Mixed Martial Arts - More Than a Hobby

There are many different sports or activities that we like to do in our spare time. People use the outlet of sports or other recreational activities in order to stay in shape, stay focused, or to get out some stress that is in their lives. Whatever the reason the individual decides to engage in the extra curricular activity does not matter as much as what they get out of it. The latest craze has been getting involved in mixed martial arts due to aggression as well as the fact that it is a way to defend yourself if you are in danger. However, this art is not a new fad; it has been around for hundred of years, even thousands of years. Not everyone views mixed martial arts fights as sports or ways of defense, they view it as barbaric and unnecessary. No matter what your stance on the topic, there is no denying that it takes dedication, discipline and hard work to master this art.

Whatever your motive, if you want to take some mixed martial arts fighting lessons or mixed martial arts classes for self defense, go right ahead. You know what your reasons and motives are so feel free to look up your local mixed martial arts school and see when they have classes that can fit around your schedule. Sometimes there might not be mixed martial arts schools in your area. It is not uncommon for people to look up mixed martial arts DVD online. They purchase these DVDs in efforts to get an idea of what it takes to be in the classes in person and to do the mixed martial arts workouts to get in shape. Make sure that if you are ready to pursue this art, you understand the intense physical requirements and the mental determination to practice and study. Many teachers and schools also educate students on the philosophy and responsibilities of this art, along with the physical combat of the art itself.

When a person wants to get some mixed martial arts training in order to have the opportunity to fight professionally, they have to go a little more in depth than regular DVDs. They will have to train and prepare like they never have before. Their bodies will never be the same after they put their selves through this training program. They will have to go through such a rigorous training ritual to be able to go against those who have been fighting mixed martial arts for years. It is more than just the working out and the mixed martial arts apparel or mixed martial art clothing that you need to pull it off. Many say it is a mental state of mind that you have to be in, in order to step into a ring against a person that wants to beat you up. When you step into the ring you have to realized, that it is going to be either you or them that will be going down or tapping out.

When the people who think they can get into the ring right now without training see a match in person or on television they actually change their mind all together. This sport and discipline is not for the weak of spirit or strength. These gentlemen are well built and skilled in a form of art and have been for much of their adult life. They have dedicated time, money, and effort to the pursuit of their sport. Some get into the ring realizing that there is a strong possibility that they could lose and get knocked out. Many people have tried to fight competitively and not been able to hang with the big boys.

Whether you enjoy watching the tournaments, have a son or daughter in the sport or have mastered the skill yourself, there is a lot to be learned from this art. Taking the time to excel at such a complex art is a life-skill that will carry into other areas and help you be disciplined in any area you pursue.

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Mixed Martial Arts

Mixing martial arts have been going on forever in the history of fighting arts around the world. In fact, most systems of martial arts were invented based on a combination and modification of existing arts.

Take judo for example, it was founded by Kano based on the combination and modification of many different styles of jujitsu. Modern Brazilian jujitsu, in turn, was a modification of japanese judo by Helio Gracie. Western boxing originally was based on the modification of western fencing. Kickboxing was found by combining karate kicks with boxing punches. Wing Chun was based on modification of long hand shaolin gung fu systems. JKD was found by Bruce Lee by combining and modifying Wing Chun, boxing and fencing theories.

The list goes on.....

The irony is that while the founders were men who broke traditions and combine and modify things to create things that work better for themselves, after they died, their followers insist on turning their thesis into a must-not-change system.

Because of this attitude, cross training was looked upon as a martial arts crime of disloyalty.

In the 1990s NHB events such as the UFC took the martial arts world by storm and thanks to them, cross training is no longer a martial sin. At first, grapplers were winning because no one knew how to grapple nor did they know how to stop take-downs.

As the sport evolved, people started to realize how important it is to cross train.

That's why I think it is funny when fans say things like MMA fighting method is the best. People don't realize that there's no "best" fighting method; it is always evolving. Like boxing, the champions of today fought a lot different than the champs from the 20s 30s and so on.

Methods have to change; the minute that you think your way is the best, you are done. A good example was the Gracies in UFC; as their competitors evolved, they stood still, and as a result, they got beat.

It is always a good reminder to yourself not to get too much of a ego and instead keep learning and evolving if you want to stay ahead.

One of the biggest misconceptions was the idea that MMA and NHB events are new. The fact is, throughout history, NHB contests and mixing martial arts are as old as man.

The gladiators, death matches in China until it was outlawed after the Nanking killings in 1935, challenge matches in Brazil, sword duels in ancient Japan etc. MMA is not a new concept it just seems new because it's the first time it is on cable TV globally.

When people think of mixing martial arts, they automatically think of UFC, K1, Pride and other NHB events. However, the truth is, what you mix with martial arts depends on what you are mixing for.

The success of what you mix depends on what you plan to enter. Are you planning to enter NHB, kickboxing, boxing, sport jujitsu or a stick fighting tournament?

The rules are different, there's no point mixing kicks into your training program if you are planning to enter a boxing match right? And there no point only training punches and grappling if you are planning to enter a stick fighting tournament right?

This is common sense, but the reason I am writing this is because a lot of people only think of one event when thinking about mixing martial arts.

Again, what you mix depends on what you are training for. Knowing this allows you to design a better training program for yourself. That being said, what you mix for different tournaments (NHB, wrestling, stick fighting, boxing etc.) and what you mix for street fighting and real world self protection is very very different as well.

Some things that you have to take into consideration when mixing martial arts for street encounters compared to sport-fighting are: multiple opponents, starting engagement from close quarters, the use and defenses against weapons, the use of verbal distractions and the element of surprise, fighting in difficult environments( bad lighting, stair cases etc.), escaping before more bad guys come instead of staying to win.

Some sport-fighting tactics, attributes and techniques transfers nicely for street fighting but a lot do not. Just like some things for street fighting can be transfered to sport fighting but a lot cannot. Knowing the differences between the ring vs a street encounter, instead of thinking one method will work for both, is the safest and most effective way to train.

I hope this helps the average person get a little better perspective about Mixed Martial Arts in general.

My name is Adam Chan and I started martial arts in 1986 training in classical Wing Chun under sifu Joseph Boychuck. In 1993 I learned a hybrid version of kung-fu from sifu Mike Smith which contained elements of Tai-Chi, Ba Gua, Hsing Yi, Shaolin, natural gate boxing.

In the end, names and styles do not matter but or convenience sake, my system is called Modified Wing Chun.Tracing back what I learned, I realized that it contains elements of fencing, boxing, savate and karate. Some of my own influences are Aikido and Yi-Quan.

Martial arts training can lead one to confidence, creativity, compassion and many other qualities. This led me to research Taoism, motivational psychology and Zen studies. Little by little, I realized that using martial arts as a medium is a great way to help people.

For questions, discussion and more information about this article and related topics please visit my website http://www.pragmaticmartialarts.com

Mixed Martial Arts: An Introduction to MMA

The popularity of mixed martial arts contests like the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has soared exponentially over the last decade. However, some may still wonder just exactly what mixed martial arts is. Well, to a certain extent it's just what its name implies. It is the combining of different martial arts and the incorporation of those techniques into one's repertoire of fighting skills.

If mixed martial arts (MMA) is so popular, then why hasn't it been done before. Actually, it has been done before. The ancient Greek Olympics had a sport known as pankration which involved grappling and striking and had no rules. Pankration means "all powerful." Pankration was the no-holds-barred (NHB) fighting of its day. Vale tudo contests were popular in Brazil during the twentieth century. Vale tudo also had a limited number of rules. Vale tudo means "anything goes" in Portuguese. Vale tudo contests are probably the nearest descendant to the UFC.

As you can see, MMA is not exactly new. But, it's been perfected and polished to a high degree over the last few decades. When the UFC first began, it was merely a contest to see which martial arts discipline was superior. The Gracie family of Brazil believed that their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was the best. And, to some extent they proved that it was. Royce Gracie won UFC 1, 2, and 4 often fighting against bigger opponents. I still enjoy watching videos of Royce. Royce Gracie put Brazilian Jiu Jitsu "on the map." However, the UFC evolved from its humble origins. Weight classes and other rules came into being. Competitors realized that they could combine wrestling, grappling, and striking skills. Thus, the sport of MMA was born.

For More UFC History, Check Out the Books:

Blood in the Cage: Mixed Martial Arts, Pat Miletich, and the Furious Rise of the UFC
A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting

Boxing and Other Martial Arts

When I was growing up, boxers were well known in America. I was familiar with the names Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Oscar de la Hoya, Mike Tyson, James "Buster" Douglas, and Evander Holyfield. But, the popularity of boxing has diminished over the years perhaps in part because of the increased interest in MMA. The only boxers that I am very familiar with now are Floyd Mayweather, Andre Ward, Bernard Hopkins, and Manny Pacquiao. Boxing movies like Rocky may have contributed to its popularity. Even now, one can still see boxing movies such as The Fighter.

The Karate Kid introduced some of us to the discipline of karate. And, the movieKickboxer introduced me to Muay Thai. Steven Seagal did some interesting martial arts in his movies. Many of us have seen kung fu movies as well. I grew up in the Midwest, so I was always interested in wrestling. I took a Taekwondo class during college. I saw kickboxing competitions on television occasionally. There seemed to be a time when practitioners of a certain martial art weren't interested in learning another martial art and many people thought that the martial art of their choice was the best. MMA seems to have shown that a combination of fighting styles works the best to attain fighting dominance. Even the military and police forces utilize MMA techniques.

Primitive Mixed Martial Arts

The legendary Bruce Lee recognized that traditional martial arts had their limits and weren't always practical in real world situations. Bruce Lee studied and critiqued many traditional forms. Lee's approach to martial arts and his emphasis on practicality makes him a forerunner of mixed martial arts. "Judo" Gene LeBell defeated boxer Milo Savage in 1963 with a lapel choke in one of the first MMA type contests. In addition, Muhammad Ali fought Antonio Inoki to a draw in 1976 in what would be considered a primitive MMA contest.

Ground and Pound, Sprawl and Brawl, Submissions

As I discussed earlier, mixed martial arts, the UFC, and other MMA competitions came into being and showed that combining martial arts could create a dominant fighter. Soon strategies developed. Some competitors were better at wrestling so they liked to employ the "ground and pound" strategy. Some were better at kicking and punching so they employed the "sprawl and brawl" strategy. And, others were experts at submissions (lock and choke) sticking with that strategy.

Fighting Backgrounds

Mixed martial artists come from many different back grounds:

Royce Gracie - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Pat Miletich - wrestling, karate, kickboxing

Matt Hughes - wrestling

Tito Ortiz - wrestling

Randy Couture - wrestling

Chuck Liddell - wrestling, Kempo, Koei-Kan Karate-do, and kickboxing

Keith Jardine - karate

Lyoto Machida - karate

B. J. Penn - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Kazushi Sakuraba - catch wrestling

Fedor Elemianenko - sambo

Karo Parisyan - judo

These fighters, of course, combined other skills with their primary fighting style to be complete fighters.

Mixed martial artists combine many skills from many disciplines including but not limited to freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, catch wrestling, judo, sambo, Brazilian Jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing, kickboxing, and karate.

Basil the Greek

I read a book while in elementary school called The Great Brain. In one story in this book, the Great Brain (Tom) helps teach a Greek immigrant boy how to fight in America so he won't get bullied and picked on. Tom notices that Basil isn't very good at boxing but is great at wrestling, especially headlocks. Tom develops a fighting strategy for Basil around this.

Here's a tiny excerpt from the book:

Tom and Basil were waiting inside the barn. "This is going to be a rough and tumble fight,"Tom announced. "Anything goes, lumberjack style."

"Suits me," Sammy said, grinning.

Well, Basil was able to catch Sammy in a headlock and straddle him on the ground (a la "ground and pound"). Basil was able to neutralize Sammy's punches and win the fight. That's how MMA works. A fighter can use his skills to neutralize the skills of another fighter. Combining skills works better than using one fighting skill exclusively.

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed this introduction to mixed martial arts. And, I hope you continue to watch and perhaps participate in this sport as it evolves and gains in popularity.

Tharin Schwinefus is a former high school conference wrestling champion and state qualifier. He maintains a passion and interest in all things related to the sport of wrestling. He is also passionate about the grappling arts and submission grappling. If you would like to read more information regarding grappling and wrestling then please visit http://essentialgrappler.webs.com/ and http://essentialwrestler.webs.com.