The MMA Zone and The Burn Machine Ink Deal!
The MMA Zone has inked a deal with the makers of one of the best mma training pieces of equipment ‘The Burn Machine‘. We have worked very hard to get this setup for our customers since we knew it would be such a great fit for them. You may have seen The Burn Machine being used by Brock Lesner and Anderson Silva on the MMA TV show ‘Countdown’.
We are proud to announce our new partnership with ‘The Burn Machine’ manufacturer!
The argument about which is more important for martial arts; speed or power, is one that has gone on for centuries. It 
is an argument that has created very different martial arts styles. Some like Tae Kwon Do rely on speed while other forms of karate put a lot of emphasis on physical strength. Other styles style like Aikido and Judo rely mostly on technique as the primary concern while speed and power play different roles depending on which specific schools you attend.
Of course many of the most popular martial arts and kung fu movies are so impressive due to the incredible speed at which stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li and fight and move. Visiting most Tae Kwon Do schools will also present you with various twig insect looking instructors who seem to be starving themselves in order to be lighter and faster, while classes are definitely centered on agility and speed not strength. However in the real world, being fast without having any power is not effective. If you hit your opponent a million times but do not hurt them or stop them it is futile. However, being fast is never a bad thing. Being in shape both in terms of being flexible and having low body fat can help you perform far better in class, but will also mean being better on the street. When it comes to reactions and striking combos, practice and time in class is the only way to really improve and maintain great speed.
Power and strength definitely have their role, not only in the street, but certainly in the UFC octagon and in your martial arts training as well. Bruce Lee even began weight training to improve his power and physique towards the end of his career. Certainly power means the ability to finish the fight quickly and stop your opponent or be able to fend off others if facing multiple attackers.
Would you rather just be fast and be able to hit an opponent 100 times in a row, but neither stopping or really hurting them, or would you rather be able to knock anyone out with one punch, BOOM, lights out? Obviously most would choose the latter. The only problem is when you can’t get in a great knockout blow and you have to hang in there till you can. Clearly the best solution is somewhere in the middle, train to be as fast as you can but also spend time in the gym or lifting weight at home in order to build up impressive striking power, no matter what your instructor says.
Every martial art has it´s own unique kicks. They range from the rudimentary kicks of some styles of karate the the many acrobatic kicks of TaeKwonDo. However the real question is are martial arts kicks effective for use on the street and if they are, which ones are the best to use?
Certainly there are many martial arts kicks that make no sense to use in a street fight. Butterfly kicks, spinning heel kicks, flying kicks and even axe kicks may look great in class, however they telegraph your movements too much and leave you open to getting your leg caught and getting thrown on your head.
Kicks do have their place in a street fight, though those that should be used, differ significantly from what you would often use in martial arts class or even in the UFC octagon. To effectively defend yourself in a real life situation it is most effective to use the closest point of your body to the closest target on your opponent´s body. This obviously, immediately rules out any spinning kicks and head kicks when you are both on your feet.
When your attacker is closing in on you, straight front kicks can be used to push your attacker back, giving you an opening to follow through. While these kicks can offer a lot of power, they generally do not do enough damage by themselves but can open the door for you to close in when your 
opponent is off balance.
However the most effective martial arts kicks to the street are low kicks that are faster and cause the most pain or damage. The groin kick gives you the most range and is certain to inflict enough pain on any man that you can quickly follow through with any number of combos to finish the fight quickly. However, perhaps even better is a swift kick to the knee. This can be delivered with a front or side kick. Breaking the knee will instantly disable your attacker and give you the opportunity to evade the situation quickly.
Those martial artists that have taken up Tae Kwon Do can find that sparring and competing is quite different than with most other martial arts. Besides
Tae Kwon Do’s unique style the biggest difference is that sparring and competitions are for points not knock outs or submissions. Whether or not you see yourself as a skilled fighter already, point sparring is a whole different game that is challenging for everyone. A great Tae Kwon Do competitor is one who is fast, agile and knows how to make it look good for the judges.
Judging Tae Kwon Do matches is difficult. This can sometimes work against you, unless you know how to make it work for you. The judges are limited by their line of sight, however also take into account the sound of hitting a target. They officially make calls only when they see a point scored. But if they do not hear you make contact it may be missed, so always make sure that you connect hard enough to make it count. When it comes to judge’s line of sight, this is an easy thing to manipulate. Position yourself so that the judges do not have a clear view of your target points so they cannot see points scored on you, while at the same time ensuring that the judges have a clear view for points you make on your opponent.
It is key here to mention that judges often do not see the points you may score, so do not stop just because you know you scored a point, continue with
Sparring Headgear
a combo of strikes until the judge’s call it. In the reverse, do not stop and put down your hands because you believe an opponent has scored on you! If they didn’t, they certainly will when you put your guard down. Always keep fighting 100% unless the judge calls it for any reason.
Just like in boxing and in mixed martial arts competitions, while being the aggressor may not directly make you the winner, it can certainly help sway the judges’ decisions. In Tae Kwon Do competitions you are generally not given points for scoring if it was done as part of a defensive move, it must be a clear and deliberate strike. So making sure that you are the aggressor throughout the match, both physically and vocally can have multiple advantages. If you are all over your opponent and all the y can do is defend they are very unlikely to be able to score on you. Even if they get close your screams and kiaps, will surely cover the sound of them scoring on you, making it less probable that they are awarded the point.
That is then answer to being asked when you should give up or stop fighting back – ´5 minutes after you are already dead´!
When you are fighting for your life in a real life situation you cannot stop or give up. It may not just be yourself that you are defending, it could easily be
friends or family that you love. Every extra split second that you can keep fighting could save the life of those you love the most.
While most martial artist will agree that this sounds cool, few actually train for this. This takes both physical and mental training. OK, fighting 5 minutes after you are actually dead may be scientifically impossible but it is the mindset and determination that is key. It is certainly possible to continue fighting after you ought to be dead. There are numerous cases of people living through being shot. Of course everyone knows rapper 50 Cent survived being shot 9 times, however there are many others who have survived being shot with shot guns and even a woman in Brazil who survived being shot 6 times in the head at point blank range. So the point is that no matter how much damage you take, even if you are shot you must keep going, do not panic and give up.
This mindest and determination should be practiced in every training class. Unless you practice with this dedication you cannot expect to tap this strength when it comes to really needing it. You should be giving your all at every class whether you are doing push ups or sparring. Every exercise or drill should be done at maximum intensity so that when you finally crawl out of class you have nothing left.
Just imagine how much better you could perform in the octagon and in competitions if you had been training with this intensity for the last six months. This can make all the difference in your survival in the street. Being able to fight or stand can mean the difference of being able to get in those last one or two crucial blows to successfully fend off an attacker or holding on the few extra minutes it takes to get to the hospital and get medical treatment. Train hard, give it all you´ve got and never give up, you will find yourself a much more formidable opponent.
More MMA Articles