Sad news in the mixed martial arts world: Justin Levens and Sarah McLean-Levens, his wife, have been found shot to death.  Authorities are investigating a possible murder-suicide but no conclusions have been reached.  Levens, 28, competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has a 7-2 mixed martial arts record. 

Just an awful tragedy.  If these suspicions hold true, it is an unfortunate stain for mixed martial arts.  The sport is inheriently violent which leads many to the conclusion that the participants are violent people.  This is far from the truth but perceptions are tough to defeat.

The Atlantic has takes a long and thoughful look at the rise of mixed martial arts (ultimate championship fighting) that is absolutely worth a read.

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White (Dana is a man for those of you who don't know) has opened his mind to women's MMA in the UFC thanks to EliteXC star Gina Carano.  

"Gina Carano is a star, and I think she's talented," White told reporters recently. "I think she has all the tools, so what I'm willing to do is bring Gina into the WEC. We could do fights whenever there's a challenge for Gina. That's how I'll test the waters and see how it goes."

New doors are opening up everywhere for mixed martial arts and those doors are increasingly reading "co-ed." 

The Pennsylvania legislature is working on a draft of mixed martial arts rules and regulations, written by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.  

Mixed martial arts has a signature injury:  cauliflower ear.

Cauliflower ear is a eformity initiated by repetitive trauma. It can crumple can crumple an outer ear to a misshapen shell. The condition begins when creasing, pulling and rubbing creates a blood clot between the cartilage and the connective tissue of the mixed martial arts fighter's upper ear.  Cauliflower ear can cause infection and swelling and the consequence to your ear that go with that. 

A lot of mixed martial arts fighters do not treat cauliflower ear.  Why?  Because they think it is cool.  Trust me, what is cool is getting medical treatment for injuries.  If you have cauliflower ear, most likely it is not the biggest deal in the world.  But it can cause a host of problems untreated.  Get it checked out!

The British Journal of Sports Medicine reports that Johns Hopkins did a study of 635 mixed martial arts matches in Nevada and found that the most common injuries were lacerations and wounds to the upper extremities. The Hopkins study  looked at acute injuries and did not include aliments that develop over tim (e.g. cauliflower ear). In an article in last year, these same Baltimore based researchers concluded that overall injury rates for mixed martial arts was similar to other combat sports, putting down the myth that mixed martial arts is more dangerous.

The popular website Deadpin was shocked - shocked! - to learn that Maryland Mixed Martial Arts instructor Lloyd Irvin stopped a robbery at his home by  disarming the robber with a mixed martial arts defensive manuever.  He seemed stunned this was not on Dateline.  But when checking out the story, he found out that it certainly appears to be true.  A police report was filed in Prince George's County, Maryland.  But, more importantly, Mr. Irvin did not overplay the mixed martial arts angle at all.  He said no one really knows empirically if these defense manuvers work in real world life and death situations and that he was not trying to claim to be a hero, he just did what anyone else would do: figure out the best play to protect his family. 

The author, who I have read frequently and like, needs to realize that not everything of signifcance to the mixed martial arts world ends up in the Baltimore Sun. 

Markting our gym in Severna Park is a delicate task because two of our target members do not go together: people interested in mixed martial arts and boxing and soccer moms who want to get a great workout.   Boxing had generally been associated with sweaty and dingy gym, conjuring up images of cuts and bruises.

Not exactly the image to attract people, especially women.  But women who spend time in our gym in Sevena Park say they feel our environment is actually less threatening that health clubs that do not cater to the boxing mixed marital arts niche. 

Cetainly, boxing is a fun and productive way to get fit and find greater confidence. But the difference between Club One Fitness and any boxing gym I have ever been in is that most members don't box.  They run, they lift weights, use the machines, bike, play basketball, take a group exercise or yoga class, or any of the other zillion options the have available to them.

The key is to just spend an hour in the club.  Towards this end, anyone who prints out this email before October 31, 2008 can see for themselves with a free 14 membership.

The North Carolina state legislature has joined Maryland and other states, agreeing to legalize and, of course, regulate and tax, mixed martial arts.
 
Mixed martial arts took off in North Carolina under the name "ultimate warrior" fighting but was banned after matches was banned in North Carolina in the 1990s after it was deemed too bloody and out of control.  But mixed martial arts has been repackaged as Ultimate Fighting Championships and has gained a new measure of credibility. 

Interestingly, an earlier version of the mixed martial arts bill would have increased the minimum liability insurance requirements for single-elimination boxing tournaments but the North Carolina Senate took out those provisions.