MMAKing
a Living
I think
most of us will agree that being paid to do something we love is an ideal way
of living. And for a privileged few it is a reality. But for the rest of us this
way of life can seem like wishful thinking; a dream that never quite comes true.
I remember scraping by
in my GCSE’s and having the opportunity to do A-levels, and Music was a possibility.
I remember the head of Music saying to be really successful as a musician (in
the classical, artistic sense) being good would not be enough; you had to be exceptional.
I feel the same is true of a lot of professions, and in the subject of this commentary,
the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Very
few people are born with natural sporting and physical ability. Genetically we
are all more or less the same and work has to be put in to build the level of
our abilities. Bruce Lee, idolised by many for his physical conditioning and prowess,
still started off as a skinny young man from Hong Kong.
In
the world of modern MMA physical conditioning is the main key to success in professional
competition. You could have all the techniques in the world, but they will be
no good to you if you are exhausted after half a minute of exertion against a
skilled, fit and non compliant opponent who is out to win.
So,
for the majority of us who are fans and have dreams of making it in Mixed Martial
Arts, we need to be realistic in our approach, and our fitness and conditioning
should be our first step. It is a common misconception that people should play
sport to get fit, when in actuality people need to get fit to truly play sport
to its fullest extent. And with something as demanding as Mixed Martial Arts,
the learning curve for applied technique is steeper the less physically able you
are to move your body in accordance with what you want to achieve. Whether it’s
control from a standing clinch or a closed guard or mount on the ground, any technique
can be enforced or diminished by your power, flexibility, balance, co-ordination,
and endurance level. And before these can be built upon, having the right mindset
to do so is necessary. Without getting further off topic, I think I’ll leave
psychology and motivation for a possible future commentary (or ramble!)
Mixed
Martial Arts is slowly growing in the UK, but it is still in its infancy by comparison
to the United States and Japan, and even then you need to be at the top of your
game to see any financial benefit. And to work towards the top there is always
the issue of finance for training as well as time outside of the demands life
invariably has.
Most of
us are able to go to a club nearby, but your progress will peak based on the time
you currently invest and the resources that are available to you. And, for most
of us, time and resources are limited as time spent in a job to cover the costs
of living takes priority. We want to spend more time in training to advance in
Mixed Martial Arts, but we can not currently afford to give up the time. We want
to train in a place we will get the most benefit from, but this usually comes
with a higher price tag, if anything to cover the costs of the resources (which
can be anything from equipment to quality coaching).
Giving
up your job to focus on the fighting aspect of Mixed Martial Arts is incredibly
risky, especially if you are only just earning enough to get by. Most people would
say it is not worth it and I would agree with them. If you think about it, champions
in Heavyweight boxing such as Mike Tyson or even Lennox Lewis were only able to
get a focus on the fighting aspect of boxing because they were in a young offenders'
detention centre or a prison, and boxing was used as part of their rehabilitation.
So, apart from landing ourselves in the nick for a great length of time, what
options are there?
I believe
the key is to really focus on MMA as a sport like any other currently out there.
What I mean is sport is played on amateur, semi-professional and professional
levels, and is increasingly competitive. And because of this sports will require
the skills of many different people behind the scenes of the main player or team.
Fitness instructors, nutrionists, physiotherapy, coaching, psychologists …all
of these play a role in the success of high level sports athletes, and there is
always demand for them. I myself have looked into osteopathy and reflexology courses
because I can see how they can be tied into professional sports, even Mixed Martial
Arts, and they are a means of earning money and supporting yourself at the same
time. For example, if I am qualified in osteopathy or reflexology, among my clients
and with the right approach, I could offer my services to professional MMA clubs
to help with the injury and recovery of their athletes, perhaps for a reduced
rate if I could affordably train with them.
A
career in fitness training will open up access to gyms and health clubs not only
to use the equipment, but also give you a position of influence and perhaps promote
Mixed Martial Arts as a possible class for the gym or health club. Some health
clubs even promote courses for fitness training to their regular clients as it
looks good for their business, so if you are a member of a gym or health club,
it may be worth investigating if such courses are available to you as a member.
Maybe
a career in the fitness or the sports industry doesn’t appeal to you. It’s
still worth joining a recognised gym or health club to go to regularly so you
can get to know the people who run the establishment, because they may be a means
of sponsorship early on in an MMA career. Just from some basic research the chain
‘Fitness First’ have sponsored members who have gone on to professional
body building competitions, fitness models for health magazines, and some amateur
or semi-pro sporting competitions. It’s not going to be the same as something
a high end pro athlete gets, but it’s a step in the right direction I believe.
Another
option is to put forward the idea of establishing or joining a committee for sport
in your area; an organised group who can submit suggestions and requests to town,
city and county councils to generally help the growth of Mixed Martial Arts and
make training more readily available at government backed leisure centres. Chances
are suggestions and requests will be turned down for the most part, but it is
certainly worth persisting if you can get the local public support steadily increasing.
These
are just some ideas that barely scratch the surface on what you are able to look
into if you are serious about a career in Mixed Martial Arts without being tied
to an irrelevant job that takes time away from training. I believe collectively
more ideas can be drawn upon to not only help better the chances of a career in
Mixed Martial Arts for the individual, but collectively we can help the scene
as a whole develop and one day thrive in the United Kingdom.
SFUK
Forum member "Last Wave" – Kim Gould. 23
May 2003
