| How to Begin Mixed Martial Arts Posted: 26 Aug 2017 05:00 PM PDT Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is an exciting fighting sport that showcases a variety of martial arts disciplines from around the world. Contemporary MMA fighters must become proficient in striking skills, grappling, and wrestling. To start training in MMA, you'll need to sign up for classes and hone your newly learned skills with consistent practice. With the right level of dedication and skill, you can to train and compete at a high level. EditSigning up For Classes - Determine the striking style you want to learn. If you want to be a well-rounded fighter, you'll want to develop solid punching and kicking skills. The most common stand up disciplines in MMA are Muay Thai kickboxing, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, and Karate. Watch fighters that practice the fighting disciplines that you're interested in to help you decide on what styles you want to pursue.[1]
- Muay Thai concentrates on punches, ring movement, and kicks.
- American boxing focuses heavily on punches.
- Tae Kwon Do and Karate focuses on punches and kicks.
- Decide on which grappling discipline you want to train. Striking skills must be combined with grappling and wrestling skills if you want to be a well-rounded fighter. Common grappling styles include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, Greco-Roman wrestling, and American wrestling.[2]
- Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners specialize in gaining a superior grappling position as well as choking and submitting their opponent.
- Judo concentrates on locks and throws.
- Search online for classes in your area. Do a search online and look for gyms, dojos, and clubs that offer fighting or martial arts classes in your area. See if you can find general MMA classes that have both striking and grappling included in their curriculum. If a hybrid gym doesn't exist, you may have to go to more than one gym to build both your grappling and striking skills.[3]
- If you don't live in a major city there may not be classes for the particular styles that you want to learn. Stay flexible.
- Sites like FindMMAGyms and Fight Resource have an archive of MMA gyms across the U.S.A.
- For instance, if there are no MMA gyms near you, you can sign up for both kickboxing and jiu-jitsu classes separately.
- Watch instructional videos if your options are limited. If you don't have a stand-up or grappling gym in your area, you can supplement some of your training with online instructional videos. Search online and find instructional videos made by professionals and watch them to fill the gaps in your training.[4]
- Nothing can beat in-person training.
- Call the gym and schedule your first class. Once you find the gyms in your area, you should call them and schedule your first class. Some gyms offer a trial class that's free of charge if it's your first time training.
- When you call you can say something like "Hello, I've never trained before but I wanted to register for my first class. When is the next introductory class and how much does it cost?"
- Get the gear you need for your first class. Typically you'll be expected to get your own mouth guard and cup. Other gyms will require you to buy a gi or other fighting gear. You should wear a regular T-shirt and gym shorts to most first classes, but make sure to ask the trainer to see if there's anything specific you need to wear.
- Other fighting gear includes gloves, hand wraps, shin guards and headgear.[5]
- If you don't have any gear, ask if they have equipment that you can borrow.
EditGoing to Your First Class - Be polite and humble. Everyone was a beginner at some point, so they understand what it's like to be new at MMA. The people at the gym are there to learn and become better fighters so don't act like a hotshot or you'll give off a bad first impression. Be nice to the people you meet, keep a positive attitude, and be receptive to advice.[6]
- Listen to all of the directions from your instructor. When you start training it's important that you follow all of the instructions given by your instructor. If you don't, you could injure yourself or someone else. Pay close attention to everything your instructor has to say and try to execute the moves exactly as you're taught.[7]
- Pace yourself. During your first couple of classes, you may feel like you have something to prove, but you don't. You might be tempted to go full intensity as soon as you hit the mat or ring, but this will just make you exhausted and unable to train further. Remember to breathe deeply and try to execute the moves and work on your technique rather than exhausting all of your energy.[8]
- Don't be too hard on yourself and stay positive. If you don't have experience with martial arts, it's possible that you'll be sparring against someone more experienced. Don't expect to be amazing at fighting if you've had no training. It will most likely take you a lot of hours and work training before you can compete in your gym. It's important to keep this in mind so that you don't get discouraged.
EditHoning Your Skills - Get the basics down first. To get better at MMA, you'll need to become proficient in basic strikes and grappling techniques. The basic punches include hooks, jabs, straights, and uppercuts. [9] You'll also want to learn basic push and roundhouse kicks. In grappling, you'll want to learn the different positions and how to do basic moves like armbars, triangle chokes, and the rear naked choke.[10] Practice mastering these basic techniques before advancing to more elaborate techniques.
- Go to class regularly. Going to class regularly will keep your skills sharp and can keep you in shape. Try not to take too much time off in between classes when you're starting off. Go to at least three classes per week and then pace yourself to see how many classes you feel comfortable going to each week.[11]
- Don't overtrain. While being sore is natural, you don't want to overdo it. When you get physically fatigued, overly sore, or injured, take time off from training and let your body recover. If you don't let your body recover from training, you can become weaker and less focused. Fatigue, weakness, decreased performance, and constant muscle soreness are signs of overtraining.[12]
- Spar with your classmates. Sparring is the portion of your training when you get to test your technique on a fellow classmate. Don't be scared to exchange punches and kicks with your classmate. When sparring, go in with an end goal in mind, like scoring a flush roundhouse kick or working to improve your distance making with your jab.[13]
- Work on perfecting the basics on a moving target, and remember to pace yourself.
- The goal of sparring is to perfect your technique, not to hurt your opponent.
- It's good manners to shake your opponent's hand before and after sparring.
- Sparring partners will often try to match your intensity, so expect to get what you give.
- Roll with your classmates. Rolling is when you practice your grappling techniques on a classmate without incorporating strikes. Grappling and wrestling can be grueling, and it takes a lot of endurance, so take your time and pace yourself. Practice getting out of tough situations, gaining superior positioning, and trying various submissions.[14]
- Work on your strength and conditioning. Even though training and practicing technique is essential, it's also important that you work to improve your strength and endurance. Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses combined with regular sprinting, jump rope, and stretching will make you stronger, quicker, and more flexible. Designate one or two days a week in your training to work on your strength and conditioning along with your technique training.[15]
- Sign up for amateur competitions. Make sure to check with the local governing body for fighting sports in your state before you sign up to compete so that you're aware of all rules and regulations. Typically when you're ready to fight, your gym or trainer will help you register for an organized competition. Talk to them and make a decision on which kind of competition or fight you want to compete in.[16]
- Maintain a healthy diet. Keep track of the things you're eating by writing down the different meals that you have throughout the day and counting your calorie and nutrient intake. You'll want to hydrate yourself and maintain a diet that's high in protein and carbohydrates. If you're training heavily, try to maintain a diet of of carbs and protein per pound that you weigh. Your diet should also contain plenty of omega-3 fats and traditional vitamins and minerals.[17]
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| How to Review a Journal Article Posted: 26 Aug 2017 09:00 AM PDT Whether you're publishing a journal article review or completing one for a class, your critique should be fair, thorough, and constructive. Skim the article to get a feel for its organization, read it multiple times, and jot down notes and comments during the process. Evaluate the text section by section, and assess how well each component fulfills its purpose. Come up with a thesis that concisely summarizes your evaluation, compose your review, and include specific examples that back up your claims. EditReading a Text Actively - Familiarize yourself with your publication's style guide. If you're publishing your review, check the journal's format and style guidelines first. Familiarizing yourself with the publication's standards will give you an idea of how to evaluate the article and structure your review.[1]
- Familiarizing yourself with format and style guidelines is especially important if you haven't published with that journal in the past. For example, a journal might require you to recommend an article for publication, meet a certain word count, or provide revisions that the authors should make.
- If you're reviewing a journal article for a school assignment, familiarize yourself the guidelines your instructor provided.
- Skim the article to get a feel for its organization. First, look through the journal article and try to trace its logic. Read the title, abstract, and headings to get a feel for how the article is organized. In this initial, quick skim, identify the question or problem that the article addresses.[2]
- Give the article a quick, once-over read. After a quick skim, read the article from beginning to end to develop an overall impression. At this stage, identify the article's thesis, or main argument, and highlight or underline where its stated in the introduction and conclusion.[3]
- Reread the article and take notes. After reading it in full, scrutinize the article section by section. You can print out a copy and write notes and comments in the margins. If you prefer working with a digital copy, write your notes and comments in a word document.[4]
- While giving the article a closer read, gauge whether and how well the article resolves its central problem. Ask yourself, "Is this investigation important, and does it uniquely contribute to its field?"
- At this stage, note any terminological inconsistencies, organizational problems, typos, and formatting issues.
EditEvaluating the Article - Decide how well the abstract and introduction map out the article. Examine the abstract and introduction in detail. Ask yourself the following:[5]
- How well does the abstract summarize the article, the problem it addresses, its techniques, results, and significance? For example, you might find that an abstract describes a pharmaceutical study's topic and skips to results without discussing the experiment's methods with much detail.
- Does the introduction map out the article's structure? Does it clearly lay out the groundwork? A good introduction gives you a clear idea of what to expect in the coming sections. It might state the problem and hypothesis, briefly describe the investigation's methods, then state whether the experiment proved or disproved the hypothesis.
- Evaluate the article's references and literature review. Most journal articles include a review of existing literature early on and, throughout, cite previous scholarly work. Determine if the sources it references are authoritative, how well its literature review summarizes sources, and whether the sources situate the article in a field of research or simply drop well-known names.[6]
- If necessary, spend some time perusing copies of the article's sources so you can better understand the topic's existing literature.
- A good literature review will say something like, "Smith and Jones, in their authoritative 2015 study, demonstrated that adult men and women responded favorably to the treatment. However, no research on the topic has examined the technique's effects and safety in children and adolescents, which is what we sought to explore in our current work."
- Examine the methods. Ask yourself, "Are these methods an appropriate, reasonable means of solving the problem?" Imagine other possible ways of setting up an experiment or structuring an investigation, and note any improvements the authors could have made.[7]
- For example, you might observe that subjects in medical study didn't accurately represent a diverse population.
- Assess how the article presents data and results. Decide whether tables, diagrams, legends, and other visual aids effectively organize information. Do the results and discussion sections clearly summarize and interpret the data? Are tables and figures purposeful or redundant?[8]
- For example, you might find that tables list too much undigested data that the authors don't adequately summarize within the text.
- Evaluate non-scientific evidence and analyses. For non-scientific articles, decide how well the article presents the evidence that supports its argument. Is the evidence relevant, and does the article convincingly analyze and interpret the evidence?[9]
- For example, if you're reviewing an art history article, decide whether it analyzes an artwork reasonably or simply leaps to conclusions. A reasonable analysis might argue, "The artist was a member of Rembrandt's workshop, which is evident in the painting's dramatic light and sensual texture."
- Assess the writing style. Even if it's meant for a specialized audience, an article's writing style should be clear, concise, and correct. Evaluate style by asking yourself the following:[10]
- Is the language clear and unambiguous, or does excessive jargon interfere with its ability to make an argument?
- Are there places that are too wordy? Can any ideas be stated in a simpler way?
- Are grammar, punctuation, and terminology correct?
EditWriting Your Review - Outline your review. Look over the notes you took in your section-by-section evaluation. Come up with a thesis, then outline how you intend to support your thesis in the body of your review. Include specific examples that reference the strengths and weaknesses that you noted in your evaluation.[11]
- Your thesis and evidence should be constructive and thoughtful. Point out both strengths and weaknesses, and propose alternative solutions instead of focusing only on weaknesses.[12]
- A good, constructive thesis would be, "The article demonstrates that the drug works better than a placebo in specific demographics, but future research that includes a more diverse subject sampling is necessary."
- Write your review's first draft. After forming a thesis and making an outline, you're ready to start composing your review. While the structure will depend on your publication's guidelines, you can typically follow these general guidelines:[13]
- The introduction summarizes the article and states your thesis.
- The body provides specific examples from the text that support your thesis.
- The conclusion summarizes your review, restates your thesis, and offers suggestion for future research.
- Revise your draft before submitting it. After writing your first draft, check for typos and make sure your grammar and punctuation are correct. Try to read your work as if you were someone else. Is your critique fair and balanced, and do the examples you included support your argument?[14]
- Make sure your writing is clear, concise, and logical. If you mention that an article is too verbose, your own writing shouldn't be full of unnecessarily complicated terms and sentences.
- If possible, have someone familiar with the topic read your draft and offer feedback.
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| How to Wear a Pocket Square Posted: 26 Aug 2017 01:00 AM PDT The pocket square has been a staple of men's fashion for hundreds of years. Wearing a pocket square correctly can make your business or formal attire more stylish and sophisticated—wearing one incorrectly can cheapen your whole look. Pulling off a pocket square is all about learning how to fold and style the accessory in a way that complements your outfit without becoming a chintzy distraction. EditChoosing a Pocket Square - Start out with a basic white pocket square. White is a good color to start with because it goes with just about everything. It's also less flashy, which can be helpful if you're attempting to ease into the look. From white, you can move onto other unobtrusive shades like light gray, powder blue and khaki before introducing wilder colors and patterns.[1]
- If you want to add some flair to a plain white pocket square, look for one with colored contrast stitching.
- You can model an ordinary handkerchief as a pocket square when you're first trying out the accessory.
- Move on to solid colors. Pick out a pocket square in a bold shade that clearly stands out from your shirt, tie or jacket. That way, you'll be able to make more of a statement, but do it subtly. Colorful squares have an eye-catching yet uniform look that won't distract from the rest of your attire.[2]
- Use a bright red or yellow square to offset a navy ensemble, or pair light colored summer suits with a pastel pocket square in robin's egg, pink or lavender.
- A pocket square should complement the color of your shirt and tie, but not match them exactly.[3]
- Create contrast with various patterns. On the more extravagant end of the spectrum, you have the option of wearing designs like stripes, polka dots or even vibrant floral prints. Patterns are popular among experienced pocket-square wearers because of their ability to instantly make an outfit look refined yet playful. They'll need to be matched to both the color and pattern of the suit and other accessories.[4]
- A paisley pocket square in may be just what you need to spruce up suits in muted hues like grays and browns.
- It's best to keep busier patterns to a minimum, as too much can easily begin to look kitschy.
- Try out different fabrics and materials. Because of their light weight, cottons, silks and linens are perfect for warmer months. In the winter, you might consider trading in your basic square for a heavier one made from wool or cashmere. Switch up your go-to fabric from time to time to lend a little versatility to your formal wardrobe.[5]
- Silk and satin squares have a luxurious look and feel that makes them suitable for virtually all climates and events.[6]
- Different materials will have different textures, which is worth keeping in mind when picking out a square to match your clothing.
EditStyling a Pocket Square - Match the color of your pocket square to your attire. Like other accessories, the color of your pocket square will contribute to the overall effect of your outfit. Pull together shades that blend naturally to the eye. Create depth by pairing a dark suit with a square in a lighter hue, or a muted ensemble with a bold or contrasting color.[7]
- Colors that are similar but not identical tend to clash, which can result in a disorganized look.
- It's a good idea to pick out your outfit first before deciding which tie, pocket square and other accessories will go with it best.
- Wear complementary patterns. If you're decked out in multiple patterns, it's a good idea to make sure that they're different enough to keep from being jarring. That way, the large, uniform pattern on your tie won't have to compete with the small, intricate one on your pocket square.Your safest bet is to go with a different design for each of your major accessories, or at the very least a different size or color scheme.[8]
- A gingham pocket square, for instance, will be a bit much set against a pinstriped suit, but will look right at home on a solid one with a lightly textured tie.
- Avoid matching your pocket square to your tie, or to the suit itself. If you're going to coordinate it with another article of clothing, it should be your shirt.[9]
- Choose a fold that's appropriate for the occasion. In general, you should go with a fold that you like and think looks good. However, there are times when one style or another will be preferable. Certain folds, like the three-point or crown fold, are better suited to formal settings. The square fold, basic double peak and other simple folds, on the other hand, are more versatile and can be worn to just about any event.[10]
- The fold you use should be dictated by the image your attire presents as well as where you'll be wearing it.[11]
- One important thing to keep in mind is that a fold that's too fancy can actually become a distraction.
EditFolding a Pocket Square - Create a quick pocket puff. Lay the pocket square flat and pinch the center of the fabric with your thumb and forefinger. Lift the square straight up, bunching the loose ends together with your other hand. Fold the ends over and insert the square into your pocket to leave about two inches of the rounded edge billowing out.[12]
- Don't worry if the pocket puff comes out looking a little loose. This is a casual fold, so it's not supposed to be perfect.
- Alternately, you can wear the puff inverted (sometimes referred to as a "crown fold") so that the corners of the loose ends poke out the top of your pocket.[13]
- Start with a simple square fold. Place the pocket square against a flat surface with the upper and lower edges level. Fold the square widthwise across the middle, then again lengthwise from the bottom, leaving only a thin strip exposed at the top. Slide the square into your breast pocket to complete the look.[14]
- The square fold is also sometimes known as the Presidential fold. It is generally thought to be the most professional way to wear a pocket square.
- A square fold will look best with pocket squares in solid colors, or those with neat, subdued patterns like stripes or dots.[15]
- Move on to a one-point fold. Set out the pocket square in a diamond shape. Fold it neatly in half from the bottom so that the top and bottom points are aligned. With the resulting triangle, fold the left and right points inward to the center to make the square small enough to slip into your jacket.[16]
- Double check that the folded points are perfectly centered—there should be no overlap whatsoever. Be careful not to be too rough with the square as you fit it into your pocket.
- The one-point fold is one of the quickest and easiest methods of wearing a pocket square. It's uncomplicated yet sleek enough to be worn in a business setting or for most formal events.[17]
- Form a two-point fold. Begin with the square lying flat in a diamond shape. Fold the bottom point up at a slight angle so that it ends up in line about an inch beside the top point. Crease both side points over and smooth the square before placing it in your pocket. You should end up with two identical peaks side by side.[18]
- This fold can be a bit tricky to get right. You may have to give it a couple test runs to achieve a neat, symmetrical outcome.
- It will be easier to form natural-looking folds that hold their shape with a soft, flowing fabric like silk.[19]
- Show off a three-point fold. Starting with the square in a diamond shape, fold the bottom point up and slightly over to one side so that it's positioned just next to the top point. Then, take hold of the squared point on the side you just folded and bring it across to the opposite side of the top point. Tuck the remaining side point behind the other folds and carefully fit the square into your suit pocket.[20]
- Folds with three or more points provide an air of suave sophistication that will turn heads at high-profile events.
- Solid colors and simple patterns tend to work best for multi-point folds. If you're not careful, a more complex pattern may clash with the intricate design of the fold.[21]
- The most important thing to remember about a pocket square is that it's an accessory. Like any other accessory, it should be used to bring your outfit together, not hijack it.
- A pocket square is an excellent way to inject a bit of personality into formal attire without making it too tacky.
- Almost any square piece of fabric can be used as a pocket square, as long as it's the right size to sit comfortably in your pocket without bunching or bulging.
- For black tie formal events, silk is the only acceptable way to go.
- Don't be shy about experimenting with different folds, fabrics and patterns until you find the one that suits your individual style.
- Iron your pocket square before wearing it to make sure the edges are clean, precise and stay neatly folded.
- Build a collection of different pocket squares so you'll always have one that goes with what you're wearing.
- Pocket squares should always be worn in the breast pocket of a tuxedo, suit jacket, or vest, never a dress shirt.
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