TUF 13, Episode 1, March 30th, 2011

The first episode of The Ultimate Fighter is under the belt, so to speak.  Not a bad start.  The first episode is usually subdued anyways.  The fighters meet at the UFC gym.  Dana White gives a speech to remind them of the opportunity they have.  Teams get split up between the coaches and they start training.  How all this happens always gets tweaked a little bit from season to season.

In past seasons potential competitors fought to see if they would make it in the house.  In season 13 the fighters were evaluated before the start of the season.  The evaluations were mini training segments.  No fights.  At the start of this season the final competitors were brought in, got their speech from Dana and then were told that they would not have to fight to get in the house, but would now be evaluated by the coaches.  The original evaluations did not have the final coaches for the season.  Only Dana White, trainers picked to evaluate and the producers of the show were there to decide.  I watched a video of the early evaluations and while interesting in itself I have always loved the fights to get in the house.  I found this season's process a little lacking in excitement.

The coaches evaluation was interesting, as you got a sense of the coaches styles.  Brock Lesnar focused on testing their cardio/conditioning, while Junior dos Santos put them in sparring scenarios to see what their skills were.  What were their strengths?  Also, Brock met and interviewed everyone, while Junior, although able to speak English (He is from Brazil) didn't feel he had the fluency with English to make that strategy meaningful.

After evaluations Dana met with the coaches and had them choose the teams.  Dana did the traditional coin toss to give one of the coaches their choice of either first pick for the fighter, or to pick the first fight.  Brock won the toss and picked the first fighter.  Here is a breakdown of the top pick for each team and the final.

Team Lesnar

1st - Len Bentley

7th - Nordin Asrih

Team dos Santos

1st - Shamar Bailey

7th - Keon Caldwell

As usually happens the first picks get the confidence boost, but high expectations from the coaches.  While the last picks now have something to prove.

Okay, teams have been chosen, now on to the Vegas mansion that the fighters will call home for the next several weeks.  Team Lesnar is stationed on the 2nd floor.  Team dos Santos is on the 1st.  Everyone is now trying to get comfortable.  The best comment during this acclimation was from the resident Brit, Mick Bowman.  In wonderful british accent.  "Our team will be in one room, the green team (Team Lesnar) will be upstairs in their bedroom.  We're not here to make friends, really?  Are we?  We're here to beat each other up."

Training begins, and early on we find out that TUF has already claimed its first victim.  In the coaches evaluation Myles "The Fury" Jury (Team Lesnar) injured his knee.  The doctor thought it was fine at the time, but decided to be safe and had X-Rays done.  Unfortunately, Myles completely tore his ACL and the back part of the lateral meniscus.  Medical opinion-Myles can't fight.  Out of the competition, and out of the house before its even begun.  Last minute replacement, Chuck O'Neil steps in to fill his shoes.

As Lesnar got to pick the first fighter, dos Santos got to pick the first fight.  I personally think its better to pick the first fight, because if you can take control early, and maintain the control you can ride it through a good part of the show.  Past coaches have shown that - George St. Pierre, Chuck Liddell & Rashad Evans to name a few.  For the first fight dos Santos picks Shamar Bailey (dos Santos first round pick) against Nordin Asrih (Lesnar's last pick).  Playing it safe?  Most definitely.  Shamar is a strong wrestler, and Nordin's only strength is striking.

This was a very one sided fight.  Shamar took it to the ground early in the first round and there it stayed.  Nordin had zero take down defense and once on the ground a sloppy guard.  Shamar was able to pass guard pretty much at will.  Nordin was only able to get a couple strikes in from his back and did no damage.  In the second round Nordin put himself on his back within the first ten seconds with a wild high kick.  Nordin did get a good reversal and almost had Shamar in a guillotine, but after that Shamar was in control, yet again.  Shamar got full mount twice, took Nordin's back and had excellent ground and pound in the last 40 seconds.  However, Shamar did not take any advantage to finish the fight.  He had several openings to attempt submissions, but never took them.  Dana White even commented that Shamar basically laid on top of Nordin for five minutes of the first round and then 5 minutes of the second round.  "Not the most exciting fight you will ever see, in Ultimate Fighter history."

In his defense, Shamar had this statement.  "Our game plan worked in my favor 'cause I didn't show the other team everything that I have in my arsenal.  So I do whatever my coaches tell me at this point.  Um, I trust them and really happy to be on Team dos Santos."

What did you think of the first fight?  Does Shamar have what it takes?

Don't leave it to the judges.  Will Shamar show that he can finish a fight, or will all his fights go to decision?

TUF 13 (The Ultimate Fighter)

Okay folks.  It's time to get excited.  The thirteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter starts Wednesday, March 30th at 9pm/8pm Central Time on Spike.

The Ultimate Fighter is a Reality TV show on Spike that follows unknown MMA fighters competing for a six figure contract with the UFC.  They live together and train at the Vegas UFC Gym for several weeks.  There are two teams, coached by current, well known UFC fighters.  The teams train and fight against each other in several cage matches in an elimination style contest.  The final two fight in the finale, and the coaches fight soon after.

Sorry for the short notice.  I am hoping that those of you who planned to watch it already knew the date and time of the first episode.  Like me, you probably already have it programmed into your DVR or TIVO.  If not, now is the time.

This should be a great season.  Welterweight fighters are competing in season 13.  The welterweight division (156 to 170lbs) of the UFC is smack dab between lightweights and middleweights.  In this division you get the speed and intensity found in lightweight matches with power that compares with the middleweight division.  This makes for some fantastic fights.

Strangely enough, the welterweights will be coached by Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos, both fighters in the heavyweight division.  While both interesting personalities, which will likely bring a level of drama to season thirteen, Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos both out weigh the contestants by 70 pounds or more.  Sorry, but you just fight differently when you're 240 pounds as opposed to 170.  Junior dos Santos moves pretty well, he is the lighter of the two, and is able to throw decent kicks.  Although he currently holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Junior competed as a kickboxer prior to MMA.  Holding a perfect record of 18 wins and 0 losses in kickboxing, Junior's record in MMA is 12 wins and 1 defeat.  Brock, however, is more well known for his heavy hands and wrestling ability.  In addition, even though he is the former heavyweight champion, Brock has very little overall experience in MMA, with only 7 total MMA fights to his name.  Two of which he lost.  We shall see what they do with their teams.  It will most likely be their choices in assistant coaches that is the biggest factor on how their teams fare.

Speaking of drama, most know that TUF is no stranger to crazy antics, house pranks, fighter rivalries, disagreements and physical exchanges outside of the cage, coaches and contestants alike.  Sometimes amongst team members themselves.  However, I find that the drama often times is childish and becomes a distraction.  I am sure a lot of people watch The Ultimate Fighter specifically to see this type of drama, which inevitably comes with any Reality TV programming.  For me its the training and the fights that brings me back.  I love to see how they train, what coaches they bring to the gym, and how fighters grow as martial artists and competitors over the coarse of several weeks.

ARE YOU READY!  The action starts soon.

What do you like, or dislike about The Ultimate Fighter?

Click the following links to meet the fighters, see a sneak preview of the upcoming season, and find videos introducing the new fighters.
http://www.ultimatefighter.com/fighter
http://www.ultimatefighter.com/seasons/tuf-13/team-lesnar-vs-team-dos-santos

Come back to The Manic Martial Artist, following each episode, to get a breakdown of what's happened.  The drama, the training and the fights.

Brawl @ Bourbon Street / Promoter - CutThroat MMA

So, last Wednesday I was out at Bourbon Street watching CutThroat MMA Cage Fights.  These are amateur fights in varying weight classes.  Here is their website for more info.  http://www.cutthroatmma.com/

Although, I have probably seen hundreds on TV, this is only the second time I have been at a cage fight in person.  There was some very good action, but also some very anti-climactic endings.  Several of the fights didn't last past the first round with the losing fighters still wanting to continue.  The reason for this is in amateur fights referees are prone to stopping fights when they feel a fighter is in any danger.  Even if they have not been injured and are still defending themselves.  This happens in almost any ground and pound situation.  In a professional cage fight the fighters are allowed to continue as long as both are actively and intelligently defending themselves.  I see the reasons why amateur fights often end like this and they are valid.  A professional fighter has proven their ability to defend, counter and improve position, even when they are in trouble, but amateur fighters can have varying levels of skill and experience.  However, it is still disappointing to see a friend lose, when there was still the possibility of a win.

Here are the results from the fight, as listed by CutThroat MMA.  Special note, the top two fights were CutThroat MMA Title Belt fights in the light heavyweight and welterweight division.  Congratulations to the fighters.

Ryan Storey def TJ Rowley - guillotine choke (1:45 round 2)
David Booth def Bill Johnson - split decision
Derrick Malert def Brian Titus - TKO stoppage due to strikes (0:55 round 1)
Mike Peterson def Tim Williams - knockout (0:17 round 2)
Jake Frias def AJ Masters - ground and pound (round 1)
Chris Hill def Zach Feece - ground and pound (0:34 round 1)
Jason Ignacek def Bobby Andrews - guillotine choke (2:10 round 1)
Bobby Moffet def Louis Robles - armbar (1:20 round 1)
Jimmy Moreno def Jerry George - knockout (0:24 round 3)
Kyle Geary def Spencer DeBeneditti - ground and pound (1:04 round 1) 

Here are some pics.  There is a fair amount of motion blur from my camera.  It was from my phone's camera.  Next time I will bring a camera with varying shutter speeds.  That way I can capture more of the action.

Confidence - Attributes Gained Through the Study of Martial Arts

Confidence - belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance

Many strong attributes are gained and developed through the study of martial arts.  Confidence is one that I found for myself.  

As a child I was smaller than the rest of the kids.  Because of this I was an easy target for bullies.  I felt weak and helpless.  I did not have the confidence, in myself, to take a stand.  I began studying the martial arts when I was a teenager.  Through this I gained confidence.  From then on, not only was I not afraid, but I also believed in myself.  This went far beyond fighting.  It's funny looking back on my childhood, because I was actually in more fights before I began training martial arts than after.

We learn through the martial arts that the best fight is the one that didn't happen.  However, it is extremely important to stand up for yourself and for others.  I have found that confidence can sometimes allow you the luxury of both.  

True story.  Once, while I was in my early twenties, I was at a party with friends.  There were all types at this party and one of my friends had upset a group of white power skinheads.  Five of them to be exact.  The de facto leader of this group challenged my friend to a fight outside.  I knew this was a bad situation, so I followed to make sure he didn't get hurt.  Watching from the doorway I observed my friend caught off guard as the whole group surrounded him, and the largest guy from the group grabbed him from behind.  Now I had every intention of letting the fight happen, if the fight had stayed one on one, but this I could not stomach.  I stepped out of the shadows and announced that the fight was not going down like this.  I had kept my distance from these guys the whole night, but now I was fully committed to this course of action.  The leader of the group told me to back off; that they didn't have any quarrel with me.  I replied that this was a friend of mine, and that a one on one fight was one thing, but the five of them ganging up required I step in.  While I had some training, I knew this could still go badly.  Only, now both of us were in harms way.  I continued to parley with the leader, hoping that combat could be avoided.  After a few tense moments the leader declared that they didn't want to fight me, and they released my friend.  

This is an extreme example.  It was confidence that diffused the situation.  If I had the confidence to challenge them, they had to question why.  There was also a level of respect for what I had done.  However, this could have gone either way.  I have always been grateful that the fight was avoided.  I am also grateful that I had the confidence to take a stand.

I just did 600 pushups!!

That's right.  600!
I know what you're saying.  "Wow, you must be incredibly strong."  I am in pretty good shape, but it was not my brute strength that did it.  It was dedication, repetition and perseverance.


Actually the title of this post is misleading.  I wrote this post while completing my 600.  By the way, I am on 280 at the moment.  290, 300...


You see, I am doing my 600 pushups over a 1 hour period of time.  Completing 10 pushups every minute.  This gave me about 40 to 50 seconds of rest between each set of 10.


380, 390, 400...


I got the idea to do this from two martial artists named Aaron and Jon Knapp.  Aaron and Jon have a website called Bad Martial Arts.


Here is an explanation on the title of their website styled in their own words, "The "Bad" in Bad Martial Arts extends from the tradition of Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy and Ben Goldacre's Bad Science web sites.".  Aaron and Jon's website explores misconceptions, and myths about the martial arts.  Their website is a practical look at martial arts, using critical thinking. It is also a good read with very interesting observations and anecdotes.  


480, 490, 500...


I would bet that a lot of people look at the abilities of a martial artist and assume that they are born with it.  Sure they have trained, but the belief is that there is some genetic advantage, or god given gift that made the training possible.  The truth is never that simple.  The martial arts takes practice and dedication, and almost anyone can benefit from the discipline training imparts to the student.


580, 590, 600!!


Hard work and commitment are worth their weight in gold.  Martial Arts is like this, and by extension life.  The more you work at something the better you get.  So whatever it is you do.  Or makes you happy.  Pursue it with conviction.  Follow it with purpose.  You will be better for it.


I plan on taking my own advice.  Okay, now on to my 600 crunches!

Celebrating 100 page views

Today The Manic Martial Artist blog exceeded 100 page views.  Now to move on to 1000.

I would like to celebrate hitting 100 comments.  Yesterday I got my first comments.  Please keep them coming.  Dialogue and discussion is a purpose of this blog.  I welcome your opinions and ideas.

Thank you!

Mixed Martial Arts

Today's combat sport phenom is mixed martial arts.  With gyms all across the world MMA is, without a doubt, the fastest growing sport today.  You can't escape it, there are amateur and professional fights occurring at bars, casinos and convention centers everywhere.

There is a good reason it is so popular.  The business side is well organized, and masterfully promoted.  Also, it is a step beyond boxing or wrestling in every way.  The ability to throw kicks while standing, and the option to take the fight to the ground adds a complexity that makes boxing pale in comparison.  Where wrestling is concerned, the fact that striking is part of the contest adds a level of excitement that wrestling doesn't have, and is essential to the mainstream popularity that catapulted MMA to its current level.  Live on Pay-per-View, on Spike and most sports networks it has become a passion for fans, and a lightning rod for controversy from critics.

March 30th will debut the 13 season of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter).  A reality show that features mixed martial arts fighters, who train and compete for a six figure contract with the UFC, the largest and most successful MMA organization in the world.  With this groundbreaking series about to start a new season The Manic Martial Artist asks a few questions about this sport.

• Is it too violent and dangerous, a Bloodsport?
• How does MMA compare with other combat sports that have been around for years and have empirical data of the long term affects on fighters?
• Does it degenerate the spirit and philosophies of martial arts as a discipline?
• Martial Arts Masters have passed on their styles, techniques and philosophies for hundreds of years.  Many never compete and feel that competition of this nature demean martial arts.
• How does it compare with martial arts that have been developed, and studied for hundreds of years?
• If a modern champion of Mixed Martial Arts fought a true Master of Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Jujutsu, Ninjutsu or Capoeira, from the history of these styles, would the outcome be a foregone conclusion?