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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Fighters at a gym tucked inside an old Morgantown shopping mall grab, twist and leverage each others limbs and heads, seeking small advantages and aiming for submission holds.Its the less glamorous stuff of mixed martial arts, a sport now legal in West Virginia thats faulted at times for its violence because of its highlight-reel knockout punches and flying kicks.West Virginia legalized MMA just last year for amateurs, though there were some unsanctioned fights before, and lawmakers had approved MMA fights by paid professionals in 2011.On Sunday, the lawmakers begin reviewing the sports new regulations. They specify safety measures like prohibiting anyone under 18 from state-sanctioned fights and requiring blood tests for HIV and hepatitis even for amateurs.Youve got to train smart, Josh Fowler said amid an hour of grappling on the big blue mat at Ground Zero Fighting Systems. The gyms 39-year-old co-owner, he plans to have his fourth amateur MMA bout in April. If you train smart you can do this for a long time.Under the new rules, amateur kicks to the head are allowed. Promoters have to post bonds and provide insurance coverage for injuries. Amateurs can turn pro after four sanctioned fights, instead of eight, if they show they can compete. A doctor is required at ring or cage matches, just like the professional sport. Brain scans would be required for contestants over 40.I have never, thank God, seen anybody seriously hurt, said Leon Ramsey, chairman of the State Athletic Commission that issued the regulations and sanctioned 292 amateur bouts in the past year.A former professional fighter and trainer, he sees well-regulated MMAs sporting promise in a state without professional teams. Smaller venues can draw crowds with affordable tickets where fighters can gain skill and experience locally and progress, he said.The current commission has three other members: Dr. Tim Peasak, a physician; Paul Thornton, a former referee; and Tony Figaretti, a longtime boxing official.Last years amendments both permitted fight cards at venues with less than 2,500 seats and legalized amateur cards.Weve been banging shows out like crazy since then, promoter Chris Smith said. He put on MMA cards in the past year around West Virginia called Ruckus in the Cage, mostly with amateurs. He said those were held before crowds ranging from about 1,000 to 2,300 people.There were about 15 MMA cards statewide last year among 44 boxing or other fight promotions sanctioned by the State Athletic Commission, Ramsey said.MMAs fan popularity may have peaked a few years ago fanned by Ultimate Fighting Championship television shows, Smith said. He sees good prospects for its comeback and no shortage of fighters in West Virginia.Ive been filling cards with 25 fights, no problem, Smith said. I could fill a card up with a whole lot more than that.Ramsey sees that as a reflection of homegrown character. Your average West Virginian is tough, he said.The commission has also approved 166 pro boxing bouts and 690 tough man-style fights in the past year, he said.Ramsey may have been the first native to fight in mixed martial arts, starting in 1997 in other states, posting a pro record of 6-3. For 20 years he trained other fighters. Now 55, he doesnt do it anymore but believes martial arts is clearly positive for youths.Amateur blood tests are to start in January, which may winnow less serious fighters, Smith said. Hes now putting together more tough man-style boxing shows where would-be fighters can sign up and compete for prizes. The new wrinkle is for kickboxing, something he said state regulators agreed to, he said.Ground Zero has about 15 fighters, a mix of conventional boxers, kickboxers and mixed martial artists. Others train only in jiu-jitsu, which Fowler took up first 11 or 12 years ago. He has had broken toes, fingers and an ankle, but has never been knocked out or received a concussion, he said.Theres definitely more people participating in combat sports nowadays than there used to, Fowler said. The UFC is directly responsible for that increase in the last 20 years. Its the best marketing tool you can get for about anything -- minus character, fair play and sportsmanship. Youve got to do that on your own.The married father of two, who has a full-time job in information technology, had his first amateur MMA bout last year. 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One of the best things about being a season-ticket holder is getting to know the people who work at Wrigley Field. If you sit in the same seats, year after year, you build relationships with security workers, ushers and vendors. Folks who get jobs at Wrigley Field tend to keep them.Now that the Cubs are back in the postseason, I look forward to discussing the playoffs with two Wrigley workers in particular.If youre headed up to Section 416, the odds are good that you will run into my favorite beer vendor at her stand on the mezzanine level at the top of Aisle 211. She stands out not just for the quick and efficient way she does her job, serving up cold ones and changing empty kegs in five seconds flat. Because of her, Cubs fans who come to watch the major leaguers at Wrigley can get their beer from another world-class athlete; when shes not tending to thirsty customers at the Friendly Confines, my pal is better known as roller derby star Val Capone.Currently a member of the Chicago Red Hots, and a two-time Ivy King Cup-winner for being champion of Chicagos Windy City Rollers league, Val also coaches the U.S. mens national roller derby team, and is working to get the game into the Olympics.She does all of that while slinging suds not only at Wrigley, but also at the United Center during Bulls and Blackhawks tilts.Val has worked at Wrigley for 11 years, and grew up in Wrigleyville as an ardent Cubs fan, which makes her work personal. I still get chills, she says of arriving at the ballpark on game days, thinking to herself: I work here!Her goal as a vendor is straightforward: For many visiting fans, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Im here to make it awesome. She loves being part their memory, and if you hang out by her stand for a while, youll see her direct fans seeking a particular beer to a fellow vendor rather than trying to up-sell them on her higher-end brands. Given that vendors work for commission and tips -- You make what you sell, as she puts it -- its clearly not all about her pocketbook.Vals lifetime highlight at Wrigley -- The happiest day of my life, she says -- was singing the seventh-inning stretch with Drew Barrymore in 2009. The movie star was in Chicago to promote her roller-derby film Whip It, which Val consulted on. A picture of that moment can be seen as her twitter avatar (@valcapone). For her, the only thing greater would be a Cubs World Series.With the playoffs still to come, 2016 already has been packed with highlights for Val. The whole season has been an overflowing wealth of awesome, she says. All of it.Val even comes to the games on her off days, as she splits season tickets with a friend. What will happen if the Cubs are still playing at the end of October? Will she work or take her seat?Val will be behind the stick, and her father will have her seat.That, my friends, is family values.Card tricks in the upper deckThen theres Leo, a guest services ambassador -- aka, an usher -- in the upper deck.ddddddddddddriginally from Cleveland and an Indians fan, Leo -- whose real name is Stan Klein, but who goes by Leo while working at Wrigley -- adopted the Cubs as his team after sitting with Bill Veeck in the center-field bleachers in the 80s. Leo bought a beer for the former White Sox owner (and the man who planted the ivy at Wrigley when his father was Cubs GM), and Veeck regaled Leo and other bleacher creatures with insider details about players and the park, bringing Leo into the Cubs fan fold.Leo is a Renaissance man: An actor and artist, he manages Firecat Studios, an art gallery in Bucktown, along with noted Chicago artist, writer, actor (and White Sox fan) Tony Fitzpatrick. Leo also works as an usher at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, pretty much covering all of the citys cultural bases.What sets him apart is a bit of performance art he does before and during every game he works. Beyond just helping people find their seats and gently keeping the aisles clear of loiterers, Leo gives fans of the opposing teams baseball cards featuring their teams players.Why?Its a great way to greet visiting fans, families and patrons, he says, and points out that the Cubs promotional giveaways are all, naturally, aimed at Cubs fans; he wants visitors to feel welcome. It promotes the game and its history as well. Little kids get a card, and their dad recalls that player, and it starts a dialogue about the game and its history. It also introduces modern youngsters to baseball cards themselves, beloved hands-on analog artifacts many have never seen before.While Leo would love to cut a deal with Topps or another card company, that hasnt happened yet; he gets his stock at flea markets and garage sales, and donations from fans. Several other upper-deck ushers have joined him in this project, and he gives away between 200 and 300 cards every game. Some travel agents and school groups even contact him in advance to request a certain number of cards, as his generous gesture has become part of the Wrigley experience for their annual trips to the corner of Clark and Addison.An unexpected gift at an unplanned time is the best thing you can do for somebody, he says, after handing cards to several children -- and their accompanying grown-ups -- wearing Pittsburgh Pirates T-shirts.Leos 2016 highlight? While heading for his bike after one day game, he ran into pitcher Kyle Hendricks, the current MLB ERA leader. Hendricks lives within walking distance of Wrigley, and he and Leo chatted about neighborhood restaurants as they walked down Waveland. Hes just a nice guy, Leo says.The downside to his job? The cold in April and, hopefully, October, he says.But hell take it. I can bear it in October, no problem. ' ' '