What is Emergent?

Well, the word can be defined as: Coming into view or notice; issuing. Emerging; rising from a liquid or other surrounding medium.

So how does that apply to us?

We, as individuals, are emergent creatures. We are not the sum of our parts, our environments, or our understandings. Somehow we rise above each of our surroundings and into another indescribable dimension, the dimension known as consciousness.

We pursue this unique understanding through the movements of the martial arts, both of the past and of the present. We believe there is much yet to learn in our foundling sport of MMA, and accept with excitement that it is still very much in its infancy.

The reason we have chosen the term “emergent” is because we feel it better describes the evolution of the sport then “mixed”, which is rather a poor description of what is really going on.

As an illustration, when a student studies Greco/Roman Wrestling and Boxing separately, they will inevitably become more than just an expert of two arts. They will begin to understand the movements together, and an emergent art bubbles up to the surface. Within this understanding, the wrestler loses his ability to keep himself with his hands low and must learn to close a larger distance to be effective, and the boxer will lose many of his instincts that play off of being able to stay on his feet and get separated when the distance is closed on him. The result is a far more effective system of combat, and is much more than a “mix and match” hybrid martial art.

Simply put, the arts themselves disappear completely and a new emergent fighting art is born, unique to the practitioner.