The Mouth of MMA

By Steve Ficca, The Mouth Of MMA Editor

       Its been said by many individuals in many fields "I'm going to change the game". Typically this expression is used to express skill or uniqueness leading to a positive end. This is not always the case though, and sometimes life puts us in a position where game changing isn't voluntary, but necessary. Over the past couple years, the evolution of my game has turned me into a butterfly/x guard kind of guy. One of my favorite things from my back is to get underneath my opponent, hook my shin to him and launch him upward. With this type of game I can look to send a guy for a ride and score the sweep, or even make a pathway to the back, depending on the response. I've been having much success with this style game and have been feeling great using it.  Then it happened... one day a few weeks back I was lifting for a butterfly sweep and my classmate sprawled down on me at a funny angle. POP! And there goes my butterfly game!

::Diagnosis: Strained MCL. 2 weeks off, 2 many weeks training light, ? Weeks NO leg extensions, NO butterfly hooks, NO x guard::

      Having to look at the positivies of the situation, I know that knee injuries can be brutal in severity. Tears can leave guys sidelined for 6 months at a clip, and I should be happy it was only a strain. And I should happy I can still be on the mat. And I'm happy I'm at a loss for my two favorite weapon.... welllll.. maybe not that, but there's still a bright side. Being unable to use my go to setups for nearly every guard position is tough. It can be such a major setback to be forced out of my comfort zone, and ignoring my greatest tools when needed. Think bringing a gun to a gunfight, and leaving it in your holster because your finger is broken. This leaves me in need of new strategies. Now I need new tools, new set ups, a whole new game! I now find myself using guard techniques I've never had to employ in he past. Moves that I once just went through the motions with during class are now moves I'm forced to rely on. The upside to this is a more rounded game.

      The bottom line is: The black cloud of injury hangs over us all. The silver lining to my particular situation is that I've been forced into a predicament where I have no choice but to work on the biggest holes in my game, and can now focus on adding them to my strengths. Ill let you know how it goes!