Mixed Martial Arts May Just be the Answer to Your Bully Problems!

Figure 1: Jimmy in some serious trouble

     Do you see the small kid looking as if he is about to be crumbled into a piece of paper this is Jimmy. Jimmy frequently finds himself placed right in the middle of bully troubles pretty, and he isn't really sure how to solve this problem. He's tried telling teachers, friends, and even his own parents but no one seems to really hear him out or offer any good advice what to do. One day he was sitting at home watching YouTube and ran into a video of a kid getting back at his long bully. He the decided he has finally had enough it's time to take matters in to his own hands and learn some self-defense and begin learning MMA. Now this is just in case if one of the big oafs tries to hurt him for no reason again. The first thing Jimmy is going to learn is that MMA is not just free range to beat up anyone one you want. It is used for self-defense situations in which you have no other option but to properly defend yourself.

Did Anyone Ever Solve their Bullying Problems With MMA?

Figure 2: MMA regulated glove

MMA is and abbreviation for mixed martial arts, which is a newer type of sport that incorporates several different types of fighting styles, which has in the past few years turned into a thriving business with many of the fighters becoming incredibly famous from it. Now what most people don't know is some of those huge stars join MMA just for the fact they were being bullied.One fighter you may have heard of is Connor McGregor, he said at a young age he was picked on because of his size so bad at one point he began to walk to school with a metal bar in his backpack(1). Eventually he realized living every day in fear of when his next bullying episode may occur wasn't right or fair to him. So he decided learning some form of self-defense would be his best chance at solving his problem, and this is where MMA stepped into the picture. He stated once he knew how to properly defend himself the bullying ceased pretty fast after that, then he slowly began to get better and found a true passion for it. After that he realized he could make his love for a sport into a profession and the rest is history.

How to get Involved in MMA

       

Figure 3: Even the big bad wolf can't win against MMA

            Now that Jimmy is interested in learning how to defend himself he wonders what does it take to become good at this and what it takes to join. Well MMA is unlike any other sport that Jimmy's friends play, it is straight forward but very difficult. (2) It may the best solution for Jimmy's current problem but the path of getting there will be one he needs to dedicate himself to. He must first find a gym near him that supports and teaches it. Next he will have to find a trainer who is willing to teach him the ins and outs of MMA. Once Jimmy learns the ropes and finds himself comfortable with MMA, he will be able to apply this knowledge he has obtain only in self-defense to the next big bad bully who comes his way.

          

Figure 4: Physical and Mental health taken from MMA

        Other Benefits From MMA  

       On top of being a good solution to Jimmy's bullying problems MMA has a long list of other advantages it can bring into his life as well. It was said that "There are lots of fitness benefits to practicing MMA. Studies have shown that MMA training, unlike other types of exercise, works on your total body. We are not just talking muscles, either. You get a cardio and a strength training workout, all in one" (3). This saying Jimmy not only can defend himself if necessary, but also get in good shape all at the same time. This sport has several physical benefits to it as stated above, but perhaps the best part to this sport is that it has mental health advantages that go along with it as well. It has also been said that martial arts training embodies a system of moral values, that together can inculcate physical and mental relaxation, control of mind and body, and an increase in self confidence (4). These examples just show that MMA has benefits both mentally and physically Jimmy could take from it, along with the teaching of self-defense that he could apply as a last resort to help himself. MMA all around has so much hidden potential but hopefully after reading this you have your eyes opened, and if you're ever placed in a scenario like Jimmy maybe MMA can help you like it did him. 

(1) Cole, R. (2017, January 22). 10 UFC Stars Who Were Bullied As Kids. Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://www.lowkickmma.com/lists/10-ufc-stars-who-were-bullied-as-kids/8/

(2)  History of MMA Mixed Martial Arts. (2009, May 13). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://ockickboxing.com/blog/mma/history-of-mma-mixed-martial-arts/

(3) Keller, P. P. (n.d.). The Health Benefits of Mixed Martial Arts Training | Peak Performance Blog. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://peakmmakeller.com/blog/the-health-benefits-of-mixed-martial-arts-training/

(4) Mccafferty, G. (n.d.). Psychological benefits of martial arts training. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://believeperform.com/performance/psychological-benefits-of-martial-arts-training/