Two fighter battle it out in the ring. Photo by: Chris Sgaraglino/flickr
MMA – mixed martial arts – conjures the image of two people brawling it out in a cage. Maybe the crowd cheers as one combatant falls to the ground, unconscious and bleeding. The other combatant might raise his fists and dance around the ring.
This is the common depiction of MMA in the media. It is often described as a modern day gladiatorial contest and blood sport.
Perry Bateson, a traditional martial arts instructor and mixed martial arts coach, disagrees. He says mixed martial arts has attracted this image because of the way media promotes mixed martial arts competitions.
“The layperson equates MMA to UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships), but they are not necessarily the same thing,” said Bateson.
According to Bateson, MMA is no different than traditional martial arts other than that it draws techniques from many different arts.
“MMA is all about the different ranges from different arts and how you transition from one to another,” said Bateson.
Bateson has been growing his MMA program for years, and he says there are two main reasons why people want to join. The first reason is because they just want to fight. Bateson is quick to send these people to another gym, as he doesn’t want to train people with that type of mindset.
“I teach mixed martial arts. I don’t teach fighting,” he said. “The people that want to go to UFC are the people I don’t want.”
So, what kind of student does he want?
“There are people that come into my school who want to learn some moves and defend themselves, but they’re scared to get hurt,” said Bateson. “They want to go to work the next day.”
For Bateson, the process of learning MMA is the exploration of many different styles of movement, and that is the true goal. As in any traditional martial art, it embodies the aspects of respect and integrity. For his students, it’s a fun activity with some valuable learning opportunities.
