Is an MMA DVD library worth investing your money and time in? It all depends on what you want to get out of your viewing experience.
If you want to compete in MMA — or even if you want to train in mixed martial arts for recreational and fitness purposes — an MMA DVD can’t be your only source of information and instruction. There’s a good reason that we’ve never heard an inspirational story of a competitor becoming highly successful in MMA after teaching themselves how to fight with instructional MMA DVDs and books alone. Mixed martial arts is a highly complex and ever-evolving sport, and grasping it and excelling at it takes a wide range of learning tools. You’ll need instructors who can help you to understand and perform, sparring partners who can help to push you to the next level in your training through practical application of what you’ve learned, coaches who can help you focus on your upcoming fights, and so much more.
That doesn’t mean that MMA DVDs are useless, though. In fact, adding the right videos to all of the tools and activities listed above can make you an even smarter, better educated, and well-rounded fighter. Here are five ways in which MMA DVDs can improve your game:
1. Pre-research.
Have you decided that you want to give MMA training a try, but are feeling a little nervous and unsure of that first class? Any good martial arts gym will know how to welcome new students and responsibly guide them through their first steps in any discipline, but if you’re still shy, watching an MMA DVD or two in preparation is a great way to put your mind at ease. Viewing techniques and drills explained on video won’t give you the skills you need to step into the dojo and impress everyone on your first try, but it can help you to see what goes into training and at least have a general idea of what you’ll be facing. Which can help make a brand new experience a little less intimidating.
2. Fitness and cross-training.
For mixed martial arts enthusiasts — and for marital artists who are looking to get some cross-training in on their time away from the gym — MMA DVDs that offer mixed martial arts-inspired workouts are a great way to help you stay in shape. These type of fitness workouts are fun, challenging, and designed with the conditioning needs of an MMA fighter in mind, which makes it perfect for anyone who wants to improve their fitness for the cage — or anyone who simply wants to look and feel like a champ.
3. Motivation.
Are you stuck in a rut in your own training? Or maybe just looking for something to help push you to the next level? MMA DVDs can be an excellent motivator. Watching some of your heroes explain their careers, techniques, and training tips from their experience allows you to look outside of your own training, gain some new perspective on everything from how you approach your mental game to how you break down individual moves, and can give you a fresh outlook on what brought you to your training journey to begin with. The inspirational value of watching an MMA DVD by someone you admire should not be underestimated.
4. Trouble-shooting.
Different learning styles will require different ways to work through confusing areas in martial arts training. If you’re the type of learner who can’t break down everything you take in with the help of your instructors and training partners at the gym alone, watching breakdowns of those trickier techniques on MMA DVDs can help you to figure things out. Watching something that isn’t quite sticking in your training time from the comfort and privacy of your own home, without the pressure of the gym setting and a potential audience for your confusion, is an excellent way to help push you to your next breakthrough in your training. You can rewatch the techniques as many times as you need to — and even watch different takes on them, if you have multiple MMA DVDs to work with — and allow yourself to learn at your own pace, free of any outside pressure. All of which will help you be better prepared to try again with your training partners the next time you hit the gym.
5. Homework.
MMA DVDs can’t replace the work you put in at the gym, but they can augment it. Think of watching them as homework or extra credit assignments. Watching at home after class — or when you’re resting or even taking time off for an injury — will allow you to keep your mind active and focussed on your training, even when your body needs a break. And observing MMA training and techniques when you’re not actively participating in them can also lead to discovering things that you might have missed when you were in the heat of practicing and sparring!
