Prize fighter

[Terra]

This might be another of my 'get money for SRS quick' schemes, but its crazy enough to work. Or it could get me killed, either way.

In this state there are mixed martial arts competitions. They have prizes from the $200-$400 all the way up to the $3000-$5000 range. The latter being like once a month I hear. I'm 6'4", weigh in at 230 when in shape, and have a good solid build if a little feminine from the HRT for the last 4 years. I'd give myself 2 months at least to finish school and get back in shape before trying it, but I figure its worth a try.

Downside is that being pre-op i'd most likely have to fight in men's divisions, which would put me at a disadvantage for strength. But then again it could be a bit of a psych-out to have what looks like a woman fighting you. Not to mention a great way to vent all that rage that has been building up all these years in a constructive way.

I might be crazy for thinking this, but a former girlfriend of mine showed me a few years back of a prizefighter who was MTF and winning major competitions. I think it was in China or Korea. Anyone have any advice or comments on this?

[placeholdername]

I mean, if you're good, go for it?  But keep in mind, you don't become a fighter without getting scarred one way or another.

[Terra]

I don't know if i'm good, i'll find that out when I hopefully start training in a few weeks. But If I can do this, well i've always wanted to fight so why not try? Who knows, maybe I have a future in it.

I'm guessing there aren't to many others here that have done this?

[tekla]

I've never done prize fighting, but I've worked in bars and clubs for 40 years now, and I've been a part of many fights, and seen many more.

1. It's going to take you more than 'a few weeks' unless all you want is to have someone who knows what they are doing mop the floor with you.  That whole TV/Movie deal, of the knock-down, dragout fight is pretty much BS.  I bet 80% of the fights I've seen last all of one punch.  If you can get the jump off on a human and land it right - boom, boom, out go the lights.  It takes years of hard core conditioning to be able to take a punch or kick, and even then...

2. When my mom finally got tired of me getting beat up every week she enrolled me in judo.  That was 7th Grade.  I did it for two years, then we moved and I took up Temple Boxing which I did for 15 years.  I can guarantee you that there is no knowledge on earth that you pay for in the way you pay for learning how to fight.  You learn to do that, by doing it - there is no other way.  And the only way to learn to fight, is to fight.  And between the beginner and the master is a lifetimes worth of pain.  In order to block a full speed punch, they have to try to hit you at full speed - and no one (other than Master Chu) blocks each and every punch, and if you are with people who know what they are doing, it's really going to hurt like hell.

3. I'm not sure about where you live, but out here 'mixed martial arts' is pretty much a cage match about one step shy of the Amphitheatrum Flavium level of violence.

4. Usually the person who is working out the rage loses.  Prize fighting is a strategic sport and rage diminishes your ability to plan and execute strategy.

5. Bet me those MtF fighters (and I'll bet they are from Thailand) have been studying for decades.  The person they made the movie out of started doing kickboxing prize fights when they were 12 and spend their teenage years in a monastery studying martial arts, a level of training and commitment that people in the West can not even conceive of.

Here, watch this.  I'm most fond of the part where the girl who was yelling 'beat his white ass' starts to freak out when mister thug gets his ass handed to him.

[Terra]

1. It's going to take you more than 'a few weeks' unless all you want is to have someone who knows what they are doing mop the floor with you.  That whole TV/Movie deal, of the knock-down, dragout fight is pretty much BS.  I bet 80% of the fights I've seen last all of one punch.  If you can get the jump off on a human and land it right - boom, boom, out go the lights.  It takes years of hard core conditioning to be able to take a punch or kick, and even then...

I know its going to take a while to really learn to fight. But I also have been told by those who do fight for a living that I could potentially do it. *shrugs* If I did actually go to a tourny it would be the small game first, then maybe the bigger game later.

4. Usually the person who is working out the rage loses.  Prize fighting is a strategic sport and rage diminishes your ability to plan and execute strategy.

Normally you would be right, but rage that is focused gives you more strength. You can use rage to hit harder and faster as long as you don't let it consume you. At least that is what, again, i've been told.

I plan to find out more from the local dojo monday. For all I know I can't fight because of my 'status'. But all I was trying to do is find out if anyone had ever tried this before, not make some big boast as to how tough I am. I figure that if I am so big, I might as well try to use it to my advantage somehow, and this popped into my head.

I'm trying to get $25,000+ by the time i'm 30 to get SRS. I'd prefer to do it before then.

[PanoramaIsland]

All I can say is, that's a really intense road to take. Best of luck to you on it.
Also, Tekla - instant Internet Points for bringing Epic Beard Man into this!

[tekla]

Don't get me wrong.  I think everyone ought to know how to fight.  If everyone knew how to fight the world would be a lot better place for several reasons.  But prize fighting, well, it all depends on the draw.  Depends on who knows what how.  I've seen more than one "I've got a black belt" idiot get their ass handed to them by someone who learned to fight on the street where there are no rules and it was a matter of survival to learn that stuff. 

So much of martial arts is done in a formal manner.  It's done for toning, for conditioning, and yeah, some self-defense (but what you really learn about self-defense is not fighting).  It's a recreational sport activity.  And, such places are ligit, they are above board, they have insurance and all that.  There is a lot of stuff they don't teach, and that they don't practice because its stuff that gets people killed or seriously hurt.

There are other dojos (perhaps not where you live, but for sure around here) that are no more than storefront training schools for thugs.  Learning to really fight, like not moves, but a hail of ultra violence on a whole different level.  They learn the stuff that hurts and kills, the weak points - like, you know a knee only bends in one direction, and if you kick it in any of the three other directions it's going to cripple the person.  And, people are all into protecting their face and body, how many people practice protecting their knee? And the people who know and learn that stuff, are people who are used to using casual violence as the basic means of getting what they want.  Granted they might use that prize money for hookers and blow - still, it's hookers and blow for them, and nothing for you.  They like those odds.

Then there are guys like my brother.  He never took a fighting lesson in his life.  But he did spend 10 years straight in San Quentin the hard way (among other fine state institutions) and you don't ever, ever want to fight him.  He'll just kill you.  To him fighting is not a sport, or an activity, its what you do to prevent rape and to prevent people from killing you.  He's currently out of work.  Perhaps he needs that money.

[BunnyBee]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0325_040325_TVthirdsex.html

I've been in exactly zero fights in my life, so don't ask me .  I really loved the movie that they made about this girl, though.