Conor McGregor and Rory McIlroy are both well-known in the world of MMA fighting and Golfing respectively. They both are at the top of the sport amassing thousands of wins and world-wide adulation. In a January article published on 18Pounds the pair spoke at length about how Irish dancing helped shaped them into the fighters they are now. This wasn’t a joking, passing comment either. The pair both have all-time records for hip mobility as well as balance from the Center for Sport Performance in California.
Professor Galpin at the Center for Sport Performance argued that “given how the side-step is famously the basis for all traditional Irish dance styles, it was no shock that McGregor’s fluidity of lateral movement in the cage is on a par with that of any of the world’s best professional fighters, regardless of discipline.”
Do you have a son who is involved in Jiu Jitsu, Karate, BJJ, or Judo, in hopes of one day fighting in MMA? Or perhaps your son enjoys a round of golf on the weekends and wants to improve his drive. Why not introduce Irish dancing into your son’s repertoire? Irish dance not only will help with increased stamina and core development, but as McGregor and McIlroy discussed–develops hip strength and mobility and that strong core is essential to having good balance. Trinity Academy of Irish Dance has a unique program just for boys called Men of Trinity. Boys are out-numbered by girls in Irish dance world-wide, but they are in integral part of Trinity’s program and we want them to have the best experience possible. We offer an additional bi-monthly class just for our male dancers.