Category: Uncategorized
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“All I Know is the Man’s a Great Host”: Fighters and Sportwashing
The 1936 Olympics were a source of fierce debate around the world and within our own country. Berlin had been chosen as the hosting city before Hitler rose to power, which put the rest of the world in a difficult situation. Interestingly, Hitler was uninterested in hosting the Olympics until his “Minister for Public Enlightenment…
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MMA: America’s Pastime?
Preface: Before I proceed, let me get this out of the way; while I’m a lifetime registered Independent, I’m definitely left of center and an admitted Trump-hater. But I promise I’m not out to bash the president here, or offer up any political views (aside from maybe throwing a little shade at the MAGA bros,…
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Examining the Past, Present, and Future of the BJJ Black Belt
“Business success coach” (LOL), Derek Moneyberg, recently made big waves among the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community after earning his black belt in 3.5 years. If you’re unfamiliar with BJJ, this may not seem like a big deal; you probably know a few 10-year-old Karate black belts. However, a BJJ black belt typically takes around 10 years…
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Dipping My Toes in the Waters of Grappling Sports
I’m a bit of a walking contradiction when it comes to my MMA fandom. On the one hand, my favorite fighters (with a couple of exceptions) are strikers who aren’t known to go for takedowns. I get super hyped watching a fighter point to the center of the octagon, Max Holloway style, and roll my…
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The Science of STREETBEEFS
My original plan for this piece was simple: go to a STREETBEEFS fight and write about the experience. I got directions and planned the trek to Winchester, Virginia, to take in the spectacle firsthand. But as I began to poke around the internet and see what was already out there, I was surprised to discover…
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Escaping the Taliban, Refugee Camps, Hitting Double Leg Takedowns, And More: Shuaibullah Mansory
Shuaibullah Mansory stood in his wrestling singlet on the hardwood floor of the gym, completely locked in and chomping at the bit to face his opponent. He exuded confidence and looked ready for war, when suddenly I snapped him out of his trance. “Where’s your headgear?” I asked him. He had forgotten it—a rookie mistake.…
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A Conversation With Reggie “Kingknub” Amerson
One day in January 2024, I was enjoying my holiday break from teaching, lying lazily on my in-laws’ couch and doom scrolling Instagram. The algorithm led me to a video of an MMA fighter who only had one arm knocking out his opponent. I glanced at the comments and saw “hey, I’m a one-armed fighter,…
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Low Kicks and Life Lessons: Discovering Muay Thai in my Thirties
Wearing My Black Eye Like a Badge of Honor “What the hell happened to you?” asked a surprised teenage girl upon entering my 10th grade English classroom. She was referring to the freshly swollen, blackish-purple eye that I was sporting after a sparring session the previous Saturday. “I got in a fight,” I responded. After…
The Casual Combatants 