HebbSisson20

Mixed Winnipeg Martial Arts could be the fastest growing sport in North america today. It's on T.V., it's on peoples clothes, it's on the gaming consoles and the action figures have been in the toy section at the department store.

Now when the topic of Kids doing MMA comes up, it's only natural that lots of people cringe a little, and rightly so. The thing most people know with this sport is the very top level of professional athletes and the rules used at that level, which is not really something young ones should be doing.

But the truth is, almost all people learning MMA will never be planning to fight in a professional match. Nearly all adults that are entering competitions won't ever compete under those rules. Like other fighting styles that involve striking there exists a wide range of rule sets from amateur up to professional.

What's "safe" for kiddies to do in the fighting styles has been well established over many years. Kids doing Martial Arts Winnipeg do not do anything that hasn't been getting done in Karate, Judo and Wrestling classes for years. Actually they often do less of the riskier aspects. They do not kick to the head and they aren't getting extra points for high impact throws and takedowns.

A lot of the bad reputation MMA gets is a insufficient experience with it, specially at amateur levels with what actually happens in class. MMA classes are fun, they truly are safe, and they're an extremely intense workout. The final thing any gym owner wants is injuries, and after more then 10 years of teaching I have yet to see a child with anything close to a critical injury.

Taken in the same context consider our national sport. Players skate around on ice with blades on the feet slamming one another into one another, the boards, swinging sticks around and engaging in bare knuckle fist fights in almost every game. If all you knew of hockey was seeing a couple of professional games, you might easily come away with a very negative perception, and cringe quite hard at the thought of children playing the game. But just about everyone has played the overall game at a amateur level in certain form, even if it had been just through fitness center class in school. We know that what happens on t.v. is not the same as what happens in a game played by 8-year olds.

But aren't we just teaching kiddies to hurt one another?

Absolutely not. We have been teaching them the precise opposite, how to maybe not hurt each other, and just how to keep themselves from getting hurt.

Kids training in MMA are training with friends, under close supervision. Safety and self-control are always top priorities. Deliberately causing injury just isn't tolerated in training and competition. Athletes aren't only in charge of their very own, but in addition their opponents safety. They are needed to remain calm and act intelligently at all times. Anger and attempts to hurt others usually do not cause victory in this sport, they result in defeat. Instead athletes must develop the ability to remain calm under some pressure, to be patient and to act intelligently and strategically and also to show good sportsmanship in victory and defeat.

Because they progress they learn leadership skills, helping younger and less experienced young ones with techniques and strategy. Small children helping the others beat them in training is a amazing thing to see, and a great show of humility and respect. Yet every daughter or son that trains will do it as they gain experience. They will learn how to value helping new students and younger students succeed is more valuable then "easy wins".

To top everything off Martial Arts demands a very high standard of health and fitness. Every muscle is used, out of each and every position and in every direction possible. The workout is intense and in a time of declining conditioning being involved in exercise program is essential for healthy living.