Fights Crafts Man Programs

Boxing is a martial art where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win. Victory is achieved if the opponent is knocked out and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten seconds (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO). If there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.

Although fighting with fists comes naturally to people, evidence of fist-fighting contests first appear on ancient Sumerian, Egyptian and Minoan reliefs. The ancient Greeks provide us our first historical records of boxing as a formal sport; they codified a set of rules and staged tournaments with professionals. The birth hour of boxing as a sport may be its acceptance as an Olympic game as early as 688 BC. Modern boxing evolved in Europe.

In some countries with their own fighting sports, the sport is referred to as "English Boxing" (e.g. in France to contrast with French boxing, or in Burma with Burmese boxing and in Thailand with Thai boxing). There are numerous different styles of boxing practiced around the world. Boxing does not allow kicks like the styles above.

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Kickboxing refers to the sport of kicking and punching. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground.
Kickboxing is often practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a full-contact sport. In the full-contact sport the male boxers are bare-chested wearing shorts and protective gear including: mouth-guard, hand-wraps, 10-oz. boxing gloves, groin-guard, shin-pads, and optional protective helmet (usually for those under 16). The female boxers will wear a tank top and chest protection in addition to the male clothing/protective gear.

Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent (sometimes making use of the clothing of either person) in order to gain a physical advantage or to escape a dangerous position. Grappling is a general term that encompasses several disciplines or styles practiced throughout the world. Grappling is practiced as a sport and as a form of self defense, but does not include striking or the use of weapons. Some grappling disciplines, however, do teach defensive tactics against strikes and weapons.

Grappling techniques can be broadly subdivided into Clinch fighting; Takedowns and Throws; Submission holds and Pinning or Controlling Techniques; and Sweeps, Reversals, Turnovers, and Escapes.

*Clinching, or clinch work, takes place with both competitors on their feet using various clinch holds applied to the upper body of the opponent. Clinch work is generally used to set up or defend against throws or takedowns.
Takedowns A takedown occurs when one grappler is able to manipulate his opponent from a position where both grapplers are initially standing, to a position on the ground where the grappler completing the takedown ends up on top of the opponent.
*Throws A throw is a technique in which one grappler lifts or off-balances his opponent and manoeuvres him forcefully through the air or to the ground. The purpose of throws varies among the different disciplines of grappling with some emphasizing throws with the potential to incapacitate the opponent while leaving the thrower standing or to gain a takedown or controlling position. Other grappling styles emphasize throws for their aesthetic value.
*Submission holds There are generally two types of submission holds: those that would potentially strangle or suffocate an opponent (chokes), and those that would potentially cause injury to a joint or other body part (locks). In sport grappling, a competitor is expected to submit, either verbally or by tapping the opponent, to admit defeat when he is caught in a submission hold that he cannot escape. Competitors who refuse to "tap out" risk unconsciousness or serious injury.
*Pinning or Controlling Techniques: A pin involves holding an opponent on his back in a position where he is unable to attack. In some styles of competitive grappling a pin is an instant victory, and in other styles it is considered a dominant position that is rewarded with points. Other controlling techniques are used to hold an opponent face down on the ground or on all fours in order to prevent an escape or attack.
*Escapes: In a general sense, an escape is accomplished by maneuvering out of danger from an inferior position. For example when a grappler who is on the ground underneath his opponent is able to get back to his feet, when a grappler is able to maneuver out of a submission attempt and back to a position where he is no longer in immediate danger of being submitted, or when a grappler moves from an inferior position on the ground to guard.
*Turnovers: used to maneuver an opponent who is on all fours or flat on their stomach to their back, in order to score points, prepare for a pin or in order to gain a more dominant position.
Reversals or Sweeps: These occurs when a grappler who was underneath his opponent on the ground is able to maneuver so that he gains a top position over his opponent.

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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground. Such competitions allow martial artists of different backgrounds to compete.

The roots of mixed martial arts can be traced back to various mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. Modern MMA competition emerged in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Originally organized with the intention of finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations, competitors were pitted against one another with minimal rules for safety.Later promoters adopted many additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport.The name mixed martial arts was coined by one of the developers of these rules, Jeff Blatnick, a former Greco-Roman wrestler and Olympic gold medalist. Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with pay per view reach rivaling boxing and professional wrestling.

Victory in a match is normally gained either by the judges' decision after an allotted amount of time has elapsed, a stoppage by the referee (for example if a competitor can not defend himself intelligently) or the fight doctor (due to an injury), a submission, by a competitor's cornerman throwing in the towel, or by knockout.

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Fight Fitness is a type of physical training program offered by Fight Craftsman Gym. This program is for members that want to "Train like the Pros without takig the Blows". The training often combines Boxing techniques, Mixed Martial Arts techniques, interval training, and many other exercise using weights and/or body weight to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, increase strength, and help people get into a routine of regular exercise. Our program offers nutrition advice as well.

Fight Fitness is currently offered only at Fight Craftsman Gym Columbia, Maryland's premier training facility to describe group fitness classes that promote fat loss, camaraderie and team effort. Fight Fitness is designed to push people a little bit further than they would normally push themselves in the gym alone, using bodyweight exercises like push ups, squats, suspension training and burpees, interspersed with running and competitive games. The idea is that everyone involved works at their own pace as they team up and work towards one goal, either in pairs, small teams of three or four, or even two teams head on.

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Joe's Boxing Clinic Why be tied to a membership? Joe "Sweet Science" Soto offers boxing training by attending an adult boxing clinic of no more than 12 attendees. The 16 session clinic fee is $175 (non-refundable). The clinic is held at Fight Craftsman Gym in Columbia. All the drills and conditioning boxers do, are taught directly by Joe "Sweet Science" Soto. The training is intense, interactive, and most importantly, a lot of fun.

You are sure to burn a lot of calories and get in shape the fun way!

Training includes:
1. Stance
2. Punch Arsenal
3. Strength Conditioning
4. All Bag Training
5. Cardio Conditioning
6. Defensive Tactics
7. Footwork
8. Interval Training
9. Plyometrics
10. Medicine Ball Training
11. Mitt Work
12. Supervised Sparring

You Will Need:
1. Set of 12 ounce boxing gloves
2. Set of Hand Wraps
3. Jump Rope
4. Bottle of Water
5. 3 or 5 lb hand weights
6. Heart

For More info on Joe's Boxing Clinic check out his website Joe's Boxing Clinic, call Joe at 443-542-3282 or email Joe at joesweetscience@yahoo.com