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Mixed Martial Arts
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There are numerous kinds of martial arts today and you’re probably wondering what mixed martial arts is all about. Well, just as the name suggests, it is a combination of various fighting techniques, a mixture of martial arts' non-traditions and traditions. Oftentimes, MMA competitions are held throughout the country. According to its rules, players can use grappling and striking techniques whether the players are standing or fighting on the ground. Players with different martial arts backgrounds are free to compete with each other. It is sometimes known as hybrid martial arts.
It was only in 1993 when the first MMA competition was held. Minimal rules are followed to ensure the safety of players. There are already additional rules in today’s modern competitions. The term was coined by Jeff Blatnick who was a gold Olympic medalist and ex- wrestler. The aim of the various competitions is to determine the best player who can fight in unarmed combat. Just like professional wrestling and boxing, mixed martial arts is also popular especially with ‘pay per view’.
To understand mixed martial arts better, you should know about its history.
An ancient hand to hand combat which resembles MMA is the Pankration. Aside from that, the rules of the MMA were similar to the ones used for Egyptian freefighting and the Shardana. These two combat sports were also based on the Pankration. The games were introduced in 648 BC in the Olympic Games. Pankrations practiced in Greece were less violent as compared to the Roman pancratium and Etruscan. Some experts even say that in the Roman Colisuem, this was the favorite pastimes of the people. In the middle ages, there were already many statues that honor Rome’s pancratiasts.
Events were also held during the 1800s and participants used different wrestling styles and other fighting styles. These events were organized all throughout Europe. In the United States, a wrestler and a boxer met face to face way back in 1887. They were John Sullivan and William Muldoon. In just 2 minutes, Muldoon defeated Sullivan. In 1890, Bob Fitzsimmons was defeated by Ernest Roeber by applying an arm-lock technique.
In the 19th century, Giovanni Raicevich (Italian) was able to defeat Akitaro Ono (Japanese). And in 1935, Ray Steele won in a matter of 35 seconds and defeated Kingfish Levinsky. In London, Bartitsu was founded in 1899 and this was the very first MMA known in history. It was a combination of European and Asian fighting styles. Throughout European countries, Jujitsu and Boxing were quite popular forms of entertainment.
In Japan, contests were also held and they were called ‘merikan’. This was the slang word for American fighting.
In summary, mixed martial arts can be traced all throughout Japan, Pacific Rim, and Europe. Tournaments are widely organized all over the world. In every competition, judges give the final decision. The time is also recorded. The referee can also stop the game if he thinks that the other player can no longer defend himself. A player will also lose by knockout or if the cornerman throws the towel into the ring.
That’s a simple overview of the history of Mixed Martial Arts. At least now you have an idea where MMA started. Many people are now into this combat sport, so why don’t you try it yourself? Many athletes and players see many challenges in the MMA and they are wiling to try it out. Watch a game or two to learn more about it.
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