The Importance of Mixed Martial Arts

The popularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and shoot wrestling has led to the creation of American and Japanese mixed martial arts. This kind of full contact combat sports was originally held as a competition aiming to discover the most effective martial arts which will be very helpful in real unarmed combat situation. In 1995, the sport got its coined name by the President and CEO of Battlecade, Rick Blume, and now famously known as the “mixed martial arts”. At first, the players are to follow minimal rules. As fighters executed multiple martial arts, organizers and promoters started to employ additional rules to intensify safety and secure mainstream acceptance as a sport.

With the warm acceptance from the audience and avid fans, mixed martial arts practice has spread around the globe. Adults, kids and teens have enrolled to various martial art schools that offered courses for different types of martial arts. With the purpose of learning the art of fighting, most of the students aim to become experts in this field and become professional competitors of this sport. Although this was primarily practiced almost exclusively by competitive fighters, it has become available to wide range of practitioners of any age and with varying levels of competitiveness. Martial arts courses include judo, muay Thai, taekwondo, karate, wrestling and others.

Usually, fighters train with different styles under multiple coaches or an organized fight team. Before going to complex styles and fighting techniques, players must learn the common disciplines in mixed martial arts which are gained from traditional martial arts. The following enumerates three common disciplines of mixed martial arts: 

a.   Stand-up fighting tactic

This discipline consists of effective stand-up striking while the fighter avoids ground fighting. This style is usually applied using sprawls to defend against takedowns. Footwork, kicking, elbowing and punching are enhanced in this style. Muay Thai kickboxing and Karate principles are usually applied in this discipline.

b.   Clinch 

Applied by wrestlers and Judokas, clinch fighting as well as dirty boxing are tactics used to prevent opponent from moving away into more distant striking range. This tactic is applied in attempting takedowns and striking competitor using knees, elbows, punches and stomp. 

c.    Ground

Another strategy to takedown or throw opponent to the ground is the ground-and-pound. An effective ground technique will let opponent obtain a top or dominant position then strike opponent with fists and elbow. This fighting tactic is aimed to attempt submission holds. 

Although males dominate mixed martial arts, the sport also has female players commonly coming from Japan. Personalities such as Megumi Fujii, Gina Carano and Miesha Tate have represented women power and known as faces of women’s MMA. 

MMA equipment and clothing gear

To preclude the use of fighting kimono, MMA promotions have required male and female fighters to wear appropriate fighting attire. Male fighters play bare-chested and wear shorts as well as groin protectors underneath their trunks. Female fighters wear shorts and sports bras or other similarly fitting tops. Both fighters are required to wear mouth guards and rash guards. Choosing the best MMA equipment and gear must be based on functionality, style, and quality craftsmanship. Examples of quality clothing gear include Sprawl Fusion shorts, UFC fight and sparring gloves, brain pad mouth guards and grappling shin guard.