Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts Articles

By Morne Swanepoel - One of the most emphasized coaching instructions in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) No Holds Barred and Submission wrestling today is - POSITIONING. The Oxford dictionary explains positioning as follows:
‘place occupied by person or thing; proper place; way thing is placed, mental attitude, state of affairs, situation, rank or status, strategic point‘
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In an exclusive two day mixed martial arts seminar, participants received real world fight training from Gokor Chivichyan (View Bio). This Mixed Martial Arts Seminar was held Friday, January 26 and Saturday January 27, 2007 at the University of Nevada, Reno in the Lombardi Recreation Center in Reno, Nevada. This seminar was one of many given by Gary Friederich formally of Nevada Shotokan. Gary Friederich passed away who passed Away July 11, 2008. (Read Eulogy)
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By Antonio Graceffo - Back in the 1970s when I began kickboxing, I had to explain to people what that sport was. They couldn't grasp the concept of boxing which included kicks. I remember my father's friend telling me, "You can't kick in a boxing match! They are going to disqualify you." Chuck Norris was being hailed as an innovator because he combined two, very similar, Korean martial arts, and used some street fighting and weapons in his movies. We have come a long way, baby! (Read Article)

By Antonio Graceffo - Master Hisam’s hands are huge and swollen, as hard as rocks. In demonstrations, he uses them to smash granite slabs to dust. One could only imagine what those hands would do to your skull, even through boxing gloves. The gym is a four story walkup, overlooking a highway in Tainan, the ancient capital of Taiwan. Here, 37 year old Al Haroun Hisham, a German born Syrian is one of the last keepers of the traditional monkey fist.
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By Gene Ching - It was the shot heard around the world. Late in the third round of the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship title bout, Cung Le delivered a punishing sanshou kick to Frank Shamrock, cracking his forearm bone. After the bell, Shamrock collapsed to his knees, giving up the coveted belt to Le. Televised live on Showtime, it was one of the most thrilling MMA bouts ever, especially for fans of Chinese martial arts. (Read Articles)

By Stephan Kesting - Several years ago I was discussing the sports psychology and Jiu-jitsu with a friend. We were debating what makes grapplers like Rickson Gracie truly great - what is it that sets him apart from the rest of us? Obviously he is fairly strong, fairly quick and fairly flexible, but ask anyone who has rolled with him and they ALL say that there is more to it than those physical traits. I believe it was Roy Harris who described wrestling Rickson as fighting "a 400 pound mind-reading anaconda". (Read Article)

By Stephan Kesting - The 'basic' butterfly guard sweep is anything but basic. It is an extremely powerful and sophisticated attack that is difficult for your opponent to resist. In addition, this sweep has many followups and recounters, which can make life unstable and unpleasant for your opponent. (Read Article)

By Stephan Kesting - Step 1: Start in the butterfly guard with your left arm under your opponent's arm (an 'underhook') and your right arm over your opponent's arm (an 'overhook').
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By Stephan Kesting - Cardiovascular training can be a confusing topic and there are many different and divergent views on the subject. Different reputable sources inform us that you don't need to do cardio - just spar really long rounds (for grappling), or that you should spar twice as many rounds as you are going to fight (boxing), or that you should do sprints, or do long runs, or lift weights for muscular endurance, etc. With so many 'experts', it is no wonder that the answer isn't cut and dried. (Read Article)

In the not-so-distant past weight training was discouraged for martial artists. "It will make you slow", "it will make you muscle-bound", and "all you need is technique" were common opinions from the 'experts'. Times have changed! Athletes in almost every sport lift weights now. Coaches and trainers recognize that it will make their athletes stronger, faster, and more resilient to injury. It is now understood that weight training complements and improves good technique.
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By Julio Anta - Who will win the battle between traditional martial arts and mixed martial arts schools? The traditional martial arts have been around for ages and mixed martial arts are the new kid in town. Today, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the fastest growing and hottest sport in America. I was recently at the Martial Arts SuperShow a martial arts industry conference in Las Vegas Nevada. Dana White the president of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was one of the speakers at the opening ceremonies. (Read Article)

By Dom Amore - For Elias Rivera, it began in the Bronx of the 1970s. "There were a lot of gangs," he said. "But I was my own. I always hung out with the nerds." He quickly earned the reputation for being able to take care of himself and his friends — a kid whose style of self-defense was worth watching. "I'd walk out of school and they'd say, 'Hey, we have a fight for you,'" he remembers. "It might've been in the playground across the street, could have been anybody, anywhere." (Read Article)