?Mind. Body. Spirit.?
The three words were written on a white dry-erase board in a tiny tae kwon do studio in North Jersey. While a bit clich?, the three words represent what martial arts such as Tai Chi, Karate and Tae Kwon Do are all about. However, on that particular night, the small, poorly lit room wasn?t being used for tae kwon do. No one was wearing a gi or belts. The students here were wearing a wide variety of MMA clothes because tonight there was going to be a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) class. A particularly brutal form of self-defense developed that is a combination of Muay Thai kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and traditional western-style boxing.
The instructor pulled on his MMA shirt, walked up to the dry-erase board and replaced the three words with his own personal mantra:
?Break his f-ing nose!?
While not as politically correct or sexy as the tae kwon do mantra, it says everything you need to know about Mixed Martial Arts. It is an extremely vicious and effective form of self-defense that teaches you to do ground and pound your way to victory. It also said exactly what I wanted to hear.
You see, I wanted to learn how to defend myself and I wanted to learn quickly. I didn?t have time for mind games and I didn?t really care about belts or uniforms. So, I pulled on my MMA t-shirt and proceeded to learn how to kick some ass.
During the course of our two-hour Mixed Martial Arts training session, we touched on a variety of simple techniques that you won?t learn in a typical kickboxing class. I also wound up with blood all over the front of the MMA shirt I had bought just for this occasion.
I had done a little boxing, so I wasn?t completely lost. But, I wasn?t prepared for this class. While the people at these classes couldn?t be nicer, in the octagon they are savages. All?s they want to do is slip on their MMA clothes and hit people. And they don?t mind getting hit either. In short, they are completely crazy! In Mixed Martial Arts, there are no fancy moves, no concrete blocks to break and no silly sayings. Just combat proven techniques that teach you how to kick ass and take names.
I have been involved in boxing for quite some time. But, when I left the tae kwon do studio that evening I felt I had actually learned something that could come in useful one day. So, if you?re looking to take a self-defense or martial arts class, I suggest you go out and buy some MMA apparel and then find yourself a good Mixed Martial Arts studio. This form of self-defense may not have the allure of tai chi, kung fu or tae kwon do, but it can provide you with proven techniques that are used every day on the streets, the ring and, of course, the octagon.
To learn more about my MMA journey, visit http://www.basthardt.com
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