Fighting misconceptions

The San Antonio Muay Thai Vale Tudo Academy is divided by three fighting mats where eight people practice martial arts in rhythm with background music by rappers 50 Cent and Eminem.

One ring without ropes and two fighting mats, red and blue, are reflected in a mirrored wall. Twelve Bruce Lee posters hang along with posters of other Muay Thai fighters.

The ropeless ring represents a collision area where two people practice as one holds punching pads and the other throws punches.

The puncher strikes, rapid lefts and rights in a one-two rhythm at a sparring partner.

After hard punching practice, it is grappling time. Fighters kneel facing each other for a kind of handshake, more like a low five as if demonstrating camaraderie.

For the next seven minutes, the fighters take turns attacking as the opponent waits to defend.

This is the scenario for the practice of "vale tudo," Portuguese for "anything goes."

The Alamo Jujitsu Web site reads, "Brazilian jujitsu is primarily a ground-fighting art. Most techniques involve both fighters on the mat. There is a heavy emphasis on positional strategy, which is about which fighter is on top, and where each person's legs are. Positions are stable situations, from which a large variety of techniques are available to both fighters."

The mixed martial art has applicable techniques, nursing sophomore Travis Lamb, 26, said in an interview. "Theory can be applied and proven to work in combat."

Lamb has practiced this new type of sport since 1998 after he graduated from Alamo Heights High School. Lamb said he got interested once he saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship. According to the championship's Web site, UFC is a tournament in which fighters apply intense and evolving mixed martial arts in combat sport.

Competitors use interdisciplinary forms, including jujitsu, judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing and wrestling, to their strategic and tactical advantage in a supervised match.

Lamb started practicing vale tudo moves on friends after becoming attracted to the UFC.

Other influences were the Bruce Lee books his father had around the house and the martial arts movies he enjoys.

Lamb said he once saw a friend wearing a black T-shirt with white and green words reading "Vale tudo, Brazilian jujitsu," which immediately caught his attention.

Japanese jujitsu includes a lot of theory, and some of it works, Lamb said. "Brazilian jujitsu is college wrestling with a twist."

In wrestling, the fighter must subdue an opponent by pinning the back, Lamb explained. In Brazilian jujitsu, the fighter must subdue an opponent by assuming a dominant position by not letting the opponent up or making him tap out. "The idea is being able to use technique to beat somebody," Lamb added. "I've always hated the misconception 'bigger is better,'" adding he likes to subdue people he considers tougher than he is.

Another misconception Lamb disagrees with is people picturing vale tudo as brutal and violent. Lamb said vale tudo is a calculative sport in which different techniques can by applied to subdue an opponent. Despite the aggression people may see in fighters, Lamb said, "I've never been in a fight. I always talk myself out of it."

He does not like fighting out of aggression or emotion, Lamb said. "I like the sport, not fighting for a sport."

Despite the opportunity for fighters to apply various fighting styles, Lamb said some fighters only apply one technique. "Some fighters don't like cross-training."

A blend of mixed martial arts or vale tudo is more effective, he said. "I favor practicing wrestling and jujitsu because it's more of a peaceful art. You don't have to hit the guy; you can subdue him, instead of beating the s**t out of him."

Despite the brutality vale tudo may exhibit, it does include rules. Prohibited moves include downward hitting with an elbow, elbow hitting on the spine or neck, eye poking, biting, small joint manipulations, scratching, intentional hits to the groin, knees to the head of a downed opponent and head butting or kicking a downed opponent.

Lamb has fought four times and remains undefeated with two victories each in professional and amateur events. "I've been lucky so far not to get knocked down," Lamb said.

His last fight was associated with Team Voodoo from New Orleans and San Antonio Muay Thai Vale Tudo Academy. He has fought twice in a show, Reality Combat, in Biloxi, Miss.

Lamb still recalls the fight in the Imperial Palace Casino a week before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. "I felt like I was a movie star," Lamb recalled as he recalled the cheering crowd. "It's fun to hear people shouting."

Another benefit of fighting is the money. The promoters pay for hotel and traveling expenses, such as gas money or airplane tickets, Lamb explained. The winner of the fight receives a prize ranging from $800 to $1,000; the loser receives $500. This helped Lamb pay for last semester's tuition.

During Lamb's last fight, he was victorious, and in addition, he won the friendship of his antagonist's trainer, Kyle Cress. Cress, who runs Team Voodoo, moved to San Antonio, and Lamb began training with him.

Lamb said he likes competition, but great fighting requires hard training. Lamb trains in Brazilian jujitsu at the Power Team Dojo from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

He trains in submissions for two hours Wednesday and Saturday at San Antonio Muay Thai Vale Tudo Academy. Lamb said sometimes the intense training provokes him to skip a day.