I have to admit that when I saw the announcement that Kyle Maynard, a congenital amputee, was going to fight in MMA, I thought it was rediculous. I saw this guy a couple of years ago on one of the main stream news programs (20/20, Primetime, I can’t remember which one) and was impressed at the time that he was able to compete in wrestling.
Today, I just read this article in the USA Today which shows Maynard is going to compete in Alabama in an MMA Fight, and that he was not able to get sanctioned in Georgia (where he is from) because of his “disability.” I put disability in quotes because if you watch the video below, which I also got from USA Today’s website, Maynard has no problem defending himself in a Jiu-Jitsu match. In fact, it appears that his lack of arms and legs may be an advantage. I train in MMA, specifically Judo now, and have trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and whenever someone I am training with has a different or odd style of fighting, it becomes a challenge for me. Based on this video, Maynard may have something going here. I question how he is going to strike his opponent, but maybe that is part of the strategy. To Maynard, I say “good luck on your fight.” I look forward to seeing what the outcome is.