| Mixed Martial Arts is essentially an unarmed | | | | Mixed Martial Arts Arts that are borrowed |
| combat sport, often described as | | | | from the martial art sports of America, |
| no-holds-barred combat sport. Also popularly | | | | Brazil, Japan, Thailand, England, Holland, |
| known as MMA, this free style martial arts | | | | France, and Russia. Unlike other martial arts |
| involves various fight forms - Muay Thai | | | | sports, rules were not standardized and the |
| Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, | | | | sole aim was to locate the best fighter in |
| Boxing, and Wrestling. Mixed Martial Arts is | | | | the world. However, the fighters must follow |
| quite popular among martial arts fans who | | | | a few rules for safety as well as to go with |
| take it up for varied reasons - fitness, | | | | the spirit of the sport. Biting, eye-gouging, |
| self-defense, fight tournaments, or as a fun | | | | fish-hooking, attack on the groin, use of |
| activity. | | | | abusive language, small joint manipulation, |
| | | | etc are considered unethical and illegal. |
| The documented history of Mixed Martial Arts | | | | |
| (MMA) competition is traced back to the | | | | MMA athletes are generally categorized as |
| ancient Greece. Back then it was known as | | | | groundfighters, wrestlers, or strikers. A |
| Pankration. Similar to today's MMA | | | | groundfighter follows a strategy to force a |
| tournaments, the fighters in those days used | | | | fight to the ground seeking submission, while |
| a combination of wrestling and boxing | | | | a wrestler focuses on takedown and a striker |
| techniques in the Pankration tournaments. | | | | aims to win with a knockout. No matter what |
| However, it was in 1993, after the first | | | | category they belong to, a comprehensive |
| Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), that | | | | training is paramount in order to be a |
| the world took notice of this sport. It is | | | | complete MMA athlete. Traditionally, the MMA |
| closely associated with the Gracie family | | | | fighters were trained in one or more of the |
| (the creators of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) as MMA | | | | martial art sport like Muay Thai Boxing, |
| tournaments are quite similar to the Vale | | | | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or any other. Nowadays, |
| tudo martial arts tournaments held in Brazil | | | | the students get trained specifically for MMA |
| by the family in the 1920s. Not just that, | | | | irrespective of their previous martial arts |
| the winner of the first UFC was Royce Gracie | | | | training, under the guidance of professional |
| of the Gracie family. The sport is largely | | | | trainers. |
| developed in Brazil, the US, and Japan as | | | | |
| compared to other nations. | | | | There are a number of professional training |
| | | | schools all over United States, including in |
| Striking and grappling are the two | | | | Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. area |
| predominant techniques that are combined in | | | | that provide specialized training to be a |
| Marylant Mixed Martial Arts and in Virginia | | | | refined MMA athlete. |