Mixed Martial Arts: The Sport of Ancient Greece and Rome Has Come Full Circle

A little over a year ago, after my thirty first birthday, I decided to enroll in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. I was amazed not only by the efficiency of this gentle art, but also by the wonderful core workout that I received. After six months of training, I decided to turn it up a notch by pursuing other types of martial arts training. I had initially decided to try BJJ because I was enamored with the MMA fighters utilizing this particular martial art form. One taste of BJJ left me wanting to expand my game to include Muay Thai kick boxing. I immediately purchased books, gloves, and a Thai punching bag for my basement. After a few months of training in my basement and searching for a local MMA gym, I enrolled at Premier Martial Arts in Knoxville, TN. This was the beginning of an obsession. My first day I learned that my particular PMA academy is managed by a professional kick boxer and the MMA/BJJ instructor is a Brazilian born professional MMA fighter. The instructors were all very personable as well as very knowledgeable in their art. I immediately signed a one year contract and six months later consider it one of the best decisions I ever made. I attempt to take two classes per day at least three days per week. I have progressed from a simple BJJ practitioner in a gi to a multifaceted Mixed Martial Artist. I have not participated in an actual amateur fight as of yet, but hope to in the coming months. I truly love every aspect of the training: BJJ, No Gi grappling, Muay Thai and regular boxing, wrestling, and conditioning drills. I have lost around 15 pounds and feel great! I am in better shape than when I was 18 and my wife is pretty happy too. One of the most unexpected benefits of the MMA training for me has been a renewed sense of camaraderie. For those who served in the military like myself, it can be hard to forge bonds of friendship with the average joe. When you train in a combat sport and physically batter each other, it is amazing the respect and friendship that builds among athletes in a dojo. I have gained so much from my MMA training that the $150 a month now seems a bargain. It is easy to see why this sport has experienced a renaissance when other sports have become watered down and corrupted by politics. The glory of pankration in the early Olympics was thought extinct when the gladiators last trod the coliseum, but full contact fighting is back and better than ever.