Eddie Bravo defies description; a rock guitar playing jiu-jitsu savant, Bravo catapulted to fame in 2003 by beating some of the world’s best grapplers. At the ’03 Abu Dhabi’s he defeated Royler Gracie by triangle choke while he was still just a brown belt.

Bravo earned his black belt under Jean Jacques Machado and now holds the rank of second degree black, but it’s his unique no-gi style that has earned him a reputation as an innovator and master clinician. Bravo’s techniques – “10^th Planet Style” – are taught and emulated worldwide, and are admired for being imaginative and effective.

Few sports legends can be credited for popularizing their sport as much as MMA/BJJ pioneer Royce Gracie. A member of the prolific Brazilian family who modernized Jiu-Jitsu and delivered it to the world, Gracie achieved iconic status by winning the first two Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in 1993. He did so while conceding fifty or more pounds to each of his opponents. To this day people still recount the sense of awe they felt as “this skinny Brazilian” took on huge, menacing opponents, dragged them down on top of him, and then choked them out like an anaconda.

On Saturday, August 18, Albuquerque Crossfit athletes gathered at the Balloon Fiesta Park to blast through their WODs (Workout Of the Day). They also answered the call to a higher purpose, using the event to raise money and awareness for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). ABQ Crossfit organizes the annual event; one of their own’s life was deeply touched by SMA.

The Pueblo of Pojoaque, just north of Santa Fe, can now count Warriors Training Center among its community businesses. To kick off the Grand Opening, trainers and WTC founders Angelo Sanchez and Robert Romero held their second Northern NM Martial Arts Seminar.

Sanchez is perhaps best known among fight fans as a long time competitor and belt holder in the King of the Cage promotion. Romero has spent more time in the cage then most as one of New Mexico’s top MMA referees, and is a BJJ Brown Belt.

The Warriors Training Center is located at 16 Viarrial just off Highway 285 between Santa Fe and Espanola. The gym, which is a sister school of the Santa Fe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, is amply equipped with mats, a boxing ring, and MMA cage.

As Jake Shields continues his move back to middleweight strength training remains a very important part of his rigorous workouts. The Ultimate Fighting Championship contender talked to Dylan Falduto about how an active vegetarian lifestyle has allowed him to successfully compete in multiple divisions.

"Everything is going really good. I'm in the early fight prep. Just doing a lot of fundamental striking and wrestling. Lifting a lot of weights. I am trying to bulk up, because I am moving up a weight class."

Along with strength and conditioning, Shields finds himself eating much more liberally as he prepares for his return as a middleweight. "I work out so much so I have to make sure I eat a lot. I try to eat about six meals a day. I take a couple protein shakes. I use Sun Warrior protein. I drink one shake in the morning and one at night, and just try to eat as much as possible."

Anytime that the most skilled person in any profession uses a product to enhance their ability, it's safe to say that the product is legit. Such is the case for pound-for-pound champ Anderson Silva and his usage of a full body suit with controllable resistance bands to help aid in his professional mixed martial arts training.

The Maximum Athletic Sport Suit, otherwise known as MASS, provides the user with extreme resistance training while providing a full range of motion.

The suit was originally designed by Jesse Nicassio in order to "give people the edge they have been looking for". The design certainly seems to be working.

Greg Jackson has perfected his Martial Arts curriculum over the past two decades. His methods can be seen in the success of dozens of elite fighters such as Jon Jones, Diego Sanchez and George St. Pierre just to name but a few. 

Now, anyone looking to learn Martial Arts for recreation, fitness or competition can train at Jackson’s new state-of-the-art gym at 2801 Eubank NE Suite P and earn belt rankings like other traditional martial arts.

With all of the dangers we are forced to deal with from our participation in combat sports it’s hard to believe there is anything more dreadful than getting submitted, injured, or knocked out. But lurking in gyms across the country is an enemy far more menacing than the individual you face-off with on the mats.

Skin diseases like Ringworm, Staph, MRSA, and Herpes have been an ongoing battle that athletes have had to contend with over the years that have resulted in serious health problems causing skin irritation, hospitalization, and even death. Luckily for us, as we are taught in training for every offense, there is a defense to counteract the opponent.

The people who participate in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are some of the most well-trained and physically fit individuals in the world. Many of them are on par with Olympic athletes, pushing themselves to the limits of their willpower and endurance to get better every day.

Those who become the best in MMA organizations are those who train the hardest to become masters of their sport. No detail of training gets overlooked when trying to achieve the well-honed body of an MMA champion.

Workout routines and exercises designed to achieve MMA-level fitness focus on different aspects that are tried and tested. Endurance, raw power, flexibility, striking power, speed and agility are just a few of the important needs of an MMA fighter.

Coaches often talk about how competition is 90% mental and 10% physical. Yet many focus completely on the physical side before fights or competitions. This could be because fighters believe that they don't need to prepare mentally, don't know how to prepare mentally, or sometimes let egos get in the way and and think that to prepare mentally makes them weak. Yet, most high level athletes have enlisted the help of sports psychologist to assist with mental hurdles, including UFC Champion Georges St. Pierre.