By Jillian Bullock

When someone begins their journey as an athlete, and especially as a martial artist, he or she often puts all their time and energy into the physical aspect of training. But so much more goes into becoming a champion in any sport. What is even more important for martial artists and boxers is the psychology component. Training for a fight goes far beyond the physicality. In fact, it has been said that fighting is 90% mental. So, if the mind is not focused and in tune with the body, it doesn’t matter what kind of shape you’re in, you will not succeed in obtaining greatness, become a world class athlete or a top notch champion.

Beginners to the world of martial arts often make many mistakes when it comes to training methods, nutrition, vitamins and supplements, and learning to balance their professional life as a fighter and their personal life. There are also several experienced fighters who often still get it wrong when it comes to what will help them bring their game up another notch in order to wear a championship belt around their waist. So, to help martial artists achieve success in the ring or cage and in life, here are 10 books and reviews that every fighter should own.

Guest Post From: Sean Kennedy

In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. This old adage has a lot of truth to it, but the truth is: in order to be the best, you have to train better than the best. The only way to train to your full potential is by eating right. You need to have a diet that is lean, healthy, and will allow you to compete successfully. MMA fighting is a very competitive sport, so anyone who hopes to succeed will need to have a diet that gives that person a fighting edge.

A fighter’s meal planning is very important to success, so why not try the Paleo diet?

There are several of our readers that have asked us about MMA betting and although we don’t condone it we think everyone should make an educated decision about what they are doing if they should choose to participate in MMA gambling.  So, here are some basic guiltiness and rules of thumb to remember when and if you should decide to gamble on the UFC or any other MMA fight at play casino online.  MMA gambling lines (or odds) will also be sometimes known as money-lines. Your standard MMA line for any fight might look something similar to this example…

The other day over at MMAPayout.com they had a great post on the recent deal between UFC and Fox.  The advertising for the UFC events has been sold out its debut event and fast!  Even though this is the furthest step that MMA has made into the main stream it certainly isn’t there yet even though the World Poker Championship and video poker gets shown on ESPN.  While Dana White the UFC President has even said that ESPN won’t give the UFC the time of day on it’s show even after or before a great fight.

WWE star Triple H said in an interview that the WWE doesn’t need to change or evolved in order to compete with MMA or the UFC specifically. Actually, he indicates the UFC needs to focus more on the entertainment aspect of it’s show.

Triple H says:

1. Cain Velasquez (9-0)
2. Junior dos Santos (13-1)
3. Alistair Overeem (35-11, 1 NC)
4. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1)
5. Brock Lesnar (5-2)
6. Shane Carwin (12-2)
7. Frank Mir (15-5)
8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1, 1 NC)
9. Josh Barnett (31-5)
10. Daniel Cormier (9-0)

Overall Rating: You Gotta See This Movie!

I was able to get a sneak peak at the new MMA movie, “Warrior,” opening on September 9th. Warrior has everything MMA fans are used to: a high school teacher turned MMA star, a war veteran-turned-fighter, a stoic Russian MMA machine, a mohawked brawler, a seedy manager, a famed trainer and an underdog story, what more can you ask for?

“Warrior” (Lionsgate) might appear to be a close relation of mindlessly bellicose fodder for example “Conan the Barbarian,” the exploitative retread unleashed by Lionsgate the 2009 summer. In truth, “Warrior” is a poignant, well-acted sports drama about fraternal discord and ties between fathers and sons.

With the launch of the new Karate Kid motion picture last week, some people are wanting to know if they should sign up their young child in a karate school. If you or the youngster has never attended a martial arts school in the past, it may be a frightening decision that comes with a good number of questions.

When beginning you training in Mixed Martial Arts, there are a variety of items necessary for you training to go smoothly and safely. Some of the most likely MMA gear items are; gloves, shorts, rashguards, shirts, and a BJJ Gi. With new brands joining the fray every day here is a list of the top 5 items you will most likely need when beginning your MMA training.

MMA Gloves