mixed martial artist? You only need a couple piece of MMA gear and join a local club. A few have asked themselves that question, replied yes, and then took actions to accomplish this. But most people never really think about it very seriously, and just go on to something else... Most people don't know where to start or who to talk to, so they really never even begin to take action to reach this goal. Thinking that it will require a lot of time, discourages many others. Still others are just too lazy to get up and act.

Now "Whoa Up" there a moment, my friend! Are these explanations really appropriate? Could they be persuasive? Did the reasons in favor receive a fair hearing? Did both the pro as well as the con side get taken into account? The advantages do not seem to have been completely thought through if you are still sitting on your couch...

Let's just take a look at 5 factors favoring initiating some plans to start MMA training to check out how things might look from that perspective.

Initially, mixed martial arts training can help you lose weight. Correct. It's important to note that MMA is an engaging athletic activity that will force you to shed pounds. Yes, that's a very good point. But look at this - losing weight will help you lead a healthier life with better self-confidence. Additionally, there is the reason that weight loss can prevent your chances of developing many types of chronic illnesses, like heart disease and diabetes.

Second, MMA training will raise your self-esteem. That is because it teaches you the best way to be assertive over challenging and uncertain situations. That is why it has been found that competitors of martial arts and fighting sports in general have greater self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Third, training in mixed martial arts will give you a challenging mental workout as well as a physical workout. Additionally, the mental challenges associated with this style of fighting will keep you highly interested to learn more. You'll always find yourself motivated enough to continue your training!

Fourth, participants of mixed martial arts get to learn a variety of fighting styles and tactics that other martial arts don't teach. This variety is another reason why MMA has so much to offer.

And fifth, mixed martial arts is commonly practiced in groups. Just by showing up at the gym you're bound to meet new friends and associates. This is the perfect way to meet new people, because you already share a common interest and goal.

You might want to analyze the reasons mentioned above and mentally evaluate them. All these points strongly suggest that you should seriously think about looking for ways to start training in mixed martial arts. Don't delay! The health benefits alone should be enough to persuade you.

Look them over once again and consider each of those points. Those identical 5 factors won over many other participants of the sport. Won't they also convince you to start training in MMA? I hope they will! 

MMA Kickboxing: The Styles You'll Want to Learn

The art of striking is an essential skill that every mixed martial arts fighter ought to have. The aim of striking is always to instill damage upon a rival. The tactics utilized to render this damage are punches, kicks, knees and elbows. You'll need a good pair of MMA gloves to dish out the punishment! Along with decent timing and fluid body movements a competitor can stop his or her competitor using a single strong blow. Whether a fighter's all round style prefers the use of strikes or otherwise, every competitive player must routinely practice striking in offensive and defensive roles.

Muay Thai Kick Boxing

Virtually all competitors regularly practice kickboxing techniques. The favourite form of kickboxing practiced by mixed martial arts fighters these days is Muay Thai. Muay Thai hails from Thailand, but is also extremely popular in Holland as well as other locations throughout the world.

Muay Thai utilizes boxing style punching and straight or round kicks with regard to range attacks. From close distances, Muay Thai teaches the employment of elbows and knees in order to further assault an adversary. Muay Thai furthermore encourages using clinch fighting, which has become an essential component of ultimate fighting. For a Muay Thai stylist, the clinch provides a chance to land highly effective blows to an opponent while tying up and shutting down their offensive abilities.

Boxing

The sport of modern boxing has long been proven in the arena for over a century. It brings the art of striking while not getting struck to the sport of mixed martial arts. Nearly all professional competitors get trained specifically in boxing to sharpen their hands and general reflexes. Although the regulations of boxing constrain its variety of techniques, the sport places a great emphasis on footwork, timing and pacing, which are fundamental talents employed in many types of MMA combat.

As the game of mixed martial arts evolves at a quick pace, many techniques from classic martial arts have been incorporated into its mixed style.

Traditional Karate

Despite the fact that Muay Thai shin kicks are generally regarded as the most powerful and most functional leg techniques used in MMA, a few competitors have meshed karate techniques in with their ordinary form of striking. Karate kicks can be similar or dissimilar to Muay Thai depending on their mechanics. Certain karate kicks use parts of the foot that aren't frequently used in Muay Thai, such as the bottom part of the foot just before the toes. One such kick which utilizes this striking surface is the karate liver kick. This strike can deliver serious force to an opponent's organ, possibly causing the competition to finish with just one strike.

Korean Martial Art: Taekwondo

Taekwondo is regarded as a Korean martial art that is actually an Olympic event. You will find many branches of Taekwondo, but the majority of them center around a style of striking that is highly offensively oriented. The most legendary varieties of Taekwondo strikes are spin kicks, which can be served with amazing velocity and force. Some skilled MMA fighters have previous experience with this martial art and have the ability to employ Taekwondo style leg techniques as part of their all round fighting style. In addition to kicks, some fighters use spin movements to produce spinning elbows, forearms and punches. These types of strikes require expert timing, but can quickly bring an end to a fight if they land.

What Are The Very Best Styles of Striking For MMA?

Virtually all combat training centers offer Muay Thai kickboxing to their students. Muay Thai's sensible characteristics and fight tested tactics make it the self evident style of choice for current MMA students. But in the event that you find yourself with a chance to learn further striking methods borrowed from various other sports or martial arts, it is usually a great idea to widen your MMA tool box of techniques. Using unorthodox techniques when competing can easily surprise and confuse your rivals. Ultimate fighting is regarded as a game where even a minor advantage possessed by a fighter may point her or him to victory. Utilizing a combination of unique striking styles is another way to give yourself an advantage in the course of stand up fighting. 

The 5 Essential Rules of MMA Fighting

Some rules you encounter are Golden - to be considered forever instead of forgotten. These tips on how to survive a mixed martial arts fight are definitely useful and I hope you will consider them if you should ever find yourself in the arena of combat! Just remember to wear high quality MMA gear if you ever plan on competing!

These five rules exist for a reason - they have all been tested in the cage and are generally considered good common sense. Don't worry if you aren't at the level of a professional fighter, these tips can be used by anyone to aide in regular training and sparring.

Here's my 5 golden rules for surviving a mixed martial arts fight:

Golden Rule # 1 - Always protect your head. When you are a novice or unsure of your opponent's ability, you shouldn't rely on your reflexes alone to get out of the way of any head kicks or punches. Remember, the fight is over the moment you go to sleep. And if not - god help you! When you fight with your hands down you are exposing yourself to increased risk. Only experienced strikers should consider fighting this way.

Golden Rule # 2 - Never turn your back to your opponent. It's best to consider this seriously, because relying on your 6th sense to guess what your opponent might be doing could be a really bad idea! Make sure that from whatever position you are in that you are keeping your eyes opened and focused on your opponent. You need to always see what he or she is doing, and likely to do next.

Golden Rule # 3 - Keep your back off of the cage wall or ring ropes. The reason why this is important is because you will have less freedom to move if you're standing near the edge of the canvas. The fighter who remains in the center of the ring can choose any direction to travel in. This is important when you need a quick escape route.

Golden Rule # 4 - Control where the fight takes place. A competitor that can pick where the fight takes place has a huge advantage in this sport, because they'll have more opportunities to use their primary skills.

Golden Rule # 5 - Sufficiently prepare for your competitive matches. A fighter should enter the cage with the upmost confidence in their preparations for the match. There are no shortcuts in MMA, even fighters who test positive for steroids often lose! A fighter should find themselves an excellent training camp run, by seasoned professionals, before they embark on a career in MMA. Good trainers are essential, because most fighters cannot push themselves hard enough without help. In addition, all serious competitors must to workout daily. This can entail weight lifting, jogging, sparring and other training exercises. This can be really critical since it will give them excellent cardio and stamina, as well as sharpen their fighting techniques.

If your primary objective is to surviving a mixed martial arts fight, then follow these time-tested rules. They've been proved many times in the arena of combat. Follow them scrupulously for ultimate success in the cage and ring!