XMA (Xtreme Martial Arts) is the transition of martial arts from the traditional towards the contemporary. Having evolved from an ancient form of self-defense, the modern martial arts movement is now more about sports and entertainment, though still remaining true to its time-honored principles of power, grace, discipline, concentration and respect. XMA is a mixture of virtually every martial arts style blended together with high-flying acrobatics and gymnastics and the hottest Hong Kong “Chop-Saki” action. “Sport Karate” is the name this form of mixed martial arts has acquired over the past 20 years, yet it hardly begins to describe what has become a movement in the martial arts world. Its evolution occurred at the grass-roots level and its potential in today’s modern market has yet to be tapped. Much like the skateboarding industry before the explosion of Vans, Airwalk and Tony Hawk, the martial arts industry is undergoing a transformation of its own called-Xtreme Martial Arts.
Martial Arts has entered the mainstream and is among the world’s most popular sports. There is an estimated 20 million practicing martial artists in the U.S. and millions more who are exposed to martial arts everyday through print ads, commercials, television, film and the Internet. More children study martial arts in the U.S. than participate in Little League. Martial arts sequences in action movies and TV shows such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Mortal Kombat, The Matrix and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have universal appeal. Additionally, as evidenced by television ratings, martial arts programming continues to out-perform comparative programming.
However, while martial artists can practice “Sport Karate,” buy equipment and watch it in the movies, there is no formal training system in place to enable existing practitioners and newcomers to hone techniques and develop new skills. There is no single martial arts style or brand name that is associated with the sport. The movement is taking place but has gone unlabeled and remains virtually untapped … until now.
