Arte Suave Notes: The MMA starter kit (Skills needed to become a successful MMA fighter)

Mixed Martial Arts is the systematic use of several martial arts and/or other forms of combat systems according to the practitioner’s preference.

Mixed Martial Arts ideally has two key components: the stand-up aspect and the ground fighting aspect.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a Mixed Martial Arts promotion company.

People who say they “train UFC” are idiots.

However, should you decide to venture into this beautiful sport for whatever reason you may have (health, image build up, additional street cred, introspective discovery, etc.), here’s a list of the four basic art forms that would build the foundation of a fun filled MMA journey.

Boxing

A high percentage of fights (MMA or in the streets) do end up on the ground, however, all of them start standing up. All MMA practitioners must have a decent understanding and practical application of the sweet science. It teaches the proper stance, footwork, balance, correct hand placement, lateral movement and upper body quickness needed for the offensive and defensive aspect of MMA’s striking facet.

Frankie "the Answer" Edgar has been utilizing his hand speed and quick feet en route to becoming UFC Champion. (photo taken from the internet).

Muay Thai / Kickboxing

As the hands are an integral part of a MMA fighter’s arsenal, so are the utilization of his/her legs and feet. The art of the eight limbs will mobilize the hips and mold the shins into vital weapons of a fighter’s arsenal. Additional benefits would be developing elbow and knee strikes. Managing distance is another tactical advantage. Knowing when to throw good push and mid-range kicks will create distance between you and your opponent that is good for defense while allowing you to set up your offensive combinations.

Mirko Crocop's leg kicks have been so devastating that the right leg "takes you to the hospital" while the left leg "takes you to the cemetery" (photo taken from the internet).

Wrestling

Bridging the gap to go for a clinch, that explosive movement that leads to a takedown, upper body control to set-up inside fighting combinations and the strong base needed to keep an opponent against the cage or on the ground are covered by wrestling. The intense and aggressive nature of this art provides MMA fighters with the right tools and mind set to remain tough and maintain pressure on their opponents.

A pioneer and a living legend, Randy "the Natural" Couture paved the way for wrestlers to invade the MMA scene. (photo taken from the internet).

Former wrestlers turned UFC Champions. Current light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier and former welterweight champ Matt Hughes (photo taken from the internet).

Jiujitsu

The art of gentleness compliments a good wrestling base in MMA. Once your opponent is down on the mat, a fighter’s Jiujitsu skills aid in the transition from one position to another while maintaining control. It also opens up the possibility of a submission finish or creates better opportunities to gain a more dominant position for efficient ground and pound striking.

UFC contender Demian Maia is a high level Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt. His ground game is at an elite level that fellow UFC fighters attend his seminars. (photo taken from the internet).

Jacare Souza has been dominating the BJJ scene winning several world championships as a black belt before transitioning to MMA. (photo taken from the internet).

Bring them all together and you have the best well rounded MMA fighter. 

BJ "the Prodigy" Penn has won 2 UFC belts in 2 different weight classes. He has won fights via submission or knockout. (photo taken from the internet).

George "Rush" St. Pierre has dominated the welterweight division with his methodical striking, high level wrestling and jiujitsu. (photo taken from the internet).

Anderson "the Spider" Silva has reigned the UFC Middleweight division and is considered one of the best pound for pound MMA fighters.... Ever. (photo taken from the internet).

Arte Suave Manila - The aftermath

As the final roll of mats got strapped, wrapped and ready for transport, I found myself standing in the middle of everything – a vast space where history was made.

The pillars and hallways of Commercenter Alabang will never be the same.

Its walls have heard screams and chants of adoration for the victors who fought on its surfaces. Its windows bore witness to the joys of victory and the tears of defeat.

Through the efforts of like-minded and passionate people, what was once a dream became a reality. After so much planning and organizing – Arte Suave Manila was born.

The first of many.

Triumvirate Fighting had a vision of cultivating a grass roots program to develop talent and provide exposure for white and blue belts in the local Brazilian Jiujitsu scene. They are, after all, the future of this martial art. 

Personally, I wanted an avenue for the young guns to take center stage and show people what they got. Most BJJ tournaments are focused on watching Purple – Black belt divisions that the first two belt levels are often ignored, which shouldn’t be the case. I love watching whites and blues go at it for the simple reason that they are at the stage wherein everything they do is driven by their passion for the sport.

From the spazzy-adrenaline enhanced-spur of the moment scrambles to the look of relief after each conquest. The frustrations after getting bummed out and the breaking down of people in the sidelines due to exhaustion all lead to creating an experience that everyone will carry for the rest of their lives. Nothing beats the feeling of overcoming obstacles that react and fight back. The lessons from joining a tournament (whether you win or lose) helps the person improve both as a competitor and as a human being.

We wanted to keep the fire burning. We wanted to keep the passion alive. We wanted more stories to be shared. We wanted more names to be discovered. We wanted to make everyone feel that what they are practicing was worth it. We wanted to change the landscape on how things are done.

 We wanted to make it better.

Whatever we nervously did for two days exhibited what we are all about. We were able to pull in competitors from all BJJ academies, gave them good competition, have them compete on the best mats possible, a nice venue and winners got more than a medal.

The smiles, laughter, high fives and hugs shared during those days made all the trouble worth it. This is what Jiujitsu is all about – sharing each moment with the people you love.

As I stood there, in that vast empty space as they rolled out the rest of the mats, I ended up telling myself - We’re going to do this again ;)

The team behind the success of Arte Suave Manila.

Breaking down Ronda

“Phenom” – a person who is very good at doing something (Merriam-Webster)

It took Rowdy Ronda Rousey just thirty four seconds to dismantle latest challenger Bethe Correia. After the bell rang they exchanged blows and the current UFC Champion landed a punch to the temple that face planted Bethe and kept the bantamweight belt within arm bar nation.

This not only solidified Ronda’s status among the best in the business, it has stamped her legacy together with the all-time greats in all of combat sports. She may or may not retire undefeated, but her legend will definitely echo in the years to come.

She is simply, a fighter ahead of her time.

Exceptional skills with a Hot personality - Ronda (photo taken from the internet)

What made her into the cage shark that she is today?

Let’s try to break it down in detail:

High level Judo:

This has provided her with an exceptional base that is integral in Mixed Martial Arts. Her Olympic Judo years that earned her a Bronze medal are utilized the most when her opponents decide to play the clinch game. Ronda’s judo is world class. Her hip throws have been her bread and butter move dating back to her reign as Strikeforce women’s champion. There has yet to be a fighter who can stop getting their legs up in the air once her hips are under them.

Ronda gave team USA it's first medal in Olympic Judo. (photo taken from the internet)

Fight camp composure:

Most fighters dread fight camps. They hate it. Interviews will show its time away from families, wives, girlfriends, dogs, etc. but all will agree that it is a necessary phase that they all have to go through in order to get victory. For Ronda, it just another day in the office; training as an Olympic athlete has prepared her for the grind of fight camps. She embraces it. Sees it as an opportunity to test herself, push boundaries and witness the results come fight night.

True to form and self-motivated.(photo taken from the internet)

She is rarely out of shape:

Her schedule revolves around media appearances, social obligations, taping for movies and training at the gym. All non-obligatory days are spent in the gym. Evident in her last fight with Correia, she displayed beautiful striking. Those can only be achieved investing hours in the gym working on your hand speed, timing and footwork. Her punches are smoother, her combinations are varying and her confidences to trade punches are higher now than before.

Her latest victim: Bethe Correia in 34 seconds.(photo taken from the internet)

Killer Instinct and Mental Toughness:

She has beaten her opponent even before cage has closed. Her predatory eyes mean she has flicked the “kill mode” switch ON as she awaits the referee to give her the go signal to destroy her opponent. This led to a staggering statistic that may not be replicated for a long time – especially in women’s MMA.

Simply Amazing (photo taken from the internet)

What’s next for Ronda Rousey?

Two possible scenarios:

Gina Carno (left) and Cyborg (right) (photo taken from the internet).

A super fight Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (from a MMA’s fan point of view)

This has the word “FINALLY” written all over it. Many pundits, analysts and hardcore MMA fans have been begging the UFC to make this fight happen. Cyborg may probably have the tools to measure up to Ronda’s skill level. She is brutally strong and can pack a punch. Most of her fights (if not all) have also ended in the first round. They have been going at it on social media and during interviews but as of this writing, no formal offer has been signed by both fighters. Hopefully it won’t drag along for years like the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight that ended to a flop.

A super fight against a comebacking Gina Carano (from a promoter’s point of view)

This is one mega fight that won’t be hard to sell. In as much as Cyborg may have the tools to challenge Rousey, her marketability is at an all-time low. In a world of numbers, this fight would be an instant draw and generate more pay per view income. Gina Carano’s fan base from her fighting career mixed with her modelling and movie stints matched with Ronda Rousey’s global popularity could only put dollar signs in Dana White’s eyes. Plus, she is not a bad fighter. Two hot girls going at it inside the cage, who wouldn’t buy that?

   

URCC Domination: Hideo and Sindikato

Alvin utilizing his array of kicks to ward off a charging Morikawa.

While one bout shone light to the brightness of a scene geared towards evolution, another provided a distant reminder of how it was done during its inception.

The young guns displayed hunger and determination. Their skills matched with youth and the drive to be recognized bestowed upon them the torch they have to carry in the years to come. On the flipside is a pair of warriors who have gone on the same path, now in the climactic stages of their pugilistic careers.

On several occasions, it seemed headed towards a finish. However, both had no quit in them. 

The epic battle of The Death from Tokyo versus Sindikato earned them a piece of MMA history when they fought for the URCC Flyweight title last 25^th of July 2015.

This wasn’t merely a battle for the belt. For both fighters it was reaching the summit of a treacherous climb. Alvin “Sindikato” Ramirez was an alumnus of the URCC University Challenge – the grassroots program that led to the discovery of many Pinoy MMA fighters today. He was a kid with full potential and bright future. A mix of ring savvy, crisp striking and that devil may care attitude with complete disregard for the outcome as long as it turns into a good scrappy slugfest.

Hideo is well known for his leg and foot attacks. Here he executes a straight footlock on Ramirez.

Hideo “Death from Tokyo” Morikawa has been a URCC veteran in its early years. From a strict karate base, his quickness and agility complimented his straight punches and pointed elbows. Most of his victims ended up either with lacerated faces (because of elbows) or extremely inflamed profiles. What set him apart from other fighters is his strong mental toughness. His ability to zone out helps him increase his pain threshold and absorb punishment while inflicting a barrage of his own.

Both Alvin and Hideo earned the respect of fans and their peers. Even during setbacks in their careers, their resilience never faded. As time allowed them to mature and improve their craft, it was a fitting culmination that they faced each other inside the cage for a strap that deserved them both.

Alvin had his shining moments in the submission department as well. Above is a well timed triangle choke on Hideo.

For five rounds they traded punches, kicks, elbows and submissions. All traded with the intention to hurt, every inch was clawed and paid for. In the end, there had to be a winner, on this night it was Hideo’s time to rule the division.

A heel hook from Morikawa while Ramirez refused to tap.

Perhaps what was endearing about the dogfight was the connection the fighters had with the fans. All that followed the URCC through the years saw the development of Alvin and Hideo with every event they fought in. From their immature tendencies and reckless abandon during their early years; viewers were treated to a display of grown men who grew up in the hurt business. Their match exhibited the technical maturity one will show through years of training and the toughness of the era which molded them. 

They showed everyone how it was done during the earlier years. When submission attempts were answered with punches and kicks- not escapes, when joint locks were ignored simply because nothing was broken, when two people would stand in front of each other and just slug it out until someone falls face flat on the floor and when the desire to win mattered more than the adoration of the crowd.

 

After five gruelling rounds, Hideo Morikawa was declared the new Champion.

photos are from the awesome Food Grappler. check out his page at:
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