Articles tagged #MMA
Articles tagged
#MMA
Owning a Martial Arts Gym Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic: Dealing With Uncertainty
By Kaitlin Young
Martial Arts Mat Layout Options for Any Facility
When it comes to designing your MMA or martial arts facility, the fun part is realizing that you get to decide where everything goes, and how it all looks. The space you make for your martial arts mats is a key part of the design of your entire facility. Each gym owner has a different idea of how they prefer their mats are arranged, and we've helped facilities all over the world refine and build out the vision they have for their facility. There are many ways to create a mat formation, and these are some of the most common mat layouts you see in facilities. Which one is right for your facility will depend on your coaching and training style.
Zebra Athletics, Invicta FC Announce Multi-Year Sponsorship and Equipment Agreement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Zebra Athletics, Invicta FC Announce Multi-Year Sponsorship and Equipment Agreement MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota " August 13, 2019 - Zebra Athletics, the world's leading outfitter of martial arts and MMA training facilities, announced today a new sponsorship and equipment agreement with Invicta FC, the world's largest all-women's mixed martial arts organization. "Invicta FC is a perfect fit for our partner program at Zebra Athletics," stated Zebra President, Kyle Fisher. "Zebra has always, and will always, be committed to growing women's combat sports, so being able to partner with one of MMA's leading organizations, with the deepest roster of women on the planet, allows us to double down on that commitment. Shannon Knapp is a pioneer in the sport, and someone for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration, so it's truly an honor to now consider her and her organization a part of the Zebra family." The multi-year agreement between the two organizations formalizes Zebra Athletics as The Official Equipment Partner of Invicta FC. As such, Zebra has created a new, custom 28' octagonal cage for Invicta, replacing their hexagonal cages. Designed for easy set up and tear down, the new cage features Zebra's premium foam core flooring for fighter comfort and protection as well as a new integrated catwalk that allows for greater flexibility with lighting and production to continue to enhance the in-arena experience and broadcast production value. Additionally, Zebra will be outfitting the locker room warm-up areas at every Invicta event with 1.5" Zebra Mats, striking bags, and other training gear. "When evaluating partners, it's important that their culture and values align with Invicta's, and Zebra Athletics matches them to a "T'," explained Invicta FC President, Shannon Knapp. "We've worked with the Zebra team on a number of projects over the years and have always appreciated not only the quality of their products but their support for and commitment to growing women's MMA. I'm excited to expand our partnership with Zebra further and for our athletes to begin competing on the best equipment in the industry." Zebra cages and equipment debuted for the organization at Invicta FC 36 in Kansas City, KS on Friday, August 9th.
Meet the Newest Member of Team Zebra: Jordan "Kami" Kaaze
Image credit: UH82NVMY PHOTOGRAPHY Jordan Kaaze has finally chosen a nickname. Five years into storming the Minnesota MMA scene, she married fellow fighter Nick Kaaze, and Jordan "Kami" Kaaze was born. Her life now is a far cry from the Midwest farm where she grew up and yet, in many ways, a childhood spent rising early to do farm chores and long days working alongside her father was the perfect preparation for grueling fight camps.
The Hardest Part of Being a Female Fighter
By Kaitlin Young In countless conversations and interviews over the years, I've been asked about the difficulties I've come across in my profession, and, more specifically, the difficulties of taking on fighting as a female. There are times where blatant sexism, managing weight loss in a body with inconvenient hormone fluctuations, or finding a top that won't cause a wardrobe malfunction in the cage are monumental pains in the ass, for sure, but they can be overcome. The real answer to that question came to me while on a run yesterday afternoon, when I was thinking about the sometimes subtle and sometimes outright resistance we receive from friends, family, training partners, and even coaches. The hardest part is not the weight cut, the training, or the time away from home. The hardest part of being a female fighter is that our suffering makes other people uncomfortable
Color Trends In Gyms and Training Facilities
When it comes to MMA and martial arts gyms, the facilities generally have a aesthetic style that evokes a familiar feeling when you walk through the door. Many gyms favor strong, bold colors " red, black and gray, with yellow and blue rounding up the top five. This standard has been reflected in the martial arts and MMA mats and wall padding they choose, along with their logos. These colors have remained consistent over the years because equipment can be costly and complex to change, and the martial arts culture has always seen itself as strong, powerful and consistent.
Why the Dingos?
By Kaitlin Young We knew we were going to be making shirts, and Zebra Athletics CEO Kyle Fisher and I had been discussing what to do with the profits. The team at Zebra had come up with a great design, but it would be a little while before they were ready to sell. We wanted to give to an organization, preferably canine related, but we hadn't settled on one just yet.
Earlier This Year, I Had a Bit of a Disaster Trip to Australia
I managed to break my orbital floor, the thin sheet of bone that separates our eye from our sinuses. Unfortunately, when this happens, the extent of the damage cannot be properly assessed immediately due to swelling. You also cannot fly because the increase in pressure could cause severe injury to your eye. I was told I could be cleared in a week, or in a month, but certainly not yet. My 5-day trip turned into an indefinite one, at least until I would have a follow-up visit the next week. Needless to say, I had some time to kill.
I was alone and would be hanging out by myself unless surgery was needed. I couldn't visit gyms to train, as even nose-blowing was forbidden. I wasn't to bear down, and any increased pressure in my head was to be avoided. I rented a car and got to learn how to drive on the other side of the road. I also got to experience getting pulled over for screwing up a turn. Fortunately, my purple-red eyeball and the statement, "Sorry, Officer, I'm not even supposed to be here, but I broke my face," elicited some sympathy on his part and he decided to let me go. I ended up having to have three additional check up visits and stayed for an additional two weeks. In that time, I stayed at a variety of Airbnbs. The first bit was a complete mess, as one Airbnb was not as advertised, and the host appeared to sneak me in past the staff working at the front of the gate. I opted to leave that situation and booked a second place. When I arrived, there was a person sleeping in the bed. Oops! They had forgotten to take their mother-in-law's apartment off the app. The very nice, very high gentlemen staying in the main house offered to let me crash in one of the spare bedrooms free of charge. I decided against a week of partying with them but appreciated the gesture. Now I had two, one-week stays worth of payment tied up in the Airbnb system (which were later refunded) and had become a bit gun-shy to book that long again. From then on, I only booked three or four days at any one place. Thankfully, the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. Here Come the Dingos
Australia is famous for its wildlife parks, and it's no wonder. I was staying in Western Australia, near Perth. I can't speak toward some of the larger cities on the eastern coast, but in Western Australia you're allowed to get so much closer to the animals than most places in the United States. There were a handful of destinations visited in that time, and each of them allowed visitors to go right in with the kangaroos and wallabies. Most of the aviaries were the sort you walk into and where you can feed the birds. I got to hold and feed a koala bear, while his friend became very jealous " she was pregnant and they don't allow the preggers to be held by visitors. Several of the places also had Dingos. Unlike predators here, they were not kept far from people. There was no glass or other barriers apart from something you might have for your dog in the backyard. There may have been a sign that you should not pet them through the fence, as you may be on the receiving end of a bite, but that was about it.
The final Airbnb was about an hour outside of the city. It was a private unit on something of a rescue farm. It was run by a lovely woman named Tess and her husband. She had horses, goats, chickens, and dogs. Several of the animals were set to be slaughtered but were fortunate enough to take up residence at her place to enjoy their retirement. We spoke about the dangers of various wild animals in the US and Western Australia, and about the political climate of each country. (Did you know Australians can be fined if they don't vote?) It was my favorite stay of the entire trip. I had hoped to see more dingos up close, if possible, before heading home. As it turned out, the Crossroads Dingo Rescue was less than 20 minutes from Tess's farm. There was no information on how to visit, unfortunately. Why not? I thought. Maybe I'll shoot them a message. It couldn't hurt to ask! Sure enough, they responded and said that they aren't usually open to the general public, but they occasionally did tours and I was free to stop by. Stop by, I Did.
I was greeted by Warren, who runs the rescue along with Ann, who I later met inside the house. To my surprise, this was not a separate compound. This was their home. Inside the house they had a few kenneled dingos. Most of them were feral. They snarled and cowered in the back of the kennel when I approached. Ann told me that they rotated the dingos between the house and the various outdoor yards, partly to acclimate them to their caretakers and partly due to space. They had nearly 20 in total. Most of them would not be friendly to other dingos, so they all need to be kept separate. Some of them had been taken from the den as pups or were orphaned. Some were mature "problem" dingos that needed rescuing. Some were dog hybrids. People mistakenly believe that they can be raised as a pet. Owners become upset when they discover that, no, despite being adorable, a dingo is as wild an animal as any other. As a result, they're sometimes abused. We cannot expect them to behave like a domesticated dog, as they aren't one. Unfortunately, people don't often manage their expectations well, leading to relinquishment or worse for the once loved dingo pup. As we toured the property, we came upon one boy, Django, who had been found in a terrible state. He was originally purchased to be a pet. He was full of mange and puncture holes from a screwdriver when he came to Crossroads Dingo Rescue. Now he looked like a regular healthy dingo, albeit with a few scars. Even with his rocky start, he was quite sweet and cordially allowed me to pet him through the fence. The amount of human contact each dingo was up for varied, and they were not pressed for more than they were willing. We walked down to the end of the corridor which opened into a big open yard. This was a space that each dingo could explore individually and then be let back into their personal space. They brought in Mirrhi, a three-year-old female who had been living there since she was brought in at five weeks. She had been born in a wildlife park and sold to an owner who was unaware of the challenges of a wild pet. She was a cuddler, but then she'd be on her way sniffing about and demonstrating her athletic prowess by expertly climbing everything in sight. Warren explained that due to their intelligence and athleticism, it is important that fencing is planted deep, incredibly high, and leans into the enclosure. With so many farms and livestock nearby, an escaped dingo could be disastrous. They were currently saving to hopefully improve the fencing so they could give more space to the dingos.Crossroads Dingo Rescue is Not Federally Funded
The labor and most of the income come directly from Warren and Ann, who also work full time. Caring for 20 wild dogs at once is a hell of a task. Any additional help or pay is volunteer-based. I don't expect we'll make millions from Striking Viking shirts (fingers crossed!) but what we do make will go directly to Crossroads Dingo Rescue, assisting this generous couple with their mission to improve the lives of dingos in their custody and elsewhere.Show Your Stripes: Warrior Martial Arts Academy
Co-founded by Ian and Pamela Cohen, Warrior Martial Arts Academy is one of the top-rated mixed martial arts schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. With five locations and a team of world-class instructors, they offer a range of martial arts and MMA classes to children and adults of all experience levels. Zebra outfitted all five of their facilities with Tatami-style mats, Muay Thai bags and custom wall pads complete with their wall pads. See the results of the project:
The Ten Commandments of Cornering
By Kaitlin Young What are the basic rules for cornering a fighter? Well, that depends on the athlete in question. I've had a number of wonderful, average, and terrible corners in my time in combat sports. If I'm honest, I've likely been all three at some point as well. Sitting rings ideas a matchmaker, and in the locker room in every capacity, has given me a good look at all varieties. I am well-aware that this list will be skewed toward my preferences and from my experiences. Trust between a fighter and corner is very important, and once lost, it's not easy to grow back. Though fighters and combat sports may vary, there are some somewhat universal truths followed by rockstar corners.
10 Reasons You Aren't Getting Fights
By Kaitlin Young I've had a few messages lately from fighters asking what they can do to get more fight opportunities. It can be incredibly frustrating to put your time in at the gym and watch other fighters being rewarded with fights while you are left twiddling your thumbs. We have a limited timeframe in which we get to compete and need to make the most of it! There are a variety of reasons a person may not be getting matched, and that can change based on their experience level. Let's go over some reasons you may not be receiving opportunities, and what you can do about it.
How to Prepare Your Ring or Cage Before Putting on an Event
Whether your promotion is local, regional, or international, one of the keys to success is having the right equipment. The first decision to make is whether to use a ring or a cage. Rings are more versatile and can be used for boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and pro wrestling, but plenty of promotions still hold MMA fights in a ring as well. Cages are reserved almost exclusively for MMA, but we have seen some promotions hold grappling events and kickboxing events in cages.
Quick Tips for Hanging and Mounting Bags in Your Martial Arts Facility
Where to hang and mount bags in a martial arts or MMA facility is one of the more complicated aspects of facility design. Spatial limitations are usually a problem, as most facility owners do not own as large of a facility as some of the major organizations, but even larger facilities come to Zebra with the same question: Where exactly should I place my bags? The answer is never the same; every facility layout is different, after all, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few general rules that can applied in most cases.
Rolling with the Troops on the Armed Forces Entertainment Tour!
by Kaitlin Young I was fortunate to be invited to join in an Armed Forces Entertainment tour this December. Our troops spend long stretches away from their families and friends, serving the United States and our interests abroad. Armed Forces Entertainment provides various tours meant to break up the monotony and give our soldiers a taste of home. This specific tour would bring five professional MMA fighters to various bases in Kuwait and Iraq, where we would be able to see what the men and women of the military do on a regular basis, roll with the troops, and answer questions they might have.
The Best Way to Customize Your Facility for Maximum Brand Awareness
When planning out the perfect MMA facility, there are so many things that go into it. When it is all said and done, it needs to come out perfect. One aspect of this process is displaying your brand to maximize awareness in the space. Zebra has helped hundreds of gyms go from dream to reality, and has helped facility owners maximize their brand awareness at the same time.
The 2019 Martial Arts State of the Industry
How is the martial arts industry in the US performing? In as few words as possible: business is booming, and many disciplines are experiencing growth. As 2018ends, we arelookingat the numbersto seehow the industry is doing and what we can expect in the next year.