Watch MMA long enough and you are bound to experience at least one moment that leaves a lasting memory. Some moments leave you covering your face in a mixture of horror and disgust while others have you jumping out of your seat in amazement. There are far too many of these “mixed martial moments” to list in one blog article so I’ve picked 5 of my favorites.
While many fighters continually struggle to compete in the lowest weight class possible-they diet, use sauna suits, sweat it out and will go to great lengths to make weight-there are still others who are only kidding themselves into thinking that they are competing at their optimal weight. These fighters typically eat poorly, get beat when they shouldn’t and take unnecessary punishment by consistently going up against guys that are naturally bigger than they are. The truth of the matter is, when it comes to participating in a sport that has distinguishable weight categories, there really is no excuse for a competitor to be fighting out of their ideal weight bracket. The topic of weight is such a prominent part of the sport because it is so crucial to being competitive.
When it comes right down to it, everyone is a fighter in one respect or another. You may be fighting to become the next champion of the world or simply fighting for a better life. You may be fighting to get that next big promotion at work or fighting to improve your health. No matter what your particular pursuit may be, it has similarities to what a boxer encounters every time he enters the ring. That’s actually part of the allure of the sport. It can easily be seen as a great metaphor for life.
For the past two installments, we’ve dispelled some of the myths that relate to safety and explored the philosophical question of “why boxing” at all? Assuming you’ve made it past those first two rounds and now want to know how to actually get started, there are some basic steps you can take and moves you can make that will help you find a gym or a coach that fit YOU like a glove.
Almost all sports are considered more mainstream and better understood by the general public than boxing. It has always been a little bit of mystery to parents and prospective fighters and yet, people still find their way to sport. Those few are intrigued, even though from the start, it’s harder to find out the how, why and where? Through their persistence though, they ultimately end up being the lucky few. They are the ones who persevere and follow that attraction towards the very thing that makes boxing so special. It’s different.
