Mixed Martial Arts

MMA was created around 648 B.C. during the high point of the Greek empire.  While it was then known as Pankration, this sport was played in the first Olympic Games.  There have been other similar versions of this martial art; however, many of them were never officially introduced.  Later, MMA resurfaced during the late 1800s and early 1900s when it was finally recognized as an official standardized sport in 1993, marking the opening of the UFC, otherwise known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Ultimate Fighting Championships that the media televises today are increasing popularity at an incredible rate, beating out other huge sports such as boxing.  In terms of tickets sales and ratings, more and more people are starting to tune out of other contact sports and tune into MMA fights.

The major contrast between the MMA that we all recognize and the style before the beginning of the UFC was that the MMA was founded to take fighters from various styles and compare them in battle.  Doing this allowed studiers to analyze and determine the strengths and weaknesses of all the various martial arts techniques.  In these unofficial leagues, there were not as many rules whereas now there are rules--weight class, winning guidelines, illegal fouls, and fighting arena--established for the purpose of keeping everyone safe and preventing injuries that many feel to be inhumane.

1.  Weight Class

With Mixed Martial Arts fights, the opponent is determined based on their weight class.  The five MMA weight class include lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.  These classes are calculated based on the fighters' weight in kilograms; a simple extra pound in weight gain can bump them up to the next level.  There are a few other weight classes, but they are not a UFC standard.

2.  Winning Guidelines

The goal of Mixed Martial Arts is straightforward; you must either knock your opponent unconscious or hurt him enough to where he will give in and tap the floor thereby declaring a submission to the other opponent.  However, if neither fighter backs down or gets knocked out by the end of a round or match, the winner is determined by the judges.  The only way a fighter will lose a match is if he gains a foul called by the referee.

3.  Illegal Fouls

A foul consists of any form of illegal contact committed by a fighter onto their opponent.  If the referee sees the contact was deliberate, he has the power to disqualify the fighter from the match and if it was not intentional, the referee can declare the match to still be in play.

4.  Fighting Arena

Another huge difference between MMA and other sports is that the MMA arena is in the shape of an octagon, resembling a structured cage, and the fighters are restricted from using padded gloves.

Photo Credits: mkm photography

Originally posted 2010-03-23 03:22:47.

Ultimate Fighter

Brazil. Brazilian jiu-jitsu has quickly become one of the most popular forms of martial arts on the planet, and if you're serious about mixed martial arts, then you need to be in Brazil, at least at some point in your life. The name of the country is in the fighting style! You can't miss by going to Brazil in order to shore up what UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fans would call your "ground game." This isn't the prettiest style of fighting - at least not for an audience - but it can help you gain advantage over an opponent who has you on the ground.

Japan. There is perhaps no place more famous for martial arts than Japan, the birthplace of Karate, which more accurately was generated in Okinowa. Although Karate itself has expanded to find homes all over the world, including in Canada and the United States, Japan is its birthplace, and sometimes there's no replacing that sense of history than by traveling to where it call began. You won't find any shortage of martial arts in Japan, and if you're a serious martial artist, you'll probably find yourself traveling there at some point, whether you originally planned on it or not.

The United States. The United States is, quite simply, where martial artists come to make it. Cities like Las Vegas provide arenas for some of the world's most popular martial arts events. If you want to make it as an Ultimate Fighter, you're going to have to go to Las Vegas at some point. If you want to find the best teachers around the world, many of them are in the United States, where the demand for martial arts training is high.

Photo Credits: Kaloozer

Originally posted 2009-11-26 03:42:42.