Longtime readers made introduction to the world of MMA during my writing and editing of Claiming The Prize, if that is, they hadn't already. My sons participate in the sport of wrestling, and my oldest son has also trained in jujitsu, boxing, CrossFit, along with dabbling in judo and kick-boxing. George St. Pierre mentions Royce Gracie in his commentary and trains with Renzo Gracie, a brother of the MMA legend. My son was able to train with the jujitsu specialist, Royce Gracie, last summer! It was a dream come true for him.
Many people incorrectly assume that MMA fighters are unintelligent. This couldn't be farther from the truth. This sport requires not only a well conditioned body, it requires the ability to constantly adapt, to gain in knowledge and skill, to mesh together and utilize multiple facets of martial arts, boxing, wrestling, kick-boxing, and the plethora of others into an ever evolving game of strategy. All of the trainers my son has worked with are highly intelligent individuals, concerned not only with my son's physical training, but with his character, his motivation, his education, his soul. Knowing and understanding the body's physiology, proper eating habits, business sense, selecting the right team to take a fighter where he needs and wants to go - these are paramount to success.
Wrestling technique is a must in the world of mixed-martial-arts, the body awareness learned on the mat an invaluable asset when grappling, but it is only one piece of an intricate web of skills needed to compete in this brutal sport. The intense cardio fitness needed to compete for a minimum of three rounds, each lasting five minutes is mind boggling! Daily two - three hour practices are commonplace during wrestling season, and that is only to compete for three periods of two minutes! Sprints, hammer drills, grass-rolls, and PT (physical training aptly named 'pain-and-torture' by the wrestlers) are daily drills - loved and hated all at once - by those dedicated souls committed enough to stick out the grueling practices.
It all pays off in the ring, or cage! MMA is about more than fighting. It's about honing one's body into the best it can be. It's about channeling energy, achieving, and dedication to a lifetime of work for a fifteen minute window to prove yourself.
As stated in the back cover of my first novel, I gained valuable knowledge sitting in countless gymnasiums across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Observing from the bleachers, I watched my son practice these skills until he could barely stand another minute. Each roll of wrist, shift of hip, or angle of head holds purpose and meaning. Every strike thrown, takedown attempted, sprawl employed, or arm-bar locked up leads him closer to those sublime moments of seeing his name on top of a winners bracket. Over the years, I've picked up wrestling jargon, jujitsu moves, and the like. At one jujitsu tournament, a man laughed after my son's match, shaking his head with a smile. I had been coaching from the edge of the mat, unaware of anything around me as I instructed, 'Heavy with those hips! Now, go! Squeeze it! Tight!'
'You must be a wrestling mom,' he laughed.
I smiled sheepishly. 'Yep. I guess I am.'
'Wrestlers usually do well in jujitsu,' he informed, as if the news would be new to me. 'They've got great hips.'
I only nodded. My son took first place that day not only in his own weight bracket, but in the combined brackets of 100-200 pounds, teen division. It was all thanks to those great hips. Ha! (And I'd like to believe maybe from that little bit of coaching I dared to offer...lol)
~ Nadja
Wow, I don't know if I could stand watching my son (though I have only one daughter) getting pummeled LOL
ReplyDeleteHa! It is, at times, quite difficult to watch. The first time I watched my son get his 'bell-rung'...I nearly suffered apoplexy! But he stayed in there and never gave up. Pride supplanted all apprehension.
DeleteI've watched him win; I've watched him lose. I've seen him celebrate in abandoned joy, and sob after a tough loss. It is a powerful thing to witness.
We (the other moms and I) joke that we sould have 'buns-of-steel' as throughout our kids' matches butt-cheeks are 'fully-engaged'. Ha! And after six minutes of non-stop-butt-tenseness, you know it. Ha!
Thus far none of the wee beasties have shown an interest in wrestling aside from the natural 'I'm gonna kill you' of brothers, LOL. Fascinating research though.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a fab week Nadja!
We are subjected to the love/hate relationship between brothers here, too. Ha! Most often, they are thick-as-theives, but once in awhile, tempers flare and punches are thrown...sigh. The joys of rearing boys...lol.
DeleteThe two youngest are only 19 months apart, and they are in constant competition. Each wants to assert themselves...who is faster, stronger, tougher. It makes me tired some days...lol. But it drives them; and to channel that desire in the right direction...ahhhh, sublime. :}
My hubby was a former HS wrestler and he loves watching MMA. I'll admit, I don't "get it" but I'm learning! Thanks for a glimpse of the research behind Claiming the Prize (it was a great book!)
ReplyDeleteOh! Thanks, Claudia! Claiming The Prize will always hold a special place in my heart...it was my first novel and centers around a sport I've grown to love over the years.
DeleteHope you're having a fantastic weekend! :}
I've GOT to read that book! When I first met you, I think you had just released Her Dark Baron, and I didn't get back around to reading Claiming the Prize. My friend and cover artist, Anya, read it and really liked it. I need to put that next on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteBoth my boys were band kids (drums and trumpet), although my oldest had a short stint with soccer. I'm sort of surprised my youngest never got into wrestling. He's a big, muscular guy. He would be in the heavy weight category. LOL
That's one of the great things about wrestling, jujitsu, and MMA. All sizes of kids can compete seriously! My boys are on the small side, although the soon-to-be-sixteen-year-old (ACK! As of yet unregulated testosterone and driving!) is now about 5'9" and 150 lbs. Just a few months ago, he was making weight for 132 lbs. (Cutting weight is an aspect of wrestling that I sometimes struggle with)
DeleteHigh school brackets range from 105 lbs to heavyweight (280lbs). It provides a weight slot for lighter weights to compete as well as heavier kids. I like that.
Are you back from vacation?? Hope you had a great time!
Very cool to read how you came to know so much about wrestling & martial arts. Hope your latest WIP is going well. Good luck with the rest of the round!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you, J.R.! Things are moving along nicely, thanks. Calling it research was a little smudge...I picked it all up while sitting on those $%*#^ wooden bleachers. Ouch! haha.
DeleteA good friend of our family is an MMA fighter. My brothers follow his career with much enthusiasm!
ReplyDeleteI always say, write what you know (or could easily imagine) and it sounds like you did just that! This has turned out to be an interesting series. Eager to see what's next. :)
That's neat. Two individuals (one a coach/ one a former wrestler our son knew) now are fighting in more local venues UFC/MMA, and one has just been offered a contract. He's done well, and trains at the jujitsu/boxing gym our son sometimes trains at. (I say sometimes because it is $600 for 6 months(if you pay monthly it is much more) there and an additional $90 monthly for CrossFit; $40 for monthly access to a local off/season wrestling gym. We're not what you would call wealthy...so often he has to 'pick a skill to work on this month...lol.
DeleteGreat to be able to use so much of your real life experience in your writing Nadja.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week.x
Yes. The fight/training scenes for Claiming The Prize came quite easily. And if I had a question....I yelled upstairs for my son to give me clarification ....'just how do you lock up a Rear Naked Choke??' Ha!
DeleteSpeaking as typically a non-romance reader... the touch of reality and experience you brought to the fighting in Claiming the Prize was really one of my favorites parts of the read. Being a football coach, there are a lot of similarities when it comes to training and dedication and things like that (to whit, many of our players also wrestle, though I was a basketball player myself).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your book is a great example of "writing what you know." That is, you took the life experience you were going to get anyway and adapted it to fit into a wonderful story. It was super-interesting to get a look "beyond the mat" so to speak, and felt authentic to me.
It's always nice to hear about our strengths, right? :-)
Absolutely! And thank you, Matt. It's awesome to hear a man's perspective on the fight/training scenes, as MMA (and the world of physical contact sports) is primarily a male dominated realm. I've always been morbidly fascinated with 'blood-sport', as are the majority of my siblings and now my kids, and I attribute it to genetic makeup...lol.
DeleteMy oldest son played basketball in his elementary years, and was a good defensive player, but his lack of height (and basket-ball-sinking abilities) made that sport a bit 'far-fetched' for him...ha! You use what you've got, right? Ha!
I always have a hard time writing action - research is a great idea! If I felt more comfortable with wrestling and fighting sequences, I bet the writing would come more easily.
ReplyDelete