Getting UIC into Mixed Martial Arts

Getting UIC into Mixed Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts has rarely been in mainstream sports. Not too long ago, the average person's understanding of fighting styles was limited to boxing, high-school wrestling, and kung-fu movies. However, the relatively recent rise in popularity for sports, such as UFC, has helped make Jiu-jitsu, Brazilian Kickboxing, Tae-Kwan-Do, and a wide assortment of other combat styles household names. For those of you out there who might be thinking about learning boxing or different MMAs but may not know a great deal about them in general, I talked to a local trainer about getting started in these sports.

Sifu Katalin Rodriguez Ogren is head trainer and owner of the Pow Mixed Martial Arts Gym near Morgan and Washington. With 29 years of training, 20 of which as a professional, Katalin has been a student of krav maga, boxing, kickboxing, judo, Shoalin kung fu, and many other styles. Among these, she holds black belts in Japanese and Okinawan karate, kung fu and tae kwon do.

All of these and other information, such as work with charities and publications on fighting styles, can be found on the website for Pow Mixed Martial Arts (www.powkickboxing.com). She also mentions what sets her apart is that most trainers may stop training for a few years, or switch training styles, where as she has continuously trained herself.

When asked what some of the benefits to MMAs are, Katalin mentioned that unlike other sports, combat sports focus on total and dynamic flexibility of the entire body. It helps a person maintain balance and control, and unlike other sports does not focus on one side (left or right). This both requires and helps maintain rigorous exercise to succeed in what you do. She also recommends learning multiple styles because of these similarities and how well they complement each other.

For more mental benefits, one of the strongest recommendations Katalin mentioned is that if you're having a stressful day or need to unwind, a heavy bag or sparring partner is a great way to release some "controlled, appropriate aggression." Especially when learning new moves or improving your technique, contact sports are a great self motivator that keep you dedicated and coming back.

As for professional versus casual combat sports, it's pretty much the same as other sports in progression. If you feel you're good enough to go pro in a particular sport, you can look into Golden Gloves for boxing or amateur circuits for other sports. If you have some experience and been in a few matches, you can then look for an agent and get more professional fights from there.

If you're worried about the possible dangers of getting into a MMA, Katalin would assure you that there is no more risk of injury than any other sport. Because they are highly controlled sports, there is relatively little risk of injury. In her particular gym, she even requires attending a free class before signing up in order to assure that you can safely do the sport among other things.

For the majority of people who don't have a great deal of experience with MMAs, Katalin recommends looking into which style you would prefer, as they all would be fine for beginners. She did mention that people usually start with boxing of Krav Maga (self defense) since most people usually understand the concept of those more than others.

She also stresses that because dedication is important to whatever contact sport you choose, it's essential to choose a gym that you can easily get to. If you're a commuter, different suburbs and cities will often have a karate center or gym that offers boxing and MMAs. Simply use Google or look up the style you want to learn and check it out. However, if you are near campus and want to get into MMA, Pow Mixed Martial Arts is a great place to start.