How The UFC Began
July 5, 2010 by Dave Parsons
Filed under Diet & Fitness
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was originally launched in the United States by the “first family of Jiu-Jitsu.” They brought together the very best martial artists from the various disciplines to compete against each other on a level playing field. The goal was to determine which of the disciplines was best. Could a boxer beat a wrestler? Could a kung fu champion beat a karate master?
The first Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) event was held at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado in 1993. The undersized Royce Gracie beat bigger, stronger, and faster opponents with his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to win the tournament. The fledgling sport became an overnight sensation.
The shows became must see TV for fans, but in the early years, the lack of state regulation and significant set of rules led to the show being taken off cable television. After a series of relatively dark years, the Las Vegas based Zuffa LLC took over the company in 2001. They implemented a set of unified mixed martial arts rules, and suddenly MMA was no longer a spectacle, but a legitimate sport.
As the sport has evolved, so have the athletes, and they well know that one particular style will not work in competition on a consistent basis. This means Mixed Martial Artists must learn a variety of martial arts including boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu to effectively spar with their opponents.
Under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, athletes compete for three five-minute rounds, with championship matches waged over five five-minute rounds. Scoring, like boxing, is done on a ten-point system, with the winner of the round receiving ten points and the loser nine points or less. Unlike boxing, MMA matches are scored not only for effective striking attacks, but for ground fighting effectiveness, submission and take down attempts and defense, as well as ring generalship.
Bouts end via knockout, referee, corner or doctor stoppage, or submission. When a bout ends by submission, the fighter either verbally or physically “taps out,” signaling that he has had enough.
Razor Scooter Series
June 15, 2010 by Owen Jones
Filed under Health
The Razor kick scooter is the current-day equivalent of the sort of scooter that has been about for 50 years or more. In reality, kids have almost definitely been fixing boards to wheels ever since scrap wheels became available. As with those classic scooters, the Razor kick scooter is driven forward by foot power. That is, you put one foot on the board and push forward, or in other words kick back on the ground with the other.
This method of movement makes this kick scooter an ideal style of transport, exercise and pleasure for kids of all ages. In deed, Razor do not advocate a Razor scooter for the under fives unless supervised by an adult and state in their handbook:
“Children under age eight (8) should ride with adult supervision at all times. All children and preteens should ride with adult guidance at all times”.
This seems pretty strict to me and is almost certainly an instance of over-caution because of the litigious culture we live in. Just try suggesting to a twelve-year that you have to use supervision on all of his or her trips!
Having said that the Razor kick scooter comes in approximately seven different guises. There is the Kiddie Kick scooter for the under fives. It is constructed of tough plastic and has a third wheel for greater steadiness.
Then there is the ‘A’ series of Razor scooters: the A, A2, A3 and AW. These models are more or less equivalent to a child’s development in size, ability and experience, although the highest recommended weight for all three models of Razor scooter is 65 kilos or 143 lbs.
The Razor kick scooter Pro is a leap up in technology and so has more facilities. It can be used for extreme sport and will put up with a rider weighing up to 100 kilos or 220 lbs.
Last, but not least, is the Cruiser Razor scooter. It will carry 79 kilos (175 lbs of weight and has larger wheels as it is intended for laid-back cruising about. The bigger wheels mean that you won’t be conscious of any rough ground beneath you while you are on this Razor scooter.
All of these Razor scooters share comparable characteristics. All of these models of the Razor kick scooter are of very tough manufacture and all but the Razor Kiddie Kick scooter are made of high-grade aluminium and are built to last.
These Razor scooters have extensible steering rods, which means that they can be drawn up to grow with your child or can be used by kids of diverse sizes. They also share a tough braking system which works on the rear wheel, rendering them ultra-safe for use in the vicinity of pedestrians.
A Razor kick scooter begins at about $40 and so is an inexpensive way for you to make certain that your youngster gets regular exercise, gets out from behind his computer, gets some fresh air and sunlight and learns about good manners while having fun being mobile. Apart from all these benefits, a Razor kick scooter will give your child warm memories to look back on for the rest of his or her life.

