Mixed martial arts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the fighting styles that combine different arts, see hybrid martial arts.
Mixed martial arts

Ground fighting during competition. The dominant fighter maintains side control while delivering strikes.
Also known as MMA, Vale Tudo, Ultimate fighting,[1] No-Holds-Barred (NHB)
Focus Various
Hardness Full contact
Olympic Sport No

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions, to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground.

Modern mixed martial arts competition emerged in popular culture in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Initially based on finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations, competitors of various arts were pitted against one another with minimal rules or concern for safety.[2] In the following decade, MMA promoters adopted many additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport.[3] Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with pay per view reach rivaling boxing and professional wrestling.[4]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-modern

Pankration was an ancient form of unarmed hand to hand combat resembling modern MMA.
Pankration was an ancient form of unarmed hand to hand combat resembling modern MMA.

One of the earliest forms of widespread unarmed combat sports with minimal rules was Greek pankration, which was introduced into the Olympic Games in 648 B.C.[5] Even as late as the Early Middle Ages, statues were put up in Rome and other cities to honour remarkable pankratiasts.

No-holds-barred events reportedly took place in the late 1800s when wrestlers representing a huge range of fighting styles including various catch wrestling styles, Greco-Roman wrestling and many others met in tournaments and music-hall challenge matches throughout Europe. The first major encounter between a boxer and a wrestler in modern times took place in 1887 when John L. Sullivan, then heavyweight world boxing champion, entered the ring with his trainer, Greco-Roman wrestling champion William Muldoon, and was slammed to the mat in two minutes. The next publicized encounter occurred in the late 1890s when future heavyweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons took on European Greco-Roman wrestling champion Ernest Roeber. Reportedly, Roeber suffered a fractured cheekbone in this bout, but was able to get Fitzsimmons down on the mat, where he applied an armlock and made the boxer submit. In 1936, heavyweight boxing contender Kingfish Levinsky and veteran professional wrestler Ray Steele competed in a mixed match, which Steele won in 35 seconds.[6]

Another early example of mixed martial arts combat was the martial art of Bartitsu, founded in London in 1899, which was the first martial art known to have combined Asian and European fighting styles,[7] and which saw MMA-style contests throughout England, pitting European and Japanese champions against representatives of various European wrestling styles.[7]

Mixed style contests such as boxing vs. jujutsu were popular entertainment throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s.[8] 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 three throws or knockdowns, and victory via knockout or submission.[citation needed]

Professional wrestling died out after World War I and was reborn in two streams: "shoot", in which the fighters actually competed, and "show," which evolved into modern sports entertainment professional wrestling.[6]

[edit] Modern

180 lb. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie (white gi) submits 275 lb. champion wrestler Dan Severn (black tights) with a triangle choke in UFC 4, 1994.
180 lb. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie (white gi) submits 275 lb. champion wrestler Dan Severn (black tights) with a triangle choke in UFC 4, 1994.[9]

The history of modern MMA competition can be traced to mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s; the Gracie family's vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s; and early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s. The sport gained international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie handily won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament, submitting three challengers in just five minutes,[10] sparking a revolution in the martial arts.[11] Meanwhile in Japan the continued interest in the sport resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships in 1997.[12]

The movement that led to the creation of the UFC and PRIDE was rooted in two interconnected subcultures. First were the vale tudo events in Brazil, followed by the Japanese shoot wrestling shows. Vale tudo began in the 1920s with the "Gracie challenge" issued by Carlos Gracie and Hélio Gracie and upheld later on by descendants of the Gracie family.[5] In Japan in the 1970s, a series of mixed martial arts matches were hosted by Antonio Inoki, inspiring the shoot-style movement in Japanese professional wrestling, which eventually led to the formation of the first mixed martial arts organizations, such as Shooto, which was formed in 1985.

Chuck Liddell (right) and Tito Ortiz broke PPV records with their rematch at UFC 66.
Chuck Liddell (right) and Tito Ortiz broke PPV records with their rematch at UFC 66.

The concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was pioneered and popularized by Bruce Lee in the late 1960's to early 1970's. 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." His innovative concepts were recognized in 2004 by UFC President Dana White when he called Lee the "father of mixed martial arts."[13] Recognition of its effectiveness as a test came as the United States Army began to sanction mixed martial arts with the first annual All Army Combatives Championships held by the US Army Combatives School in November 2005.

The sport reached a new peak of popularity in North America in the December 2006 rematch between then UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former champion Tito Ortiz, rivaling the PPV sales of some of the biggest boxing events of all time,[4] and helping the UFC's 2006 PPV gross surpass that of any promotion in PPV history. In 2007, Zuffa LLC, the owners of the UFC MMA promotion, bought Japanese rival MMA brand PRIDE, merging the contracted fighters under one promotion[14] and drawing comparisons to the consolidation that occurred in other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in American football.[15]

[edit] Evolution of fighters

Ground fighting is an intrinsic part of the sport.
Ground fighting is an intrinsic part of the sport.

As a result of an increased number of competitors, organized training camps, information sharing, and modern kinesiology, the understanding of the combat-effectiveness of various strategies has been greatly improved. UFC commentator Joe Rogan has claimed that martial arts have evolved more in the ten years following 1993 than in the preceding 700 years.[16]

"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 the best grapplers; his endurance was second to none. "
— describing UFC champion Frank Shamrock's early dominance [17]

The early years of the sport saw a wide variety of traditional styles - everything from sumo to kickboxing - but the continual evolution of the sport saw many styles prove ineffective, while others proved successful on their own.

In the early 1990s, three styles stood out for their effectiveness in competition: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, amateur wrestling and shoot wrestling. This may be attributable in part to the grappling emphasis of the aforementioned styles, which were, perhaps due to the scarcity of mixed martial arts competitions prior to the early 90s, unknown to most practitioners of striking-based arts. Fighters who combined amateur wrestling with striking techniques found success in the standing portion of a fight, whilst Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylists had a distinct advantage on the ground: those unfamiliar with submission grappling proved to be unprepared to deal with its submission techniques. Shoot wrestling practitioners offered a balance of amateur wrestling ability and catch wrestling-based submissions, resulting in a well-rounded skillset. The shoot wrestlers were especially successful in Japan. As competitions became more and more common, those with a base in striking became more competitive as they acquainted themselves with takedowns and submission holds, leading to notable upsets against the then dominant grapplers. Subsequently, those from the varying grappling styles added striking techniques to their arsenal. This overall development of increased cross-training resulted in the fighters becoming increasingly multi-dimensional and well-rounded in their skills.

[edit] Olympic recognition efforts

It was thought that Olympic recognition would be forthcoming for the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, under the banner of pankration. However, the International Olympic Committee was unconvinced that Greece could handle the total number of sports proposed. To placate the IOC, the organizers removed all new medal sports and pankration was excluded.[18]

[edit] Rules

Main article: Mixed martial arts rules
A fighter tapes his hands prior to putting gloves on.
A fighter tapes his hands prior to putting gloves on.

The rules for modern mixed martial arts competitions have changed significantly since the early days of vale tudo and Japanese shoot wrestling and UFC 1 and even more from the historic style of pankration. As the knowledge about fighting techniques spread among fighters and spectators, it became clear that the original minimalist rule systems needed to be amended.[19] The main motivations for these rule changes were protection of the health of the fighters, the desire to shed the image of "barbaric, no rules, fighting-to-the-death" matches and be recognised as a sport.

Rules included the introduction of weight classes, as knowledge about submissions spread, with more fighters became well-versed in submission techniques and avoiding submissions, differences in weight became a substantial factor. Small, open-fingered, gloves were introduced to protect fists in punches, reduce the occurrence of cuts (and stoppages due to cuts) and encourage fighters to use their hands for striking, to enable more captivating matches and time limits were established to avoid long fights with little action as competitors conserved their strength, matches without time limits also complicated the airing of live events. Similar motivations produced the "stand up" rule, where the referee can stand fighters up if it is perceived both are resting on the ground or are not advancing toward a dominant position.[19]

Gloves were first mandatory in Japan's Shooto promotion and were later adopted by the UFC as it developed into a regulated sport. In the U.S., state athletic and boxing commissions have played a crucial role in the introduction of additional rules because they oversee MMA in similar way to boxing. Smaller shows may use more restrictive rules because they have less experienced fighters who are looking to acquire experience and exposure that could ultimately lead them to getting recruited into one of the larger, better paying promotions. In Japan and Europe, there is no regulating authority over competitions, so these organizations have greater freedom in rule development and event structure.

Victory in a match is normally gained either by the judges' decision after an allotted amount of time has elapsed, a stoppage by the referee (for example if a competitor can not defend himself intelligently) or the fight doctor (due to an injury), a submission, by a competitor's cornerman throwing in the towel, or by knockout.

[edit] Strategies

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Mixed martial arts competition requires training in striking, wrestling, and submission fighting.
Mixed martial arts competition requires training in striking, wrestling, and submission fighting.

The techniques utilized in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees and punches) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws). As mixed martial arts has no international sanctioning body, rules may vary between promotions. While the legality of some techniques (such as elbow strikes, 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.[20][21][22]

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

[edit] Popular Disciplines

Some styles have been adapted from their traditional form, such as boxing stances which lack effective counters to leg kicks and takedowns, or judo techniques which must be adapted for No Gi competition. It is common for a fighter to train with multiple 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 an MMA fighter's training.

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 of practitioners of all ages. Proponents of this sort of training argue that it is safe for anyone, of any age, with varying levels of competitiveness.[23][24]

[edit] Hybrid Styles

The following terms describe hybrid styles a fighter may use, over the course of a fight, to achieve victory. While some fighters, such as BJ Penn or Fedor Emelianenko, can score victories by striking, ground-and-pound or submission, most fighters will rely on a smaller number of techniques while adopting a style that plays to their strengths.

Stand-up fighting is the core of sprawl-and-brawl.
Stand-up fighting is the core of sprawl-and-brawl.

[edit] Sprawl-and-brawl

Sprawl-and-brawl is a stand-up fighting tactic that consists of effective stand-up striking, while avoiding ground fighting, typically by using sprawls to defend against takedowns.

A sprawl-and-brawler is usually a boxer, kickboxer, Thai boxer or full contact karate fighter who has trained in wrestling to avoid takedowns to keep the fight standing. Often, these fighters will study submission wrestling to avoid being submitted, should they find themselves on the ground. This style can be deceptively different from traditional kickboxing styles, since sprawl-and-brawlers must adapt their techniques to incorporate takedown and ground fighting defense. Chuck Liddell and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović are examples of sprawl-and-brawl fighters.

[edit] Clinch fighting

Clinch fighting and dirty boxing are tactics consisting of using a clinch hold to prevent the opponent from moving away 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 that have added in components of the striking game (typically boxing), and Muay Thai fighters.

Wrestlers may use clinch fighting as a way to neutralize the superior striking skills of a stand-up fighter or to prevent takedowns by a superior ground fighter. The clinch of a Muay Thai fighter is often used to improve the accuracy of knees and elbows by physically controlling the position of the opponent. Wanderlei Silva and Anderson Silva are examples of effective clinch fighters.

[edit] Ground-and-pound

Ground-and-pound in action
Ground-and-pound in action

Ground-and-pound is a ground fighting tactic consisting of taking an opponent to the ground using a takedown or throw, obtaining a top, or dominant, position, and then striking the opponent, primarily with the fists. 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. They take 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 (it was first demonstrated as an effective technique by UFC and PRIDE grand prix champion, Mark Coleman), the effectiveness and reliability of ground-and-pound has made it a popular tactic. Today, strikes on the ground are an essential part of a fighter's training. Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz are examples of effective ground-and-pound fighters.

[edit] Submission grappling

Apart from being a general martial arts term, submission grappling is also a reference to the ground fighting tactic consisting 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 more comfortable fighting from other positions. If a grappler finds themselves unable to force a takedown, they may resort to 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 catch wrestling, judo, Sambo, pankration, Army Combatives and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Josh Barnett, BJ Penn, the brothers Antônio Rodrigo and Antônio Rogério Nogueira, and Ricardo Arona are examples of submission grapplers.

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club and FILA Grappling World Wrestling Games are examples of submission grappling tournaments.

[edit] Lay-and-pray

Lay-and-pray is a pejorative term for a strategy whereby a fighter can control their opponent on the ground, but is unable to mount an effective offense.[25] They simply seek to negate the offense of their opponent, "praying" for a decision victory. In some MMA promotions, penalties may be imposed for lay-and-pray techniques if the referee determines that a fighter is stalling.

[edit] Safety

While competition in the sport is occasionally depicted as brutal by the media,[26] there had never been a death or crippling injury in a sanctioned event in North America[27] until the death of Sam Vasquez on November 30, 2007.[28] Vasquez collapsed shortly after being knocked out by Vince Libardi in the third round of an October 20, 2007 fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.[29] Vasquez had two separate surgeries to remove blood clots from his brain, and shortly after the second operation suffered a major stroke and never regained consciousness.[28] While questions have been asked about the Vasquez's health before his final bout no firm indications of pre-existing problems have yet surfaced. Since he was age 35, he would have had to undergo extensive pre-fight medical screening in order to obtain a license to compete in Texas.[28]

The only other verified fatality in MMA competition is the 1998 death of Douglas Dedge in an unsanctioned fight in Ukraine. There are unconfirmed reports that Dedge had a pre-existing medical condition.[30]

A study by Johns Hopkins University concluded, "the overall injury rate [excluding injury to the brain] in MMA competitions is now similar to other combat sports [involving striking], including boxing. Knockout rates are lower in MMA competitions than in boxing. This suggests a reduced risk of traumatic brain injury in MMA competitions when compared to other events involving striking."[31]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Hill, John. "Lincoln takes up ultimate fighting", Projo.com, May 8, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-08. 
  2. ^ Plotz, David. "Fight Clubbed", Slate, November 16, 1997. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. 
  3. ^ McFarland, Matt. "Ultimate Fighting wants to come to NY", WNYT.com, May 06, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-06. 
  4. ^ a b Trembow, Ivan (March 1, 2007). UFC PPV Revenue Tops $200 Million in 2006. MMA Weekly. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
  5. ^ a b Walter, Donald (December 8, 2003). Mixed Martial arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal?. Grapple Arts. Retrieved on 2006-02-25.
  6. ^ a b Willoughby, David P. (1970). The Super Athletes. A.S. Barnes & Co., Inc, 376-380. ISBN 0-498-06651-7. 
  7. ^ a b Noble, Graham (March 2001). An Introduction to E. W. Barton-Wright (1860-1951) and the Eclectic Art of Bartitsu. Journal of Manly Arts. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
  8. ^ Journal of Combative Sport: Jujitsu versus Boxing. Journal of Combative Sport. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  9. ^ "Fight Clubbed: Ultimate fighting ought to be a great American sport. Instead, cable companies, Sen. John McCain, and a squeamish public are killing it." Slate, Nov. 17, 1999.
  10. ^ Fight Finder - UFC 1 The Beginning. Sherdog.com.
  11. ^ Peligro, Kid (2003). The Gracie Way: An Illustrated History of the World's Greatest Martial Arts Family. Invisible Cities Press, 79-84. ISBN 1-931229-28-7. 
  12. ^ What is PRIDE?. PRIDE. Retrieved on 2006-12-23.
  13. ^ Wickert, Marc. 2004. Dana White and the future of UFC. kucklepit.com. See Wikiquotes for the text.
  14. ^ Doyle, Dave (April 4, 2000). UFC scores TKO on its business rival. FOX Sports, MSN. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  15. ^ Source: UFC buys Pride for less than $70M. Associated Press, ESPN (March 27, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-15. "This is really going to change the face of MMA. Literally creating a sport that could be as big around the world as soccer. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the NFL" —Lorenzo Fertitta, one of the UFC's majority owners
  16. ^ UFC 40: Vendetta (PPV). Zuffa (November 22, 2002). Event occurs at 1:00 into Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral. "The evolution of martial arts since 1993, since the UFC came around, martial arts have evolved more than they have in the last 700 years. We know exactly now what works in a real live situation with two warriors fighting. For a long time that was just speculation." —Joe Rogan
  17. ^ Sloan, Mike (June 22, 2007). "No Win" Situation is Must Win for Shamrock. Sherdog, ESPN. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
  18. ^ Townsley, John. Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games Launch Pad. Invest in Greece. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  19. ^ a b Krauss, Erich (1 Dec 2004). Warriors of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. U.S.: Citadel Press Inc.,. ISBN 0806526572. 
  20. ^ Mixed Martial arts Unified Rules of Conduct. New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (September 5, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-06-18.
  21. ^ Nevada Administrative Code, Chapter 467, Unarmed Combat. Nevada State Athletic Commission (August 11, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-18.
  22. ^ Davis, Gray (2001). Laws & Regulations Governing Boxing & Martial arts in California. California State Athletic Commission. Retrieved on 2006-06-18.
  23. ^ Green, Andrew (December 20, 2005). Kids in MMA. Innovative Martial arts. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
  24. ^ Gutierrez, Luis. JKD and Children. One Dragon Martial arts. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
  25. ^ Leben, an Everett fighter, is top contender in booming sport. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (July 27, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
  26. ^ Telander, Rick (October 11, 2006). Sweet science morphing into Brutality TV (Reprint). Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  27. ^ Doyle, Dave (October 11, 2006). MMA's alleged brutality, and more. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
  28. ^ a b c Update: Sam Vasquez Dead at 35. Sherdog.com (2007-12-02). Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
  29. ^ Sievert, Steve (2007-11-26). Mixed Martial Arts Notebook: Vasquez in toughest fight. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
  30. ^ Iole, Kevin. "Pain, lots of blood symbols of MMA", Las Vegas Review-Journal, August 20, 2006, 4J. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. 
  31. ^ Incidence of Injury in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Competitions - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, July 2006.

[edit] References

v • d • e
Professional mixed martial arts organizations
North American promotions:
Asian promotions:
DREAM • WVR • Shooto • ZST • DEEP • Spirit MC • Pancrase • Cage Force • Art of War (China) • Smackgirl • URCC
European promotions:
Defunct promotions:
Cage Fury FC • PRIDE FC • IVC • RINGS • WFA • UFO • HERO'S • BodogFight
Sanctioning bodies and networks:
Shooto • International Sport Combat Federation • WWCN • North American Boxing Council • Japan Mixed Martial Arts Federation • WAMMA
v • d • e
Martial arts by focus
Martial arts are listed by area of primary focus; please note that they may include training in the other areas.
Striking
Grappling
Weaponry
Mixed, hybrid,
and multi-discipline