MMA incorporates many martial arts such as Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; combining them into a single system for maximum effectiveness. Along with the martial arts aspect, MMA also emphasises physical fitness and a non-linear approach to training. There are no belts in MMA, rather a progress which is unique to every student.

Today, people from all backgrounds, genders, and ages participate in MMA; not in an octagon to become aspiring fighters, but in a safe and friendly local gym for fitness purposes. Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD has female and male members who are engineers, students, bankers, business owners, and many more. So the question is, why are so many everyday people taking up MMA today?

This is largely due to the undeniable benefits that people gain from taking up MMA training. People training MMA will discover numerous benefits for themselves which include physical fitness, being in a positive environment, learning self-defense, and confidence.

What people will notice right way when they join an MMA gym is the supportive environment it promotes

Isha, a swimming instructor and member of Legends MMA, says her experience at Legends helped her overcome her depression and anxiety as she got to be part of a supportive environment.

Additionally, Cindy, a banking & financial analyst who trains at Legends described:
“They really keep you mentally sharp. Let’s just say this is not the place to just go through the motions. They whole heartedly foster your individual growth, they will guide you but ultimately it’s on you to be the driver of your growth & development. It’s really great when your coaches see the effort you’re putting into yourself.”

Training MMA typically means you will be in close proximity with your coaches and fellow students, all of whom will play an integral part in supporting your journey in bettering your health, fitness and overall lifestyle.

The majority of people taking up MMA now are doing so for fitness purposes and for the mental aspect

When many people think of MMA, they think it’s all about fighting and defeating another opponent. However, this only applies to the minority of people who wish to compete. The majority of people taking up MMA now are doing so for fitness purposes and for the mental aspect – MMA is predominately about challenging yourself, not someone else. Through MMA training, you overcome your fears, expectations, and limitations.

Cindy keeps training MMA as she says personal growth is her greatest motivation.

“Personal growth is really important to me which is my main motivation,” she says. “There’s always ups and down in my training. The trick is to not give into the negative feelings and I just park those thoughts and train away and I’m always so thrilled for persevering and pushing myself.”

As a sport that has a bit of everything and variety in each workout, regular training of MMA will keep a person fit and healthy

Students can train with heavy bags for cardio work, circuit training combining weights, calisthenics, and bag-training, and even simulated drills to test their skills in real time. But whatever methods one uses to train, it always provides a phenomenal workout.

One of the most immediately obvious reasons people take up MMA is that it is a complete form of self-defense

For many people, being able to defend their self instills a strong feeling of confidence.

“Martial Arts has definitely made me more confident in all aspects of my life…which is exactly why I started in the first place,” says Dan, a carpenter who has been training at Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD for over a year. “There’s a certain confidence that comes from anything that teaches you a practical skill for self-defense, gets you fitter and introduces you to heaps of new people.”

Learning self-defense does not make a person violent. In fact, it does the opposite; it gives people the confidence to not need to be aggressive. People that learn MMA know that they can be confident in their daily life, but know they still have a capability to defend themselves if they ever actually needed to.

MMA does not rely on theory or rehearsed movements. Rather students train in a safe environment, and will get to see for themselves how the training has benefited them.

What should people know if they’re interested in taking up martial arts?

“When you start, don’t be so focused with making progress right away,” says Cindy. “Over time if you stick with it, you’ll start to appreciate the journey.”

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Yet, despite being illegal many countries in the past, it’s one of the most popular sports in the world today.

Millions of regular, working people are taking up MMA training as a recreational activity – whether for exercise, a personal challenge, or a way to connect with similar people.

Even if you have no desire to fight inside a cage, training MMA will change your life for the better. Here are several benefits you will gain from learning MMA.

“It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

-Chinese proverb.

MMA is built on the most effective techniques from various martial arts. There’s no room for showy moves with style but no substance. Why is the leg kick and rear-naked choke used so often? That’s because well… They work.

But the true power in this knowledge is not that you can go around beating people up. True martial artists know better than anyone how martial arts can destroy an opponent’s body, and don’t treat that power lightly. Being able to defend yourself means you no longer need to fear being preyed upon in a back-alley. You no longer see yourself as a potential victim. For most people, you will rarely, if ever, need to defend yourself from a physical attack. But you will know that if the day ever came, the bad guy’s gonna have a bad day.

People who have held a gun for the first time have said they felt a newfound confidence carrying it. To them, holding such a devastating weapon was like wielding a new power.

When you train MMA, you aren’t caring a weapon. Your body is literally the weapon. You are carrying the power of this weapon all the time.

When you trust your own ability to handle a physical confrontation, you’ll notice other aspects of your personality change too. You’ll become more assertive, you’ll be more comfortable with conflict, and you’ll feel in control of your own life.

MMA is intensely physical, and the physical stakes are high. Even if you spar with an opponent in a controlled environment, you’re putting yourself in the imminent threat of physical harm. Your body, sensing the danger, activates the sympathetic nervous system – also known as the fight or flight response system. This is the same stress response you feel when worrying about your job, finance, or school.

MMA training teaches you to control this stress response. When fighting a person is no longer scary to you, it will be hard to get worked up about something which isn’t trying to punch you or choke you out that moment.

Doctors say sitting is the new smoking. Modern life has made us so comfortable that our bodies are rarely stimulated. We sit in our cars, drive to a workplace where we sit most of the day, only to sit on our cars again until we get home – where we relax by watching some TV… More sitting!

Our bodies were made to be in motion. When our bodies are moving, blood circulation improves, toxins are released through our pores, and the stress hormone, cortisol, which ages and deteriorates our bodies is eliminated.

MMA is unique in that it encompasses all aspects of exercise. From cardio-aerobics, to strength training and even elements of yoga, it is an intensely physical sport which forces your body to adapt and become stronger. See if you don’t feel a new vitality and abundance of energy from your regular MMA sessions!

We live in an age of constant distractions. The easy accessibility of social media and internet takes our attention away from present moment, and has us wasting our mental energy on trivial matters. It’s become normalized to check our smartphones ever few minutes.

When you’re hitting the heavy bag, doing padwork, or sparring with a partner, you only have time to focus on what you’re doing then and there. When you do this several times a week, you’ll notice something new… You can focus on bettering our self without constant distractions.

To add to that, exercise improves the blood circulation to your brain, while lowering blood pressure, and increasing serotonin (the happy hormone). All this gives you the ability to perform well in other aspects of your life, whether it’s pursuing your dream career or acing your exams. MMA will be the key to getting everything you want out of life.

This last part seems contradictory because at a first glance, isn’t MMA about hurting other people? Well not necessarily.

Martial arts teaches that violence is a last resort. Martial arts is like fire: beautiful, but incredibly destructive if wielded improperly. When you release how powerful you are, your newfound confidence shows you have nothing to prove. You know you’re powerful you don’t need to impose this on others.

“To beat someone up is easy, but to love someone is hard.”

-Jet Li

MMA more than anything else, is about self-mastery. Mastery over your body, mastery over your mind, and mastery over your spirit. A true martial artist doesn’t allow their spirit to be swayed by petty issues. He or she is above that. Through your training you realize your only true opponent is yourself.

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