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This is the third week esrblog and I have been back in martial arts training. This time, we're studying what they call "MMA" or mixed martial arts, which combines Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques with ordinary kicking and punching.

The fun thing is that no two classes are alike. That's partly because our school is very small (there probably aren't more than about 8 MMA students other than us, and not all of them come to every class we attend), but it's also due to the philosophy behind the style--learning how to combine techniques that will help you if you end up on the ground, instead of sticking to stuff you do while on your feet.

Tonight, we practiced some boxing (yes, boxing) punching drills, did some elementary Thai kickboxing drills, and finished up by practising a floor technique called an arm bar. Actually, the very last thing we did was writhe down the length of the mat (about 20 feet) and back, using a technique our instructor called the "shrimp", which is useful for sliding out of a wrestling hold. You place one foot flat on the floor, knee bent, with the foot as close to your buttocks as possible, and use it to push the hip on that side outward and away. Done without a partner, the motion looks a bit like the way shrimp move when they swim, hence the name.

I can just tell I'll be stiff tomorrow, but it will be worth it as I toughen myself up and increase my overall strength. My new battle cry is "I are a happy shrimp!"