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Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts

Patrick Barry (Blue shorts) and Mirko Filipović (Checkered shorts) in the co-main event of UFC 115 in Vancouver, BritishColumbia, Canada.

Also known as Vale Tudo, No Holds Barred (NHB), Cage Fighting, Ultimate Fighting, PrideFighting, Sougo Kakutogi

Focus Various

Hardness Full contact

Olympic sport No

Mixed martial arts (MMA), popularly known as cage fighting or ultimate fighting is a full contact combat sportthat allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills, from a mixture of other combat sports, to be used incompetitions. The rules allow the use of both striking as well as grappling techniques, both while standing and whileon the ground. Such competitions allow fighters of different backgrounds to compete.The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be traced back to various mixed style contests that took place throughoutEurope, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. The combat sport of Vale Tudo that had developed inBrazil from the 1920s was brought to the United States by the Gracie family in 1993 with the founding of theUltimate Fighting Championship. Professional MMA events had also been held in Japan by Shooto starting back in1989. In due course the more dangerous Vale Tudo style bouts of the early UFCs were made safer with theimplementation of additional rules, leading to the popular regulated form of MMA seen today. Originally promotedas a competition with the intention of finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations,competitors were pitted against one another with minimal rules.[1] Later promoters adopted many additional rulesaimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport.[2]

The name mixed martial arts was coined by Rick Blume, president and CEO of Battlecade, in 1995.[3] Followingthese changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with pay per view reach rivalling boxing and professionalwrestling.[4]

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History

Early history

A Roman pancratium, an event showcased at the Roman Colosseum.Even as late as the Early Middle Ages, statues were put up in Rome

and other cities to honour remarkable pankratiasts of Rome.

During the Greco-Roman era there existed an ancientOlympic combat sport, known as Pankration whichfeatured a combination of grappling and striking skills,similar to modern Mixed Martial Arts. Fighterstrategies in this ancient combat sport were very similarto those in modern Mixed Martial Arts. This sportoriginated in Ancient Greece and was later passed on tothe Romans.[5]

No-holds-barred fighting reportedly took place in thelate 1880s when wrestlers representing a huge range offighting styles, including various catch wrestling styles,Greco-Roman wrestling and many others met intournaments and music-hall challenge matchesthroughout Europe. In the USA the first majorencounter between a boxer and a wrestler in moderntimes took place in 1887 when John L. Sullivan, then heavyweight world boxing champion, entered the ring with histrainer, Greco-Roman wrestling champion William Muldoon, and was slammed to the mat in two minutes. The nextpublicized encounter occurred in the late 1890s when future heavyweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons tookon European Greco-Roman wrestling champion Ernest Roeber.

Another early example of mixed martial arts was Bartitsu, which Edward William Barton-Wright founded in Londonin 1899. Combining judo, jujutsu, boxing, savate and canne de combat (French stick fighting), Bartitsu was the firstmartial art known to have combined Asian and European fighting styles,[6] and which saw MMA-style conteststhroughout England, pitting European and Japanese champions against representatives of various European wrestlingstyles.[6]

The history of modern MMA competition can be traced to mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan and thePacific Rim during the early 1900s;[7] In Japan these contests were known as merikan, from the Japanese slang for"American [fighting]". Merikan contests were fought under a variety of rules including points decision, best of threethrows or knockdowns, and victory via knockout or submission.[8] the Gracie family's vale tudo martial artstournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s; and early mixed martial arts-themed professional wrestling matches(known as Ishu Kakutougi Sen in Japan) hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s.After the popularity of professional wrestling waned after World War I it split into two genres: "shoot", in which thefighters actually competed, and "show", which evolved into modern professional wrestling.[9]

In 1936, heavyweight boxing contender Kingfish Levinsky and veteran professional wrestler Ray Steele competed ina mixed match, which Steele won in 35 seconds.[9]

In the late 1960s to early 1970s the concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was popularized inthe west by Bruce Lee via his system philosophy of Jeet Kune Do. Lee believed that "the best fighter is not a Boxer,Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style, to be formless, to adopt an individual'sown style and not following the system of styles." In 2004 UFC President Dana White would call Lee the "father ofmixed martial arts." To this day, Bruce Lee is known as "father of modern mixed martial arts".[10]

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Modern sport

Clay Guida and Marcus Aurelio at UFC 74.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions wereintroduced in the United States with the first UltimateFighting Championship (UFC) in 1993.[11] The sportgained international exposure and widespread publicityin United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsufighter Royce Gracie handily won the first UltimateFighting Championship tournament, subduing threechallengers in a total of just five minutes,[12] sparking arevolution in the martial arts.[13]

Meanwhile Japan had its Shooto also called Vale Tudoin 1985 where fighter Rickson Gracie won thetournaments in 1994 and 1995, which continued interest in the sport resulting in the creation of the Pride FightingChampionships in 1997, where again Rickson participated and won.[14]

The movement that led to the creation of the UFC and Pride was rooted in two interconnected subcultures. First werethe vale tudo events in Brazil, followed by the Japanese shoot wrestling shows. Vale tudo began in the 1920s withthe "Gracie challenge" issued by Carlos Gracie and Hélio Gracie and upheld later on by descendants of the Graciefamily.[15] In Japan in the 1970s, a series of mixed martial arts matches were hosted by Antonio Inoki, a former starof New Japan Pro Wrestling;[16] this inspired the shoot-style movement in Japanese professional wrestling, whicheventually led to the formation of the first mixed martial arts organizations, such as Shooto, which was formed in1985. The International Sport Combat Federation (ISCF) was created in May 1999 as the worlds first "MMA"Sanctioning body. This ushered in a new era of Mixed Martial Arts where it is once again recognized as a true sportworldwide. This was aided by certified officials and well developed rules that were built up from the ISCF's sisterorganization for kickboxing, the International Kickboxing Federation's (IKF) long developed system.

In November 2005 recognition of its effectiveness as a test came as the United States Army began to sanction mixedmartial arts with the first annual Army Combatives Championships held by the US Army Combatives School.The sport reached a new peak of popularity in North America in the December 2006 rematch between then UFClight heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former champion Tito Ortiz, rivaling the PPV sales of some of thebiggest boxing events of all time,[4] and helping the UFC's 2006 PPV gross surpass that of any promotion in PPVhistory. In 2007, Zuffa LLC, the owners of the UFC MMA promotion, bought Japanese rival MMA brand Pride FC,merging the contracted fighters under one promotion[17] and drawing comparisons to the consolidation that occurredin other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in American football.[18]

Since the UFC's explosion into the mainstream media in 2006 and their 2007 merger with Pride FC and purchase ofWEC, few companies have presented much of any competition. The most notable of which include, Strikeforce,Bellator FC, DREAM, Sengoku, EliteXC, K-1 Hero's, King of the Cage, and the IFL.

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Ken Shamrock applying an inverted heel hook to Don Frye at PRIDE19

Evolution of fighters

As a result of an increased number of competitors,organized training camps, information sharing, andmodern kinesiology, the understanding of thecombat-effectiveness of various strategies has beengreatly improved. UFC commentator Joe Roganclaimed that martial arts evolved more in the ten yearsfollowing 1993 than in the preceding 700 yearscombined.[19]

"During his reign atop the sport in the late 1990s he was the prototype — he could strike with the best strikers; he could grapple with thebest grapplers; his endurance was second to none. "

— describing UFC champion Frank Shamrock's early dominance[20]

Though the UFC is now the worlds largest Mixed Martial Arts organization it was not the first. Both Vale Tudo inBrazil and Shooto in Japan preceded it. Both of these styles focused largely on grappling and submissions thoughstrikes were allowed to some degree.The high profile of modern MMA promotions such as UFC and Pride has fostered an accelerated development of thesport. The early 1990s saw a wide variety of traditional styles—everything competing in the sport. However, earlycompetition saw varying levels of success among disparate styles.

Two fighters grappling in a mixed martial arts event.

In the early 1990s, practitioners of grappling basedstyles such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestlingdominated competition in the United States.Practitioners of striking based arts such as boxing,kickboxing, and Karate who were unfamiliar withsubmission grappling proved to be unprepared to dealwith its submission techniques. Shoot wrestlingpractitioners offered a balance of amateur wrestlingability and catch wrestling-based submissions, resultingin a well-rounded skillset. The shoot wrestlers wereespecially successful in Japan. As competitions becamemore and more common, those with a base in strikingarts became more competitive as they cross trained inarts based around takedowns and submission holds, leading to notable upsets against the then dominant grapplers.Likewise, those from the varying grappling styles added striking techniques to their arsenal. This increase ofcross-training resulted in fighters becoming increasingly multi-dimensional and well-rounded in their skills.

The new hybridization of fighting styles can be seen in the technique of "ground and pound" developed by wrestlingbased UFC pioneers such as Dan Severn, Don Frye and Mark Coleman. These wrestlers realized the need for theincorporation of strikes on the ground as well as on the feet and incorporated ground striking into their grapplingbased styles. Mark Colemans stated at UFC 14 his strategy was to "Ground him and pound him" which may be thefirst televised use of the term ground and pound.

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Since the late 90's both strikers and grapplers have been successful at MMA though it is rare to see any fighter whois not schooled in both striking and grappling arts to reach the highest levels of competition.

Legality of professional competitions

United States

According to the Associations of Boxing Commissions, professional MMA competitions are allowed in moststates.[21] However, relevant legislation is pending within the following states where it is currently illegal:Connecticut (except on Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Indian Reservations[22] ), New York, Vermont and WestVirginia. Alaska and Wyoming have no boxing or athletic commissions.

Canada

In Canada, professional MMA competitions are legal in the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario,[23] Nova Scotia andQuebec. Professional MMA competitions are also legal in the Northwest Territories. The legality of MMA in theprovinces of Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick varies depending on the municipality.[21] [24]

Professional MMA competitions remain illegal in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, PrinceEdward Island and Saskatchewan. Professional MMA competitions are also illegal in the territories of the Yukon andNunavut.

Mexico

Mixed Martial Arts is legal in all states in Mexico. Although its popularity there is not as large as in the UnitedStates or Brazil. It has been growing substantially in the past 10 years with the inception of various Mexican basedmixed martial arts shows including MMAMAX which is currently the largest Mexican based show. Its continuedgrowth has also been linked, more recently, to the current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez who is thefirst Mexican heavyweight champion in history in any combat sport ever. Mexican-American fighters, such as CainVelasquez, are very popular within MMA trailing only the United States and Brazil in having the most successfulfighters in the sport with Canada and the United Kingdom trailing next. Mexico has had a long history of freestylefighting coming in the form of Lucha Libre, (translated free fight). Although rooted in wrestling Lucha Libre hasevolved into a professional wrestling sport more similar to American professional wrestling then MMA. The historyof Lucha Libre though may be why most Mexican MMA fighters are dominant wrestlers, who evolve into kickboxers and BJJ fighters. Boxing also has a long history in Mexico some say longer then wrestling. Boxing is a topsport in Mexico trailing only soccer and bullfighting. Another reason why most Mexican and Mexican-AmericanMMA fighters are dominant boxers first and take on BJJ and grappling in order to become successful mixed martialartists. Cain Velasquez is a product of both of these sports wrestling and boxing. Wrestling being his base andboxing being secondary as well as the knowledge of BJJ and kickboxing which is absolutely essential for asuccessful MMA fighter.

Brazil

Vale Tudo is Brazil's version of MMA, Vale Tudo holds the largest shows in the country with monthly competitions.Vale Tudo also precedes MMA, with Vale Tudo being established in the late 1800s. Brazil has had the second mostUFC champion's after the United States. Brazil also is the birth place of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the preeminent MMAstyle which was made popular by the Gracie family. In the early years of MMA, BJJ dominated all other styles, afighter simply needed to be a master of BJJ in order to beat a striker or wrestler, but as the sport evolved it becamemuch more difficult if not impossible for a BJJ fighter to defeat a striker or wrestler because of the wrestler/striker'slearned knowledge of BJJ.

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World Wide

MMA does find it difficult to impose common rules as a result of controversy in the US and Canada. Germany is onecountry that has made the televising of the sport illegal. However it does not ban live MMA events from occurring.In Victoria, Australia, Cage Fighting is banned, however many promotions have occurred, making use of Boxingrings instead

Rules

A fighter wraps his hands prior to putting gloves on.

The rules for modern mixed martial arts competitionshave changed significantly since the early days of valetudo, Japanese shoot wrestling, and UFC 1, and evenmore from the historic style of pankration. As theknowledge about fighting techniques spread amongfighters and spectators, it became clear that the originalminimalist rule systems needed to be amended.[25] Themain motivations for these rule changes wereprotection of the health of the fighters, the desire toshed the image of "barbaric, no rules,fighting-to-the-death,savage bar brawling" matches,and being recognised as a sport.

The new rules included the introduction of weightclasses; as knowledge about submissions spread,

differences in weight had become a significant factor. There are 9 different weight classes. These 9 weight classesinclude flyweight (up to 125 lb / 57 kg), bantamweight (126–135 lb / 61 kg), featherweight (136–145 lb / 66 kg),lightweight (146–155 lb / 70 kg), welterweight (156–170 lb / 77 kg), middleweight (171–185 lb / 84 kg), lightheavyweight (186–205 lb / 93 kg), heavyweight (206–265 lb / 120 kg), and some organizations even go on to have asuper heavyweight which is anything heavier than 265 pounds (120 kg).

Small, open-fingered gloves were introduced to protect fists in punches, reduce the occurrence of cuts (andstoppages due to cuts) and encourage fighters to use their hands for striking to allow more captivating matches. Timelimits were established to avoid long fights with little action where competitors conserved their strength. Matcheswithout time limits also complicated the airing of live events. The time limits in most professional fights are three 5minute rounds, and championship fights are normally five 5 minute rounds. Similar motivations produced the "standup" rule, where the referee can stand fighters up if it is perceived that both are resting on the ground or not advancingtoward a dominant position.[25]

Gloves were first mandatory in Japan's Shooto promotion and were later adopted by the UFC as it developed into aregulated sport. Most professional fights have the fighters wear 4 oz gloves with little protection, whereas amateursare required to wear a slightly heavier 6 oz glove for somewhat more protection for the hands and wrist. In the U.S.,state athletic and boxing commissions have played a crucial role in the introduction of additional rules because theyoversee MMA in a similar way to boxing. Smaller shows may use more restrictive rules because they have lessexperienced fighters. In Japan and Europe, there is no regulating authority over competitions, so these organizationshave greater freedom in rule development and event structure.Official sporting associations in traditional martial arts have been working to reduce injuries by emulating amateur boxing, requiring protective equipment such as headgear. However, newer forms of competitive fighting have emerged to recreate the original spirit of the traditional events by minimizing or even eliminating protective gear. MMA is growing in popularity, and creates more scoring opportunities by allowing the use of both the hands and the feet. Some forms also allow for elbow and knee strikes. The more recently developed mixed martial arts fighting

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allows any maneuver except eye gouging, hair pulling, groin strikes, and finger bending.[26]

Many U.S. states have a "no elbow policy" for amateurs to help protect the young fighters from serious injury bycuts or concussions. The use of a "12-6" elbow has been banned by several organizations along with restrictions onthe use of knees to a downed opponent, dictated by one person having a hand, arm, or knee on the ground. Knees tothe head of a grounded opponent is allowed in Japanese MMA. Headbutts are also widely prohibited because theyrequire little effort and can quickly open cuts that might cause a fight to be stopped due to injury rather than becausethere is a winner.

VictoryVictory in a match is normally gained either by the judges' decision after an allotted amount of time has elapsed, astoppage by the referee (for example if a competitor can not defend himself intelligently) or the fight doctor (due toan injury), a submission, by a competitor's cornerman throwing in the towel, or by knockout.Knockout (KO): as soon as a fighter becomes unconscious due to strikes, his opponent is declared the winner. AsMMA rules allow ground fighting, the fight is stopped to prevent further injury to an unconscious fighter.Submission: a fighter may admit defeat during a match by:• a tap on the opponent's body or mat/floor• a verbal announcement/verbal tapTechnical Knockout (TKO)• Referee stoppage: The ref may stop a match in progress if:

• a fighter becomes dominant to the point where the opponent can not intelligently defend himself and is takinga lot of damage

• a fighter appears to be unconscious from a submission hold or due to a strike• a fighter appears to have a significant injury such as a cut or a broken bone

Doctor Stoppage: the referee will call for a time out if a fighter's ability to continue is in question as a result ofapparent injuries, such as a large cut. The ring doctor will inspect the fighter and stop the match if the fighter isdeemed unable to continue safely, rendering the opponent the winner. However, if the match is stopped as a result ofan injury from illegal actions by the opponent, either a disqualification or no contest will be issued instead.Corner stoppage: a fighter's corner men may announce defeat on the fighter's behalf by throwing in the towel duringthe match in progress or between rounds.Decision: if the match goes the distance, then the outcome of the bout is determined by three judges. The judgingcriteria are organization-specific.Forfeit: a fighter or his representative may forfeit a match prior to the beginning of the match, thereby losing thematch.Disqualification: a "warning" will be given when a fighter commits a foul or illegal action or does not follow thereferee's instruction. Three warnings will result in a disqualification. Moreover, if a fighter is injured and unable tocontinue due to a deliberate illegal technique from his opponent, the opponent will be disqualified.No Contest: in the event that both fighters commit a violation of the rules, or a fighter is unable to continue due to aninjury from an accidental illegal technique, the match will be declared a "No Contest".

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ClothingMixed martial arts promotions typically require that male fighters wear shorts in addition to being barechested, thusprecluding the use of gi or fighting kimono to inhibit submission holds. Male fighters are required by most boxingcommissions to wear groin protectors underneath their trunks. Female fighters wear shorts and sports bras or othersimilarly snug-fitting tops. Both male and female fighters are required to wear a mouth piece.The need for flexibility in the legs combined with durability prompted the creation of various fighting shorts brands,which then spawned a range of mixed martial arts clothing and casual wear available to the public.

Common disciplinesMost 'traditional' martial arts have a specific focus and these arts may be trained to improve in that area. Populardisciplines of each type include:• Stand-up: Various forms of Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Karate are trained to improve footwork,

elbowing, kicking, kneeing and punching.• Clinch: Freestyle, Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo and Judo are trained to improve clinching, takedowns and

throws, while Muay Thai is trained to improve the striking aspect of the clinch.• Ground: Submission Grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Luta Livre, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling and Sambo are

trained to improve ground control and position, as well as to achieve submission holds, and defend against them.Some styles have been adapted from their traditional form, such as boxing stances which lack effective counters toleg kicks and the muay thai stance which is poor for defending against takedowns due to the static nature, or Judo ,Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, techniques which must be adapted for No Gi competition. It is common for a fighter to train withmultiple coaches of different styles or an organized fight team to improve various aspects of their game at once.Cardiovascular conditioning, speed drills, strength training and flexibility are also important aspects of a fighter'straining. Some schools advertise their styles as simply "mixed martial arts", which has become a genre in itself; butthe training will still often be split in to different sections.While mixed martial arts was initially practiced almost exclusively by competitive fighters, this is no longer the case.As the sport has become more mainstream and more widely taught, it has become accessible to wider range ofpractitioners of all ages. Proponents of this sort of training argue that it is safe for anyone, of any age, with varyinglevels of competitiveness.[27] [28]

Popular disciplines

Karate

Karate has proved to be effective in the sport as it is one of the core founders of kickboxing.[29] [30] Various styles ofkarate are practiced by some MMA fighters, notably Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida and Georges St-Pierre. Liddellis known to have an extensive striking background in Kenpō and Koei-Kan[31] where as Lyoto Machida practicesShotokan Ryu(Machida Karate variant which focuses on original Shotokan) Karate[32] and St-Pierre practicesKyokushin.[33]

Other famous black belt karateka in MMA include:• Andrews Nakahara (Kyokushin)• Antonio Carvalho (Shotokan)• Assuerio Silva (Shotokan)• Bas Rutten (Kyokushin)[34]

• Frank Mir (Kenpō)[35]

• Gunnar Nelson (Gōjū-ryū)• Jadamba Narantungalag (Kyokushin)

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• Katsunori Kikuno (Kyokushin)• Maciej Górski (Shotokan)• Mark Holst (Shotokan)• Neil Grove (Gōjū-ryū)• Semmy Schilt (Ashihara)[36]

• Seth Petruzelli (Shitō-ryū)[37]

• Tarec Saffiedine (Shihaishinkai)• Yuki Kondo (Shorinji Kempo)• Chuck Liddell (Kenpō)• Chris Greeley (Kempo) While Greeley never fought in MMA, he did co-sponsor legislation to make it legal in

Maine when he was a member of the legislature there, and he does hold the rank of Shodan.

Muay ThaiMuay Thai, like boxing and various forms of kickboxing, is recognised as a foundation for striking in mixed martialarts, and is very widely trained among MMA fighters. Fighters such as Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, MauricioRua, Thiago Silva, Alistair Overeem, Jose Aldo, Paul Daley, Gina Carano, among others are well known for theirThaiboxing backgrounds. Countless other mixed martial artists have trained in Muay Thai, and it is often taught atMMA gyms as is BJJ and Wrestling.Muay Thai is the style which is used predominantly for the stand-up game in MMA. It originated in Thailand, and isknown as the "art of eight limbs" which refers to the use of the legs, knees, elbows and fists. It is a very aggressiveand straight forward style from which kick boxing is derived from.

Judo

Using their knowledge of ne-waza/ground grappling and tachi-waza/standing-grappling, several Judo practitionershave also competed in mixed martial arts matches. Former Russian national Judo champion Fedor Emelianenko,famous UFC fighter Karo Parisyan and Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida were some of the most prominentjūdōka in mixed martial arts.Many MMA fighters trained in Judo such as Ferrid Kheder, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Hector Lombard, Shinya Aoki,Michihiro Omigawa, Satoshi Ishii, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Don Frye had found success in their endeavor for mixedmartial arts.Paulo Filho, a former WEC middleweight champion has even credited judo for his success during an interview.[38]

Other notable MMA fighters holding black belts in Judo include:• Anderson Silva• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira• Fabricio Werdum• Karo Parisyan• Kim Dong-hyun• Manvel Gamburyan• Ronaldo Souza• Vitor Belfort• Fedor Emelianenko

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Catch Wrestling

Karl Gotch was a catch wrestler and a student of Billy Riley's Snake Pit in Whelley, Wigan. In the film Catch: thehold not taken, some of those who trained with Gotch in Wigan talk of his fascination with the traditional Lancashirestyle of wrestling and how he was inspired to stay and train at Billy Riley's after experiencing its effects first handduring a professional show in Manchester, England. After leaving Wigan, he later went on to teach catch wrestling toJapanese professional wrestlers in the 1970s to students including Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Hiro Matsuda,Osamu Kido, Satoru Sayama ( Tiger Mask) and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Starting from 1976, one of these professionalwrestlers, Inoki, hosted a series of mixed martial arts bouts against the champions of other disciplines. This resultedin unprecedented popularity of the clash-of-styles bouts in Japan. His matches showcased catch wrestling moves likethe sleeper hold, cross arm breaker, seated armbar, Indian deathlock and keylock.Karl Gotch's students formed the original Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan) in 1984 which gave rise toshoot-style matches. The UWF movement was led by catch wrestlers and gave rise to the mixed martial arts boom inJapan. Wigan stand-out Billy Robinson soon thereafter began training MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba. Catchwrestling forms the base of Japan's martial art of shoot wrestling. Japanese professional wrestling and a majority ofthe Japanese fighters from Pancrase, Shooto and the now defunct RINGS bear links to catch wrestling. RandyCouture, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kamal Shalorus, Takanori Gomi, and Josh Barnett, among other mixed martial artists,study catch wrestling as their primary submission style.[39]

The term no holds barred was used originally to describe the wrestling method prevalent in catch wrestlingtournaments during the late 19th century wherein no wrestling holds were banned from the competition, regardlessof how dangerous they might be. The term was applied to mixed martial arts matches, especially at the advent of theUltimate Fighting Championship.[40]

Amateur Wrestling

Amateur Wrestling (like Freestyle, Greco-Roman or American Folkstyle) gained a tremendous respect amongmartial arts practitioners due to its effectiveness in Mixed Martial Arts competitions. Starting from successes ofwrestlers in earlier UFC events and till the present day, wrestling has produced a great number of MMA champions.Wrestling takedowns, takedown offense and defense are widely studied by various mixed martial artists. Wrestling isalso credited for conferring good conditioning, explosiveness and stamina, necessary in Mixed Martial Artscompetitions. Fighters and prominent champions with wrestling backgrounds include Dan Severn, Mark Coleman,Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Brock Lesnar, and Cain Velasquez to name a few.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the early 1990s, when BrazilianJiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the timewere single elimination martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who werepracticing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo and tae kwon do. It has since become a stapleart for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing widespread attention to the importance of groundfighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submissiongrappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

StrategiesThe techniques utilized in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees, punches and elbows) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws). Although sanctioning bodies such as the IFFCF have rules and regulations for MMA, rules may vary between promotions. In many promotions they have adopted the unified rule system that the most popular promotion UFC has established. While the legality of some techniques (such as elbow strikes,

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headbutts and spinal locks) may vary, there is a near universal ban on techniques such as biting, strikes to the groin,eye-gouging, fish-hooking and small joint manipulation.[41] [42] [43]

Today, mixed martial artists must cross-train in a variety of styles to counter their opponent's strengths and remaineffective in all the phases of combat. For instance, a stand-up fighter will have little opportunity to use their skillsagainst a submission artist who has also trained in take downs. Many traditional disciplines remain popular as waysfor a fighter to improve aspects of their game.[44] [45]

The standing fighter is attempting to escape defeat via armbar byslamming his opponent to the ground so that he will release his grip.

Sprawl-and-brawl

Sprawl-and-brawl is a stand-up fighting tactic thatconsists of effective stand-up striking, while avoidingground fighting, typically by using sprawls to defendagainst takedowns.

A sprawl-and-brawler is usually a boxer, kickboxer,Thai boxer or Karate fighter who has trained in variousstyles of Wrestling, Judo, and/or Sambo to avoidtakedowns to keep the fight standing. Often, thesefighters will study submission wrestling to avoid beingforced into submission, should they find themselves onthe ground. This style can be deceptively different fromtraditional kickboxing styles, sincesprawl-and-brawlers must adapt their techniques toincorporate takedown and ground fighting defense.

Strikeforce fighter, Cung Le, former Pride FightingChampionship fighters Mirko Filipović, IgorVovchanchyn, Wanderlei Silva and also Former UFCchampions Tim Sylvia and Chuck Liddell have beensuccessful using sprawl-and brawl techniques.

Clinch fighting

Clinch fighting and dirty boxing are tactics consisting of using a clinch hold to prevent the opponent from movingaway into more distant striking range, while also attempting takedowns and striking the opponent using knees,stomps, elbows, and punches. The clinch is often utilized by wrestlers and Judokas that have added components ofthe striking game (typically boxing), and Muay Thai fighters.

Wrestlers and Judokas may use clinch fighting as a way to neutralize the superior striking skills of a stand-up fighteror to prevent takedowns by a superior ground fighter. The clinch of a Muay Thai fighter is often used to improve theaccuracy of knees and elbows by physically controlling the position of the opponent.Former UFC champion Randy Couture is one of the most notable practitioners of clinch fighting. Also, current UFCmiddleweight champion Anderson Silva commonly uses knee strikes from a Muay Thai clinch.

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Ground-and-pound

Ground-and-pound is a ground fighting tactic consisting of taking an opponent to the ground using a takedown orthrow, obtaining a top, or dominant position, and then striking the opponent, primarily with fists and elbows.Ground-and-pound is also used as a precursor to attempting submission holds.This style is used by wrestlers or other fighters well-versed in submission defense and skilled at takedowns. Theytake the fight to the ground, maintain a grappling position, and strike until their opponent submits or is knocked out.Although not a traditional style of striking, the effectiveness and reliability of ground-and-pound has made it apopular tactic as it was first demonstrated as an effective technique by UFC and Pride grand prix champion, MarkColeman.[46] It was then adopted as the signature style of former UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes. UFCchampions/former champions Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Randy Couture and Georges St-Pierre are well knownfor their ground-and-pound. Today, strikes on the ground are an essential part of a fighter's training.

Submission Grappling (Sub-Seeking)

Apart from being a general martial arts, submission grappling is also a reference to the ground fighting tacticconsisting of taking an opponent to the ground using a takedown or throw and then applying a submission hold,forcing the opponent to submit. While grapplers will often work to attain dominant position, some may be morecomfortable fighting from other positions. If a grappler finds themselves unable to force a takedown, they may resortto pulling guard, whereby they physically pull their opponent into a dominant position on the ground.Submissions are an essential part of many disciplines, most notably Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, catch wrestling, judo, Sambo,and shootwrestling. They were popularized in the early UFC events by Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock. Notablecontemporary fighters that often practice this strategy include Damian Maia, Frank Mir, Rousimar Palhares, andMasakazu Imanari.

Women's competition"Female fighting has been slow to start and finding our place amongst the male warriors has sometimes been astruggle. In 2001, when there was little interest in women's MMA. Thanks to many people, female fighters havecome a long way and you will now find most MMA shows in America and Japan feature women's MMAmatches."[47]

The sport of mixed martial arts has female athletes. Female fights are more prominent in Japan, with promotionssuch as the all-female Valkyrie and JEWELS (formerly known as Smackgirl).[48] However as 2010, there are only afew professional mixed martial arts organizations in the United States that invite women to compete. The mainorganizations to have support female MMA include Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships, and the nowdefunct EliteXC.Historically people have had a perception that women are not as prominent as men in mixed martial arts, there hasbeen a growing awareness of women in the sport due to popular female fighters and personalities such as MegumiFujii and Gina Carano. Carano quickly became the face of women's MMA after appearing in the now defunctEliteXC MMA promotion; this was furthered by her appearances in the remake of the hit TV show AmericanGladiators.

Mixed martial arts 13

Women fighting in MMA.

One of the first major female MMA fights was GinaCarano's Strikeforce debut against Elaina Maxwellwhere Carano won via unanimous decision atStrikeforce: Triple Threat in San Jose on December 8,2006.

Strikeforce has become the first major promotion in theUnited States to have held a female fight as the mainevent on August 15, 2009. The fight between GinaCarano and Cristiane Santos attracted 856,000viewers.[49] Santos made history with her victory overCarano as she became the first ever Strikeforce

Women's 145 lbs Champion.[50]

One relative newcomer to female MMA is Bellator Fighting Championships. Before Bellator's third season theorganization had only loosely associated itself with female MMA, holding only seven female fights. However sincethe third season, the organization has started to become more involved in female MMA, with a women's 115 lbs(52.16 kg) tournament. The tournament included a number of noteworthy female MMA fighters such as MegumiFujii, Lisa Ward, and Zoila Frausto among others. Bellator crowned their first 115 lbs female champion, ZoilaFrausto at Bellator XXXIV on October 28, 2010.

Children's competitionMMA events are popular with children. Some tournaments, such as the Western Canadian Martial ArtsChampionship, admit children. In 2010, rules were changed to allow ground and pound on child competitors.[51]

Safety

A trainer attends to a fighter following asubmission loss.

Mixed Martial Arts competitions have changed dramatically since thefirst Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, specifically with theinception of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The overallinjury rate in MMA competitions is currently similar to other combatsports, including boxing.[52] [53]

MMA is dangerous, and its fighters are put at a serious risk of injuryeach time they enter the cage. MMA fighters are given more care andprecaution than athletes in most other sports. With supervised fights,pre- and post-fight MRIs, four ringside doctors and two ambulances incase of emergency at each event, and mandatory steroid testing, theseorganizations reach the highest levels of safety and quality in allaspects of the sport.[54]

A study by Johns Hopkins University concluded, "the overall injury rate [excluding injury to the brain] in MMAcompetitions is now similar to other combat sports [involving striking], including boxing. Knockout rates are lowerin MMA competitions than in boxing. This suggests a reduced risk of traumatic brain injury in MMA competitionswhen compared to other events involving striking."[55]

Sprained fingers and toes; cuts and bruises on the head, face, and neck; and bloody noses are the most commoninjuries in MMA.[56] According to The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2006), MMA must continue to besupervised by properly trained medical professionals and referees to ensure fighter safety.[11]

Mixed martial arts 14

FatalitiesWhile competition in the MMA have been occasionally depicted as brutal by the media,[57] there have been nodocumented cases of deaths after a sanctioned MMA event prior to 2007.[58]

In the period of 2007 to 2010, there have been two fatalities in mixed martial arts matches. The first was the death ofSam Vasquez on November 30, 2007.[59] Vasquez collapsed shortly after being knocked out by Vince Libardi in thethird round of an October 20, 2007 fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.[60] Vasquez had two separatesurgeries to remove blood clots from his brain, and shortly after the second operation suffered a devastating strokeand never regained consciousness.[59] While questions have been asked about Vasquez's health before his final bout,no firm indications of pre-existing problems have yet surfaced. The second death stemming from a sanctioned mixedmartial arts contest happened in South Carolina on June 28, 2010, when 30-year old Michael Kirkham was knockedout and never regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead two days after the fight.[61]

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Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Mirko Cro Cop vs Pat Barry UFC 115.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mirko_Cro_Cop_vs_Pat_Barry_UFC_115.jpg  License: Creative CommonsAttribution 3.0  Contributors: User:Bad intentionzImage:UffiziFlorenceWrestlers.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:UffiziFlorenceWrestlers.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:RorybowmanImage:UFC 74 Respect Bout.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:UFC_74_Respect_Bout.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Lee BrimelowImage:Shamrock Frye heel hook screenshot.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Shamrock_Frye_heel_hook_screenshot.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors:Nyquistx3Image:Mma ground fighting.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mma_ground_fighting.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: -Marcus-Image:Glovescropped.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Glovescropped.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: East718Image:Slamcropped.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Slamcropped.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: East718Image:MMAstandup.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:MMAstandup.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Matthew WalshOriginal uploader was East718 at en.wikipediaFile:Strikeforce trainer 2010-01-07.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Strikeforce_trainer_2010-01-07.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 Contributors: Matthew Tosh

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