I grew up surrounded by dance. Movement was everywhere around me in twists, turns, pivots, pirouettes, and point shoes. Despite the fact that it has been years since I’ve taken a dance class, it should be of no surprise that dance is still lurking around there in my subconscious and it sometimes pops into the forefront of my mind when I least expect it.

I spent Saturday evening parked in front of my TV, eyes darting between the screen showing UFC 240 and my phone where I was “live tweeting.” I woke up the next morning and watched the end of the PPV and all of a sudden it dawned on me: fighters like Jon Jones and Max Holloway are remarkable not because they are the most powerful fighters, but because they know how to move.

It is a fighter’s tiny movements, head darting from side to side, and larger movements, legs sweeping through the air and arms swinging, that make a fighter successful. It is when all of those movements come together with rhythm and ease that a fighter is positioned to win a fight. And if a fighter knows how to safely fall, all the better (there are classes btw on “how to fall” properly).

I wondered if this was just me or if anyone else had the crazy thought that fighters should take a dance class. As it turns out, I am not alone in this theory. This article from Dance Magazine explains one fighter’s experience with Ballet.

Here, Evolve Vacation lists a number of famous athletes in combat sports who benefited from a healthy does of dance. Ballet even shows up in this article from the Bleacher Report.

So, apparently, I’m not the only one who has made this connection!

As it turns out, Dance and MMA are intertwined, like a yin/yang symbol they compliment each other while having almost opposite characteristics. Dance is calm, intentional, and focused whereas fighting is violent, fast, and wild. But in reality, you have to be both a dancer and a fighter in order to succeed in MMA because when you are violently calm, intentionally fast, and wildly focused, you can take on any opponent (and you can do it gracefully).

I walked excitedly into the UFC gym, ready to take on my second boxing class. I knew what to expect, well for the most part, so my fear from the first time was replaced with a sense of anticipation.

I purchased my first pair of UFC GYM pink gloves and was rather excited about the statement that they were making. Yes, some may think that purchasing pink gloves is over the top, or pointing out the obvious – it’s a girl! – but for me, that’s okay. I don’t mind standing out or even looking a bit silly. I’d rather own gloves that I like then worry about what pink gloves might “say” about my approach to the class or the sport.

As a woman in a male dominated gym, participating in a male dominated sport (hey, at least historically), one stands out. Might as well be fashionable while doing so. Continue reading “Comradery and Boxing Class” →

I decided that it was time. Time to experience a boxing class and to gain a new appreciation for just one component of successful MMA. I’m not a nervous person when it comes to trying new sports, but for this class, I was notably nervous about injuring myself. News flash- I didn’t get injured but I did gain a whole lot of appreciation for the athletes who train like this everyday and who rely upon succeeding in this sport to support their families. That being said, here are the top 10 lessons that I learned from my first UFC Gym boxing class:

1. The Warm Up is Hard

Let there be no mistake: the class started with a “not so average” warmup. I consider myself a pretty fit person but this warm up proved that when it comes to boxing, well, I’m not that fit. It started with a plank that you had to spring off of into a run to the other side of the classroom. Then you had to somehow flip over onto your back and then pop back up into a plank. There were jumping jacks, sit ups connected to the punching bags, and then jumps in different patterns that seemed easy enough until you are half way through and out of breath. If this was the warm up, I thought to myself, then I’m in for a tough class. This warm up would only be easy if you were spiderman and could spring up and down, forward and back with your spider net holding you tight. This is not easy for a normal human being.

2. The “Bag” Hits You Back

Something that I noticed very early on in the class was that when I punched the bag, the punch reverberated into my skull and chattered my teeth. This must be why fighters wear mouth guards. I was kind of surprised by this. I figured I’d feel the punch in my arm, but not in my head! It took a while to get used to and finally, the feeling faded away and the predominant feeling was the burning in my arms. Continue reading “10 Lessons Learned from My First UFC Gym Boxing Class” →