David Balevski (right), here fighting against his compatriot Simon Schuster, grew up in a hotspot district in Munich and “did a lot of crap.” Sport gave him support. Today he trains young people from socially disadvantaged areas himself. (Image: ZDF/Susanne Dobler)
In the USA, MMA fighting has long been mainstream and extremely popular. In Germany, the tough martial arts are viewed by many as too barbaric. But this image is slowly changing. For the exciting three-part documentary, six fighters were followed over the course of months.
The sport of MMA, short for mixed martial arts, has few rules and combines techniques from a wide variety of martial arts, from boxing, Thai boxing and karate to wrestling, jiu-jitsu and judo to kung fu. What distinguishes the full contact sport from others is, among other things, that it is played at all distances and that, in addition to kicking and punching techniques, ground combat is also permitted, where punching and kicking are also permitted. Fighting takes place in cages, three rounds of five minutes each. In the USA the sport has been mainstream since the early 1990s, in Germany it is often dismissed as too brutal and barbaric. The live broadcast of the often bloody UFC fights (“Ultimate Fighting Championship”) were here between 2010 and Even banned in 2015.
But the sport of MMA is now fascinating more and more people here, and polarizing UFC world stars like the Irish Conor McGregor have certainly contributed to this. ZDFinfo is now dedicating a three-part documentary to the sport of MMA in Germany: “Fight Hard, Fight Fair – MMA fighters in Germany”. The film authors Dino Argentiero and Steven Melzer accompanied four German MMA fighters and two female MMA fighters for several months – during training, in fights and in normal life. The result is an insight into a world that would have been previously unknown to most viewers. Who are the people who practice MMA, what motivates them, what do they love about their sport? And do they have more in common than just their passion for competition?
Niko Samsonidze (right) broke his tibia and fibula in 2021. After surgery, rehab and advanced training, he is now about to make a comeback in the featherweight class. (Image: ZDF/Susanne Dobler)
Support, respect and discipline
Katharina Dalisda is the most famous German MMA fighter. She dreams of international titles and of being able to make a living from sport. Anna Gaul, on the other hand, is already a junior European and world champion as an MMA amateur and she has what it takes to become a professional. On the other hand, the 24-year-old medical student would also like to become a doctor. For Niko Samsonidze, who studied social work, sport is “number one priority”. Even a broken tibia and fibula that he sustained in the fight cannot stop him. For Daniel Weichel, a big name in the German MMA scene, family always comes first, as he assures.
And then there is David Balevski, who comes from difficult backgrounds. He explains that MMA “gave him support and taught me discipline. Without the sport I wouldn’t be where I am today.” The young Sami Zarabi also has a special biography. In 2015, the Afghan fled to Germany with his family. Today he goes to high school and is working on his MMA career. In the film he makes a fiery plea for MMA: “It’s a sport. There are rules. There is respect. There is discipline. This discipline not only helps you in sport, but also in your normal life, work, family and everything. People don’t understand that and think they’re kind of crazy people, they just go into the cage and beat themselves up, but that’s not the case.” Showing this is also the aim of the authors of the documentary, which will be shown on ZDFinfo on Friday, April 19, from 10:30 p.m. and is already available in the ZDF media library.
24-year-old Anna Gaul has passed the second state examination in medicine and wants to become a doctor. However, she is also a former junior world and European champion in amateur MMA. Which career will she choose? (Image: ZDF/Luka Ljubicic)
2024-04-18 15:57:27
#kick #moment #world #MMA #fighters
