Oktagon
Behind the stage at the Oktagon, there lies a surprising and transverse world. Stories of different people that meet in the ring to "beat each other up".
I've lived in Milan for almost 13 years and the events at the Oktagon are a presence that brings regularity to me. For a profane of combat sports, that saw kickboxing as an exotic phenomenon, the Oktagon really sounded esoteric. In reality, it's considered by many to be commercialised and the fans of the MMA consider it to be like a second class circus.
However it is, it seems to me that they enjoy beating each other up. Attending meetings and training sessions, I discovered that the environment behind the stage is rich, interesting and quite transverse. Between the fighters, you can meet people who are studying for their PhD's in History at the University La Sapienza in Rome, to those who work half days in order to dedicate their time to training. The champions strive to succeed, but for many the objective is simply to fight in an important ring, whilst for others still, the Oktagon is above all an occasion to kick back.
The Oktagon is the Italian offering of an International Championship of Martial Arts, namely the K1, invented in Japan in 1980. With a mix of diverse techniques such as Kickboxing, Muay Thai and traditional Boxing, the Oktagon is able to deliver an undoubtedly emotional event. Hits can be made by kicking, punching and blows made with the knees, and like in boxing, one can win through knock-outs or via a points system.
