MMA, or mixed martial arts, is nowadays one of the most popular sports events. Although MMA developed most strongly in the 20th century, the history of this sport dates back to ancient times. MMA training is not the easiest one, because it requires an above-average mobility, coordination, strength and courage from the player. Check what MMA is characterized by and learn the techniques, grips and rules of mixed martial arts.
MMA( mixed martial arts ) is a sport that warms up many martial arts fans. Due to not very strict rules and great freedom in the selection of fighting techniques, MMA is a sports spectacle full of surprises! To be able to take part in MMA training, you need not only willingness, but most of all basic fitness skills.
Learn the history of MMA and learn more about this tough and ruthless sport.
Contents:
- What is MMA?
- MMA history
- MMA rules
- Types of combat (tactics) in MMA
- Basic MMA holds
- MMA training
What is MMA?
MMA (from Englishmixed martial arts ), or mixed martial arts, is a sports discipline in which competitors fight using techniques taken from many different martial arts. MMA is a great sports spectacle, and the presented fights on stage make a great impression on the audience. All thanks to the great freedom in the selection of techniques and tricks. MMA uses sports tactics such as boxing, wrestling, judo, kick-boxing and ju-jitsu.
MMA history
The history of MMA dates back to antiquity and the first form of mixed martial arts was called "pankration". It was a sport that originated in ancient Greece and was a combination of boxing and wrestling. It was included in the program of the Olympic Games in 648 BCE
Contemporary MMA has developed thanks to the Brazilian tournaments called "vale tudo" and Japanese - "kakutougi", organized in the 1970s, organized in the 1920s. The first MMA tournament was organized in 1993 in the United States. The tournament was called UFC 1. The Japanese organizations Shooto and Pancrase also contributed to the development of MMA.
Most significant todayMMA supporting organizations include the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA.
Check also:
Brazilian jiu-jitsu - what is it?
Boxing training at home - exercises for beginners
Calisthenics - examples of exercises and training methods
MMA rules
Mixed martial arts, although allowing the use of almost any fighting technique, have certain rules that must be followed. In the ring, you fight in a stand-up and on the ground floor. All kinds of levers, punches, kicks, throws, punches and chokes can be used for this. This does not mean, however, that MMA is guided by the principle of "all holds true". Any kind of behavior that directly threatens the lives of the players is forbidden. You must not break the joints, hit the intimate places and the spine, do not use head bumps, you must not put your fingers in your eyes or ears, and you cannot bite or kick someone lying down.
The fight is won by the one who forces the opponent to surrender or knocks him out. If none of the specified actions takes place during the fight, the judges decide on the victory by assigning points accordingly.
MMA fights are usually held in large stadiums and take place in rings surrounded by a net (called cages), which is to protect players from falling out of the ring. The UFC uses octagonal rings which are the hallmark of the organization. The equipment that an MMA fighter should have is, first of all, a mouth guard and gloves.
Worth knowingThe weight distribution in MMA used in most of the world's organizations is based on the following categories:
super heavyweight (+120 kg / 265 lb)
Heavyweight (-120 kg / 265 Ib)
light heavyweight (-93 kg / 205 Ib)
average weight (-84 kg / 185 Ib)
welterweight (-77 kg / 170 lb)
light weight (-70 kg / 155 Ib)
featherweight (-66 kg / 145 Ib)
rooster weight (-61 kg / 135 Ib)
fly weight (-57 kg / 125 lb)
straw scales (-52 kg / 115 lb)
atomic weight (-48 kg / 105 lb)
Types of combat (tactics) in MMA
Due to the fact that representatives of various martial arts apply for MMA fights, each of them has their own habits and predispositions that they learned from sports practice. This quite quickly helped to clarify the division of specific tactics:
- wrestler- a tactic in which you fight in a tight stand, i.e. in a clinch and hit your opponent on the ground floor. The most important element is to overthrow your opponent and throw him on the mat. The "ground and pound" principle is often used here,that is, put and add. The key to the "wrestler" is to sit on the ground floor and punch the opponent.
- ground floor- skillful tricks are the most important here. The competitor in the "ground floor" (English grappler) aims to fight on the ground floor, and is won by choking, twisting or leverage.
- striker- is a tactic in which the most important are blows de alt with arms and legs while standing. The principle of "sprawl and brawl" is applied here, which means - avoid short circuits and hit. A competitor who prefers this style will try to stay on his feet at all costs and not get knocked down. The most important here are kicks and blows with fists and elbows.
Basic MMA holds
Due to the large variety of disciplines that can be used in mixed martial arts, there are many tricks in MMA. The basic and most important of them are: - TKO: technical knockout, which means surrender of the opponent. Most often it is a guillotine, i.e. a very strong suffocation.
- TAKEDOWN: change from stand-up fight to ground fight.
- PIMP SLAP: hit your opponent with an open palm.
- HAMMER FIST: so-called hammer - hit with the back of the hand.
- SLAM: pick up u throw the opponent on the mat.
- PEDELA DA: kick your opponent in the head.
- LEVERS: dangerous and painful grips, often making it impossible to continue the fight.
- STIMULATING
- KEYS
In MMA the most common uses are boxing, kick-boxing, judo and wrestling.
MMA training
MMA training is definitely not the easiest one, but anyone who has the will to fight and is willing can take part in it. Classes begin with a warm-up and conditioning exercises. Perfect performance is the key to success, so it is the main focus at the beginning. It then moves on to basic fitness exercises such as push-ups, chin-ups, sprints, squats, jumps, and more. The second part of the course involves training specific tricks and tactics.
In MMA training, the so-called cross-sectional training is the most important, during which the player learns various combat and fitness skills. In the MMA technique, the most important three components are referred to as mixed martial arts tactics. So you should learn each of them, i.e. stand-up fighting, close combat and ground fighting.
MMA uses fighting techniques from such sports disciplines as: boxing, Thai boxing, kick-boxing, sambo, wrestling, judo, ju-jitsu, karate and taekwondo. A good fighter should be versatile in the ring, soduring MMA training, he learns each of the above-mentioned techniques.
Worth knowingThe most popular MMA fighters in Poland and in the world
The most popular Polish fighters of mixed martial arts include:
- in heavyweight - Marcin Tybura, Michał Andryszak, Adam Wieczorek, Marcin Różalski, Michał Kita, Szymon Bajor, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Damian Grabowski, Jędrzej Maćkowiak;
- in light heavyweight - Jan Błachowicz, Tomasz Narkun, Marcin Prachnio, Karol Celiński;
- in middleweight - Mamed Khalidow, Krzysztof Jotko, Michał Materla, Piotr Strus and many others.
Among the popular names there are also women, e.g. Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Agnieszka Niedźwiedź.
Popular MMA fighters from around the world include: Demetrious Johnson, Conor McGregor, Max Holloway, Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Joseph Benavide, Cody Garbrandt, Jose Aldo and many others.