To Fight Club or not to Fight Club... and how to decide.
The surging craze of MMA (Mixed
Martial Arts) has created new options for the public to choose from.
In the early 90's the Ultimate Fighting
Championships had a big impact on breaking down the barriers between the
different martial arts. A broader
understanding of the variety of martial arts and their specialties became
widely available. As the years went on
and the UFC grew, Mixed Martial Arts as we know it today was born.
As a result of this new birth of MMA,
martial arts schools had a choice to make; stay with their traditional approach
or adapt to a new, more modern, and in some opinions, a more practical approach
to martial arts. I for one, love the
freedom that comes with the lack of boundaries in MMA. I am also a big fan of the street applicable
and practical aspects of MMA.
Once a potential student makes a choice
between a traditional martial arts school or a Mixed Martial Arts school, then
the next decision to be made is which school is the right one. This all depends on the goal of the
potential student. In Mixed Martial
Arts, the biggest choice to make is between competition oriented schools or
self defense oriented schools.
Competition or sport MMA has grown
tremendously over the last few years.
There are a large variety of schools that train students for the sport
of MMA. This is available to young
children through adult and beginner through the most experienced of
fighters. This is largely popular to
those looking to fuel their competitive spirit.
The other would be the Self Defense oriented
approach. There are many schools that
teach a well rounded mixed martial art self defense oriented system. These schools teach many of the same aspects
of sport MMA without the drive to compete against others and the potential
dangers common in a competition setting.
This allows for children and adults to participate and be successful
without the need or desire to be better than the next person. The only competition a student feels in this
environment is within him or herself.
A self-defense oriented MMA school prepares a student, whether young or
old, beginner or advanced, to become proficient in self defense without the
fear of unnecessary injury. This allows
for everyone from the most accomplished athlete to the quietest of individuals
to train and be successful.
Growing up from youth through young man, I
had the opportunities to compete and be successful in many sports ranging from
baseball, swimming, wrestling, and football.
I love the thrill of competition.
However, when deciding to open Leading Edge Martial Arts, I decided that
there were ample activities available for people to fuel their competitive
juices, so I chose to provide them with a place where they could grow, learn
practical self defense, be successful, and create positive relationships
without the pressure of competition.
Leading Edge Martial Arts was founded in
2000 with the philosophy of teaching Self Confidence, Self Discipline, Fitness,
and Self Defense in a fun, proactive environment.
For information
about Leading Edge Marital Arts in Allentown and Bethlehem call 610-297-EDGE or
visit them on the web at LeadingEdgeMartialArts.com. Follow them on
Twitter or
Facebook at www.facebook.com/leadingedgema.
Rob Wetmore-Sensei
Leading Edge Martial Arts-Allentown
610-434-EDGE
Leading Edge Martial Arts-Bethlehem
610-868-EDGE
mobile 610-657-5512
[email protected]
