Mixed Martial arts

[KaratekaAndy]

I would say "Yes"

[ninjer]

What is a mixed martial artist. Here recently I was referred too as a mixed martial arts trainer on a local radio station. I do not know if I qualify as one. I have trained boxers, kickboxers, Thai style kickboxers, karate tournament fighters, Olympic style TKD fighters, no holds barred fighters (mostly on their stand up game and conditioning) Police Officers, Military members, and people seeking self defence training. Over the years I have mixed different techniques from many different arts but my primary arts are boxing and Thai style kickboxing. I am not real good at grappling I train anti takedown techniques, the guard, a few submissions and ground and pound. I am primarily a striker and I train that way. I do not like misleading people. So am I a Mixed martial arts trainer or not what do you think.

I wouldnt exactly say so- just because you do a variety of martial arts wouldnt exactly qualify you as being a mixed martial arts trainer. Mixed martial arts is synonomous with events such as the UFC, Pride, King of the Cage, etc. To claim to teach mixed martial arts is to claim to teach people how to fight in those venues, working things like your striking skills (combinations and such) takedowns, and ground game.

Its difficult to give you a straight out answer- it depends on your facility, what you teach, how you teach it, etc. Your apparent lack of ground skills would put you at a disadvantage in terms of being compared to a MMA gym, but theres no prerequsite for how good you have to be to teach MMA.

My definition of a mixed martial arts teacher-

teaching a full range of combat (standup striking, clinchwork, takedowns, and ground grappling) with practical and applicable techniques (i.e. no one strike one kill stuff, and no "too deadly" stuff) that can be practiced on a resisting opponent with success.

[bushido_man96]

I wouldnt exactly say so- just because you do a variety of martial arts wouldnt exactly qualify you as being a mixed martial arts trainer. Mixed martial arts is synonomous with events such as the UFC, Pride, King of the Cage, etc. To claim to teach mixed martial arts is to claim to teach people how to fight in those venues, working things like your striking skills (combinations and such) takedowns, and ground game.

Although MMA may be synonomous with events like the UFC, Pride, etc., I don't think it means that you have to compete in those venues to be an MMA practitioner. What you are describing is a rule set, rather than a fighting style or art, so to speak.

Here is an example: I train in Taekwondo. However, I do not always compete in Olympic style events for TKD. I have competed in point sparring events with hand targets to the head, and I have competed in tournaments with no hand contact to the head allowed. Also, when I train self-defense, it does not resemble my sparring training for competitions, including Olympic rules events. I still practice TKD, but it is not limited to the rules of a competition environment to say so.

My definition of a mixed martial arts teacher-

teaching a full range of combat (standup striking, clinchwork, takedowns, and ground grappling) with practical and applicable techniques (i.e. no one strike one kill stuff, and no "too deadly" stuff) that can be practiced on a resisting opponent with success.

I like your defenition, but within it you don't mention anything about competition events like the UFC. A TKD practitioner can enter into an MMA event. That won't really make him a Mixed Martial Artist, though.

[a_ninja]

Yes i would say you are