I was disappointed to see the post-fight thuggery that followed a great performance by Strikeforce middleweight title holder Jake Shields that was broadcast on CBS Saturday night. Dan Henderson came out swinging and Jake looked tentative and overwhelmed in the first round. Jake got himself together and dominated the rest of the bout, but the antics of Jason Miller in the post-fight interview in the ring led to a battle royale with what appeared to be double-digit participants and would have been a great show closer for a WWE pay-per-view..
I really hated to see the brawl at the end of the show because it plays into the perception of most of America. That MMA is populated with goons and thugs. Nothing could be further from the truth. MMA even more than boxing lends itself to respecting your opponent because it is a hybrid of many martial disciplines and therefore at its very core has the roots of respect that dominate martial systems.
But when you have an outbreak of thuggery like Saturday night, it makes it very hard to explain the virtues of MMA training to Joe average guy. And that is a shame.
MMA training can be for everyone. Male or female, young and old alike can benefit from training in MMA. With the proper coaching available, it can be an asset to any athlete’s conditioning program or a fun way to get your cardio in. And there’s no better way to deal with a bad case of “road rage” and get your ya-ya’s out than a good hour of punching, kicking and rolling with some training partners!
Podcast: (18 Minutes)
In-Studio: Host Craig Wolfley w/ Frank Murgia & Andrew ‘Hershel’ Venezie
Talking Points:
– Strikeforce After Fight Brawl
– Fighting Butterbean