Ours is a sport on the rise in popularity, but by no means is it to be considered new or novice. The practice is older than man. Our competitors are warrior students on the path to enlightenment. Pride and Honor and Glory are our core values. Our heroes are battle worn veterans who have, wave after wave, fallen to the pages of history, victims of the entropy of time. The grit and determination of every fighter who steps into the cage honors us all.
As is true with all things that continuously progress, mixed martial arts competition has increased in complexity and depth. Fighting styles are more adapted to universal application, and fighters are more versed in more styles. Every student of MMA studies with a hunger and fervor to be the best that he or she can be. This means that the level of skill and knowledge required to be competitive is continually rising. Some fighters who have gone before, and led full careers practicing martial arts, have been defeated by younger competitors who are more submersed in the sport. Contemporary MMA competition has set the bar of competency higher than most even realize.
These qualities are inherent in competitve sports, escpecially those with such a diverse plane of competition. What are the rules of MMA? They are usually few enough to list on one hand. What disciplines are allowed? Anything, from techniques used for thousands of years to new ideas from the brilliant minds of expert trainers and fighters are allowed. The goal is to defeat a single opponent in hand to hand combat. This is the oldest and most primal form of competition. MMA is tantamount to the struggle of life. The strong survive.
The future of MMA holds an ever-present grasp on the imaginations of its enthusiasts. What will happen? Who will be the victor? How? The source of its increasing popularity is its primal hold on the human mind. The future of the sport will be controlled by the competitors that shape it every day. Company owners, CEOs, and promoters will have their influence, but the sport will truly be shaped by those with the courage to enter the cage.
-Drew Wallen