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MIXED MARTIAL ARTS IN THE CAGE

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DB-based MMA fighter Marc Guyon of MGK fight club shares his love for the sport with Rachel Sadler
PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon – www.richardgordonphotography.com

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS IS A NEW SPORT and a new science. It’s not a mixture of styles adopted from other sports – it’s a sport in its own right and so should be treated differently to other similar sports like boxing. The most common styles of martial arts are kickboxing, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu but MMA pushes the body and mind to adapt in ways that are unfamiliar to wrestlers and boxers.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO LEARN MMA! It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the world and it’s the future of martial arts. It’s new and brings more excitement than boxing – a lot more can happen in an MMA fight than in a boxing match. The more MMA training you have, the more you learn, and the more you live by it.

RESPECT, SELF DISCIPLINE AND SELF DEFENCE are all key benefits of MMA training for children and adults. You learn how to control your body and use it as a survival tactic, and naturally your confidence grows too. To benefit from MMA training, you don’t need to be a professional fighter. It’s mostly about enjoying the training, leading a healthy lifestyle, keeping fit and, of course, having fun.

mgk1 sept 2021

THE BEST MMA FIGHTERS are the ones who can adapt. From grappling, wrestling and striking, the key here is to know how to transition. Wrestling is an important part of MMA and can certainly help you in the cage, but only if you have learnt other skills that allow you to transition and adapt too.

PREPARING FOR THE CAGE TEACHES YOU ABOUT YOURSELF. Mentally it pushes you to your limits and you’ll train at least two or three times per day. Training is the most important preparation – it’s the difference between winning and losing. Fighters also cut weight and water before weigh-in sessions – you have to go that extra mile and develop a healthy lifestyle.

TO OVERCOME YOUR OPPONENT vary your tactics and stick to your training. Stay focused on your coach and the sound of the roaring crowd to keep motivation flowing. Always analyse your opponent and adapt your approach to the fight if your tactics are not working.

MGk in post sept 2021

THERE’S LESS CHANCE OF INJURY IN MMA than in other contact sports, like football or rugby. When it was created it took some time for rules to be established. Like everything new it had to be trialled to see what was safe and what was not. MMA has evolved since the 1990s and a new type of competition has been formed.

THE FIRST MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST BRUCE LEE had the idea to develop martial arts further and he knew that the means for its evolution was promotion. Like football, MMA grew as more people became interested, and with that came money and development. The bigger MMA becomes the worse it could potentially become. Traditional martial arts is one extreme and football the other – showbiz can create a subculture of fake fans who are just watching for the beer drinking side of sport.

Marc Guyon is a professional MMA fighter and the founder of MGK Fight Club in DB Plaza, where he teaches MMA and kung fu. To find out more and get training, call 9688 4744 or visit www.marcguyon.hk.

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