Is Classical Martial Arts Better Than Mma?

Come UFC 75 Michael Bisping is finally going get what he has been asking for, a fight against Ultimate Fighter cast mate Matt Hamill. Hamill, who was an odds-on favorite to fight in the show's Finale, was forced to pull out of the competition when he injured his arm during training. This left the door wide open for Bisping to step in and easily win the competition against Hamill's replacement, Josh Haynes.

this brand of nyc krav maga is not for wimps gained a lot of additional exposure after being hi-lighted on both Human Weapon and Fight Science. In both programs the style appears to be very serious... very aggressive. Tailored to be effective against weapons, and to really disable an opponent. Definitely not a sport art.

The Flo Mixed Martial Arts and Gym is located at 709 South Vermont Street, in Palatine Illinois and you can find their Web site here. Flo has an 8,500 sq foot MMA training center with a raised boxing ring. Flo teaches a variety of styles with the intent of producing well rounded Martial Artists in the Chicago area. I like that they offer classes for different stages of a students training. Flo offers a free trial class for new students, call 847-934-1FLO for more details.



Anyone who is into the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) knows all to well the names of Ken and Frank Shamrock. Ken dates all the way back to the original Ultimate Fighting Challenge (UFC) days and was a regular with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) group for a few years. The younger Frank is a former champion of the UFC. While both are on the back ends of their careers, the fight promises to show the world who the better Shamrock is and settle a family feud a long time in the making.

I personally love mixed version and learning all forms of the exercise, so, I'm a bit partial to it. Having the proper gloves, uniforms, and protective gear can be really important for your own safety, and the safety of your class mates. (And even the safety of your instructor!) Different forms will require different equipment. The basics are all similar, such as gloves, mouth pieces, headgear, and pads. However, in forms such as muay thai, it may be more important to have shin guards. Muay thai uses the long bones of the body for striking, so, there is a lot more shin kicking in that type of practice.

A: No, not really. That is a very different question. I don't believe in a god, but the idea that something could be out there... yeah, fine, but I am not religious.

The martial arts are fighting arts. To me, the principle is peace through superior firepower. We never abuse what we've learned, but if we need to write the check, we have the money in the bank. This is also why I introduced Bill Kipp, Peyton Quinn, CDT, and isreali street fighting to the industry at my NAPMA World Conferences. These guys were the leaders in realistic self defense, and I knew that many instructors, like me, were limited to our own styles' ideas of self defense. Though I was limited, that didn't mean it was not important to me.

One of the primary things that interests me about martial artists is the winning mentality that they often possess. Whether or not one is interested in martial arts, these positive outlooks can be applied to any area of life.

Many years ago, Forrest E. Morgan wrote a wonderful book entitled Living the Martial Way. In his book there is a very interesting quote: "If someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his time to, I would answer, 'Training'." Some might think this a little fanatical, but I would disagree. Someone once said that "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance." I certainly do agree with this statement. Remember as the warrior trainer, you must also set aside time each day to work on your own warrior skills; this is the only way that you will grow and win! What are warrior skills? Simply put, they are life skills. Anyone who adopts the warrior mindset and prepares the body properly can handle life's straight pitches as well as its curveballs.