The fight is on

Seventeen-year-old Lucas Estrella has always been athletic, but now he is taking his talents and abilities and utilizing them inside the ring.With the popularity of competitive fighting sports such as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) increasing, Roseville has seen a trend of upward interest in many disciplines, such as mixed martial arts (MMA), karate, boxing, and kickboxing. While Estrella already holds a first-degree black belt in tae kwan do, Don Rey, 42, is just beginning to scratch the surface of martial arts, motivated by a desire to learn self defense. Their classmate, Victor Vasquez, 35, is getting back into martial arts after a break from studying kempo karate, as a way to get in shape. The latest gym to open, the Ultimate Training Center, began doing business on Aug. 2 in Roseville, signing more than 60 people in six days. "MMA is not a fad, it's more of an evolution," said James Irvin, one of the three owners of the Ultimate Training center, along with fellow UFC fighter Scott Smith, and independent fighter Billy Miles. MMA as an "evolution" comes from its origins as a combination of already existing martial arts such as muoy thai and kickboxing. However, some recommend that it is best to build a foundation in a single martial art before learning MMA, which may explain the apparent increase in patronage of more traditional fighting systems. Some things stay the same, and fighting does have its consequences. "Boxing gyms aren't full. Kickboxing gyms aren't full, because people realize that when you get hit, it hurts." Said Dave Marinoble, owner of Marinoble's Martial Arts Center. As for the popularity, Marinoble says that the fad will "fizzle out" at some point and only the serious fighters will remain. That hasn't deterred Mike Laughlin, 51, who has been practicing and training in boxing at Niavaroni's Kickboxing inc. for the past 11 years. Laughlin cites having a positive attitude towards training as being important. "If you're going to be a jerk, you just won't last." Marinoble is displeased with the apparent lack of concern for etiquette, saying that MMA neglects the polite roots and discipline of other martial arts, that there is rarely a handshake after fights and the sport is "too much into the domination." Sportsmanship is key, but some feel that the respect towards one's opponent has gone by the wayside with interest in fighting becoming like that of popular sports, such as basketball, and not a discipline, like karate. The history of hand-to-hand combat can be traced back to the beginning of recorded history. An amateur, Laughlin added that "everyone likes to feel that they can defend themselves."