ATA MMA: When Tradition Meets Progression

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3 m a S U C C E S S O C T O B E R When American Taekwondo Association (ATA) founder, Eternal Grandmaster H.U. Lee, opened his first martial arts school in the United States, he was on a mission to build strong martial artists. But despite his taekwondo background, Lee opened a school that had a karate and judo sign out front. Chief Master William Clark, one of the founding members of the ATA, explains, Eternal Grandmaster s theory was that once you got in the door, learning martial arts was the priority. To become the best martial artist possible you had to be willing to understand multiple styles and he encouraged his students to try anything. Thirty years ago, that encouragement meant supporting Clark as he competed in 19 kickboxing bouts for the Professional Karate Association. In the 1990s, Lee welcomed the opportunity for some of the ATA s leaders, including Chief Master G.K. Lee, Chief Master Robert Allemier and Clark, to train under the guidance of Rickson Gracie, a legendary MMA champion and 8th dan in Gracie jiu-jitsu. The training with Gracie paved the way for new ATA training courses in ground fighting. This open-door policy has led to many programs taught in classrooms today, including the most recent addition: ATA MMA. It doesn t surprise me that the ATA has chosen to add MMA curriculum in their educational offerings, says Dan Bower, president of Century LLC, the world s largest martial arts equipment supplier. They have always strived to offer their students a diverse education. They have always been at the forefront of developments in the martial arts. And they were the first to embrace the XMA curriculum across the entire association. It is this kind of open-mindedness and flexibility that makes the ATA the remarkable organization it is today, Bower adds. Ultimately, the student wins, the instructors stay fresh, and the organization grows. We at Century are very excited that the ATA is embracing the trend in MMA while maintaining its heritage roots of traditional training. Chief Master Clark, hats off to you and your team. The popularity of mixed martial arts continues to rise, so it s no surprise that some ATA students and instructors have already crossed over as MMA professionals. And as Pat Miletich, former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Welterweight and Lightweight Champion, explained while visiting the ATA s World Championships, Some of the most successful MMA fighters out there today have a long history in traditional martial arts. I look forward to seeing a high level of martial arts training and talent from an organization like ATA. So, how can the ATA make an effective impact in mixed martial arts? Is there room for tradition in a nontraditional arena? Let s review the tale of the tape. Fight Card: How ATA Stacks Up When you look at numbers, ATA is one of the heaviest hitters in the industry, says Chief Master Clark. ATA currently has over 300,000 trained athletes worldwide and over 60,000 taekwondo black belts. Not all of those students will want to cross over to MMA, but those who have shown an interest have already had huge success. One of those recent success stories is Anthony Showtime Pettis, a 22-yearold MMA professional and a 3rd-degree One of those recent success stories is Anthony Showtime Pettis, a 22-year-old MMA professional and a 3rd-degree black belt in ATA. Pettis recently signed a five-fight contract with World Extreme Cagefighting. He s already fought the first of those fights, and though he entered the cage as an underdog, he won the fight by submission only 1:49 into the first round. 52

4 black belt in ATA. Pettis recently signed a five-fight contract with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). He s already fought the first of those fights, and though he entered the cage as an underdog, he won the fight by submission only 1:49 into the first round. But Pettis doesn t come from a long line of professional fighters. He actually started as an ATA Tiny Tiger at age 5. My instructor, Master Larry Struck, has been my instructor for 17 years. He s taught me the fundamentals of traditional martial arts while allowing me to try new things that have come my way. I wouldn t be the martial artist I am today without that background, says Pettis. Pat Miletich understands how that traditional upbringing can make a fighter more prepared. This mixed martial artist out of Davenport, Iowa, is well known for his wins in the UFC and as founder of Miletich Fighting Systems, training such championship athletes as Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia. But it was his history in traditional martial arts that paved the way for his career. I have a long background in traditional karate and I believe traditional martial artists make the best transition into MMA. Unfortunately there are few MMA fighters who come from a traditional style, so I think ATA can bring a huge influence into MMA, says Miletich. Currently, some of the biggest names in MMA are traditional martial artists. Georges St. Pierre and Lyoto Machida are both title-holders in the UFC, and they both come from strong traditional lineages. However, as Miletich points out, it s not just the martial arts talent of these traditional fighters that make them a force in the ring. These fighters are hugely successful because of their strong technique, but they also bring good vibes and attitudes to a sport that isn t always known for showing mutual respect, Miletich explains. That respect is something Clark believes the ATA can bring to the sport in multiple ways. ATA martial artists may bring a positive energy to the sport, but even more importantly, they will bring a willingness to learn. Because our organization has never had restrictions on what students could learn, we ve created athletes who continue to grow in their own style, but are eager to find out more about other styles to become true mixed martial artists. In fact, that s how Pettis made his move to MMA. Three years ago I started kickboxing, he says. Then, I started learning some jiu-jitsu. I was still training in taekwondo, but it was awesome that my instructor supported me in trying new workouts. When Currently, some of the biggest names in MMA are traditional martial artists. Georges St. Pierre and Lyoto Machida are both titleholders in the UFC, and they both come from strong traditional lineages. I started in these other styles, it was a little different, but my body was conditioned in a way that made it easy to adapt. Preparing for the Fight ATA leaders and instructors may have an interest in adding mixed martial arts to their resume, but what is ATA doing to support this move? Clark says they continue to make big strides. Over the last year, ATA has had several MMA fights in conjunction with national and regional tournaments. There have been many ATA fighters who ve participated in these events and even more ATA fans who have enjoyed watching and supporting their fellow martial artists, Clark explains. And at their national and international tournaments, many ATA instructors have participated in the mixed martial arts seminars led by Chief Master G.K. Lee. m a S U C C E S S O C T O B E R

5 m a S U C C E S S O C T O B E R As Clark says, ATA will never abandon our traditional roots, but we will also never shy away from finding new ways to build stronger martial artists. The next step in ATA s quest to add mixed martial arts to its curriculum is adding MMA elements to its competition circuit, but not in the way you might think. Cage fighting is entertaining and there is a market for that, but we want students to enjoy MMA without the danger of being injured, says Clark. That s why in 2010 we want to add two new divisions of competition for students, including a continuous sparring category with rules similar to kickboxing. But, as Clark explains, force would be regulated in these divisions and the intention would be to score points by executing successful strikes. The other new competition division would be MMA point-style where competitors would earn points for certain submission Cage fighting is entertaining and there is a market for that, but we want students to enjoy MMA without the danger of being injured, says Chief Master Bill Clark. That s why in 2010 we want to add two new divisions of competition for students, including a continuous sparring category with rules similar to kickboxing. techniques and locks, all in a safe, controlled environment. The potential for these new competition divisions was something Pettis thought could be groundbreaking for the ATA. My brother and I have both had success as point-sparrers in ATA and that success led us both to an interest in kickboxing. I think ATA students would find that the techniques they already know can transfer easily and be used in new ways they may not have thought of, says Pettis. Even Miletich believed this was something that could be big for both the ATA and MMA. I believe ATA has a lot to offer the mixed martial arts world both technically and financially, he says. And the financial aspect could be big, according to Clark. He believes that teaching ATA students proper MMA strategies and creating a venue for them to compete can pave the way for athletes, like Pettis, to test their skills on different playing fields. But another thing he believes will take what ATA is doing a step further would be finding a strategic MMA partner. We ve negotiated with potential partners in the past, but nothing has panned out. There s a lot of opportunity out there, so I hope we can find a partner who can help take our mixed martial arts to greater levels, Clark says. Eternal Grand Master Lee would probably be proud of his organization for constantly staying on the cutting edge of martial arts. If the ATA hadn t been open-minded in the past, chances are the association would never have added weapons to its curriculum, and may not have ever started its most successful program, Karate for Kids. Only time will tell if the ATA and other traditional athletes can truly make an impact on mixed martial arts. But if the ATA s history tells us one thing, it s that this organization isn t one to tap out. Jenny O Connor is the media-relations director for the ATA and also serves as editor-in-chief of ATA World magazine. She can be reached at jenny.oconnor@ ataonline.com. If you would like more information on a strategic partnership with ATA MMA, contact Chief Master William Clark at [email protected].