Friday, February 28, 2014

Into the Tigers' Den: A Tour of TSMMA's Manhattan School

NEW YORK


The path Northeast MMA has taken since the late 90s is a winding one, with each curve and bend in the road shaping fighters and gyms alike. Where once there were boutique schools teaching jiu-jitsu on matted basement floors, there are now great windowed storefronts revealing a sea of white and blue kimonos. Tae Kwon Do schools have half-cages set up. And in academies where a cotton gi was the standard uniform, now it's all about fight shorts and rashguards. This is evolution in action, a kind of trickle-down economics in which the UFC sets the pace and tone and everyone in the industry below adapts or dies.

But evolution is a reactionary thing, and some are much faster in reacting than others. For those who saw the writing on the wall the minute Royce Gracie choked out Ken Shamrock, change was just the acceptance of what would soon be the new reality of martial arts - and the teaching of martial arts.

That's where the Tiger Schulmann Mixed Martial Arts organization comes in.

Association of Boxing Commission's Won't Ban TRT/TUEs... Yet

TRT


The Association of Boxing Commissions is pretty much what it sounds like - a group of representatives from a multitude of boxing- and athletic commissions throughout the country who oversee combat sports. In their role as "big issue think tank", they've addressed possible changes to the Unified Rules, as well as reached out to government entities to alert them of potential problems with their oversight (or lack thereof) of particular aspects of mixed martial arts.

So what's their take on Nevada's banning of TRT/TUEs? Well, they're going to look into the matter further, but as of right now, they're sticking to their policy of strict exemption standards. Here's ABC president Tim Luekenhoff's official response:

The NJSACB's Response to Nevada's TRT/TUE Ban

NEW JERSEY



Earlier today the Nevada State Athletic Commission took the unprecedented step of banning all testosterone usage exemptions, thereby slaying the dragon of sanctioned TRT for MMA fighters seeking licenses in that state. Since New Jersey has long been considered to be one of the top jurisdictions in the nation when it comes to regulatory oversight of the sport, The MMA Journalist reached out to Nick Lembo of the NJSACB to see where the Garden State now stands in light of these recent dramatic developments.

Mr. Lembo's response: