Mixed Marital Arts
Mixed martial arts — if you would have asked me what that was a few months ago I’m sure I would not have had a clue. Martial arts – yes I know what that involves. Curt has been in some form of Karate since I met him. He has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. The boys started going with him when they were around 9. Andrew has his black belt and teaches at a local gym. Chris — I think he got up to his brown belt?? He lost interest.
Andrew checked out a local mixed martial arts gym early this year. He has a real time crunch, so it didn’t go far. Thus my introduction to what I call an absurd sport and I use sport lightly.
Chris comes home for the summer. Lots of (for the most part) healthy competition between the twins. So he couldn’t let Andrew be one up on him in having checked out MMA. He heads over to the gym. He decides that the training is really great and he goes whenever it fits his schedule. He tells me that he is not going to compete. To which I breathe a sigh of relief and send up a prayer that it stays that way.
Here is one of the moves. From what I gather it sure looks like Chris is winning. No, they tell me that actually in this position Andrew (yes the one upside down) is really in the better position. Go figure.
So yesterday this ‘big’ guy comes in to work. We get to talking and he knew Chris from the gym. In fact he tells me as he walks out that he misses Chris. Chris was his favorite sparring partner.
Ok, now what I am suppose to do with that information?? Did I mention this guy was huge?? This guy competes and in his last match he won in something like 26 seconds. Now the good news is that he still has all his teeth (at least from what I can see). The bad news is that I am sure he has and will try to convince Chris to compete.
What’s a mom to do?
Pray, pray, pray,
til next time
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You know, I think I know who you are talking about, his name is Anthony right? LOL if this is right, I use to baby sit him when he was a wee little baby. He too was once small enough to bounce on ones knee. It’s been awhile though. He is a big boy for sure now. He has also been to the church. He’s a nice kid.
You won’t be bouncing him on your knee anymore 🙂 And yes, he has turned out to be a nice young man.
I only wish that Chris and Tony would share something like say hunting or fishing instead of mixed martial arts. lol
I think that both boys enjoy learning the grappling techniques. They compliment the striking techniques that they learned in Tae Kwon Do.
Great pic of the boys! (Though, somehow “boys” just doesn’t seem like the right word to use anymore for the pair in the picture.
Personally, I think I would still pick the martial arts common interest as opposed to hunting and fishing…well, ok, so fishing would be tame but as I recall from my brief experience with tae kwan do, it IS good for conditioning and working out aggression BUT you might be surprised by how much being responsible with the knowledge of those skills is emphasized AND another bright side, a somewhat comforting side benefit…MOST people who learn a person has advanced that highly in the arts generally won’t want to mess with the person and if for some reason anybody ever would, you know that your guys are more than capable of being able to protect themselves and possibly anybody else who might be with them (which may become even more comforting some day should a perspective daughter-in-law ever come along that you might like and even more so if grandkids ever come onto the scene). Somehow the hunting supplies don’t bring quite as much comfort considering how many kids have been hurt by getting into their parents’ hunting stuff and when you take into consideration the number of incidents involving a weapon where the person’s own weapon was used on themselves. Nope. Personally, I think I would still prefer the martial arts interest.
Lisa, I think tae kwon do is a great discipline and have no problem with that.
Mixed martial arts is not even in the same catagory as far as I am concerned. It combines boxing (but uses really thin gloves so the impact is greater with the fingers free), wrestling, tae kwon do, and the big draw is street fighting. In the beginning it had no rules that I am aware of. Now you can’t gouge the eyes and the ref will end it if he thinks the guy has passed out or is no longer responsive. They literally can pound the tar out of their opponent. And you better hope you can trust the ref – your life may depend on it.
Talk about aggression – mixed martial arts is all about showing aggression not getting rid of it. But that is just my opinion. I also think that it has taken street fighting and put it in a cage and then charge for people to watch.
Hunting – as you know I love vension. There is only one way to get that 🙂 As with anything that has a danger -responsibility is first with the parents and then when the child is old enough he/she has the responsibility to handle the gun with respect. Guns should be locked up and what we did when the guys were younger was kept the key and the ammo where they hadn’t a clue. Most incidents happen due to carelessness – leaving a loaded weapon lying around, setting a poor example, giving a kid responsibility too soon, ect.
Martial arts – yes a great form of discipline, honor, respect (the kids bow to their leader and bow in and out of the room – in a day and age where kids can be so disrespectful that is impressive), and it is great strength training.
Mixed martial arts – nope can’t get behind that one.