Use Takedown!

In the world of MMA or Mixed Martial Arts, the cage is unique. The regular octagon surrounded by rubber coated steel chain link fence is a formidable arena to stand in. However, several things make it unique, as I discovered watching the show "Fight Science." It's surface area makes it wide and open, but with no real corners, fighters cannot get, well, cornered. But what's really interesting is the fence. Because its chain linked, this allows it to bend and absorb energy. A fighter can ram his opponent into the fence and it will bend, sometimes up to 12 inches! But the thing that makes the cage so tactical is its ability to be used in offense or defense. When a fighter backs up against the fence, he's actually taking advantage of the rebound from the fence. If his opponent hits him, the force his transferred into the gate, but gets rebounded back out. A skilled fighter can use this energy and throw it back at his opponent, magnifying the force of his strike. However, going back to the ram, a fighter can also use this rebound to pull off an impressive take down. When both fighters lock get pushed into the fence, the force of the pair gets shot back out. The fighter nearer to the center can then crouch down and force the other fighter up. Then he twists and falls ontop of his opponent, slamming the opponent's back into the ground. Altogether, the combined weight of the pair, the rebound energy, and the surface area can create an impact of almost 2,400 lbs.! More than a ton!