Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
by George Allan, LincsMag Martial Arts Writer.
Date: 11 July 2010
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is classed as a full contact combat sport, this is because it allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills.
When watching an MMA it is very evident that there is a clear mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions used in competitions.
Contest rules allow the use of both striking as well as grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground.
Such competitions allow martial artists from different backgrounds to compete; this is why the sport is hugely popular at the moment as it adds a new dimension to fighting. The sport is known as many different names, the more popular references are Freestyle Fighting, No holds Barred, Cage fighting, Vale Tudo and the more popular and modern name Ultimate Fighting.
Many people are under the illusion that this concept of mixing different martial arts is a new phenomenon however, the grass roots of modern mixed martial arts can be traced back to various mixed style contests that took place throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim way back in the early 1900s.
However saying that, this blend of mixed martial arts would unrecognisable to the modern MMA fighters and followers. Mixed Martial Arts began its journey of modernisation and rising fame only in the early 1990s, this came about through the development of Vale Tudo in Brazil which was then brought over to the USA by the Gracie family.
1993 the Ultimate Fighting Championships were founded, there had been other professional MMA events held in Japan back in 1989 but it was the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championships which really kick started the sport.
In due course the more dangerous Vale Tudo style bouts of the early UFC's were made safer with the introduction of additional rules, leading to the popular regulated form of MMA seen today.
Originally promoted as a competition with the intention of finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations, many of the original, old school followers didn’t embrace these new rules as readily, they believed that introduction of the rules would dilute the range of techniques and would have negative impact on the traditions of the MMA.
The rules were introduced for the safety of the fighters and to allow the sport greater mainstream acceptance by the public, and the desire to move away from the image of "barbaric, no rules, fighting-to-the-death" matches, and to move in the direction of being recognised as a sport.
Many sceptics believed that these rules were just about commercialising MMA by cashing in on major sponsor deals.
However, it’s widely accepted that the introduction of the rules had a positive impact on the sport by allowing a wider range of martial artists to take part.
So what rules were introduced?
The new rules included the introduction of weight classes, as knowledge about submissions spread; differences in weight had become a significant factor. There are 9 different weight classes.
These 9 weight classes include flyweight (up to 125 lb / 57 kg), bantamweight (126–135 lb / 61 kg), featherweight (136–145 lb / 66 kg), lightweight (146–155 lb / 70 kg), welterweight (156–170 lb / 77 kg), middleweight (171–185 lb / 84 kg), light heavyweight (186–205 lb / 93 kg), heavyweight (206–265 lb / 120 kg), and some organizations even go on to have a super heavyweight which is anything heavier than 265 pounds (120 kg).
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 allow more captivating matches.
Time limits were established to avoid long fights with little action where competitors conserved their strength. Matches without time limits also complicated the airing of live events. The time limits in most professional fights are three 5-minute rounds, and championship fights are normally five 5-minute rounds. Similar motivations produced the "stand up" rule, where the referee can stand fighters up if it is perceived that both are resting on the ground and not advancing toward a dominant position.
So some the rules were obviously brought in for the safety of the fighters however, the encouragement of striking with hands for the interest of producing more spectacle matches does suggest that there was a small scale of commercialising taking place.
The boxing commissions have played a crucial role in producing the MMA as we know it today. The introduction of additional rules came about on the commission’s recommendations as they oversee MMA in a similar way to boxing. Smaller shows may use more restrictive rules because they have less experienced fighters.
In Japan and Europe, there is no regulating authority over competitions, so these organizations have greater freedom in rule development and event structure.
How is a fight won?
Again, we can see how the Boxing Commission has played a massive role in the outlining of match Victories.
Winning matches are 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 or the fight doctor (due to an injury), a submission, by a competitor's corner man throwing in the towel, or by knockout.
Knockout (KO): as soon as a fighter becomes unconscious due to strikes, his opponent is declared the winner. As MMA rules allow ground fighting, the fight is stopped to prevent further injury to an unconscious fighter.
Submission: a fighter may admit defeat during a match by:
a tap on the opponent's body or mat/floor
a verbal announcement/verbal tap
The idea of submitting came from the Japanese martial arts such as Jujitsu and Judo
Technical Knockout (TKO)
Referee stoppage: The ref may stop a match in progress if:
a fighter becomes dominant to the point where the opponent can not intelligently defend himself and is taking a lot of damage
a fighter appears to be unconscious from a submission hold or due to a strike
a fighter appears to have a significant injury such as a cut or a broken bone
What a typical MMA Fighter wears
Again we see further evidence of the Boxing Commission’s handwork. The fighter could almost be mistaken as traditional Boxer. The use of Gi’s were seen as to traditional and as hindrance. The need for flexibility in the legs combined with durability prompted the creation of various fighting shorts brands, which then spawned a range of mixed martial arts clothing and casual wear available to the public, further commercialisation?? Maybe.
