MMA Joins the Liberty Games
A Mixed Bag of Mixed Feelings
When approached about having MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as part of the Liberty Games, our first reaction was one of caution. Our second reaction was one of caution too! However, it has been my experience that if people do their homework (and most folks cringe at the thought of such) then it is much easier to make an informed decision, than one based upon hearsay or propaganda. Once our investigative processes were completed, we met a man that we thought was named Wolverine (at first glance), and if you just walked into Master Ron McEvilly on the street, you might be wondering if you were about to witness a slicing of unexpected proportions, until you get a chance to speak with him. And when you do, you will not fear him, but you will respect him! And it didn’t take us long to begin to understand and sense the passion he brings to this growing sport.
Due to the fact that there is so much “misinformation”, and even further “misrepresentation” of MMA, we thought you might just want us to share with you a bit of the history of MMA, which may help you to make an educated decision for yourself and perhaps shed some light on what is really taking place. We are certain you will be quite surprised with what you find out. In addition, the Empire State Sports Council is working with Master McEvilly, from Team Tigon, along with many of the politicians, and in particular Assemblywoman Margaret Markey on trying to find the best way forward for the Empire State to ensure that MMA has a well thought out system of sensible regulations in order to make MMA safe for all competitors, especially the Youth Athletes.
Mixed martial arts (MMA), is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports. The roots of modern Mixed Martial Arts can be traced back to the ancient Olympics, where one of the earliest documented systems of codified full range unarmed combat was in the sport of pankration. Various mixed style contests took place throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. The combat sport of vale-tudo that had developed in Brazil from the 1920s was brought to the United States by the Gracie family in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
The more dangerous vale-tudo-style bouts of the early UFCs were made safer with the implementation of additional rules, leading to the popular regulated form of MMA seen today. Originally promoted as a competition with the intention of finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations, competitors were pitted against one another with minimal rules. Later, fighters employed Multiple Martial Arts into their style while promoters adopted additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport. The name Mixed Martial Arts was coined by television critic Howard Rosenberg, in 1993. The term gained popularity when the website newfullcontact.com, then one of the biggest covering the sport, hosted and reprinted the article. Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with a pay-per-view business that rivals boxing and professional wrestling.
The Empire State Sports Council is pleased to announce MMA as an Official Sport of the 2013 Liberty Games! If you are interested, and wish to compete for the State Title, you may now CLICK HERE to Register online ; in fact, if you Register early you can qualify for special prizes (see Below).
Because the Liberty Games are built around the concept of T-E-A-M (Together Everyone Achieves More), we would like to make a spot in each of the articles written, that will announce the arrival of each Sport, to impress upon you the importance of each of the individual Sport’s Chairs, as they are critical in the effort to Bring Back the Games! The MMA Sport’s Chair is Master Ron McEvilly. “He has been a professional from the first moment we met, and although you might initially think that the ‘Wolverine’ image is intimidating, Ron is a perfect Gentleman”, said Executive Director, Anthony Mills.
The Empire State Sports Council is very excited to have Master McEvilly on our TEAM, and we hope you will enjoy taking part in the upcoming competition. Moreover, we are so excited that we are offering the following promotion. Be one of the first to purchase the Official Liberty Games Sportswear, as the Empire State Sports Council will hold a drawing of the first 100 Athletes, in each sport, that purchase Liberty Games Sportswear, and the selected Athlete will receive a Gift Card to a local restaurant for $10! In addition, the winners from each sport will be placed into a larger drawing, which will be made at the Opening Festival of the Liberty Games, and the winner will receive a Free Apple iPod. The runner-up will receive a $50 Gift Certificate from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Don’t wait, be one of the first 100 Athletes in your sport to purchase Official Liberty Games Sportswear, and you can be a winner today!
In the meantime, be sure to Like Us on Facebook, as we look forward to making so many new friends. If you are in a position to do so, we would certainly appreciate your support of the 2013 Liberty Games. Please take just a minute right now to click the DONATE NOW button at the top of the page and make a contribution of any amount, the Empire State Sports Council would greatly appreciate it!
