ps1

Go train. Start training outside the academy as well. The academy is where you go to learn new stuff. Home is where the real work gets done.

All in all, I think that MMA doesn't exclusively mean what we see in the UFC. If someone came in with a system that incorporate a mixture of systems (lets say a system of kung fu, a system of karate and a system for WMA) that it is MMA. Go to ESPN.com and select their tab for MMA. See where you find the latest wushu and karate results. MMA is the combat sport that is exhibited in leagues like the UFC and Bellator. That's perception of the public. What you're proposing is like me creating a sport with the high jump, a 40m sprint and a gymnastic floor routine then calling it a triathlon because it has three events. While still a valuable exercise and requiring skill, it is not a triathlon. Learning different martial arts and combining them does not make it MMA. It makes it a combined style. Here's what dictionary.com comes up with when you type in mixed martial arts: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mixed+martial+arts?s=t

I agree with this. ... I think that the perception is that MMA means UFC now and while that isn't wrong, it's just one side of the coin.I wholeheartedly disagree... ps1, You disagreeing with Zaine and/or myself? yes

In my specific post, I chose not to call out specific names. We have two world class gyms in the area. One has two UFC fighters in it and the other is headed by a world class kickboxer and a 2nd degree black belt under Pablo Popovich. My point was, if I don't have what they're looking for, I don't pretend to. I'm happy to point them where they need to go. The problem is, in terms of market share expansions, it's those casual fans that are walking through the door. Most of the hard core fans already train somewhere. So that's exactly who is being duped.

How limited was his mobility during any practice and drill? I'd be afraid to do anything until full clear by the doctor because with my dumb luck, I'd end up doing something to ruin what the doctor fixed. He had full mobility by this point. His doctor cleared him for different phases and types of training. So he was able to drill for several months before he was ever able to roll (randori).

You can certainly go in and drill. But actual live rolling should be out of the question until your doctor releases you. I had a buddy go through the same surgery. I want to say he was unable to roll for a full 9 months afterward. He still came in and practiced the techniques and performed drills.

I agree with Kusotare that there needs to be a balance to it. However, I do feel it's very important to understand the concept. I first learned this from Dr. Michael Dunphy when participating in his sparring sessions. I was already a nidan and thought I was punching fine. It turns out that i was really shortening up my punches. He was able to make minor adjustments and just follow them in and basically blow right through me. He took some time with me and really fixed my striking by focusing on the proper extension, which included the proper level of rotation. Later on, during MMA and Kickboxing training I came to find his advice invaluable. Having a good understanding of the movement helped me with the ability to chain together combinations. Even in BJJ, where I don't strike much, understanding the concept is paramount when it comes to using proper angles and taking advantage of an opponent's movement.

I agree with this. ... I think that the perception is that MMA means UFC now and while that isn't wrong, it's just one side of the coin.I wholeheartedly disagree. The term "MMA" never existed before the UFC. The term was coined by the fight industry as an all-encompassing term that included Pride, UFC, Bellator, Affliction ect... Traditional Martial Artists, to include myself, initially shunned MMA as barbaric and several attempts were made to outlaw the sport. NOT UFC only, but all MMA events (speaking about the US here)! Enter Dana White! He absolutely turned the whole thing around and completely changed the image of MMA by making the UFC the premiere league and adding the gloves, rules, weight classes, time limits, ect... Starting in the early 2000s MMA's reputation began to turn around. Today, it's poised to outgrow boxing and become the number one combat sport on earth. And now, suddenly, everyone's school seems to have MMA on the front window! So, if what you propose is true, why is it that "MMA" wasn't used by ANYONE prior to the UFC in 1993? Why wasn't it used throughout the early 90's? The answer is simple and speaks for itself. People are cashing in on it. Prior to the popularity of the sport, people just renamed what they did: Kajukenbo, Isshin Ryu, Sotokan, Judo ect... Here's the most fundamental thing a martial arts business owner often hears when they attend martial arts business conferences: "The customer has no idea what they want. If they ask for it, tell em you have it. Just say anything to get them in your door." And that's a horrible way to run a business. With the internet, it's a little easier for a person to do this. However, the best form of research is to talk to the experts. It's a problem if the expert is going to lie to you when you walk in the door. We all know exactly what someone is thinking when they walk in and ask, "Do you do MMA here?" If you are not running a legitimate program and say, "yes." You're lying. It's that simple. Anything else is trying to get out of it on a technicality. A person can justify a lie any way they choose. But it's still a lie. In fact, I like to add this to my personal list of McDojoish things to do: -Draw someone in with false promises on programing. -Taking advantage of someone's ignorance. Here's an article I highly recommend any business owner, or student for that matter, reads: http://martialartsbusinessdaily.com/4567/the-importance-of-being-honest-with-your-martial-arts-students/ This is written by a highly successful instructor. I was recently in a lecture by the President and CEO of the most successful FoodBank in the United States. He expanded upon a bible verse and really made a great statement that applies here. "The tree is best known by it's fruit. healthy tree, healthy fruit. Sick tree, sick fruit. The ends are always alive in the means." There's no excuse for lying to prospects and, in the long run, it will put you out of business. Don't get me wrong. If I was running a Shotokan Dojo. Saying something like, this is the same martial art trained by UFC's Loyoto Machida, is a perfectly legitimate claim. But to teach a little grappling and some weapons too with your Shotokan and tell people they're training an MMA is outright deceitful. Like I said before, I teach GRACIE JIU-JITSU. I have trained with Rorion Gracie...who CREATED THE UFC!!! But I don't even say I teach MMA. Despite the fact that I do teach striking and clinch work. I teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. If someone comes to me asking for MMA, I send them to the MMA gym down the street.

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, black belt is quickly becoming the standard. However, in the US at least, there was such a lack of BJJ proliferation, it was not uncommon to see blue and purple belts running academies; which represents between 3 and 9 years of training. Now that the art is more available many associations are moving toward mandating a black belt be in charge of each academy; which is between 9 and 13 years of training. However, in my association, you must be a 3rd degree black belt in order to promote someone to black belt. That means you must have been a black belt for a minimum of 9 years, a professor (think "Shihan" in Japanese terms). This level represents about 20 to 25 years of total training. Under the IBJJF, you can promote a black belt at 2nd degree. This is about 16 to 18 years of total training.

MMA is a sport. Plain and simple. It's the same as saying football or soccer. No one else used the term until the sport became popular in the public eye. In fact, everyone initially strayed away from the term because the early days of MMA were more like sanctioned human cockfights. The sport was almost outlawed. I didn't see any kenpo gyms using the term at that point. So you're right, people are using the term to help cash in on it's popularity. As a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt, running and owning a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy, I don't even use the term MMA. I don't train people for the cage, so I don't pretend I do. AND THE GRACIE FAMILY CREATED THE UFC!! In addition, I hold dan rankings in Aiki-Jujitsu and Karate as well as a 3rd degree black sash in kung fu and another 10 years of kickboxing training. Even if I combined them, which I really wouldn't, I still wouldn't call it MMA. I have a guy who opened in the same plaza as me, two doors down. He was trying to buy out my student base and have me teach a jiu-jitsu program from me. He calls his place an MMA gym. He does personal training and teaches "ninjitsu." (That could be another discussion all together) In my opinion, starting a client relationship based on a lie is always bad for business. There's no doubt that when a person walks in your door for "MMA" they have in mind cage fighting. Pretending to teach them MMA and not, can only get them injured in the long run.

Solid post!! Respectfully, this is not an accurate statement. That's the perceived difference due to the sport rules. But the sport is only about 10% of the art. Standing techniques to include kicks and punches are covered in the curriculum. I guess it also depends on where you train and what they focus on (whether it's more MMA, self defense, or sport BJJ). Still a misnomer. At present, the three largest sport BJJ teams are Gracie Barra, Alliance, and Atos. All of them teach standing defenses and striking. Alliance, which has historically been the winningest team, only works sport as 10% of its training time. Despite how things look, the vast majority of BJJ students do not compete in tournaments and train just for self defense and weight management. All the Gracie academies and the Pedro Sauer Association (largest in the world) require learning striking and standing defense against embraces and strikes.

Solid post!! Respectfully, this is not an accurate statement. That's the perceived difference due to the sport rules. But the sport is only about 10% of the art. Standing techniques to include kicks and punches are covered in the curriculum.

I own an academy. So most people know what I do. I don't brag about it. But i am certainly not going to hide it. I will give out a business card on a moment's notice.

Here's a good video with a few methods. Try them out and see what you like best. Of course, make sure it's acceptable to your instructor:

1. Pays attention 2. Works hard 3. Good moral values 4. Talks about their training to friends 5. Pays their tuition on time

Abernathy Sensei puts out some really great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome news!!

If you have the time, money, or desire, traveling to Brazil would, undoubtedly get you what you want. Most there will take all comers with no rules. Many other places, such as the US, it's illegal to participate in such an event. Again, you have to really care enough about "testing" your system to do that. In the end, it's probably not worth the time. You could also try out for the Ultimate Fighter. There's rules there, so I'm not sure it would be your thing. The one thing I don't understand is what being taken down has to do with anything?? A person can be beaten just as easily on their feet.

Doctrine. The difference between any martial arts is always in their doctrine. Almost all martial arts have the same techniques, more or less. But the differences come in the way they choose to use those techniques. For example, most karate systems believe in very strong punches with low to mid level kicking. Their training is designed to reinforce that use. Most other weapons, such as throws and high kicks, are used sparingly. Tae Kwon Do, on the other hand tends to focus on shorter fast hand strikes to set up powerful low, medium, and high kicks. The drills and other training they do is designed to reinforce those habits. This is a VERY general and VERY unfair description of each art. There are many different systems within karate and tae kwon do respectively. The only way to really learn all those differences in a way you can understand is to start training and learn them first hand. It can take years to truly understand a system.

If you do not have any grappling experience, it would be best for you to wait for a normal training session. Open randori sessions are great, but if you don't have any grappling experience then you really won't get much out of it other than a lot of breakfall practice. i agree here. Might be fun for you to go and watch. See what Judo is all about!

The following quote about promotions comes from Henry Aikins. He is the 3rd American Black Belt under Master Rickson Gracie. In the BJJ realm, he's a legend and part of what we call the Dirty Dozen (1st 12 Americans promoted to Black Belt in BJJ). He posted this on his FaceBook page a while back and I save it for anytime this question comes up. Feel free to insert the name of your martial art anywhere he says "Jiu-Jitsu" or "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu": Henry Akins: What does a belt in Jiu-Jitsu mean? I've been asked some form of this question a lot lately. Like one person told me they did not feel they deserved the belt they were given, another person asked me what is the difference between a blue and purple belt and had someone else say they are a blue belt but should be a purple... I'm sure many of you have heard something similar. The truth is: THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD IN JIU-JITSU FOR WHAT ANY BELT IS! It is completely based on your instructor and even with the same instructor, instructors hold different students to different standards. Sometimes these standards are based on performance like placing well in tournaments or if someone is able to submit a certain level of their training partners in training. Sometimes the standards are based on having a certain level of knowledge so a test might be given. Sometimes the standard is based on the amount of classes attended assuming that after a person has attended a certain amount of classes then they should have a certain level of knowledge. One of the experiences I had that really made me start to think about what a belt means and who deserves one was after a brown belt test done by Rickson for 8 guys probably around 2008-2009. Rickson rewarded all 8 guys with their brown belts even though I was there and helping to grade and I felt about half the guys failed the test. Afterward I asked him why he gave the belts to one of the guys that I thought had failed and he told me this. This guy was 50 years old had been training consistently for years once a week, every Saturday. He would never achieve the level of world champion in any belt but it doesn't mean he does not deserve to get promoted for his persistence and dedication. This was the first time it really dawned on me that the belt is not even based on performance and level or knowledge. This was a guy that was really strong, and tough, was excellent at making tiny adjustments to defend so he was tough to tap out but had almost no offense at all. He didn't have a huge arsenal of techniques and wasn't necessarily smooth at all either, what I thought would kind of be the standards for a brown belt, those were the standards I felt I was held to. Rickson however made me realize not everyone has the potential to reach the same level but everyone has the potential to become a black belt with hard work, persistence and dedication. If you think about it, even within a certain school where everyone was promoted by the same instructor, even among guys with the same belt and stripes no one is ever of equal skill level and training level. Some guys are faster, some guys are stronger, some guys are heavier, some guys have great guards some have great defense, some guys have great mounts or cross-sides, but even with twins their skill level and performance will be different. So my message to you all is do not worry about the color of your belt, focus on learning and growing. The most important thing is you are improving as a person and a martial artist, let go of your ego and focus on becoming more efficient with the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu, if you put the time in the belts will all eventually come."

That's what i'm thinking...see the whole thing that struck me as "scamish" because i"m thinking they're gonna have ten belts, and you only can progress one belt a year just sounds very odd to me. I'm gonna talk to the teacher directly and get more information, I just never heard of this practice before which sounded odd to me. With respect, the best person to clarify the statement is the head instructor. Are you even sure they have 10 belts. And why is it so important to you to test more often. If your goal is to earn a black belt, wouldn't you be more comfortable knowing you actually worked hard and devoted alot of time to it? 10 years to black belt is normal in my mind. But some Kyokushin only has 5 or 6 ranks. At least you know you're going to train in a school that is clearly not a belt factory or McDojo.

If Kata is the heart of karate, than Bunkai is the soul. It's the most important techniques in the system that actually define your system. Therefore, I teach them first. I never teach a kata before I teach the bunkai. I don't say, "we're going to practice the bunkai for Heian Shodan tody." I just say, "Here's what we're working on today." Then I teach it. When a student has the bunkai understood I say, "Here's the kata that goes with those techniques and movements. This way you can practice wherever you are." Belt is insignificant to me in this regard.

Heian Shodan Heian Nidan Heian Sandan Heian Yondan Heian Godan Jion Bassai Dai Tekki Shodan Empi Tekki Nidan Kwanku Dai Tekki Sandan

Before I ever present the kata. I teach the bunkai. I have Bunkai/oyo for all the kata. I teach them much like an ippon kumite. Once proficiency is gained in the application, I teach the form. It really helps it make sense. Afterall, kata without meaning is just dance.