It is four o’clock in the morning on a weekday. While everyone else in the house is sound asleep, you have already begun to make your oatmeal, which you are heavily sick of but it was either that or a half dozen raw eggs…yuck…

It is now time for your morning exercise routine, which is rather moderate compared to your afternoon agenda: six-mile jog, vital morning stretches and packing a bag of everything you will need for when you workout at the actual gym.

For Cody Pixius, senior at Fremd High School, a morning like that is customary. Pixius practices mixed martial arts (MMA).

“Once I’m comfortable with a routine, I’m practically a robot,” said Pixius. “It is crucial that I eat, sleep and exercise right when I’m training for a fight.”

Because high school MMA fighters tend to be amateurs, they need to get plenty of rest and a healthy amount of exercise. “My coach always tells me that if I want to work with the pros I have to train like the pros,” said Pixius. “If that entails eating a kale salad and sacrificing a few extra hours of homework to be at the gym, oh well.”

It is not just seniors like Pixius that invest hours into the prerequisites of wrestling, Abdullah Razzak, HEHS junior, has been in training for months to prepare for a fight that takes place next June.

“I’ve been captivated by the art of wrestling and MMA fighting for as long as I can remember,” said Razzak. “Sure, the conditioning and dieting is tough and is very mentally and physically challenging, but there’s just something about when you’re in the arena that makes it all worth it.”

Beyond all of the training and preparation to prepare for an MMA fight, there is a physical science behind it all. Daniel Salani, a junior at Fremd, explains some of the different techniques to MMA and helps to explain the craft of MMA fighting.

“There are two distinct facets of MMA. The first is stand up. Stand up requires training in boxing and/or kickboxing,” said Salani. “The second facet is a ground game. This can be achieved through Ju Jitsu or, of course, wrestling.

There are additional fighting styles, but those two are the most commonly used among professional MMA fighters. It’s important to keep in mind last week’s Physics lesson before entering a fight, Force = Mass x Acceleration (to hit harder, you have to move faster or gain weight),” he added.

With all of the complexities that go into MMA as well as the preparation and training, some can be discouraged to join the sport. But with a little dedication and passion for such a powerful and unique sport, anyone can become an MMA fighter.