Conclusion

Combat sports are often cast upon in a negative light, although this is considered to be truth by only the uninitiated. In reality, the uninitiated are unaware of the immense positives to be gained through combat sport training. Whether it is merely a boxing class at their local fitness gym, or a professional fighter training for their next bout, a person will always make improvements to themselves that they can carry through into their everyday life. Confidence, respect, and discipline are all gained for the mind. Strength and coordination is gained for the body.

“Fighting’s like life, do you quit when you get knocked down? Or do you get up and throw yourself back into it and try again?!” – Richie hardcore

Negative Aspects

The negative aspects of combat sports are much more widely publicised than they positives gained from training. As with a lot of subjects shown negatively in the media, the information shown about combat sports is often nothing more than opinion pieces made by reporters and distributed as fact. This is accepted as fact by those who do not understand the safety aspects and rules that are in place to protect fighters. With that being said, the risk of getting a brain injury is high. And although every safety measure is taken to protect the fighter, some injuries are inevitable. The most well known victim of a brain injury from a career in boxing is Mohammad Ali. Although he has Parkinson’s disease, it is believed that his current state was induced from his 21 year career in professional boxing. The repeated concussions from years of fights and heavy sparring leads to damage to the pathways that allows neurons to correspond with one another. Damage to these pathways leads to a person losing coordination and speech function, and is often referred to as being ‘Punch-Drunk’ due to its apparent similarity to a person being intoxicated. The difference between this and most other bodily injuries is that you cannot recover and the symptoms worsen over time.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

The physical benefits of training in a combat sport cannot be understated. Of course depending on the sport you undertake you will be working different sets of muscles and have different cardiovascular requirements. Regardless of the sport you choose, there will always be gains in cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, muscle endurance and coordination. There are also benefits that are gained from training that are not immediately obvious. Examples include such proper breathing techniques and increases in flexibility.

In this video, you are shown Japanese fighter Kobayashi Masato's training regimen and medical tests done on him to test his fitness. The graph in the middle of the video is showing that his level of fitness (shown as the red bar) is above that of a professional soccer player (shown as the blue bar). The average game of soccer has two 45 minute halves. Masato fights under K-1 rules, which are 3 3-minute rounds, and a forth 3 minute round in case of a draw. Fighters in a K-1 tournament can fight up to 3 times in one night; the mental and physical strength required for this is beyond the realms of most people’s imaginations.

Mental Tenacity

Mental toughness, positivity and resilience are key to a fighter’s spirit. A fighter’s spirit is like bone, the more damage done to it; the more it will calcify and become stronger. They can then carry this through to their everyday life where problems will come to seem less significant and easier to control though focus and a mindset that has become more adapt to pressure.

As with many sports, regular training/practice in a sport (whether it is a combat sport or not) can lead to advancements in other areas of the athletes life, whether it is quality of life, life satisfaction or discipline.

Discipline is also increased through learning new skill sets in a practical way. Learning an unfamiliar skill to use in a combat sport it is perhaps the most practical due to it concerning ones' own safety. You are forced into intense focus on these new skills, because if you do not adapt quickly you will come to physical harm. You are forced to put ego aside and focus on the necessary, which i believe is extremely useful in today's society where you are often rewarded for arrogance. In a gym, you learn that there is always someone who can punch faster, choke harder and kick stronger than yourself.

The traditional martial art of Thailand is Muay Thai. Fighters often start training and fighting from the age of 12, many foreigners consider this too young of an age someone to start training. But coming from a country where many people live in poverty and do not go to school, Muay Thai not only provides a chance for these children to train alongside national heroes, but to make money to provide for their family and perhaps even become a national hero themselves.

In this video, you will find a boxing trainer talking about the positives he introduces into peoples' lives through boxing. It also includes people who train there talking about the positive impact that boxing has had in their lives.

Astoria -- short documentary from Alex Poutiainen on Vimeo.

INTRODUCTION

“There's nothing more deadly or more proficient then a happy fighter. Everybody believes the mean, surly fighter is the toughest fighter but that's not true. It is the guy who's most relaxed and loves what he does, and is happy to be in there doing what he does.” - Mike Tyson.

From an outsider's perspective combat sports are often viewed as: brutal, violent, unintelligent and are often only seen as Neanderthals trying to bash each others' head in.

However, if you were to talk to any fighter, trainer or enthusiast about their preferred sport, they will tell you it is the fighter with the most intelligence, the best technique and the most focus who will always win.

In my blog I will be presenting arguments for and against combat sports. Showing arguments against combat sports and providing retorts to them with back up from website articles. The main argument from an outsider’s perspective is the amount of damage that is taken to a fighter’s body during fights, and training. Even fighters will admit that a lot of damage can be taken in fighting and training, whether it is to the physical body, or a person’s ‘fighting spirit’. They will also say that their sport has provided them with invaluable life lessons and confidence for their mind, and strength for their body.

My personal opinion of combat sports is that the positive aspects far outweigh the negatives consequences and at the end of the day it is the fighters own body. And in its simplicity, this consensual violence is the perfect competition between athletes.