MMA: Expensive to Watch, More Expensive to Play.

The UFC, on occasion airs a fight card for free on Spike TV, but other than those few times a year, the fights are on pay-per-view.  Each PPV event is $50, and at one or two events a month, watching a fight card may need to be worked into your monthly living budget.  Some MMA fans are content with just watching a fight, but what about those of us who aren't?

Along with my love of watching people fight, comes my love of actually fighting.  I grew up with four brothers, so fighting seemed to be a big part of my childhood.  I spent a year in Israel, and while I was there, I learned an intense form of British street fighting (it's kind of like Mina Jiu Jitsu).  Two of my brothers have martial arts training.  One in Aikido, and the other in Krav Maga.  They both teach me a lot of what they know, but it's far from a full education.  Everything else I know came from an ability to just pick up what I see.

I've wanted for a very long time to train in a legitimate gym, but for me, it's easier said than done.  Where I live, there doesn't seem to be any kind of MMA gym, and even if there was, my living budget is about six and a half dollars.  There is a place that teaches BJJ, but it costs $75 a month, and like I said, I have no money.

I've even thought about going the DIY route, but that would probably put me in debt for the next fifty years or so.  I have a cheap pair of grappling gloves that I got a few years ago, but aside from the training in Israel, they haven't gotten much use.  A buddy of mine said he might want to split in on a heavy bag, which would help me work on my stand up (which needs much improvement), but so far it's just an idea.

Maybe one day I'll be making enough money to get a real fighting education.  Till then  I'll just keep training the old school way, kicking banana trees, and wrestling alligators.

Heavy bag-$150.00

Gloves-$50.00

Mouthgaurd-10.00

Training partner-All his medical bills

Being able to tap everyone out-priceless?