A brief introduction

This blog is part of my Dissertation Honors Project at a creative piece, the idea behind it is to document taking up Mixed Martial arts from a non sporting background and competing in a six minute match for Plymouth Ultra MMA, who exist to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The blog will look into the preparations of going into a match, from strict diet and conditioning to build strength towards the fight.

 

How did you get into fighting?

 

As a kid, I was interested in boxing and Judo, however due to lack of interest in my area the sessions didn’t carry on as long as possible. Since then, I  haven’t been interested in most main stream sports (apart from kayaking and climbing). My first introduction to the sport was through the UFC 2 game, and regularly played on it with my fat mates. From that platform alone, I was introduced to the idea of mixed martial arts, and was amazed at an individual’s discipline to one aspect of striking or the many techniques you could incorporate – from Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Sumo, and wrestling just to name a few. The interest into the look at these studies inspired me to take up mixed martial arts (Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and kick boxing), and to compete in a match, to see what it was like to fight in an amateur match. Plymouth Ultra MMA were running their annual competition in Plymouth, a white collar MMA event to raise funds towards Cancer Research UK. The idea appealed to me, and for someone who didn’t previously have much knowledge in the background before, stepped up for a challenge that would change my look on the sport.

 

Were you scared?

 

Yes. You’re willingly going into a cage (the name of the eight sided octagon) with with someone to get punched. When the event happened on the 8th April, I had so much adrenaline running through me, but with my favorite song in the background – AC/DC’s Highway to Hell – I went  in.

What did you aim to gain out of this experience?

 

Overall, the aim of the experience was to gain knowledge of what it takes to prepare for a fight, gain the basic knowledge for striking, takedowns and submissions, to be able to win. On top of that, it was all for a fantastic course, and since the event, Plymouth Ultra MMA have raised £467, 690 at this time of writing, to Cancer Research UK. For more information on Plymouth Ultra MMA events, here’s the website to find out more.

https://www.ultra-mma.co.uk/charity/