Here's a very interesting first person account by Toronto writer and filmmaker, Josh Levy, from a gay man's perspective, about training for mixed martial arts fighting.

Josh Levy writes: 

I love to watch mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting and I'm hooked on The Ultimate Fighter. But I want to do more than just lust after the fighters on TV. Am I tough enough to actually participate in MMA? Can I walk into a room full of aggressive 20-year-old straight boys and throw down with them? Can I fight another man? Thinking about it makes my balls tighten. That's how I know I have to do it. 

MMA demands that fighters master both stand-up striking and ground-level grappling. I will be training in the art of Muay Thai kickboxing for my stand-up game and Brazilian jujitsu for my ground game. The jujitsu doesn't scare me; I'm pretty comfortable rolling around on the ground with boys. But I am terrified of striking. I've never thrown a punch in my life and, until now, I've generally avoided situations in which I might get punched in the face. 

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