Classes have again been getting bigger and bigger. As more and more new people sing up the "Fundamentals" class gets full to bursting. So everything is rocking along nicely.

Last month we started our second night of MMA. For those of you who don't know, the MMA class was becoming very popular after Alex and Phil's victories at the "King of the Kiwi Ring" fight night in Tauranga. So I decided to add an extra night to allow for the growth of the class. Unfortunately the numbers haven't grown as I expected and also I really don't enjoy the MMA anywhere near as much as the BJJ.

I think it stems back to the same problem I had with the other Martial Arts I used to do. During training there was no real way of letting your opponent know when they were beaten! Other than smashing them into submission, people would just keep on fighting even though you got several really good shots through their defence.

MMA is the same in training, unless you're going 100% every class then the training has a unreal or unrealistic feel to it and I hate it. It really doesn't make sense to go 100% all the time, as the injury and recovery rate would be devastating. But anything else just feels wrong.

So there are a few issues that need to be resolved if this class is to survive. Without doubt MMA is needed, it's wanted and we have the resources and facility so everything just needs to be ironed out and put into place for it to succeed.

As the club grows so does the need, and opportunity to do extra training. Some of you are using the MVD during the day and that is great, but you need to realise that the facility is run as a business and Jill and Chris need to find the money to cover all the costs of running such a fantastic facility. So please bare that in mind as you head down to train during the day.

I would also like to bring to your attention the Mats at the MVD are owned by the Budokan Judo club. I know that we look after the mats and we really appreciate them but apparently the Judo club is concerned that we may be destroying them some how.

Please take care on the mats, if you see any damage or blood or anything that looks to be wearing out, take the time to fix it or bring it to the attention of someone who can. The Mats are fantastic and I don't want the Judo crew getting a bee in their bonnet with us for nothing. We have our own mats that can easily fill the space but for Jill and Chris's sake the Judo club contribute to the viability of the club.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. Please if you have a few spare minutes click the links to the right and check out some of the other Blogs:

• Particularly John Will's Blog as there is some gold there.
• Ko also has a blog and although it appears to be in a foreign language he has assured me it's not.
• The Firesprite is one of my students and her blog is always entertaining and she, unlike the rest of us, has the time and inclination to update it regularly.
• Jill from MVD has her own blog covering the goings on at the Kyokushin Classes.
• Melissa has some of her fantastic art for everyone to see on her blog.
• Chris, another one of the students has a very cool blog. Like Ko's it appears to be in a foreign language, but he has a Martial Arts section that’s in English and always full of different perspectives on all things martial.
• John 'The Rev' Jensen is a crusading Reverend and MMA fighter. Perhaps the most unlikely combination I've ever heard of. His blog is mostly religious but full of good reading.
• Dan, another of our students has shot off around the world and blogged about it for those of us who like to live our live vicariously through other people. Lots of pictures and lots of very interesting places in our world.
  

That's all for now. See you on the mat!