All the gear, and no idea.

I missed my first session this week due to other commitments and struggled a bit in the second lesson as a result.

But I did get my suit, on the of the most exciting developments for any burgeoning martial arts student.

I could describe it in detail, but let's just say it is a fetching, and particularly badass, black.

Remembering how to tie the belt is going to be constant challenge.

As far as progress in MAMA, I think my kicking and punching is definitely improving. The hardest aspect of the whole thing is maintaining your co-ordination while completely knackered.

I think I need to start playing sudoko after a five mile run...

Classmates

As you can see we had a pretty big class on Thursday.

Staff from Armley company Logistik gave the class a try as part of a free taster session.

One of the best things about mixed martial arts is its accessibility.

Anyone can get involved and enjoy it. No promises, but by the end of the session it is pretty hard not to have a grin on your face.

Ricky didn't eaxactly hold back with the newbies either. It wasn't the full-bored version class i've become used to, but not far from it.

Hopefully the next post will have some photos of me in a brand spanking new martial arts suit.

I might even look impressive, now that I can't promise...

The art of mixed martial arts

I've always thought martial arts was the most graceful form of combat.

You only have to watch Thai kickboxing sensation Tony Jaa to realise that.

His breakthrough film, Ong-Bak, was pretty good and showcased his talents as an amazing martial artist.

The story wasn't up to much, but a film featuring Jaa is never going to centre on the story.
You spend the whole film waiting with bated breath for him to pick another fight, so you can marvel at his extraordinary abilities.

Although I can't kick a street lamp (see Jaa do just that here) I can see the benefits to co-ordination and balance that come from my Mixed Martial Arts training.

I'm one of the most hopelessly clumsy people in my eveyday life, but the twice weekly lessons are giving me a better focus and control of my body.

I have managed to stay injury free this week, but tonight's session could change all that.

Mr Lam has promised a particularly energetic evening.

On a different note, if you wanted any further proof that mixed martial arts is becoming increasingly popular, then look no further than Never Back Down (watch the trailer here)

This is MMA's American teen movie, a right of passage for any sport or artform (think Fast and the Furious and Bring It On to name two).
Regardless of whether the film is any good, it represents a massive step into the mainstream and should help to lift the discipline's profile in Britain.

Ground Zero: Week one.

On this world there exists no such impossible tasks, they fear only those with perseverence (Chinese proverb).

I thought this proverb summed up my first week of training with Leeds Taekwondo and Premier Martial Arts Centre.

I'm in it for the long run, training for six months in Mixed Martial Arts - popularly known as Ultimate Fighting.

But (and this is where you might start questioning my sanity) I have never trained in martial arts before.

So this week was equivalent to jumping from the highest diving board at the swimming pool, and not really being certain how deep the water is.

My motivation? Well, apart from seeing if I can do it, i'm also keen to get in shape for my sister's wedding in June.

So, over the next few months you can follow my journey from chump to champ. 

It's often the case that you have to reach rock bottom before you actually improve.

Fortunately, I think I may have hit the bottom of the diving pool this week. 

It was shallower and less forgiving than I thought it might be.

We started off with some drills that seemed ok, if a bit exhausting for my flabby, post-Christmas body.

But it was when trainer Ricky Lam started us on kickboxing pad work that I began to really suffer.

Kicking and punching combinations of up to 12 hits are hard to remember when your brain is starved of oxygen.

I had to stop at one point as stars began to dance about in my eyes. I realised that this was going to be a lot harder than I first thought.

After a particularly gruelling (well, at least from my perspective) session with the pads it was time to try out some grappling.

Ricky has only recently travelled to America to find out all about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Ultimate Fighting has become massively popular in America, overshadowing boxing on 15 years after it first came to prominence.

I've seen a few fights on TV and new that it was pretty brutal, but couldn't really understand why they spent so much time rolling around on the floor wrestling.

After Tuesday night it all makes sense; grappling is pretty exhausting stuff and as Ricky explained, highly strategic.

My body let me down again as we learnt how to floor an opponent. 

Cramp consumed my left leg and I was left reeling on the floor feeling just a little pathetic.

But I was soon back into the fray and as soon as it had begun, my first MMA session was at an end.

The next day muscles I never knew existed ached in unison. As the next session approached my soreness began to recede and I was raring to go.

Needless to say the second session was a lot easier, and I began to actually enjoy what we doing instead of enduring it.

Ricky taught us several really useful self-defence techniques that made the lesson seem all the more relevant to everyday life.

I felt like I was finally getting somewhere. But i've got a long way to go...