Is Mixed Martial Arts The Best Form of Self Defense?

Many consider MMA the closest thing to a street fight and with the sport's popularity, several MMA schools have opened up. But how would it fare as a practical form of street self defense?

It depends.

MMA is a hybrid system of fighting consisting of boxing,Thai boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Greco Roman wrestling, western wrestling and judo. Depending on the circumstances, any one of these disciplines can be used effectively as self defense. But that pretty much goes for any martial art. As the saying goes, it's not the violin, it's the violinist.

However, the street is an unforgiving environment whose crimes are the lead story during the opening minutes of the 6 o'clock news.

Now I'm not talking about street fights as in clandestine 'fight clubs' which take place in suburban backyards. I'm referring to street self defense as in fighting off some degenerate thug.

So how would MMA serve as practical self-defense in life threatening situations?

For practical purposes, MMA would not be my first choice.

First MMA is a sport, whose athletes train for a cage, not for the street. The streets present a different problem than what a cage fight offers.

This is not a knock on MMA, as I am a huge fan of the sport. But the reality is that the streets don't care about titles, weight divisions, or fighter nicknames. There are no referees to break up a stalemate, no cutmen to spackle vaseline, and no cornermen who give advice. And if there were, they'd probably say it's not a good idea to jump guard on broken glass and concrete.

Is Krav Maga Better Suited For Street Self Defense?

Krav Maga was developed in the late 1940s by Hungarian boxer/wrestler, Imi Lichtenfeld. It was later adopted by the Israeli Defense Forces due to the constant violence along the Israeli border and the Gaza Strip.

Basically, Krav Maga is a matter of life and death so when it comes to street self defense, it has taken everything into account. It is designed for close quarter combat and instead of learning forms, stances and endless drills, Krav Maga helps develop an attacking instinct.

Below are two videos on Krav Maga from History Channel's Human Weapon.

History of Krav Maga, length 3:10


Krav Maga Pistol Disarm, length 4:24

Randy Couture Interview on 'Attack of the Show'

Randy Couture is creating much buzz with his newly released to DVD movie, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior.Here's a two minute interview on Attack of the Show featuring a few scenes from the movie, including one where Randy applies a guillotine choke to some hapless soul.

Nobody's Putting a Gun to Your Head, But Just in Case...

We've all heard the cliché, "nobody's putting a gun to your head." Odds are, nobody has and never will.

But what if someone does?

Well, If you live in a shady neighborhood or plan to join the military, these odds greatly increase. If that's the case, don't despair. The following minute long video demonstrates numerous ways to disarm a gun-toting bad guy, whether they're the local thug or an international terrorist. With enough practice, these skills may one day save your life. Or not.

Gun self defense
by secretstory

Check out These Hi-Tech Self Defense Gadgets You Can Hide In Plain Sight.

Georges St. Pierre Strength & Conditioning Videos

Georges St. Pierre is a new breed of MMA fighter. After watching his 'blood and guts' victory over Jon Fitch this past weekend, I was curious about his training regimen. I found a few videos on YouTube featuring plyometrics, muscle tension weight training and sparring. The first video shows St. Pierre's secret weapon; strength and conditioning coach, Jonathan Chaimberg.

"People laugh at me when I tell them what his fitness level was when he first came to me. 8 bodyweight chinups, struggled with 60 lbs dumbells, and had no core or stabalizers. Now the guy has seen unreal gains. Chinups with 100 lbs attatched, dumbell pressing 120's and has a 40 inch vertical, it's crazy."

MMACanada.net

St. Pierre doesn't have any special diet. In fact, he's been known to eat at McDonald's on occasion.

"I don't diet, except when I have a fight coming up. Eight weeks before a fight I eat as healthy as I can. I eat carbohydrates normally before my workout and after I stay with protein. My carbohydrates are moderate and my protein is higher. It's the protein that helps me recover. Otherwise, my calories are about the same amount throughout the day.

I take a whey protein drink after each training session. I also take a lot of omega-3 oils. That's enough for me. It works. I do not take any multivitamins or mineral supplements."

For Men! FitnessRX Magazine, May 2008.

Georges St. Pierre strength training, includes also David Loiseau and Denis Kang.


George St. Pierre training at Team Jackson's. Footage from forthcoming documentary, "The Striking Truth."


UFC All Access Part I.


UFC All Access Part II.

Review of Randy Couture's "Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage"

When I picked up Randy Couture’s book, Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage,I knew I'd be reading about his journey from becoming an All American wrestler and transitioning into an MMA legend. But as I read about his personal life, as a child and an adult, I never expected so much drama. This aspect of the book, to me, read like an intriguing fiction novel.

Reading about his personal struggles unveiled the human side of the legendary fighter known as 'Captain America'. I mean, when you look at celebrities, you tend to only see what's in front of you. You only see the fighter in the cage or the actor in the movie and you forget that they are real people with real feelings and real lives. The book is quite juicy with the help of contributor Loretta Hunt. It reads like one wild ride with shocking twists and revelations of family secrets and affairs that come back to haunt Randy in later years. With all this turmoil happening outside the cage it made me wonder how he can appear so (seemingly) relaxed whenever he was in front of a camera.

What I found particularly interesting was the way Randy described the entire process leading up to a fight. He vividly describes his thoughts and feelings in anticipation of a big title bout. He details the weigh-ins and what occurs backstage, the press conferences, the autograph signings and even the goings on in the locker/dressing room. His account of the walk to the octagon and even what he was thinking as he waited for his opponent to enter. It truly gave me a better sense of what a fighter feels prior to a fight.

You may be wondering if Randy did any Dana White or Zuffa bashing. While he did express dissatisfaction with the way he felt he was treated, he did have some positive things to say about them. You'll just have to get the book to find out more.

Or you can check out Biography Channel’s biography episode of Randy Couture.

TapouT Crew Featured in Business Week

Business Week covers the wild marketing antics of TapouT, the MMA clothing company that's synonymous with the sport.

Mask, TapouT's founder, along with 'Punkass' and 'SkysKrape' have created a marketing model that is far from conventional.

"Last year privately held TapouT posted sales of $25 million. This year they'll be closer to $100 million, predicts TapouT President Marc Kreiner. The company in October brought in talent and sports marketing heavyweight Creative Artists Agency to help plan new ventures. Next up: TapouT branded shoes, sunglasses, energy drinks, and even a comic-book series based on the life and times of Mask, aka Charles Lewis, and his real-life buddies and raffish business associates."

Aside from their successful clothing line, TapouT has branched out farther with their own television show on the Versus Channel. My favorite episode was last season's episode #2, entitled, "Little Fireball" which featured Chuck Liddell's good friend and training partner, Antonio Banuelos. In that episode we got a chance to go inside Chuck's home and see a glimpse of his party lifestyle. Overall, the show is a fascinating look into the trials and tribulations of upcoming fighters.

Here is a clip from that episode featuring an insane workout routine orchestrated by The Pit's John Hackleman.


TapouT Holds the Ring in a Scrappy Game (Business Week)