Get a Fighting Chance: Mixed Martial Arts

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BOXING BETTER BEWARE. A more complex fight is in town, and it'll knock you down, trap you in a clinch and have you begging for mercy before a bone snaps.

"MMA is the baddest thing out there," boasts Scott Howard, who promotes mixed martial arts fights — perhaps better known by its TV moniker, Ultimate Fighting — in Virginia and has just opened a school in Sterling. "People will pay to see other people get hurt."

And even though it's still a young sport — the Ultimate Fighting Championship debuted in the U.S. just 15 years ago, and pro matches are still illegal in D.C. — people will pay to learn to do it, too.

Last Monday night, at the Old Town Alexandria location of Capital Jiu Jitsu, owner Jeremy Lafreniere was instructing an advanced class on the finer points of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu combination. Phrases like "I grab his heel and pull it under my armpit" and "I like flaring my leg and putting my knee in his gut" peppered his lecture. But the talk stopped when students paired off to spar. As duos gripped each other for five-minute rounds, sweat puddles formed on the mat and the only noise was heavy breathing.

One combatant was Tom Meehan, 28, an Alexandria police officer who hopes to get into a cage by the end of the year.

"It's just the ultimate contest between one guy and another. Who can outlast?" said Meehan, who has already used some of his training on the job.

But as intimidating as Meehan is, he wouldn't survive in a match with Jiu Jitsu alone. While it's a superb art for grappling, a fighter is dead meat without a grasp of striking (punches, kicks and elbow jabs) and clinching (moves that lead to throws and takedowns).

Some schools offer MMA classes, but elite fighters get specific training in as many areas as possible. Then they can combine their skills for a product that's anything but watered down. Lafreniere insists his team train in Brazilian Jui Jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing and wrestling, and keep their general fitness as honed as possible with CrossFit, an exercise regimen that constantly shocks the body to develop a physique that's ready for anything.

Needless to say, it's a time consuming venture. But it's also a killer way to get into shape — even for folks who thought they already were.

"One second you're punching, the next, you're exploding into a takedown," Lafreniere said.

Another student of Lafreniere's, 37-year-old Sean Carow, is considering MMA (just don't tell his wife). But in the meantime, he's amazed at the physical benefits of crosstraining with Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. His weight has been dropping steadily, while his strength continues to surge.

"You're using everything, so you end up with strange muscles sore," he said.

Getting a total body workout is really the draw for most MMA students, says David Anderson, owner of Herndon's One Spirit Martial Arts, which offers an even more extensive array of arts — including judo, kali and Krav Maga.

"They're tired of the gym. Instead of going through boring training routines, you get in here and get your endorphins flying," he said.

And although it seems like a dangerous sport, in a controlled environment, injuries are rare.

"It's kind of like that game 'mercy,'" Lafreniere explained. "When it's painful, you tap your opponent."

Maybe that's not as real as what happens in those hyped TV match-ups, but just getting to learn some of the moves can make anyone feel like a star fighter.

"They can get a taste, get in shape and get a piece of it," said Anderson. And they can do it while staying in one piece themselves.

Photo by Lawrence Luk for Express