Pictures: Affliction Weigh-ins ANAHEIM, Calif. — The long awaited return of mixed martial arts’ consensus top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko was made official when he tipped the scales at the Honda Center at a robust 230 pounds

By news@sherdog.com (news@sherdog.com)

De La Hoya ‘Ticked Off’; Merchant Explains HBO Comments You probably don’t want to make Oscar De La Hoya mad. But veteran boxing commentator Larry Merchant has managed to tick off the legendary pugilist

By news@sherdog.com (news@sherdog.com)

Name:     Kaitlin Young
Record     4-2-0-0
City         Circle Pines, MN
Height     5′9
Weight     135

At only 22 Kaitlin Young is a force to be reckoned with. Her recent loss to Gina Carano during the primetime CBS match-up on 5/31/2008 notwithstanding, Kaitlin has been very impressive in the ring.

On November 11, 2007 Kaitlin faced 3 opponents in one night. Her total ring time for the three matches was a mere 1 minute 45 seconds to claim the victories - all by TKO.

Name: Gina Carano
Fighter Status: Professional
Record: 6-0-0-0
Home Town: Las Vegas, NV
Height: 5′8
Weight: 140

Gina Carano is a rising star of women’s Mixed Martial Arts fighting. She only started kickboxing 3 yars ago, compiling 12-1-1 record, and took up MMA under a year ago. The Las Vegas native is undefeated with a 6-0-0 record.

Gina Carano is mentored by Master Toddy and fights in the EliteXC series, with her most recent fight on May 31, 2008 being shown on CBS during primetime. Gina continues to evolve from a Muay Thai specialist to a well-round martial artist.

In addition to her success in the ring, this hottie has earned a starring role in the motion picture Ring Girls and the Oxygen network reality tv show “Fight Girls”.

Setting up a home gym for Mixed Martial Arts training is not as hard as it may sound. You do need a decent space to set up some equipment and have privacy for your workouts. This is what you will need to set up a home gym that can help you with your training in mixed martial arts.

Punching bag
Mirrors
Double end bag
Floor mat

You are going to punching bag that is heavy enough to handle kicks and punches and allowing you to build up your strength and power with these. Of course, the size and weight of the bag is dependent on your strength level currently. There are two basic types the first type will hang from the ceiling, it is important to make sure you use a sturdy beam or stud to attach this. The second type will be on a weighted stand on the floor.

Mirrors are what help you to see the form you are working on and make sure that you are doing it properly. You are going to want a decent set of mirrors, most people prefer to have several full length mirrors on one wall in order to give them distance perspective and enough space to be able move through the room and still see everything with form and position.

Double-ended bags are used for reflex and response because the bags instantly snap back providing you some resistance and response to your punches and kicks. These bags are usually designed to be attached to ceiling and floor with taut bungee type cord between the connections and bags.

Mats are necessary to protect the body from injury during practices. It should be fairly thick and provide decent but firm padding. You do not want anything that is too soft. Any sports equipment provider will provide most likely have the appropriate mats. If not check a Martial arts supply store. This mat should cover a large enough area to provide you with adequate protection and movement if it does not cover the entire floor.

You can use any space you have in your house to create an MMA home gym. You can create it in a spare bedroom, the garage, or basement. You can even create it in a storage or work shop building making it separate from the house if you so desire. You can also use screened in porches and patios provided they are protected by the elements.

There are a number of different ways that you can create a MMA home gym to begin training or to continue practice and training in the comfort of your own home. Constant training is something that is in every martial art. This training is daily for many who are serious and does not begin and in at the dojo. If you are serious in learning martial arts you may want to consider placing some kind of home gym in your home to maximize your potential. It is easy to do and relatively inexpensive and does not require the huge amounts of space that some fitness home gyms require.

Mixed martial arts are just that - mixed. In order to train you would have to consider learning things like Jujitsu and Muay Thai in order to obtain the necessary skills for wrestling and strikes. These are not normally taught in the same dojo or even many times the same training center. You would have to have two separate classes in order to cover both or learn each one separately. This sounds and appears to be a daunting task. However, there is another way and that is through mixed martial arts or MMA schools.

These schools are designed to teach both at the same time and in a way that is put into practical purpose for the sport of mixed martial arts. The training will most likely be significantly different from what you would learn following traditional guidelines for learning the various martial arts found in this sport.

There are a few things that you should look for in MMA schools, these are condition, integrity, quality and reputation. You are going to want a school that is kept in good condition. It should be clean and well lit and everything should be in good repair. The school should stand by its word, have decent business practices and be run in accordance to any rules. Observe the quality of the instructors, the materials and talk to some of the people who attend, see what they have to say about their experiences. Finally make sure the MMA schools you pick out are ones that have a good reputation within the sport for your area. You will want a school that has been around for a while.

All of these things are important for the basics of the school. Once you have decided on the ones that meet these conditions it is a good idea to start looking into the classes. When are they offered? How long are they? What exactly is covered? Do you already need to have some training or are there classes available for complete beginners?

You are also going to want to look at price. Training is not cheap and so you want a school that is going to give you what you are paying for or if you are lucky give you more than what you are paying for. There may also be several different types of classes. One set for those that are looking to compete and the other for those that are looking to use mixed martial arts just as a way to get in shape, strength train or stay in shape.

These are all things that should be carefully considered when looking into MMA schools you should not go with the first school you find but check out all the available options in your area and pick the one that is right for you. You want to be able to incorporate your training into your lifestyle not have to work your lifestyle around your training. You also want to be able to train in an environment that is suitable to both working out and learning and that is providing you with a safe and affordable education.