MMA, or mixed martial arts, is a relatively new combat sport that grew from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in its original form, which pitched martial artists from one style against fighters from other combat sports. While initially fighters were very distinct in style, as pure grapplers fought against pure strikers, an increasingly homogenized approach began to take shape. Now, mixed martial artists are increasingly well rounded, aware that they must be proficient in several distinct stages of a fight.
MMA
Modern mixed martial artists are multi-talented and multi-dimensional fighters. While in the early days of MMA it was possible to win by being strong only in one aspect, these days it is a recipe for defeat by a more well-rounded opponent. Bruce Lee, once described by UFC president Dana White as the father of mixed martial arts, said that "the best fighter is not a boxer, karate or judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt on any style. He kicks too good for a boxer, throws too good for a karate man and punches too good for a judo man."
Striking
All MMA bouts start standing, in the striking phase. Most fighters will learn boxing techniques, while some will also add muay thai kickboxing to add kicks, knees and elbows to their arsenal. This kind of stand up striking can be drilled by practicing combinations on pads held by a partner, or on a punching bag. You can also drill techniques with a partner, before practicing by sparring. Sparring can be just stand up sparring, or stand up with takedowns.
Wrestling
Wrestling is the name given to the process by which one fighter throws another to the ground, or by which he resists his opponents attempts to take him down. In America, wrestling is the most common approach to this phase of fighting, although other systems such as judo and sambo have been successfully adapted. Wrestling training involves drilling techniques and counters, such as throws, takedowns and reversals. You can also do a lot of wrestling sparring, as without strikes you can go almost full out without causing severe injury to your partners.
Grappling
Grappling refers to fighting on the ground, where fighters can tussle for position and control or look for submissions such as joint locks and chokes. Fighters can also strike on the ground, meaning that the game is changed from pure grappling sports that include submission wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or sambo. Grappling is usually trained by drilling techniques, such as submissions or sweeps and reversals, although most grappling training is done by live sparring, known as rolling.
References
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- "Striking Thoughts"; Bruce Lee; 2002
- "Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge"; BJ Penn; 2007
- "Wrestling for Fighting"; Randy Couture; 2007
- Sherdog Training
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