Hot MMA Training Gear for 2012

Guest post by Robbin Grey of The MMA Zone.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training is tough. It has to be. Fighters need to be in great shape to be able to keep moving, thinking and reacting to a fast-paced fight for however long it lasts. MMA requires strength, explosiveness, quickness and most importantly, endurance. Therefore, fighters are always looking for new training equipment that will give them an edge over their opponents. Here are some training items that will provide just that edge.

Training and Fitness Dummy by Title MMA

The Title MMA Training & Fitness Dummy is a next-level training dummy. It is shaped like a typical training dummy, which are great for practicing throws and ground and pound as well as incorporating into workout routines (picking up and carrying the dummy is a standard exercise in MMA gyms). The Title Dummy takes its design to the next level by incorporating a series of grips on the sides and tops of the dummy. This makes it perfect for gripping for uses in other exercises (like deadlifts) and the grips can be used to simulate overhooks and underhooks. Just a great design all-around and a must-have item for MMA gyms and fighters.

MMA Grappling Bag Kit by Bad Boy MMA

The MMA Grappling Bag Kit is standard fare for any MMA fighter. The kit contains a grappling dummy, gloves and a jump rope. The gloves use a closed palm design, which is great for both grappling and striking workouts. They also use moisture absorption technology designed to reduce odor and foam breakdown, which are both problems with subpar MMA gear. The dummy can be used in a variety of ways, from practicing throws and takedowns to building strength and endurance as a part of training circuits. Finally, the jump rope is an absolute must for any fighter.

Training Mask

Athletes of all types have long known that training at altitude builds endurance in ways that no other workout can. Most athletes, however, do not have the opportunity to train at altitude and that is why the Training Mask made the list of hot MMA training equipment for 2012. The Training Mask creates the sensation and benefits of training at high altitudes. It looks like a gas mask and is designed to be worn during training sessions. It limits the amount of oxygen the body can receive throughout the workout and forces the body to adapt and overcome this lack of oxygen by making the lungs use the oxygen more efficiently, which builds the cardio system and endurance.

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About the Author

Robbin Grey is a writer for the MMA Zone.  Robbin loves writing and training in various martial arts like: Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, and Kickboxing.  If you don't find her writing about MMA then you will likely find her down at the local gym working out.

Nutrition for MMA

The MMA Zone on Key Factors In Proper Nutrition For MMA Fighters

This looks awesome! Ground N Pound Teaser

From BLACKFIVE: Ground N Pound Teaser

Top 10 MMA Submissions (video)

You may not have seen all of these - I sure hadn't. Enjoy!

P.S. I've gotta tray that gogoplata. I'm flexible enough. Any volunteers?
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Intent and purpose in training

What's the purpose of your drill? How about your Kata? Patrick, at the venerable Mokuren Dojo blog, always seems to have something in every post which can apply to all of us. This post, "Gripe about Tomiki jo" is no exception. Patrick asks this key question:

Or do you do kata in order to get better at some underlying principle (ju oraiki or ran or whatever)?  Are kata a vehicle or are they an end goal?

Todays Quote: John Zimmer

So I for one do not think there is any “best” martial art or a most effective way to fight MMA. I will grant you there are more generally accepted ways of fighting MMA but as soon as one dismisses a formal style and forgets how to defend against it – it will probably come back and bite you in the butt! - John Zimmer in Master Seagal Mentors the Spider and the Dragon?

UFC Competitor Fights Crime

We see so many examples of bad press that MMA fighters get, so it’s time to give some well-deserved kudos, too.

Via MMATorch.com:

Jon Jones, trainers halt robber in New Jersey hours before UFC 128 title fight

Hours before the biggest fight in his young mixed martial arts career, Jon "Bones" Jones and his trainers Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn subdued a robber in northern New Jersey.

The three were en route to a waterfall to meditate when they noticed a man breaking into a car and stealing items from the vehicle. They yelled at the man and he took off running, and all three ran after him. Jones caught up to him first, and according to Jackson in comments made to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, Jones "foot swept" the man to get him to the ground.

A great story of either a bad guy being in the wrong place at the right time, or of some heroics from an unlikely source: the much-maligned MMA fighter! Watch this interview:

Jon Jones, trainers halt robber in New Jersey hours before UFC 128 title fight

Some observations here, in no particular order:

1. These guys didn’t beat the hell out of the suspect, but used appropriate force to detain him – not your stereotype of MMA.
2. They had the conditioning to chase down the bad guy, probably far more than the larcenist had.
3. It could have gone down differently if the guy was armed (always a risk), and we should all consider it when deciding to intervene in a crime in progress. There is always the risk of injury, death, or damages via lawsuit, so be careful. Personally, if there’s a rape or assault and battery in progress, I’m going to probably jump in there and take my chances, but a property crime is less likely to get me in there. You make your own call. That said, we should always be glad that someone’s willing to stick his neck out for others.
4. What??? “The three were en route to a waterfall to meditate…” Uh, are you sure these were mixed martial arts guys? Breaks the stereotype in half, at least, doesn’t it?
5. I have participated in debates about MMA, and one of the knocks on it has consistently been that MMA fighters are undisciplined thugs (OK, no one ever went that far, but it’s an exaggeration only by a little), and have no respect for the arts which make up their “mix.” My argument is that, yes, there is a fair amount of dorkish/caddish/loutish behavior in MMA, but I have seen the same in “traditional” martial arts tournaments, and that will definitely take place anytime you are talking about competition at a high level, especially when hundreds of thousand of dollars are at stake. How could we expect MMA to be different? It’s a sport.
6. We have also discussed (in the martial arts blogging community) the efficacy of MMA in self defense situations, as opposed to traditional arts, and this should be included in those discussions. In the story, all of the skills that a good police officer should use were employed, takedown, nullification of striking, then restraint. Those skills, along with the incredible conditioning that all combat athletes have, plus the striking skills will make any MMA fighter a force to be reckoned with in a self-defense situation. Add to that mix that MMA fighters are used to falling, getting hit, and reversing position from any grappling range, and you have a formidable self-defense package.

Agree? Disagree? Please comment, or join us at our TDA Facebook Page to discuss.

Technorati Tags: Jon "Bones" Jones,Greg Jackson,Mike Winkeljohn,MMA,UFC,UFC128,robber,Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

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Should MMA Be Banned?

Photo credit: David Kuhn

That’s the question posed by Mr. Vesia at Martial Views. He brings up part of the timeline of MMA’s history in the US.

Getting MMA on legally equal footing with boxing, kickboxing, etc., has been no easy task for its proponents, thanks to propaganda and bad press. Politicians such as John McCain railed against MMA in the 90s. Still, in spite of what appears to be gratuitous violence, MMA is no more dangerous to its competitors than other contact sports.

and then,

I don't think MMA should be banned, though. What do you think?

I planned to respond in the comments, but it got to wordy, so here are my thoughts in reply form to the original post.

John,

I just reread your "Boxing vs. MMA" post because of this one, and I wonder how many of the commenter's views on MMA have changed.

McCain was probably right, in that his original statements and proposed legislation was during the very early days, before Zuffa took over the UFC, and before there were uniform rules governing the sport. The early "rules" allowed a lot. This Wikipedia summary of UFC 1 rules state, “no biting, no eye-gouging, and no small joint manipulation. Fights ended only in the event of a knockout, a submission, usually signaled by tapping the hand three times on the mat or opponent, or by the corner throwing in the towel.” Obviously, there was a real danger of permanent injury or death if the officiating were not good enough.

MMA definitely is a sport, with superbly trained and conditioned athletes. Per Dictionary.com, sport is defined as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. It would be hard to argue that bowling or fishing are sports, while MMA does not require skill, physical prowess or competition.

MMA has undeniably changed over the years, and improved in quality. When compared to other combat sports, I had the same complaints about it in the early days, even through 2-3 years ago - sloppy technique, poor tactics, and, to answer your post's title, the spectacle approach that was similar to pro wrestling. Interestingly, until the heyday of K-1, I hated watching kickboxing due to the poor technique and sloppy tactics.

I think that has changed, and, from what I understand, MMA has eclipsed traditional martial arts for the young adult demographic - it has some appeal for those who want something more "realistic," but most parents seem to want what a good traditional school and art can offer: life skills development through achievement.

As to your final question, banning MMA? I think we'd have more luck trying to bad ice hockey. Without researching the numbers, I think the passion and viewership numbers for MMA are probably as good as the NBA, and better than anything but the NFL and NASCAR. It should exist if high school football, cheerleading, or boxing should exist. Or back yard trampolines.

What do you think? Please comment here, at the Martial Views post, or join us at the TDA Training Facebook Page for a discussion.

Explosiveness Rules!

Image by tableatny 

After sparring hundreds of other martial artists over the years as a competitor and instructor, I finally made the connection: the reason I was better was not just technique – it was speed (that’s physical, not mental speed, obviously!). I could react quicker and move faster, and, after enjoying some success as a purely offensive, attacking fighter, learned to take advantage of my quickness by become a sadistic counter-fighter. I’d leave something open (a draw), then stop-hit or counter after making my opponent miss. What I had was EXPLOSIVENESS!

I have always been relatively strong and quick, and definitely not a distance-running kind of guy. I knew I was quick around the playground, but didn’t know to what degree until I was went into 6th grade. We lived in Germany in the 70s and attended schools run by the DOD, and to save costs, we were bussed a long distance to large, consolidated schools. Mine had over 600 kids per grade, and I can imagine it could be a bit intimidating. Anyway, I got an objective measurement of my attribute when they had us all race against everyone in our grades in heats. I remember winning heat after heat until I was in the last one, and then they had all the winners of the grades race together. I came in 3rd, which disappointed me to no end, but that was that – I was a 6th grader racing 7th and 8th, and was amazed and surprised.

How can we increase the explosiveness that we’re born with, or develop what we can? Several ways:

• Sprinting – what I was unconsciously doing as a kid by racing as much as I did was develop the fast-twitch muscle fibers in my body. As anyone who’s watched a race can tell, sprinting is a whole-body sport, not just the legs. You tense and contract everything from the core to the hips, thighs, and drive off your calves and are flexing even the muscles in your feet and toes. A big reason that some are faster than others is that they utilize that drive and increase it with their core and upper body assisting in the weight transfer and momentum. Olympic sprinters look like the bodybuilders of 20 years ago (uh, let’s not discuss any drugs at this time).
• Weight training – squats, cleans, and almost any weightlifting (not bodybuilding) movement that utilizes the whole body will increase and develop explosiveness. I am not an expert in that type of training, but there are many out there. Enlist the aid of someone who’s involved in sports-specific or conditioning. ALL successful sports programs use this type of training now.
• Plyometrics – dynamic training such as rope skipping, depth jumping, lateral jumps, clapping pushups, and medicine ball training are all examples of this.

The common denominator in all of this training is explosiveness, and whole body involvement.

I strongly suggest you check three sites for techniques, suggestions, and even instructional video, and they’re all FREE!

RossTraining.com – the author of one of my favorite sites is a well-respected trainer of elite combat athletes, and not only knows what he’s teaching, he’s an amazing physical specimen because he practices what he preaches. Many of his videos and articles include his demonstrations, and they are great! This is probably the most motivational site for physical conditioning, too, as he constantly features people who are in their 70s and older who put me to shame!

Combat Trainer – my friend Rob is fast becoming one of  the best bloggers on martial arts training, with an emphasis on training MMA and other combat athletes. Don’t discriminate if you’re a traditional martial artist, though, ‘cause what he’s teaching and demonstrating will work for all of us. His latest example is a video of Jon Fitch doing jump squats.

Straight to the Bar – this is a great collection of articles, links, and posts of all types of strength training, and also features strongman training techniques. It’ll spice up any routine, and you could browse it for hours.

Any other suggestions or links you would share? Comment!

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All original material is copyright of their respective authors.
All rights reserved. Permission must be obtained before use. Copyright 2011

Should Law Enforcement Train in MMA?

This story gave me pause. It’s a story of how the El Paso police are now training to counter criminals armed with mixed martial arts techniques, because, “The criminal element is watching this and learning” (MMA).

This strikes me as interesting because of my background and experience leading a training program for police officers, and because of the foresight it shows. MMA is now constantly touted as the “fastest growing sport in the world,” and I’d bet almost all teens could identify Brock Lesnar or Anderson Silva, but not identify a single world champion boxer. In their opinion, “criminals trained in mixed martial arts can be particularly dangerous if they are able to drop, grapple with and disarm a police officer.” I’d agree.

The wisdom of this approach is that the world is changing. At one time, fighting was mostly grappling and punching, and kicking was “dirty fighting” or unmanly. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, the Bruce Lee/Kung Fu craze and the subsequent rise of martial arts flicks by Chuck Norris and Van Damme made kicking a normal part of the arsenal of a street fighter. Defensive tactics instruction has changed from a Judo-centric approach to something with a blend of punching, pressure point and control, and now BJJ.

The idea that El Paso’s PD is adding in specific skills to deal with MMA-influenced criminals is wise, and I’d recommend that most martial arts schools that promote themselves as being self-defense oriented should do the same.

Incidentally, this is an opportunity for MMA schools to earn some extra street-cred and cash by contracting to local academies and police departments.

What do you think?

del.icio.us Tags: MMA,Brock Lesnar,Anderson Silva,BJJ,police,Defensive tactics,martial arts

Newest Live Link – Combat Trainer

If you train in MMA, or are a combat athlete in any discipline, you will benefit from the information at CombatTrainer.com. While this site just started in March of this year, it’s already packed with valuable training information, including:

How to use a sledge hammer for conditioning
A series on developing an explosive takedown
Tire flipping for explosive strength

And much more.

Why are you still here? Check out CombatTrainer.com!

You can follow him on Twitter, too. I did.

Ground self-defense options

This was posted on Striking Thoughts most recent Martial Arts News post.

My take on women's self defense changed quite a bit about 15 years, ago, and the physical instruction actually starts on the ground first, then we work our way up to a sitting, then standing position (where most start).

Any technique you teach for self-defense which do not work on someone much larger and stronger than you should be secondary. Check out more at Jiu-Jitsu Sensei's site here.

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An Epic War in the MMA Ring – My Favorite

I think my favorite “war” in MMA has to be this one – Don Frye versus Yoshihiro Takayama at PRIDE 21. Watch!

This is one of those bouts that makes your draw jop! See, I can’t even spell after watching this – jaw drop!

Frye and Takayama went straight at each other, toe to toe, and never quit. I sincerely believe that neither one would have quit if it came down to it.

One tender moment, if there can be said to be one here, was when Frye looked down on his vanquished foe after securing the TKO victory and patted his former enemy with respect. I think the war was over between them at that moment.

What is your all-time favorite MMA war?

Technorati Tags: Don Frye,Yoshihiro Takayama,Pride,MMA

Everything works… sometime

A nice find at MMAConvert, a one-kick knockout with a spinning head kick.

There’s been a debate for as long as martial artists get together and trash talk or speculate, as to whether high kicks are effective or a waste of time, or just dangerous to use. My take has been that we need to learn as much as we can, and prepare for as much as we can.

The facts are that this move is rarely seen in MMA, or fights, because it’s a classic, risky, low-percentage technique. The payoff can be high, but so can the costs if you miss. Should you use it? Not if it’s expected.

One final point, the reason it worked was because it was set up with what appears to be a leg kick feint, which drew the guard of the opponent down, creating a perfect head kick opening. You’d be best to plan to emulate that idea – set up your surprise with a good lead, fake, or feint.

What do you think? What are some other examples of high-payoff, but high-risk moves for self-defense or sport?

YouTube - The 7 Biggest Mistakes in MMA from a Referee's Point of View

Nice job by Mr. Scott Marker.

World’s Strongest MMA Fighter?

Watch Mariush Pudzianowski, 5x World’s Strongest Man in a MMA matchup versus Marcin Najman.

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Mariush Pudzianowski,Strongest Man,Marcin Najman

Self-Defense lessons learned from The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale

 

I’ve got to get to sleep, so I’ll make this pretty quick. I’d love to hear some feedback in the comments.

1. Physique means little to nothing in a fight. I’ve learned not to be surprised when someone who doesn’t look like he ever refuses dessert can fight, and fight well. Roy “Big Country” Nelson’s first round KO win over Brendan Schaub proved it again. I believe Schaub, at 6’4” and 240 pounds had a superior physique, was a professional athlete (NFL), and had the better reach and quickness. The problem is that Nelson didn’t know that. Roy Nelson had enough endurance and quickness to connect, plus the savvy that you only get from experience. He covered up, and he counter-striked when he should. The “fat guy” knocked out the athlete cold. The real lesson? Don’t judge that book by it’s cover!
2. The 1-2 is still the best martial arts tactic there is. The jab (the 1) opens up the cross or straight (the 2). If I could teach a fighter only one combination, the 1-2 would be it! Every good shot that Schaub connected with was part of a jab or straight. Same with Nelson. In fact, Nelson had a beauty of a 1-1-2 that stunned Schaub before the KO exchange. Good stuff!
3. The lazy jab is always trouble against a counter-fighter. Nelson crossed over a jab that Schaub left hanging out there like a fruit ripe for the picking. Who could blame him for picking it? Lesson? Never leave an opening by laziness. Always return to your defensive position after an exchange.
4. MMA is a sport! Several techniques that will end almost any fight are instinctive, and thus show up here and there even though they are illegal under MMA rules:
   a) kneeing a downed opponent in the head. How often do you see an opening like this?
   b) eye gouges. Unfortunately, they are still relatively commonplace, and usually unintentional. They are fight-enders in self-defense, and career enders in MMA. That’s why they’re illegal.
   c) striking to the back of the head. I have a problem with this, as a defensive technique in many grappling arts and MMA is “turtling." The problem I have is that it creates an opening that’s usually intentional. In MMA, as in boxing, your should protect yourself at all times. When you turn your back, you are relying on the other fighter to obey the rules, or the referee to protect you. Punk move, in my opinion. I hate it.

So, in summary, never underestimate anyone, practice the basics, and do the dirty stuff to survive!

Is there more? Sure. I will try to update this when I get a chance to watch it again on my DVR. Meanwhile, please chime in with your comments!

For more information:

The King of Combinations for MMA, Boxing, and Self-Defense
Timing Counter
Why Do We Get Hit?

Technorati Tags: The Ultimate Fighter,UFC,Dana White,Roy Nelson,Brendan Schaub

Top Technique: Brachial Stun

Discussions of target areas, like “pressure points,” can sometimes be a subject of controversy regarding effectiveness, as in the case of secret or hidden techniques. Some, on the other hand, are indisputably effective. Such is the “Brachial Stun” or a strike to the side of the neck.
Let’s look at a couple of good examples.

Example #1: Highlights of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, a former kickboxer, and currently an MMA fighter, known for his knockout prowess. Notice that the Thai kick applied to the temple or the side of the neck, when landed flush, almost always results in a knockdown. Ironically, Cro Cop himself was defeated in the UFC via the same technique.

Is the jab utilized in MMA

Blogging and Convocation buddy BBat50 commented on our post Boxing for Self-Defense and MMA (read it):

“I'm not sure that I agree that the jab is forgotten in MMA. Some fighters, say Chuck Liddell, tend to rely on his deadly right on his left hook. But there are many, especially in the lighter weight classes, whose jabbing is constant.”

It was a thoughtful and critical comment, which I should address, and would ask for your input.

As to the point that the jab is neglected or forgotten in MMA:

At that point (2006), my observation was based on most of the major bouts I saw in the couple of years preceding the post's publication.

If we examine the history of MMA in general, and the UFC in particular, it seems to have had trends:
BJJ early on because of Royce's domination of everyone, large or small. Then the sluggers learned to sprawl and were knocking everyone out with the haymaker variety of power punches - little to no jabbing involved. At the time of my posting there seemed to be more of a balance - grappling and groundwork, and ferocious standup, but the striking was not that good. Punches were used to either knock someone out or create a good takedown opportunity, but seemed to involve little good boxing.

Nowadays, there are superb strikers in MMA, including Anderson Silva, my favorite. They can work the ground, sprawl, or strike like a good boxer and muay Thai fighter. GSP is another great example. Is the jab utilized now? Certainly, by the better fighters and journeymen alike.

So, I actually agree now (referring to the use of the jab), but at that time, no.

Now, what do you MMA fans think? Do you see prevalent use of the boxing jab in MMA at this time (2009)?

For more information:

The Jab- building block of boxing
Tips on the jab: More on the jab
John Sculley teaches you boxing basics
The King of Combinations for MMA, Boxing, and Self-Defense
Boxing for Self-Defense and MMA

Technorati Tags: Anderson Silva,Georges St Pierre

Brain injuries in MMA and Boxing

A while back we posted on whether headgear actually protected the fighter (see Does headgear protect your noggin?). To quote myself:

I don't believe that headgear does much to prevent damage to the brain. For the following reasons:

1. A blow to the headgear still does to prevent the rapid acceleration of the brain inside the skull, and nothing to prevent the inevitable impact of the brain, possibly resulting in a concussion.
2. Boxing-style headgear, to me, is more of a liability to the user because it ALWAY reduces peripheral vision. That results in more blows taken to the same head. Unintended consequence, to be sure, but a serious one. KOs happen all the time in amateur boxing, don't they?

Is there any benefit to headgear? Sure. I love it because I train on hard surfaces (floors or pavement) or uneven (grass), and I hate worrying about whether I'm going to smack my skull on something sharp or hard when I go down, even accidentally. Headgear is great to prevent that. Headgear also protects against cuts and abrasions to the skin. That's important when training for a fight because a cut could mean a postponement of cancellation of a bout. For most of us, a little cut just makes us look tougher on Monday when we go back to our geeky jobs.
To be sure there's slight reduction in the impact of a blow. I'd much rather take a Thai kick or overhand right to the headgear than my skull, but if I wear headgear I may never see it coming.

How-to-Box has a nice post addressing the same topic.

The argument against headgear is that it doesn't protect against knockouts, only cuts and scrapes.  While true, the amateur powers that be have made it pretty clear that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
There is a perception that headgear prevents brain injuries.  While not necessarily true, the perception is beneficial in helping parents get over the initial shock of young jimmy or suzie coming home and saying they want to start boxing.  The perception is that headgear somehow makes it safer.  In reality it's the rules and attention to safety amateur refs enforce. [Emphasis mine - TDA]

What stands out for me is that this is correct, the refs are the ones that protect the fighters, and prevent the injuries. In pro boxing, I’ve seen fighters sustain near-knockout shots for round after round, (sometimes multiple times a round!), and yet fights aren’t stopped because the recipient of those blows is both upright and fighting back. Yet, as any good fight fan knows, a fighter’s instinct, especially a veteran, is to show nothing to the crowd or referee that would indicate he’s hurt, and many have said later that they didn’t know what happened after round X, in other words they were fighting on instinct after a concussion.
MMA, in contrast, seems to me to be safer because of the quick action by referees when a fighter is stunned, whether on the ground or standing. This can lead to controversy, but, overall, it looks less damaging by stopping the action quickly. The addition of submission stoppages (in comparison to striking sports like boxing or kickboxing) also means that fights can stop sooner with less damage?
What say you?
For more information:
How-to-Box
Striking Thoughts Head shots and tradition
TDA Headgear or mouthpieces
TDA Does headgear protect your noggin?
Boxing Damages Brain Despite Headgear Protection
EFFECTIVENESS OF BOXING HEADGEAR FOR LIMITING INJURY (PDF)
TDA Stop hitting me so hard!
TDA Head Butts - use 'em or not?
TDA Hand Protection, What is the Cost?

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All original material is copyright of their respective authors.
All rights reserved. Permission must be obtained before use. Copyright 2009