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.

Okay this may not actually be Bruce Lee film footage but it is still impressive and fun to watch. Bruce Lee is still such a huge star When we just mention Bruce Lee’s name we get a spike in traffic. He is the man that started MMA and getting people to realize that one martial arts was not the solution but by blending them together you could become a much better fighter.

Bruce Lee became a huge star in the world due to the few movie rolls he starred in. Lee started in Wing Chun, but he later rejected this and other well-defined martial art styles and taught techniques and movements from several different martial arts he called it Jeet Kune Do (JKD) which mean the way of the intercepting fist.

MMA fighters can have strong arms,  strong legs, and strong cardiovascular training however if they have weak core muscles they will quickly get this weakness exploited in the ring or octagon and ultimately wind up beaten.  The abdominal region of the body is an essential area that allows the powerful forces that are transmitted through the feet and up the legs of the fighter to then pass on through to the upper body for devastating throws, slams, and punches. The abdominal section is such a massive factor in the speed and power of your kicks, body punches, and ground game that if you don’t have a strong core you are missing out on some huge advantages in these areas.

On the ground, the abs are important for keeping posture when the fighter is either in the guard position or on top searching for submissions. Without proper abdominal development your leaving your midsection wide open and increasing your chances for a defeat.