In the early 1990s, the Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first large-scale, pay-per-view tournament. It was marketed as a contest between the world's elite martial artists. Several masters of Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kung Fu, Wrestling, Jeet Kune Do, and more cam to battle.
Some of the fighters were well over 200 pounds, well over 6 feet tall, and very aggressive. Needless to say, stepping in the Octagon to fight required a geat deal of courage.
Few in the U.S. had heard of the Gracie family from Brazil. In the early 1900s, Japanese experts of Jiu Jitsu had traveled to South America to spread the teachings of this deadly art. The Gracie family of Brazil met and trained with these Japanese martial artists. From this arose Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is a fighting system that occurs mostly on the ground (grappling) and is a comprehensive system of chokes, joint locks, and other submission maneuvers. The Gracie family was reputed to be undefeated in international competition. The were called anacondas because of their ability to wrap around an enemy and choke a victory.
Royce Gracie, one of the smallest of the Gracie family, was entered into UFC I to fight for his family honor. Fighting martial artists much bigger and more aggressive, Royce Gracie embarrassed them all in short order. At 180 pounds and throwing few if any punches or kicks, Royce Gracie dominated the first two UFCs.
However, with the sudden success of UFC, the martial arts began to evolve. Fighters began training in multiple disciplines, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. New and effective counter-attacks and defenses were developed against BJJ techniques. Those fighters who chose to stay in only one discipline, including BJJ, were soon left behind and could not win consistently.
Is it not the same with Real Estate, Mortgage, and business in general. We must recognize the trends around us and adapt quickly. Even if we win today, we may lose badly tomorrow, unless we evolve. Twenty years ago, realtors did not need an internet presence. Now, we not only need an internet presence, we must blog, maximize SEO, utilize multi-media, and much more.
We must become Mixed Media Entrepreneurs.
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