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Posted by Steve Spencer

Utah MMA Continues to grow: Throwdown Quatro

This Saturday Throwdown will have a very impressive fight card at the e-Center.

Date:    Saturday, June 6, 2009
Time:   Doors Open 5:30 pm
Undercard 6:15 pm (3 fights)
Main Card 7:00 pm
Location: E Center
West Valley City, UT

Tickets can be purchased at the ThrowdownETC, Ticket Master or by phone : (800) 745-3000. For VIP ticket info call Kevin at (801) 361-1924 or email kevin@throwdownetc.com.
Main Fight Card*

One of the fighters I will definitely be keeping my eye on during this event is David Castillo.  I watched him fight at Jeremy Horn’s Elite fight night (Read a review of that event here.)  David was really amazing.

Also in the cage that night, fighting for the Title is Ruben “Warpath” Villareal.  Warpath has had a pretty mixed bag of wins and losses, but he has faced some of the real greats in the sport such as Bass Rutten, Don Frye, Dan Severn and more.  Local boy, tyler Lee is coming into this fight with an undefeated 7-0 record, but doesn’t look like he has real faced top-level competition before.  It will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

My 14 year old son wants to go see the fights for his birthday, so that’s the plan.  See you there!

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Utah Martial Arts on Facebook

Utah Martial Arts is now on both Facebook and Twitter.

Want to get updates as they happen?

Want to join in on discussion topics about the martial arts scene here in our state?

Please join us.

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Utah Martial Arts calls for Submissions: Muay Thai and Krav Maga

Many of you have already been enjoying the high quality updates provided about Judo, Kenpo, and MMA here on Utah Martial Arts.  I want to thank all of the contributors, as well as all of you who keep coming back for more.

But I want to make sure that we are constantly filling out the picture more fuly, to help people understand the different martial arts, and see which ones might be of interest to them.  We will always be adding the top content for various styles here.

So now, I want to put out a call for submissions.  You do not need to have a blog currently, or be a blogger currently.  You do not need to have a web site.  It’s super easy for us to show you how to post here.

Specifically, I am looking for people who want to write about their Dojo, or their ongoing experiences in Muay Thai, and in Krav Maga.  Know someone?  Are you that person?  Contact me and I’ll give you details on how Utah Martial Arts can help drive more visibility to your arts, your Dojo, and yourself.  Plus, it’s free

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Posted by Matt Bishop

Why Combat Sports are the best sports in the world

Let me begin this by prefacing that I’m a huge sports fan. I watch almost every major sport that there is and, although I may not follow them avidly, I find the pitting of teams and individuals in competition to be a breathtaking and honorous thing.

However, there is one major facet that sets combat sports far ahead of any other organized sport in the world- honesty. Watching two fighters; who have trained for months, followed rigorous exercise and diet schedules, watched countless hours of tape on their opponent and made multiple sacrifices to family and friends just to compete in one fight is about the most honest thing that someone can do for themselves.

In team sports, this honesty does not, and cannot exist for the simple fact that there is always someone to blame. You might show up. You might play your heart out making 12 of 12 freethrows and draining 8 three pointers, but if your teammates don’t show up, there is little you can do.

Fighting is not like that. When all the training and preparation is done, you are alone in that ring. You are the one that has to implement your game plan and defeat your opponenent. You are the one that has to make the best use of all the training you have put forward. You. Nobody else. That makes combat sports, in a word, honest.

Now, of course there are going to be excuses made after the match. MMA fighting has not progressed to the point that everyone is ok with a loss being a loss or a lackluster fight just being a slow fight with a victor at the end regardless. Those are completely seperate discussions from my current point. At the end of the day, whether you are Chuck Liddell knowing that this could be your last fight in the organization that you have been the poster boy of for years, or Bob Probert shedding the mitts to go one on one with Tie Domi a second time, or Nate “Galaxy Warrior” Campbell putting on the gloves for another fight just so your family can eat… well, that’s honesty, pure and simple, and in a dishonest world- that’s beautiful.

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Utah martial arts on twitter

Utah martial arts is now on twitter. Give us a follow at Utah martial arts twitter

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Throwdown starts a reality TV show… Wanna thump your neighbor?

Throwdown training center (right here outa Utah) is starting it’s own reality TV show called “Love your Neighbor.”  But it’s anything but.

Wanna learn some Mixed Martial Arts?  Wanna smack your neighbor around on TV?  Then this is for you my friend!

Pick a neighbor you have a grudge with, call them out.  The show will train you both, record the whole process, and record the fight.

Oh ya, Widow Benswick is going down!!!  Give me the stink eye now old lady!  Hoo-ya!

Check it out. at Throwdown Reality.

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Getting hurt in the martial arts

Okay, so I am sitting here, writing a blog post while my class is practicing.  Why?  Well… I tend to average an injury about once every six months.  The latest one is a pretty bad pain inside my hip joint.  It’s weird… doesn’t hurt when I walk or stand, but sitting or trying to move my leg while I’m sitting are intensely painful.

The injury 6 months ago (really more like 8 months ago) was a foot broken in three spots.  Before that it was a broken rib.

I’d be curious to hear how in-line this is with other people’s experiences.  Is it just because I’m a big guy… more weight moving around and whatnot?  I know I could save some injuries by toning it down, but I also hate do just “coast” through and get no workout.

Thoughts?

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Thoughts on Martial Arts training styles

So, I was doing a little thinking over the weekend about martial arts training styles.  Especially as it related to MMA.

There are lots of different ways and mindsets about training, but I want to address a couple of key ones:  Specialization or all at once.  Specialization, in my mind, means that you pick a specific skill subset of MMA, and train in the best possible way for that subset.

An example of this mindset would be the training program of George St. Pierre.  When he train his wrestling, he trains with the best wrestlers in the world.  Same with his kickboxing, etc.  George does not do “MMA training” so much as he does specialized training in the various disciplines (at least to my understanding.)

An example of all at once would be MMA gyms.  Couture and runs one of the world’s best MMA training centers.  But you are training with MMA guys.  Will you ever get as good at your throws as if you would if you trained with the world’s best no-Gi Judo?  Or learn takedowns as well as with the world’s best freestyle wrestler?

But there’s a trade off.  Each dscipline has inherent weaknesses as well.  If you train specialized, do you learn from someone who does not know to be careful of an upper cut when throwing a Judo throw?  Do you learn pieces that fit poorly together?

I’d love o hear others insights on this.  Is it best to do “all at once” to a level, and then specialize to improve certain areas?

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Posted by Steve Spencer

Bullies step into the ring with real fighters… Bully Beatdown trailer leaked

Do you know one of those obnoxious bullies?  The real jerks that are always giving people crap?

Well, now you can watch them step into the ring with a real martial artist.  Watch MMA experts lay down the smack, and the justice.

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Posted by Steve Spencer

GrillGuards – Utah company makes custom Martial Arts mouthguards

So, I have a funny story for you.  Saturday afternoon my two boys decided they were going to put on the gloves and spar a bit.  This type of thing is not entirely uncommon at my house.  So we step into the front yard and they begin going at it.

As their sparring, and I’m videoing, a van drives by.  Then circles back by a second time.

The driver steps out and introduces himself as Jared Fielding, the man behind Grill Gaurds.

As was obvious to both of us, with two boys like mine, both of whom I just put through braces, I need to get a product like his.  So this morning I went over to his website to check it out.  Pretty cool stuff.

I hope to get my hands on one soon, and will write up a review of my findings.  Nice looking stuff Jared!

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