From the beginning, there was going to be some establishment resistance to mixed martial arts. The sport, with its absence of structured rules, did not fit into the regulations that were laid out by the athletic commissions across the country. In fact, most of the regulatory people didnt understand it, and therefore had no idea how to classify it. It certainly wasnt boxing, which used hands only, or kick boxing, which allowed for kicks and which was sanctioned in some states. And it most definitely was not a “worked” sport like professional wrestling, which also fell under the jurisdiction of some of the athletic commissions.

Plus, there was not really enough mixed martial arts activity going on for the states to take the time out to draft rules and regulations for it. If there was the possibility of only a couple of events per year, why would they go through the process of engaging commission attorneys to draw up a new set of rules, or approach the state legislature with a bill to be passed, in order to accommodate it?

Besides, there was a growing – and influential – constituency of people who looked upon mixed martial arts as “barbarism” and “bloodsport.” Many of these people used an expression that became a standard for cheap shots as time progressed – “human cock fighting.”

When you have pervading mainstream attitudes like this, the atmosphere is ripe for political opportunity. And sure enough, out of the rubble emerged one of the great political opportunists of recent years.

John McCain, a United States Senator from Arizona, had gotten a lot of mileage out of his five-year internment in a Vietnamese prisoner of war (POW) camp; rather than the more realistic portrayal of him as a pure victim, the slick public relations machine he had cultivated was able to spin him into a full-blown hero. More often than not, McCain was successful in co-opting the press in what was a somewhat blind pursuit of political glory. His critics opined that he never met a camera he didnt like or headline-grabbing issue he was not willing to sell himself out to. But he had a following, particularly among the media, that was willing to ignore the fact that despite his public stance for campaign finance reform, McCain was one of the great abusers of the process; in fact, he was one of the disgraced members of the “Keating Five,” which doled out political influence in exchange for hefty contributions and financial favors.

Though he had been labeled a “maverick” by most of the press corps, McCain was hardly that; rather, he was he was a very calculating political animal who often saw which way the wind was blowing and hurled himself – with sycophantic media grasping on to his boots – in that direction.

McCain purported to be a lifelong boxing fan, and claimed to be a boxer of some note at the Naval Academy, where he gained admission as a “legacy” (his father was an alumnus) and graduated near the bottom of his class. He favored legislation to bring about some federal control of boxing and would later spearhead efforts to pass more extensive bills in that quest. He was quite fond of accepting free tickets from the very promoters his legislation would have regulatory authority over. Coincidentally, these gifts and gratuities often landed him ringside, right in camera view, during an HBO or Showtime telecast.

How soon things change. It seems like yesterday we were talking about how fast the fan base for Nascar was growing. Some people even foolishly talked about it possible taking over the NFL in popularity someday. Nascar’s growth and fan base has since taken a hit, most likely due to the recent economy problems over the last couple of years. That said, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA is the new reigning “worlds fastest growing sport” as we enter 2010, and looks to be for the foreseeable future.

Don’t get me wrong, the NFL is still the 800 pound gorilla when it comes to total fan base and world popularity, but MMA has shown substantial growth over the last decade, and even faster over the last 5 years. No growth like this ever lasts forever, but it’s hard to say how long it could last for MMA, given the momentum the sport has, and more specifically, the UFC or Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC is currently MMA’s biggest promotion, and therefore has the world’s best stable of fighter’s. The UFC has also become the new darling of Las Vegas much to the chagrin of the powers that be in the boxing world. But instead of being bitter, the sport of boxing needs to take a look at why that is. For one, you can’t get any big fights for free anymore when it comes to boxing. The UFC on the other hand, air’s free broadcast’s labled “UFC Fight Night” on Spike ever couple of months at least, and usually more than that. And these are normally big main events that the hardcore fans want to see, not fighters that nobody knows.

And more recent, news of StrikeForce’s signing of the worlds best fighter Fedor Emelianenko shook the MMA world, and now Fedor will hope to become a household name by way of free network broadcasting of the sport’s most popular fighter in a contract with CBS.

The key to enjoying the excitement of the sport though, is to understand all the different aspects of the sport, and to recognize the transitions that you see throughout a typical fight. The least understood of these being the “ground game”. To the casual observer, this might seem boring compared to striking (the term used in MMA referring to the stand up phase of a fight). And sometimes it is with average talent. But when you have two world class grappler’s going at it, its the most exciting part of a fight in my opinion.

What a new fan should watch for on the ground is the use of “the guard”, and the escape from this position for the other fighter, also known as “passing the guard.” The guard position consists of the fighter on bottom to control his/her opponent by wrapping his/her legs around the waist of the fighter on top while controlling the head, keeping him/her off balance, making it easier to sweep or submit the other. Normally the fighter on top or “in the guard” will try to get his/her legs around the leg’s of the opponent, or to “ground and pound” the other fighter with strikes from the top position. There are usually no submissions from inside the guard.

It’s impossible to cover all the nuances of the sport in this article, but once the more common ideas of the grappling part of MMA is understood by new and non fans, the more enjoyment will come out of watching great fights and understanding how technical these fighters are, not to mention the level of conditioning that it takes to compete in this sport. Most think it rivals that of their counterparts in the NFL, or any other sport for that matter. So the next time you are around a new fan, take a minute to explain the fastest growing sport in the world. See you at the fights!

With today’s technological advances, recording arts provides a variety of positions for career opportunities. Most people associate recording arts with the music industry, but it also includes working in sound for film, music and television. The sound technology is used to enhance the visual storytelling in these mediums.

There are a variety of career paths available if you decide to pursue a career in the recording arts. Attending a college or university to seek a well-rounded picture of the opportunities available is a good idea. There are many colleges out there that offer degree programs specializing in this area.

In lower level classes, you may gain hands on experience by learning to play the keyboard. You will probably also take a course or two that focuses on the basics of music theory. You will learn how music has made an impact on our world over the course of the years.

Many of the higher level courses give more technical knowledge. You can study the science of how sound behaves. You also might learn about the art of reproduction and modification. The techniques you learn can be applied to careers in the movie and television production industry. They can also be used if you desire to pursue a career in the music recording arena.

You have several different career choices when you obtain a recording arts degree. A music producer is one of the most common that comes to mind. But keep in mind that you are just restricted to the music industry. There are many technical jobs that are required in film and television production.

You will find the need for Post Production Engineers in the music industry, but they can also be involved in the technology used to combine the sounds found in a television program or motion picture. This type of position requires and understanding of the various technologies used, but also leaves way for creativity.

Once you’ve spent years mastering your craft, you might aspire to become a Master Engineer. In this position, you would be responsible for taking the final mix provided by the Mix Engineer and analyze it for consistency throughout the entire album, or the production. Although there is equipment available that claims to accomplish this task, they can never replace the experienced ear of a real live Master Engineer.

No matter what your aspirations are in the recording arts industry, it will require at minimum some technical training. As with most careers, you will get your start in an entry level position. With perseverance, hard work, and determination you can advance through the ranks to someday visualize your dreams