I remember watching the first ufc in my dads basement when I was 13 or 14, We had rented UFC One and Two on VHS for my little brothers birthday party. I was simultaneously shocked and intrigued. It was like a Van Damme movie, but real. Nothing can prepare yourself to see a grown man punch another grown man in the face with a bare fist. Suffice to say, my view of combat sports was irrevocably altered.
Fast forward 16 years and I am what I would like to consider, a well informed enthusiast of what has become mixed martial arts. I have witnessed well over 300 mma fights, and attended a few live events. I read about what is happening with fighters and their training, and I have this strange insatiable urge to learn more. I don't know what I can attribute this to. I never practiced martial arts myself (though I am looking into starting), I wrestled in high school for three years, to modest success, and I have never been one looking for a fight. So why does this sport grab hold of my attention so? The competetion is great, but not having ever been a violent man, there are plenty of non combatant sports that fuel that particular aspect of my life. In honesty, it's the artistry of the fight, coupled with the brutality. I am attracted to how perfectly savage it can be, and at the same time simple and elegant. The bone jarring knockout punch, or the intricate d'arce choke (which I still struggle to explain.) I am glad it came along, because not everyone gets it, or even accepts it, but I do, and sometimes that's just plenty.
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