College Times

Media Credit: Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star

Here's the thing, I love mixed martial arts, like UFC but I don't like uncontrolled street fighting, war, or violence in general.

Before you throw accusations, understand, I'm not a hypocrite.

In my opinion there is a huge difference

between people in a fight on the street and two trained athletes fighting in a cage with professionals on hand.

People don't always understand this; my friends have teased me calling me things like a violent hippie! They're surprised that while I have a peaceful outlook on life, I just love MMA, and here's why.

Fighting is a complicated thing. It can be used for good or bad. I agree with the notion that the movie Fight Club suggests, asking what can you really know about yourself until you've been in a fight? I agree with that and if you've ever been in a fight, you'd understand too.

People have warped delusional ideas about who they are and this contributes to how they act in the world. People might think they're total badasses, so they might not take crap from anyone, which is fine if they're perception of themselves is accurate.

At the same time, there are plenty of people who think they're tougher than they are. I'm certainly not saying you're not tough if you don't fight, because I actually believe the contrary, but until you've been in a fight you really don't know yourself fully.

I love Fight Club because it shows the other side of fighting. It's not a bunch of bullies taking out unresolved aggression on undeserving victims, rather it focuses on human nature and this animal-like raw instinct that is in all of us to protect, defend, and feel alive. Fighting is kind of a metaphor for life and who we are: animals who want to be free.

MMA is also extremely interesting to me because it's fighting but it's not about violence. Some of these fighters are extremely talented and have great passion and respect for the sport, and the ancient practices they use. They're not going in the ring full of testosterone trying to be tough and get chicks.

Most of them are going in there to compete against fellow athletes whom they respect and to simply do their job. Of course there are douche bags that give the sport a bad name, like those morons's from Tapout, who in my opinion only further the stereotype that fighters are merely Neanderthals who just want to party, wear dumb, clothes, start trouble, and objectify girls, which in reality, thankfully, isn't the case at all.

In the real world, fighting is not the way to resolve things, and I hope people realize this. In a real life situation fighting doesn't achieve anything but get out aggression and further hate and negativity.

Uncontrolled fights at bars, house parties, school, etc, are scary for all people involved. It's a shame that people resort to violence, but also not surprising because emotions are a very hard thing to control.

The idea of fighting in MMA and the movie Fight Club don't involve emotions.
That's how you use fighting to evolve as a human being.

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