* I welcome a post by Brent Jacobs of MMA Industries. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is a great way to stay in shape while learning a skill that enables one to protect themselves or others around them. Be sure to check out their website and see all the great gear they have available. As important as it is to be physically prepared for the battle, it is also important to be spiritually prepared for the battle as well. I have included another post contrasting the importance of being physically and spiritually prepared. To all reading...ENJOY!*
MMA Can Be A Great Self Defense Training Method
By Brent Jacobs
MMA Industries
These situations are unexpected to say the least. They usually involve you minding your own business when the anger of someone comes out of nowhere to challenge you both physically and sometimes even emotionally. This is why it's best to know how to protect yourself because these situations are—as I said—unexpected. When an unexpected intention to fight presents itself it's best to be ready to defend yourself if need be. This is where a healthy dose of MMA fight training can do wonders. MMA (mixed martial arts) is a full contact sport that teaches how to fight in a variety of situations. This is because MMA teaches different fighting styles, some of which are new and some of which that are as old as fighting itself. Grappling and submission moves all have their place in the training and can teach someone how to bring someone down without using an overuse of violence. This is not to mention that most altercations that occur in public end up with two people on the ground and if one is versed in MMA submissions holds (like for example the arm bar) then it's most likely that person is going to walk away from that fight unscathed or at-least the victor.
There are other various moves and techniques in MMA that would allow you to both subdue your attacker and protect yourself. For example, after a takedown a fight style called "ground and pound" is initiated in which you would throw hard hitting punches to your opponent once they are on their back and on the ground. If aggressive violence isn't what you're looking for, MMA offers submission grappling, which is also a great way to bring an end to the fight and to your opponent. When I speak of submission grappling I'm talking about being able to put your opponent in a chokehold or any of the following: joint locks, arm locks, leg locks, or pinning. Doing this submission style of fighting will allow you to end the fight more peacefully if that's the route you want to take. MMA can also go down the avenue of fast fighting style in which kicking boxing and other techniques are used to keep you quick and hopefully end the fight even faster. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, catch wrestling, Judo, Sambo, Shootwrestling, Pankration, and others can also be taught via MMA fighting methods. Each of these fighting styles are much faster than most and can easily bring an opponent down in most situations. If you're following the teaching of MMA then not only are you learning the styles of a growing popular sport but you're also learning how to protect and defend yourself in any unexpected situation.
By: Brent Jacobs of MMA Industries, distributor of extreme MMA Gear and MMA T-shirts.
http://www.mmaindustries.com/MMA_TShirts_s/29.htm
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Spiritual Warfare
by Joseph Cuestas
It is no surprise that an individual would want to know how to protect themselves physically. Considering the world in which we live it is not unwise to actively learn how to keep yourself and your family safe. More important than being prepared physically for attacks that may come our way, is being prepared spiritually for the attacks that will come our way.
“For For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12).” We are commanded to, “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8).” It is no secret that the devil and his minions seek to destroy, in the most literalistic sense of the word, every faction of our lives. And it all starts on the spiritual front. The unuttered thoughts that we harbor and fester on; the root of bitterness springing up in our heart; the lack of faith that discourages us from obeying the will of God or the self absorbed attitude which seeks to gain and never to give are all weapons used against us. It is easy to recognize an attack when it is waged from a distance and the enemy is clearly approaching. It is far less easy to see that attack, let alone fight against it, when it is an attack from within. The thoughts of our mind and the desires of our heart if unchecked will ultimately lead us away from God and his will for our lives. Therefore we must not only be prepared for the physical battle but the spiritual as well. MMA is a good tool to know and use when fighting the physical battles. There may be other fighting styles which can accomplish the tasks as well. Let it be known though, that in order to win the spiritual battles in our lives the weapons are few but entirely necessary.
The only offensive tool that we as Christians are armed with is the Sword of God’s Word. It must be used to effectively deter the attacks on our minds and hearts. It must be used both actively and passively in our lives. There’s an old saying that says, “You are what you eat.” Spiritually this is true. The Bible teaches “that as he thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).” This may be a simple statement but its truth has yet to be learned by many people. If you are constantly thinking and dwelling on that which is corrupt then you will become corrupt. Yet if you are thinking and meditating on the Truth of God’s Word and what He is trying to teach you through It faithfully, then you are passively using God’s Word to fight off attacks by building up your moral wall to defend against attacks.
We must also prepare ourselves to be able to actively engage the enemy when spiritual attacks occurs. When confronted with a temptation to steal or cheat we must poses within our arsenal the Truth and scripture that directly applies to that sin in order to defeat it. The Lord Jesus when tempted by the devil offered nothing more than God’s Word to deter his attacks and send him fleeing. If the very Son of God avails Himself to such methods, we must learn from His example and do the same. I do not cheat and steal because one, God is Truth (the principle or truth that applies), and two we are commanded not to bare false witness (lie, or the scripture directly applying to the topic). We are told to hide God’s Word in our heart that we may not sin. To live a life of sin is to be destroyed and to lose the fight. The spiritual battle must be won or else the physical life which we live will also be destroyed. Be prepared…not just physically but spiritually as well “for bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (I Tim. 4:8).
