By Dennis Fratella

We all know ways to cut for a fight. Whether that is an easy way, hard way, as long as you weigh in at what you’re fighting at, that’s the ideal goal for fighting. Right? Not so much.

We’ve all seen fights where someone just doesn’t look like they’ve got anything strength-wise, and perhaps could be a result of that cut, and it usually is. I have a couple of suggestions to keep the weight off, while not compromising strength or your workouts, which probably go overlooked while cutting, and still getting you to weigh in right:

Always try to keep the high-glycemic carbs (sugars, breads, cereals) separate from the low-glycemic carbs. In fact, research is now suggesting that high-glycemic carbs while cutting is not the best route because it has been said to lower your blood sugar levels, resulting in quick depletion of glycogen (carbs in your muscles), making you tired – a lot faster.

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By Jillian Bullock

The Department of Justice, federal agencies, faith-based and other grassroots and community organizations are always looking to instill crime prevention programs to address at-risk youth and gang members. While many of these programs have failed, many people in the mixed martial arts community believe they have the answer.

In a lower income area of Pomona, CA, Tim Kreitzman, a MMA fighter, opened a school to target young people who are drawn to gangs. Kreitzman’s MMA School teaches kids self-defense, discipline and the value of hard work. He also gives them a place to go instead of hanging on the corners, running the streets, selling drugs or getting into trouble.

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Written By Last Ronin

As a martial artist Christmas time is a wonderful opportunity to swap out some of your old nasty gear for some new MMA Gear. There are a lot of great products on the market right now like we mentioned on our first MMA Gear Christmas list and if you are looking to get something for that martial artist on your list then I will show you the place and roughly how much you are going to have to shell out. If you are looking for a Gi, MMA shorts, MMA gloves, head gear, and more then make sure to continue reading this Christmas martial arts buying guide.

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Written By Last Ronin

So you want to get a mixed martial arts book, but aren’t really sure which one would be the best.  That’s totally understandable with the hundreds of books sitting on the shelves at your local bookstore, meaning that picking one is going to be a bit overwhelming.  The good thing about buying a book though is getting to look at the reviews and hear what others have got to say about it.  Now I have read a lot of books in my time and my martial arts library is pretty fat, but out of all of the ones I own I would definitely say that my BJ Penn book is one that everyone needs in their library.

Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge by BJ Penn is a wonderful book for both beginners as well as advanced students.  BJ Penn is a true champion and ambassador of the sport, so why wouldn’t you want to know what he has to say?  This book is pretty comprehensive in what it covers and gives you just enough to get a little taste of what MMA is about.  Now don’t expect to be the future champion just from reading this book.  BJ’s book is a tool to be used alongside your training, and not the end all resource that is going to make you a black belt.

By Last Ronin

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“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is starting to make a name for herself in the womens MMA scene.  She is already 3-0, winning all of her fights via armbar AND not one of her fights has made it past the first minute of the first round.  If that isn’t impressive then I don’t know what is.  Her next fight will be on November 18th at the Strikeforce Challengers event where she will take on Muay Thai fighter, Julia Budd, who has a record of 2-1.  This should be a good match up as it pits Rousey against one of the better strikers she has faced in her career.

A win on Friday night will put Ronda one step closer to a title shot in the Women’s Featherweight Division, however she has already stated that if she wins then she plans on dropping down to the 135 division to take on the champion, Miesha Tate, who apparently called her out on Twitter.  One has to wonder if Ronda is making this move because she is ducking a future fight with the current featherweight champion Cyborg.  A win against Budd would make her a serious title contender and most likely Cyborg’s next opponent (if Cyborg beats Hiroko Yamanaka).  Strikeforce is having a hard enough time finding people who will even step into the cage with Cyborg– hence her almost year-long absence.

By Jillian Bullock

When it comes to MMA training to become a top notch fighter the old way of training has become obsolete. Utilizing only basic weights, treadmills and elliptical machines have become old school. To build optimal strength and conditioning, along with the skills necessary to excl in Muay Thai, Jiu-jitsu, boxing and grappling, mixed martial artists must always look for new and different forms of exercises and equipment to aid their training skills and help them reach the next level in their fight career.

Below are some of the best pieces of equipment to help increase your strength, power, speed, agility, and endurance, along with transforming your body into an elite athlete and a MMA fighter, which will give you an edge over your opponent.

By Jillian Bullock

There’s no denying that mixed martial arts fighters, males and females, are some of the toughest athletes in the world. When they prepare for a match it’s like they are going to war. To match the intensity their body will have to endure to prepare for a fight most MMA practitioners also realize that nutrition is a vital part of their training process and proper foods, along with vitamins and supplements, will help repair muscles, strengthen joints, reduce injuries and illness, and help them with recovery.

Why Nutrition Is Vital