Local Area Gets A Taste Of Brazil And Thailand

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By Matthew Fowler

I’m not talking about caruru smothered in a red pepper curry and heavy cream sauce, though that does sound pretty tasty. No, the Brazilian-Thai fusion to which I am referring is far more potent – enough, in fact, to change the world of martial arts, and it’s right here in Severna Park.

The fusion to which we refer is a combination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai Boxing, and it’s not in any restaurant. It’s at Ivey League Mixed Martial Arts, right behind Severna Park Bowling Lanes on Route 2. Before we get to this modern synthesis, however, let’s take a few minutes to set the stage.

During the 1970s and 1980s martial arts films rose in cinematic prominence, especially the Hong Kong variety with such cult classics as “The Kid With The Golden Arm” and “The Five Deadly Venoms,” as well as major Hollywood productions such as “The Karate Kid.” These films gave the martial artist an almost mystical quality, depicting Asian men with flowing robes and able to leap two and three stories or withstand blows that would kill any average man. Even The Karate Kid turned waxing a car into a lethal punch with “Wax on, Wax off.”

Along with the popularity came places to learn martial arts in their various forms. Martial arts study and practice in America is big business. With that popularity and addition to Americana came some burning questions among practitioners and spectators alike: Which art is really real, truly combat oriented, or features weaker opponents defeating bigger, stronger opponents?

Now, let’s fast forward to 1993 and focus on a martial arts tournament called the Ultimate Fighting Championship, known today as the UFC. At the time it was decried as too brutal - even barbaric. Indeed, there were no weight classes, and few, if any, rules. To win, you either had to knock-out or submit your opponent. It garnered little attention initially, as few places would even sanction such a tournament, and many sports writers refused to call it a sport.

But the first few UFCs did one thing no other “civilized” fighting tournament attempted to do. It allowed contestants to use any fighting style they wished, and in so doing answered the questions:

1. What’s real? 2. What is best for combat? 3. What allows weaker opponents to defeat bigger, stronger opponents? The answer to these questions became known as Brazilian (Gracie) Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

This form effectively took the art of fighting to the ground. It is a style characterized by using leverage and proper technique to effect choke holds and joint locks on bigger, stronger opponents. Summarily, one can describe BJJ as ground/submission wrestling, though that’s perhaps an oversimplification. BJJ has become the “real” martial art for many.

Concurrently, for those same people, the UFC has become the “real” fighting sport as opposed to boxing or kickboxing. The UFC now has weight classes, time limits, judge’s - in addition to submission or knock-out victories - and a healthy set of rules to limit injuries. It has become more “civilized.”

Don’t get me wrong, at any UFC tournament you’ll see one man jump on another and punch him until that opponent gives up, is knocked-out, or a referee stops the contest. You may also see a broken joint resulting from a submission hold or someone passed out because he refused to submit to a choke hold. The UFC, however, no longer looks like a bar fight; it’s a sport whose day has come.

Yup, Severna Park has its own international fusion cuisine, but the main ingredient isn’t meat, vegetables, or starch; it’s a reality-based self defense. The main chef isn’t a Culinary Institute of America graduate either; he’s been fighting and winning in the world arena for 20 years. The location isn’t a pseudo Euro style bistro; it’s Ivey League Mixed Martial Arts at 836 Ritchie Highway, Suite 5. You can reach them at 443-527-8958.

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