You can try to find a more well-rounded athlete in terms of overall fitness than a mixed martial arts fighter, but we doubt you’ll be able to. A high level MMA fighter has the endurance to go five five-minute rounds with a little bit still left in the tank at the end.
The power and strength to land lethal strikes and execute crippling submission holds; and the overall athleticism to master various fighting disciplines – from wrestling to karate to boxing.
Not coincidentally, virtually all successful MMA fighters possess lean, athletic physiques to show for it. So if the UFC body type is what you’re after, why not train like a fighter?
And that’s exactly what staff from Lloyd Dowson, Chartered Accountants, Tax and Business Advisor’s decided to do when they recently took part in a fitness challenge at Bridlington a Martial Arts and Fitness Centre. Team members had the chance to participate in fitness exercises and to learn basic martial arts techniques.
Chief coach and owner of the club, Stuart Hicken said:
“It was a pleasure to work with the team from Lloyd Dowson, they all worked very hard. We would welcome the team back any time.” Following the workshop staff members were able to watch a demonstration from the junior members of the club who enjoyed showing off their skills.”
Vanessa Rowbottom, marketing Manager for Lloyd Dowson commented,
“The team are delighted to have raised over £200 for Saint Catherine’s Hospice. We had lots of fun taking part in the workshop and would like to thank Stuart for organising it all for us.”
Lloyd Dowson are long standing supporters of the charity and are one of the co-sponsors of the Saint Catherine’s Hospice Summer Ball. Carolyn Jackson, fund-raising manager for the hospice, thanked Lloyd Dowson for their continuing support for the hospice. “The money they raised will be put to good use, helping patients and their families when they need us most,” she said.
Though the UFC/MMA (which is synonymous with MMA as it’s the face of the sport) is still a fringe sport and may never have the general public appeal of a hockey game outside of the US, martial art’s use in fitness centre training among pro athletes and at the local gym level is growing.
People, it seems what their fitness training to be engaging, truly physical, and if possible, even a little aggressive. And while your local pasty skinned tax accountant may not be a price fighter, the use of mixed martial arts in training regimes may provide these otherwise docile creatures with a sense of strength.
It was recently reported that the England rugby squad trains in MMA, as it teaches discipline, respect and trust for your opponent and is a great way to get fit. Khalid Ismail, an MMA fighter and founder of LDG Fitness Centre credits the sport with keeping him off the streets.
“I got caught up with the wrong crowd when I was younger and the martial arts fitness training stopped me getting into trouble”, he says.
Ismail now does a lot of work with youth groups to get them interested in martial arts and sport in general.
“From my experience, MMA is fantastic for fitness and for people who don’t want to fight but just want to strengthen and condition their bodies. There is always something new to learn and it keeps you interested in fitness. It’s great for self-development and discipline in business and is more about building characteristics than fighting. Yes, you learn skills but you learn so much more than that.”
