[I:http://exporubens.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/AlCase22.jpg]Many of the martial arts, like karate are fiction. Slam somebody on the nose with a palm and bone shards will spear into his brain and kill him, except there isn’t any bone in the nose, its all cartilage. And all those old legends, a lot of them are good for washing the hog, if you have a willing hog.

But, there is a certain science that has proven true in the martial arts. This is the science of how to use geometrical energy potentials. I discovered this field while reading a series of books called the Lensmen Series.

I suppose the first time it hit me was when the author, E. E. Smith, described people fighting on the hull of a space ship. They were hooking their feet under hand grips so they would not fly into space from the reverse force of their strikes. They were anchoring themselves so they could apply force, and not be the effect of their own force.

Soon I was totally immersed in a universe where weapons created incredible geometries of force. A death ray created a mattering splattering beam, and it could be deflected by a well built shield. And if a shield could deflect that beam, then another shield used like a disk could slice the first shield apart.

Soon I was enraptured by images of fleets of space ships creating their own particular brand of strategy. Fleets of space ships would form globes around other fleets, and cones of spaceships would swallow globes of fleets. Each time a geometry was described, my mind struggled to keep up with the wash of new concepts.

Then, shock of shocks, fleets of spaceships gave way to mental powers. Those same rods and globes and cones and shields, made real in the extreme of space combat, became the stuff of mind to mind encounters. How do you slide your awareness through the grid of another but alien mentality?

And, ultimately, done with the books, I began extending these outer space alien mind combat strategies to the martial arts. I sank my weight and planted my stance so I would not fly back from my own force. I described cones with my arms, and engulfed globular fists as they flew out of space at me.

When I tell people about what has inspired me they generally think I am a bit crazy, or they realize I am a genius. Reading sci fi for inspiration in the martial arts, who would have thought? Yet, it is all art, and should not art be filled with creativity and expression and beams of force and mind to mind conflicts?

Al Case has taught martial arts for 40+ years. A writer for the magazines, he is the developer of Matrixing Technology. You can find out about Matrixing by getting his free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

Times have gotten insanely unsafe. With the exclusion of the more tame toys of mischief and the inclusion of killing tools. Gang activity is now plaguing our society, completely shunning law and any form of control. Those in desperate situations are taking extreme measures to survive, often ending in fatal mistakes, and civilians have become so lax in their participation that self-defense is nearly a dying species. Both those fortunate in quality of life, and those not quite so blessed, we have all become targets of heinous acts. And truthfully, while bonded to law, we have few options of self-preservation.

Regrettably, one would undoubtedly look foolish, if not suspicious trouncing about town decked out in a full suit of kevlar. Honestly, it is doubtful that it would even be allowed. But there is another solution. There are those out there, companies, that devote their time and resources to the creation of tools of defense, and not of destruction. Tools of protection that provide the everyman with the power to defend against those that seek to tear our society apart. One product of note, is the creation of normal garments, but with a single adaptation. They are bulletproof.

One can now avoid suspicion from peers and local delinquents, all the while completely insulated against an attack! Armored clothing has seen completely new levels of progression, now capable of stopping even high powered rifle ammunition and AP rounds! Not to mention, some of this stuff just looks awesome! What’s better than sporting your new favorite jacket, walking about all cool, and then stopping a bullet to the chest? Like what you already have, and don’t want to reorganize your wardrobe? They also offer fine vests to fit under your button downs, looking like just another clothing accessory, but still offering top notch defense!

The clothing is tailored to your fit and size, eliminating discomfort and poor fits associated with most other products of this type, and keeping your clothing looking fit and neat. The armor plating can be removed from the garment, allowing for less conspicuous feel, if you know your are coming into contact with others much, or you can remove them if an upgrade is needed! The plating comes in a variety of strengths and protection levels, allowing you to tailor the product to your level of need!

You could assume that this type of technology would be extremely expensive, however, this uses pre-existing technology that and is rather affordable even to the average citizen.Take the first step in becoming a safer and more confident individual by taking the time to look into this quickly growing phenomenon!

Want to read more from this author? Check out his blog, where I write on other things from Roman Swords to Armor Clothing, and other things else related to defense modern and ancient!

In the aftermath of Brock Lesnars 2nd round TKO victory over Frank Mir the prevailing attitude toward him from mainstream fans has experienced a sudden and seismic shift. Before his past two fights many were questioning whether his credentials justified giving him a shot at the title, with some even unfairly comparing him to EliteXC YouTube sideshow attraction Kimbo Slice. In the aftermath of Lesnars UFC 100 victory the new question surrounding the former WWE champion has become who can beat this guy? Lesnar definitely is a freaky physical specimen combining size and strength with speed and agility. Hes also progressing by leaps and bounds as a fighter with every bout. Still, hes got a big deficit in experience to make up on the job as UFC heavyweight champion.

Lesnar is no doubt a handful for any opponent, but in many ways has been the beneficiary of favorable matchups throughout his MMA career. More recently, Frank Mir made a serious tactical error, thinking that he could absorb a beating on the ground and wait for a submission opportunity. Lesnar had gameplanned Mir perfectly, and implemented a fight plan that allowed him to pound his opponent mercilessly while avoiding the risk of submission. Neither observation is meant to diminish the significance of Lesnars victories, but to underscore the fact that hes not unbeatable. Heres five fighters who could do it:

1) FEDOR EMELIANENKO: While the acrimonious relationship between the Russian fighting god and the UFC brass makes this matchup unlikely, Brock Lesnar made news with his dismissal of Fedor at the press conference welcoming Couture back to the fold. The best news for Lesnar in this matchup is that it probably wont happen. The Last Emperor is as close to unbeatable as anyone in mixed martial arts. Fedor has defeated not only bigger opponents, but freakishly large opponents like K-1 kickboxer Hong-Man Choi and Kamala the Ugandan Giant doppelganger Zuluzhinho (whom he beat in a matter of seconds, essentially with one punch). The WAMMA World Heavyweight champion has striking power, submission mastery, and may be the toughest fighter mentally in the sport. Fedor might get taken down by the new UFC heavyweight champ, but hed reverse it from the bottom and win via armbar.

2) ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA: Nogueira would present Lesnar with another formidable challenge. The former Interim heavyweight champion has equal, if not superior, BJJ skills and has proven to be tougher and more durable than Mir. His five career losses are all via decision and came to the absolute highest level of competition (Fedor Emelianenko twice, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and Dan Henderson). The UFC heavyweight division is notoriously thin, but among the current crop Nogueira is by far Lesnars worst matchup.

3) JOSH BARNETT: Barnett is another unlikely opponent for Lesnar, also due to his strained relationship with Dana White and current issues with his positive drug test. Barnett also has a solid wrestling background, with the added dimension of his sizable submission repertoire. As his career has progressed, Barnett has become a more patient and tactically sound fighter and his standup game has improved significantly. Unfortunately for MMA fans, a matchup between Lesnar and Barnett is more likely to happen in an IGF pro wrestling event than in the UFC.

4) ALISTAIR OVEREEM: Overeem is bigger than Lesnar”260 pounds and 65 tall. He went through a rough patch in his career during his tenure in PRIDE, but has compiled a 5-1-1 record in his last seven fights. Mirko Cro Cop suggests that hes the *only* fighter in the world who could beat Fedor Emelianenko at this point. Hes got great standup including a kickboxing background that could cause Lesnar problems, as well as solid ground fighting ability. Hes yet another heavyweight that is unlikely to bend to Dana Whites contractual demands, and currently has a relationship with DREAM in Japan and Strikeforce in the US. Still, hes a dangerous matchup for any fighter on the planet.

5) RANDY COUTURE: Lesnars win over Couture was far from decisive, and it didnt have anything to do with the age disparity. Couture got caught with a big shot and it cost him the fight. Until that point, he was more than holding his own. He was making his opponent work hard, had the edge in the striking exchanges and had opened up a cut over Lesnars right eye. Itll never be a favorable physical matchup on paper for Couture but at the same time Lesnar in no way proved his categorical superiority over The Natural

An intriguing matchup down the road could be against Croatian striking machine Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop has battled injuries over the past year or so but if he could come close to the form he demonstrated in winning the PRIDE Open Weight GP he could be another formidable challenge. At his best, Cro Cop is simply the most devastating striker in the sport.

[I:http://exporubens.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/AlCase10.jpg] Trying to eat something that has bigger teeth than you is foolish. I know that when it comes to words of wisdom, this may seem weak, but there is a certain undeniable truth here. Such as when a young student is heard complaining that he is tired.

“Al, I’m too tired to continue.” Observing the youngster I knew that he wasn’t really tired, he was just being a bit childish. The that he had chosen to do so right in the middle of my karate class was, however, a problem.

When my class is interrupted by one of these leaders of future society for such foolishness I always feel peculiarly irked. I am suddenly taken by the desire to pick up that large stick with a nail in it that I keep in the office of my school and…but I don’t. Instead, I relay the story of the tiger, which is quite well known in other societies, but not too well known in our own.

One day two monks were walking through the jungle. One was old and one was young. The younger one said, “I’m tired–can’t we stop?”

Let’s continue just a bit further,” said the older monk. The old monk started walking a little faster. He certainly didn’t want to hear the younger generation complain.

“I can’t. I’m utterly exhausted. I’m stopping,” and the younger monk collapsed on a boulder on the side of the trail and began to fan himself.

“We have to make it to the next temple. Get up now!” The older monk implored the younger man without effect.

“No way I can continue. I’m too exhausted to go on!” Fanning himself, the younger man refused to move.

The older monk, at that point, happened to see a tiger sleeping in the bamboo, and he picked up a rock and threw it at the tiger. The tiger jumped up and roared in rage and chased after the two monks. The monks sprinted down the trail like…well…like a tiger was chasing them.

The monks ran and ran and ran, and finally the tiger slowed down. When they were safely away the younger monk turned to the older monk. “Why’d you throw the rock at that tiger?”

The older monk laughed. “I guess you weren’t really all that tired after all.” The younger monk finally recognizing superior wisdom, began to laugh, too.

A story as this has a good a moral. The monks had only been running for their lives. The tiger, on the other hand, was only running for his dinner.

And here come my words of wisdom. Is every day like a run for your life? Or are you one of these fellows that believes everything has bigger teeth that you?

And the student in my class who started the whole thing by saying he was tired? If he still complains about being tired after I tell him the story about the tiger…I get out the stick. The nail in it is really quite sharp!

Wrestling moves are not straight-forward, since if you are not paying close attention, you might believe the moves are real. At the moment I am still a little reluctant to fill you in on the moves, since I am not a wrestling fan, however my son is, and he is going to give us the inside information on wrestling moves to help us see it for what it is, fake.

One of the older moves is the banana splits. However, today, the move is known as the ‘leg splits’. During this move, one starts wrestling with both hands on the legs of the other wrestler and splits the legs apart as far as the legs will go. This move will force the wrestler to put his/her own shoulders to the mat. If the wrestling move were for real and the wrestler fails to submit, his/her legs would split some muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.

The ‘Cobra Clutch’ is another of the holds that would in reality cause agony. The cobra move is universally recognizable as the cross chokes or arm locks. The challenging wrestler will come from the back of the other pugilist and using a single arm in the “Nelson Hold”. The opponent will then use his/her arm to tug the wrestler’s arm trying to prevent him from pulling across the neckline and choking him as a result. The back clutch, or bombard is similar but the challenging wrestler is on his back under his opponent extending his arms upward from behind.

The ‘Rock Bottom’ move involves the adversary pulling his opponents arm over his shoulder. The wrestler then places the opponents arm over his/her shoulder and lifts and dives forward onto the mat. During this attack, the challenger is hitting the mat head first, which if actually executed, would strain bones or at least result in some serious pain.

The ‘Choke Slam’ is the move when the attacking wrestler grips the opponent’s arm and lifts his arm close by his opponent’s side, over his shoulder. Then he lifts the opponent and throws him down onto the mat.

The ‘Big Boot’ is a running attack. The wrestler lifts up his boot, connecting with the face of his opponent. So, a boot in the face, in other words! This would definitely put a person on his/her backside any time, causing the kicked person to feel severe giddiness for a while.

What makes wrestling so enthralling is the phoney dialogue, the costumes, the characters and the moves. If you think of the Superman films, and how he dresses, you will notice that without his costume he wouldn’t have any character appeal as Superman. Likewise, the wrestlers wear outfits that make them seem like they are super heroes of the ring, indicting the villains. Each wrestler has his/her persona in the ring. It is usually quite placid, but made to look violent!

However, wrestling does have rules, as well as restrictions, even though the moves are all phoney. Wrestlers must respect the ropes of the ring, as well as the colour codes.

The styles have their own set of rules, however freestyle and folk style are similar. Usually, the styles are enacted so well that you wouldn’t know if the wrestlers are using the freestyle, folk style, or Greco style.

As with a dance routine, most of the moves are choreographed and rehearsed, which means that a director is out of sight using his/her hands to direct the wrestlers in the rings. For the most part, wrestling is nothing more than an act with a few exemptions like when the KAYFABE brakes down, in which case a real fight can break out. The KAYFABE is wrestling’s means of verbal communication.

At the ripe old age of twenty-three, in the year of 1882, Sokaku Takeda strode imperiously into the Fukushima courtroom. Sitting at the head of the room the judge felt a cold wind enter the courtroom. It was a modern age, and the Samurai were being disarmed, yet this proud Samurai didn’t seem to understand this.

At the side of the courtroom, on a table, was Sokaku Takeda’s sword. He had killed so many with that sharp-edged weapon, yet when the magistrate inspected the cool-eyed Samurai who had used that weapon, there was no expression of any kind on his face. Looking into the eyes of the young man was like looking into a well at midnight.

The magistrate considered what he had heard concerning this peerless samurai. He had begun traveling the country when he was just thirteen, a warrior’s pilgrimage, training with top swordsmen, even members of the shogunate’s Kobusho. He had killed scores of men, taking on all challengers, and now he had come to Fukushima.

As the magistrate inspected the young man, the young man inspected him right back. The judge was old, and he was trying to enforce with Imperial edict and put an end to the reign of the Samurai. The younger man’s haughty eyes pierced the old man like a winter wind, taking his measure, daring him, and seeing right through him.

Under the gaze of such piercing eyes, in the presence of such a powerful personality, the magistrate felt his mortality. There was a distinct possibility that if he rendered a verdict the young man didn’t like, sword or not, the young man could pass a verdict on the court. And that verdict could be a bloody one.

“You are guilty of the deaths of many construction workers.” The judge could hardly force himself to speak. He shook like a leaf in a winter wind.

They attacked me with picks and shovels. I defended myself as a samurai should. Sokaku Takeda was unimpressed by the court.

“Those deaths could have been prevented.” The magistrate tried to control himself. His hands quivered and he folded them to hide his fear.

“They should not have come at me.” Sokaku showed no expression. He was in no danger here.

The old man considered the defendant. So proud and fierce and brave. “I realize it was self defense, so we shall let you go, but your weapon must stay with the court.”

Still no emotion. “The age of the Samurai is over,” admonished the magistrate. Still, the young man merely stared at the judge, and the magistrate, in spite of his position, felt like he was the blusterer.

Without sword, Sokaku Takeda was no less dangerous. He was above his foe, even though his foe had spoken down to him. Proud Sokaku Takeda strode proudly from the courtroom with no less pride than when he had entered it.

Jiu Jitsu is a Japanese martial art including primarily unarmed techniques, but also the use of some weapons. Specifically, it teaches unarmed strategies of combating an opponent who is armed. Like many martial arts, many different forms and styles of jiu-jitsu have evolved over the centuries.

What Sets Jiu Jitsu Apart from Other Martial Arts?

Jiu Jitsu was created by samurai in feudal Japan as a technique to battle other samurai. Punches and kicks were not very effective against armed samurai, so jiu-jitsu developed techniques to quickly immobilize an enemy through pins, throws, and holds. The philosophy of jiu-jitsu was not so much to directly oppose an enemy, but rather to detain him by turning his own energy against him.

Jiu Jitsu, literally translated as “the art of softness” or “way of yielding”, is a “soft” martial art style. “Soft” styles, like jiu-jitsu, prefer yielding to an opponent’s force, using balance and leverage to turn an attacker’s momentum against themselves, rather than opposing force with force. “Hard” martial styles (such as Karate and Kung Fu), in contrast, favor forceful, direct attacks requiring power, speed, and strength.

Different martial arts place their own emphasis on particular types of combat. For instance, Judo focuses on wrestling, while Tae Kwon Do focuses on kicking. In contrast, jiu-jitsu emphasizes grappling.

While “grappling” seems similar to wrestling, it has subtle but important differences. There are a variety of grappling techniques, including joint locks (discussed below), traps, pins, holds, and throws. Other techniques include gauging, choking, strangling, and biting. Some defensive jiu-jitsu techniques including breaking one’s fall, and learning how to disentangle oneself from an enemy’s grasp.

Joint-locks, as the name implies, are a technique that pressures a joint in the opposite direction of the way it is meant to bend. Not only does this immobilize the opponent’s limb to keep it from being used against you, but it also causes more pain the more the enemy struggles. This encourages your opponent to give up. American police officers are taught to use this technique to subdue dangerously aggressive criminals.

What Are the Advantages of Learning Jiu Jitsu?

Jiu Jitsu is an excellent self-defense martial art to learn for several reasons. First, it teaches how to escape an opponent’s attack. Second, you learn how to immobilize an attacker without necessarily hurting them. Third, it teaches as escalation of force.

First, in the case of defending yourself from a mugger or rapist, the more you stay and fight the more likely it is that your assailant will overtake you. It’s fairly common for criminals to travel in groups, or at least pairs, making it even more important for you to escape quickly. Your goal should be to get away and into a public and well-lit area. Muggers know this of course, so their aim is to immobilize you in an area far from others. Jiu Jitsu teaches you to break free from an assailant’s grasp.

Second, if the only fighting you know how to do involves hurting someone quickly and deeply, you could get in big trouble. In barroom brawls, or even if a mugger attacks you, if you seriously injure them or kill them, you’ll almost certainly face a lawsuit. Being able to escape, immobilize, or subdue an opponent without causing them serious harm neatly avoids this problem.

Escalation of force teaches you to only use the amount of force necessary to deal with an opponent. A mugger carrying a knife on the mean streets of New York City is entirely different from Cousin Eddie who’s had a few too many drinks and is stirring up trouble at a family gathering.

Obviously, both issues need to be dealt with. Equally obvious, however, is that you need to use much less force against drunken Cousin Eddie than you would against a mugger. Jiu Jitsu, by teaching how to immobilize an opponent with holds, joint-locks, and pins, allows you to do both. You can pin Cousin Eddie until he calms down while causing him little, if any, harm. On the other hand, if you need to, you can disarm the mugger and throw them to the ground dazed.

Disclaimer

The information in this article is taken from secondary sources and is given in good faith. It should not be regarded as scientific or expert advice in its own right. We recommend you conduct your own research with expert sources prior to engaging or applying any Jiu Jitsu technique mentioned here; we will not be held responsible.

It can be very intimidating to get ready for your first grappling tournament, especially if it’s a tournament that you have entered without the help of the gym. But there are hundreds of people who go through this every single tournament and you should not be worried about it. If you prepared properly in the beginning he should have no problem in the tournament. Here are some tips to help you get mentally prepared to compete and succeed in a grappling tournament.

The most obvious thing to do, but overlooked, is to look over the rules before you hit the mat. Before you start grappling, know that there have been many competitors in competition who have been disqualified, because they did not look at the rules beforehand and end up using an illegal moves or slamming their opponent to their mat. So make sure to look over the rules very carefully. This way, you have less chance of being disqualified for rule that you did not pay attention to. If you end up advancing beyond the first round it would be horrible to lose, because you did not know the rules. So you must be very careful about what moves you’re using. I recommend that you train with those rules three to four weeks at least before competition with your partner or your training dummy or in your mind at least. That way, you have minimal chance of using a move that is not allowed in the competition; so that you do not ruin all the hard work you put into to tournament during the tournament.

Give yourself a pre-match ritual so that you can feel as prepared as possible when it’s time to perform. NBA players, at the foul line, during their free-throw shots usually have a ritual that they go through that helps them feel calm and relaxed. This can be found in neural linguistic programming as well neural linguistic programming is the study of how the brain encodes experiences, so through research, what they found is that if you identify a feeling and associate it to a ritual, you are more likely to bring up that feeling when you need it. This can be as simple as Lebron’s chalking of the hands before a game then throwing it up into the air. Or maybe it’s just certain number bounces in the stretch that you do, but whatever it is make sure you have it so that you feel calm on the mat.

When youre nervous and on the mat, I recommend that you also have a ritual here. So that you can feel relaxed as possible, and when I talk about a ritual, we could be talking about something as simple as snapping your fingers three times, if you can code this to the feeling of being relaxed and calm when you snap your fingers together, you should be able to feel calm. This technique comes from Neuro Linguistic Programming or NLP, which is the study of how the brain encodes information including feelings. So you can code any feeling you want to any ritual that you need. I recommend a ritual that cannot be stopped in the ring. For example, if you are caught in an arm bar, that is almost there, then clapping your hands together three times is probably not a good ritual because you are not going to be able to do it. So we’re talking about finer motor movements, you’ll just have to be careful that you know your sweeps so that while you’re doing your ritual youre not going to hurt yourself when you roll. If you do choose snapping your fingers you’ll have to be careful so that they’re not crushed underneath you and your opponent as you roll into another position.

Of course before you enter your grappling tournament, you should have already been doing some sort of exercises I recommend some of Frank Shamrock’s home work out because it’s based around grappling. You want a workout be as close to the competition that you’re entering or the activity that you’re doing is possible. So the system best way to be ready for the tournament. You may feel stress, which will help you because you’ve learned how to deal with it before hand during your workouts.

If you follow the steps I have outlined here. You are sure to do well in the grappling tournament. Just make sure you don’t expect too much from yourself and give yourself a letdown that something bad if something bad is to happen. Just showing up and competing is a win in itself and as you do more tournaments you will get better and better at it and you will get better results, because you are more used to the situation. I wish you luck in the future with all your grappling endeavors.

I was skinny kid once, and I grew up as the smallest kid in school. So, as a consequence, I got picked on a lot. I became very shy and introverted and I didnt like talking to people, because I learned it was harder to be picked on if I gave them less ammunition. Plus, at home, I was the youngest of all the boys and they let me know about it all the time. They loved me, but they picked on me. Anyway, growing up, whether at home or at school, the bullies found me, so I totally understand how someone feels when they get picked on.

Thats why I love Bully Beatdown so much; the first episode I saw was a brother who was picking on his littler brother all the time. So the little brother did what any little brother would do, he called Jason Mayhem Miller, and got Bully Beatdown to offer 10 Gs to his brother (the bully) to fight a professional MMA fighter. And the bully, full of ego, as they are most times, accepted foolishly. In the end he only walked away with $2,000 dollars, because he was submitted 3x and knocked out in the 2nd round (for 5,000).

What can you learn from Bully Beatdown? Thats a great question, and heres what you can learn from Bully Beatdown. 1. A little training goes a long way, Michael Westbrook actually didnt do anything too technically advanced in either round, because he didnt have to. The bully was over matched, and Westbrook only pulled a sweet omaplata to a crufix (thats advanced) once. He was fairly nice to him the rest of the fight (well, not nice, but not as bad as he could of hurt him, he did TKO him viciously in the 2nd when he smelled a knockout though). So against your basic bully, you arent going to need much training, unless the size difference is great, and Royce Gracie proved in the first UFCs that if the bully doesnt understand your game and hes bigger than you, and you can drag him to the ground, then he is going down. So get a ground game ad get your hands up to par (at least learn something).

The other thing to note is that intimidation is a major part of winning a fight; you barely have to throw a punch if you have the edge in intimidation. Thats how it works for the bullies, half the time, if you wore your gyms affiliation shirt, youd probably intimidate the bully into not attacking. Youd able to avoid the fight by getting into their head before they considered the possibilities of winning. Even the fact that they could lose would be a deterrent, because bullies love easy marks and you, at this point would not seem such an obvious mark.

So if youre ready to impress girls, be fitter, have more self confidence, and give bullies nightmares, just follow the instructions in this article and remember to watch MTV’s Bully Beatdown for some cathartic fun. If you’ve got a bully pressing you now, then I’d get started on the steps Ive already outlined above, if you can do what I’ve told you, then the bully will fear you in no time, and youll find youre getting more dates, more jobs (from the self confidence), and more perk from life, because youve earned it.

Royce Gracie broke down barriers when he won UFC 1. While opening everyones eyes to grappling, he also did something that would change martial arts forever. He was beating martial arts black belts and proving to them that they were missing a vital element of their fighting arts, the ground game. Fast forward to a few short years later, everyone is being told by martial arts business gurus that they have to teach mixed martial arts (or MMA) to their students to get some of the money that is floating around. Forget that they havent trained in it before; forget they dont know the style. Theyve never competed, never had anyone compete before, and probably have never thought of fighting in a cage (even saying in the past, that it was barbaric and they want nothing to do with it, but they still found the gall to hang up a shingle and say, hey I teach MMA.

So whats the problem here? Bad mixed martial arts being propagated by martial arts schools that have no right to teach the style. Forget that if someone hung up a shingle and said, I teach karate and not have a black belt or have ever trained in it, the martial arts community would be quick to lynch the school owner.

In walks little Timmy and his dad who wants him to be able to defend himself against a bully no matter if it goes to the ground or if it stays standing. His sweeps are all wrong (Timmys) and his takedowns are weak, but hes somehow still good enough to be a brown belt in MMA (sorry, these don’t exist). He does get taken down by the local bully who is street crafty and may have training as well, and low and behold we have a problem. Timmy gets beat up, and blames himself. His parents blame themselves for not paying for more classes so he could be better. Everyone blames themselves except the school who have convinced themselves erroneously that they are doing the right thing and teaching the right things, and they do believe that little Timmy with bad training needs to pay more to come more often or get privates. No one blames the Grandmaster who has a black belt in MMA for 20 years (forget that MMA has only been around 12 years), no body questions that he has all the years of experience in teaching MMA and actually learning MMA. He gets by because he or she wears a belt that is black and talks with authority.

So what should you do? You should always check the creditionals of the school you are trying to enter. They should have someone reputable backing the school, someone who has competed and used the techniques in real life. In over half of the martial arts schools I am nearby, no one has ever fought or even competed in a grappling tournament. Its the blind leading the blind, and the owner is not rushed to compete either in order to save face. A good school should have competitors and they should back those competitors, they should actively be there for team (there are many owners who dont even show up to the competition even though the competitors represent their gym), you should ask if anyone competes and how involved the school is during competition. You should also ask if the owner has ever competed, if the answer is no, then be suspicious. If you can do all this, you are sure to find a school you can trust.