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Askren hopes to go into MMA

The sophomore has been practicing mixed martial arts.

By Nick Forrester
April 25, 2008

Sophomore Max Askren tries to control Oregon State sophomore Brice Arand during a Feb. 10 match at the Hearnes Center. Askren is training with a Mixed Martial Arts group to prepare for summer competition.

Photo/Darren Milosevich

Sophomore Max Askren tries to control Oregon State sophomore Brice Arand during a Feb. 10 match at the Hearnes Center. Askren is training with a Mixed Martial Arts group to prepare for summer competition.

After the NCAA wrestling tournament in St. Louis from March 20 to 22, most wrestlers started the off-season by going to the buffets. After a seventh place finish at the NCAA tournament, MU sophomore Max Askren immediately flew to Los Angeles to train with Mixed Martial Arts, a group that ties the different martial arts together and sponsors events such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and International Fight League.

“It’s preparation for the future and maybe a future job or a hobby,” Askren said. “I’d like to go into MMA. I think it’d be a lot of fun.”

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport in which a variety of fighting techniques are used.

It gained popularity in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with the emergence of Bruce Lee and his theories of mixing various martial art styles.

While in Los Angeles during the week of MU’s spring break, Askren went to about three gyms, practicing judo and jujitsu in hopes that it will help his wrestling skills.

“I think it gives you a different kind of feel for wrestling that most people don’t have,” Askren said. “It gives you a weird look. You see people and they do some weird stuff, and they just simply have good body awareness, and this develops that a little more.”

Askren said judo and jujitsu have more variance than wrestling, a skill that helps with wrestling.

“I just have fun with it,” Askren said. “It’s just a little hobby. I only do it sporadically here and there. Ever since I was little, I would roll around the house and just joke around, but it’s never been anything serious. It would be after wrestling if it ever did get serious.”

During the season, while Askren is practicing new techniques in the wrestling room, he has been practicing new ideas that he has learned from judo and jujitsu and trying to transfer them to wrestling.

MU wrestling coach Brian Smith spoke highly about Askren’s extracurricular activities.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Smith said. “They’re all an art form of physical combat.”

In addition to judo and jujitsu, Askren will continue wrestling this summer. “I wrestle freestyle every summer,” Askren said. “I’m going to the U.S. Open, and then I’ll have one more tournament, which is a regional qualifier, and if everything goes right, I’ll wrestle in the Olympic Trials.”

The 2008 Olympic wrestling trials are held June 13-15 in Las Vegas.