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neath, negating their every move. He choked out challenger after challenger in the same calm and effortless manner. Gracie's Brazilian Jui-Jitsu focused mainly on grappling, but also on gaining a superior position to strike from. The exhibition revolutionized martial arts and proved that if a fighter didn't know how to handle himself in a ground fight, his career would be very short indeed. Grappling soon became a prerequisite for any serious mixed martial artist. Every successful MMA fighter in the world should have Jui-Jitsu or some other form of grappling in his or her bag of tricks before even thinking about stepping into the ring.
ad with such as original The first Married Marrament what to additional letters and living leg tried to y, but the seemingly before his a fighten undering about stepping into the ring. The Gracie family is pioneers of Brazilian Jui-Jitsu or BJJ, a form of Jui-Jitsu developed by the legendary family in Brazil. The fighting clinic Royce held at the first UFC caused a shockwave of BJJ popularity extending to our very own Student Recreation Fitness Center. Last year I met Dave Durnil, who now teaches BJJ professionally, but was president of the KU Jui-Jitsu club at the time. Durnil has practiced Jui-Jitsu and MMA for 10 years, but we both got hooked the same way. He says it all started when he saw the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. Durnil says that since he started training he has become more calm, humble, and aware of himself. He says, "It isn't about being a tough guy. You get your ass kicked a thousand times
before you kick someone else's." The KU Brazilian Jui-Jitsu Club is an extension of the Carlos Gracie Jr. Gracie Barra Jui-Jitsu team. Yoder and I were definitely learning while we beat the crap out of each other on some sweaty old wrestling mats in my garage, but after attending the club at the University of Kansas. Durnil taught me what a difference refined instruction can make. As Durnil says "Life is conflict. Technique makes us civilized."
the sportsmanship involved in MMA is another of its striking aspects. After scraping relentlessly for victory and trying to destroy the person in front of them, the fighters often embrace, shake hands and bow to each other as a gesture of honor and camaraderie. Doeblin, who also now practices with the KU club, says winning and losing a match with sportsmanship is respectable. "To win with the egotistical attitude is ugly. Learning how to win and lose, and still respect your opponent is all part of the game." she says. Even when the fighters use the animosity between them as motivation for the fight, the competitors usually appear to be best friends afterward. David Tran, KU BJJ Club member, says, "Where else can two people directly take out all their aggression on each other and still shake hands afterwards."
wards." Sportsmanship and camaraderie are deeply rooted in MMA. Another sparring
partner and friend of mine, Trent Tiemeyer, says that there is rarely a grudge between him and his opponent. Tiemeyer boasts an 11-4 MMA record and has been training in martial arts for 18 years. He views competitive fighting as a training tool, just an extension of sparring in the gym. Tiemeyer says "My opponent is not my enemy before or after a match, just during." Tiemeyer is 6-feet-4 inches tall and weighs about 245 pounds with a solid black tattoo crawling up one side of his neck. His hair color varies from month to
month, but he always has the same menacingly playful grin. Tiemeyer puts his talents to good use as a bouncer at Abe and Jake's Landing and the Granada. He says that now fighting is just part of his job, but he still doesn't have any hard feelings
toward the people he tosses out.
toward the people he loves.
Although fighters aspire to compete at different levels, most of us have the same goal: Self-improvement on and off the mat. Tran says that he learns a lot every time he loses, "You see your weaknesses, and learn to not make the same mistake again." Tran says that practicing MMA has made him more calm and confident he can take care of himself. Fighters learn a lot more while training than how to tear someones arm out of the socket. Doeblin says training not only helps her physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
"Just knowing that I could easily break someone's arm, leg or choke them out is a kind of empowering thing." she says.
kind of empowering thing. For fighters like Tran and myself, the big show is in Kansas City. Adrenaline Extreme Combat hosts amateur MMA fights and grappling matches at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, Mo., at 4050 Pennsylvania in Westport. MMA shows have started to spring up all over the United States in metropolitan areas.
Lance Yoder, KU custodian, scrambles to get his guard, a defensive position from which he can keep Robert Riley, Lawrence senior, from advancing his position. The sparring session ranges from slow and intricate positioning such as this, to lightning-fast reversals and submission attempts. After five minutes of game scraping, Riley pulls off a sneaky arm bar once Yoder has the top position. A common misconception when it comes to ground fighting is that the person on top always has the dominant position, but an opponent on his or her back has numerous devastating submissions to choose from.
DURNIL SAYS THAT SINCE HE STARTED TRAINING HE HAS BECOME MORE CALM, HUMBLE, AND AWARE OF HIMSELF. HE SAYS "IT ISN'T ABOUT BEING A TOUGH GUY. YOU GET YOUR ASS KICKED A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE YOU KICK SOMEONE ELSE'S."
in metropolitan areas. The sport is enjoying a newfound popularity and acceptance that was never thought possible. In fact, MMA events were once illegal in the United States thanks to John McCain, (R-Ariz.) who labeled the sport
human cockfighting, and lobbied to blacklist the sport fromPayPer-View as well as American soil. From 1997 to 2001 fans were forced to wait patiently for months until their local video store received the forbidden fruit. Fans were sometimes
forced to rent tapes from porno shops in order to see their favorite fighters in Brazil or Japan. On July 23, 2001, the Nevada State Boxing Commission adopted the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Combat, which was originally drafted in New Jersey. The change in rules included five new weight classes, rounds, time limits and a list of more than 30 fouls. Fortunately, the new rules allowed the sport to resurface under the political radar and achieve a newfound popularity enabling fighters like us to train and compete locally.
locally.
As my wins, losses and ego continually fade away, I realize more and more about who I am. Practicing MMA helps me put things into perspective and identify what is truly important in my life. I always see people staring at us at the recreation center, looking through the glass like children at a pet store. I'm sure students are wondering what the hell is going on and why anyone would want to practice this sport. I hope more people will stop looking from the outside in, and come find out what this sport is really all about.
The Guillotine
A go-to move for any ground fighter, the guillotine is an effective submission. Robert Riley, Lawrence senior, makes the mistake of shooting in for a double leg take-down with his head too low. Kristin Doeblin, Wichita senior, quickly snakes her arm underneath Riley's chin and grabs her own wrist trapping his head between her arm and ribs. As Riley takes her down, she wraps her legs around Riley's waist above his hips and locks her legs tightly by crossing her ankles. Doeblin then pulls her wrist up and to the right as she arches her back. As she chokes Riley with her arm, she pulls down on his lower body with her legs. The amount of torque created with the guillotine can easily incapacitate a much larger opponent. Riley taps the mat a couple of times to let Doeblin know that the hold has been applied effectively. The principals of Jui-Jitsu include using leverage and technique to defeat a stronger opponent.