DU Hockey Turns To Mixed Martial Arts Workouts

(left) DU Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Mike Sanders is bringing Mixed Martial Arts to the DU hockey program

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers


Mixed martial arts (MMA) is the general term to describe what goes on at Ultimate Fighting Championship, Strikeforce and Affliction events across the country. And it's also been introduced to the University of Denver hockey team by strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Sanders.

In what could be coined the newest complete workout, MMA is the convergence of wrestling (conventional and submission), boxing, kick-boxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu, among other combat disciplines.

The full-contact sport of UFC and the other sanctioning bodies features striking techniques (kicks, knees and punches) and wrestling (clinch holds, pinning, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws). It is gaining popularity behind impressive event attendance and national television exposure, and is admired by fitness buffs like Sanders.

The growth of professional MMA "has been amazing; it's just blown up over the past three, four years," said Alicia Gumm, co-owner of the Gumm MMA and Brazilian jiu jitsu training facility in Denver. "This isn't a hard-core underground sport anymore."

Gumm, wife of former UFC fighter Brad Gumm, said her gym has about 120 students, including Sanders, and 11 professional MMA fighters.

"The average person is not going to come in and be an MMA fighter," Gumm said. "Most of our students come in to get the best form of self-defense."

Sanders has been using MMA training at DU. He says the speed and power of MMA workouts translates well to hockey players.

"It's a full body-type workout, so the body is going through a bunch of different muscular contractions that will help our players on the ice," Sanders said. "Secondly, it trains anaerobic endurance, and hockey is an anaerobic endurance sport. It also teaches them better hand-eye coordination."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Something like this may help your panzies.

Anonymous said...

obvious troll is obvious

Anonymous said...

you know they did the same thing for the lacrosse team and it didnt work out so well...too soon?

dggoddard said...

Ouch. :-)

Anonymous said...

Gwoz is finally wising up. Your team got bullied around all last year by teams that were much more physical. However, you dont make players more physical, you recruit players that have that mentality. Gwoz had better change his recruiting patterns, the wcha is where real man play, not the skill panzies that DU is known for recruiting. Oh, I guess you did have a goon or two in the past..ie, Punk-o-bitch, I mean Paukovich.