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Mixed 1

Mixed Martial Arts

Patrick Barry (Blue shorts) and Mirko Filipović (Checkered shorts) in the co-main event of UFC 115 in , , . Also known as , No Holds Barred (NHB), Cage Fighting, Ultimate Fighting, Pride Fighting, Sougo Kakutogi

Focus Various

Hardness Full contact

Olympic No

Mixed martial arts (MMA), popularly known as cage fighting or ultimate fighting is a full contact sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills, from a mixture of other combat , to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of both striking as well as techniques, both while standing and while on the ground. Such competitions allow fighters of different backgrounds to compete. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be traced back to various mixed style contests that took place throughout , and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. The of Vale Tudo that had developed in from the 1920s was brought to the by the in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting . Professional MMA events had also been held in Japan by starting back in 1989. In due course the more dangerous Vale Tudo style bouts of the early UFCs were made safer with the implementation 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, competitors were pitted against one another with minimal rules.[1] Later promoters adopted many additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport.[2] The name mixed martial arts was coined by Rick Blume, president and CEO of Battlecade, in 1995.[3] Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with pay per view reach rivalling and professional .[4] Mixed martial arts 2

History

Early history

During the Greco-Roman era there existed an ancient Olympic combat sport, known as which featured a combination of grappling and striking skills, similar to modern Mixed Martial Arts. Fighter strategies in this ancient combat sport were very similar to those in modern Mixed Martial Arts. This sport originated in and was later passed on to the Romans.[5]

No-holds-barred fighting reportedly took place in the late 1880s 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 A Roman pancratium, an event showcased at the Roman Colosseum. Even as late as the Early Middle Ages, statues were put up in Rome throughout Europe. In the USA the first major and other cities to honour remarkable pankratiasts of Rome. encounter between a boxer and a wrestler in modern times took place in 1887 when John L. Sullivan, then world boxing champion, entered the ring with his trainer, Greco-Roman wrestling champion , and was slammed to the mat in two minutes. The next publicized encounter occurred in the late 1890s when future heavyweight boxing champion took on European Greco-Roman wrestling champion Ernest Roeber.

Another early example of mixed martial arts was , which Edward William Barton-Wright founded in in 1899. Combining , , boxing, and (French stick fighting), Bartitsu was the first martial art known to have combined Asian and European fighting styles,[6] and which saw MMA-style contests throughout , pitting European and Japanese champions against representatives of various European wrestling styles.[6] The history of modern MMA competition can be traced to mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s;[7] 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 , best of three throws or knockdowns, and victory via or submission.[8] the Gracie family's vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s; and early mixed martial arts-themed matches (known as Ishu Kakutougi Sen in Japan) hosted by in Japan in the 1970s. After the popularity of professional wrestling waned after it split into two genres: "shoot", in which the fighters actually competed, and "show", which evolved into modern professional wrestling.[9] In 1936, heavyweight boxing contender Kingfish Levinsky and veteran professional wrestler Ray Steele competed in a mixed match, which Steele won in 35 seconds.[9] In the late 1960s to early 1970s the concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was popularized in the west by via his system philosophy of . Lee believed that "the best fighter is not a Boxer, or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style, to be formless, to adopt an individual's own style and not following the system of styles." In 2004 UFC President would call Lee the "father of mixed martial arts." To this day, Bruce Lee is known as "father of modern mixed martial arts".[10] Mixed martial arts 3

Modern sport

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions were introduced in the United States with the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993.[11] The sport gained international exposure and widespread publicity in United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter handily won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship , subduing three challengers in a total of just five minutes,[12] sparking a revolution in the martial arts.[13]

Meanwhile Japan had its Shooto also called Vale Tudo and Marcus Aurelio at UFC 74. in 1985 where fighter won the tournaments in 1994 and 1995, which continued interest in the sport resulting in the creation of the Pride Fighting in 1997, where again Rickson participated and won.[14] 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 shows. Vale tudo began in the 1920s with the "Gracie challenge" issued by and Hélio Gracie and upheld later on by descendants of the Gracie family.[15] In Japan in the 1970s, a series of mixed martial arts matches were hosted by Antonio Inoki, a former star of New Japan Pro Wrestling;[16] this inspired 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. The International Sport Combat Federation (ISCF) was created in May 1999 as the worlds first "MMA" Sanctioning body. This ushered in a new era of Mixed Martial Arts where it is once again recognized as a true sport worldwide. This was aided by certified officials and well developed rules that were built up from the ISCF's sister organization for , the International Kickboxing Federation's (IKF) long developed system.

In November 2005 recognition of its effectiveness as a test came as the began to sanction mixed martial arts with the first annual Army Championships held by the US Army Combatives School. The sport reached a new peak of popularity in North America in the December 2006 rematch between then UFC champion and former champion , 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, LLC, the owners of the UFC MMA promotion, bought Japanese rival MMA brand Pride FC, merging the contracted fighters under one promotion[17] and drawing comparisons to the consolidation that occurred in other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in .[18] Since the UFC's explosion into the in 2006 and their 2007 merger with Pride FC and purchase of WEC, few companies have presented much of any competition. The most notable of which include, Strikeforce, Bellator FC, DREAM, Sengoku, EliteXC, K-1 Hero's, , and the IFL. Mixed martial arts 4

Evolution of fighters

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 claimed that martial arts evolved more in the ten years following 1993 than in the preceding 700 years combined.[19]

Ken Shamrock applying an inverted heel to at PRIDE 19

"During his reign atop the sport in the late he was the prototype — he could with the best strikers; he could grapple with the best grapplers; his endurance was second to none. "

[20] — describing UFC champion 's early dominance

Though the UFC is now the worlds largest Mixed Martial Arts organization it was not the first. Both Vale Tudo in Brazil and Shooto in Japan preceded it. Both of these styles focused largely on grappling and submissions though strikes were allowed to some degree. The high profile of modern MMA promotions such as UFC and Pride has fostered an accelerated development of the sport. The early 1990s saw a wide variety of traditional styles—everything competing in the sport. However, early competition saw varying levels of success among disparate styles. In the early 1990s, practitioners of grappling based styles such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling dominated competition in the United States. Practitioners of striking based arts such as boxing, kickboxing, and Karate who were unfamiliar with submission grappling proved to be unprepared to deal with its submission techniques. Shoot wrestling practitioners offered a balance of ability and catch wrestling-based submissions, resulting in a well-rounded skillset. The shoot wrestlers were especially successful in Japan. As competitions became Two fighters grappling in a mixed martial arts event. more and more common, those with a base in striking arts became more competitive as they trained in arts based around takedowns and submission holds, leading to notable upsets against the then dominant grapplers. Likewise, those from the varying grappling styles added striking techniques to their arsenal. This increase of cross-training resulted in fighters becoming increasingly multi-dimensional and well-rounded in their skills.

The new hybridization of fighting styles can be seen in the technique of "ground and pound" developed by wrestling based UFC pioneers such as , Don Frye and . These wrestlers realized the need for the incorporation of strikes on the ground as well as on the feet and incorporated ground striking into their grappling based styles. Mark Colemans stated at UFC 14 his strategy was to "Ground him and pound him" which may be the first televised use of the term ground and pound. Mixed martial arts 5

Since the late 90's both strikers and grapplers have been successful at MMA though it is rare to see any fighter who is not schooled in both striking and grappling arts to reach the highest levels of competition.

Legality of professional competitions

United States According to the Associations of Boxing Commissions, professional MMA competitions are allowed in most states.[21] However, relevant legislation is pending within the following states where it is currently illegal: (except on Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Indian Reservations[22] ), New York, Vermont and West . and Wyoming have no boxing or athletic commissions.

Canada In Canada, professional MMA competitions are legal in the of Manitoba, ,[23] and . Professional MMA competitions are also legal in the Northwest Territories. The legality of MMA in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick varies depending on the municipality.[21] [24] Professional MMA competitions remain illegal in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. Professional MMA competitions are also illegal in the territories of the Yukon and Nunavut.

Mexico Mixed Martial Arts is legal in all states in . Although its popularity there is not as large as in the United States or Brazil. It has been growing substantially in the past 10 years with the inception of various Mexican based mixed martial arts shows including MMAMAX which is currently the largest Mexican based show. Its continued growth has also been linked, more recently, to the current UFC heavyweight champion who is the first Mexican heavyweight champion in history in any combat sport ever. Mexican-American fighters, such as Cain Velasquez, are very popular within MMA trailing only the United States and Brazil in having the most successful fighters in the sport with Canada and the trailing next. Mexico has had a long history of freestyle fighting coming in the form of , (translated free fight). Although rooted in wrestling Lucha Libre has evolved into a professional wrestling sport more similar to American professional wrestling then MMA. The history of Lucha Libre though may be why most Mexican MMA fighters are dominant wrestlers, who evolve into boxers and BJJ fighters. Boxing also has a long history in Mexico some say longer then wrestling. Boxing is a top sport in Mexico trailing only soccer and bullfighting. Another reason why most Mexican and Mexican-American MMA fighters are dominant boxers first and take on BJJ and grappling in order to become successful mixed martial artists. Cain Velasquez is a product of both of these sports wrestling and boxing. Wrestling being his base and boxing being secondary as well as the knowledge of BJJ and kickboxing which is absolutely essential for a successful MMA fighter.

Brazil Vale Tudo is Brazil's version of MMA, Vale Tudo holds the largest shows in the country with monthly competitions. Vale Tudo also precedes MMA, with Vale Tudo being established in the late 1800s. Brazil has had the second most UFC champion's after the United States. Brazil also is the birth place of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the preeminent MMA style which was made popular by the Gracie family. In the early years of MMA, BJJ dominated all other styles, a fighter simply needed to be a master of BJJ in order to beat a striker or wrestler, but as the sport evolved it became much more difficult if not impossible for a BJJ fighter to defeat a striker or wrestler because of the wrestler/striker's learned knowledge of BJJ. Mixed martial arts 6

World Wide MMA does find it difficult to impose common rules as a result of controversy in the US and Canada. is one country that has made the televising of the sport illegal. However it does not ban live MMA events from occurring. In Victoria, , Cage Fighting is banned, however many promotions have occurred, making use of Boxing rings instead

Rules

The rules for modern mixed martial arts competitions have changed significantly since the early days of vale tudo, 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.[25] 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,savage bar brawling" matches, and being recognised as a sport. A fighter wraps his hands prior to putting gloves on. 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 (up to 125 lb / 57 kg), (126–135 lb / 61 kg), (136–145 lb / 66 kg), (146–155 lb / 70 kg), (156–170 lb / 77 kg), (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 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 or not advancing toward a dominant position.[25] Gloves were first mandatory in Japan's Shooto promotion and were later adopted by the UFC as it developed into a regulated sport. Most professional fights have the fighters wear 4 oz gloves with little protection, whereas amateurs are required to wear a slightly heavier 6 oz glove for somewhat more protection for the hands and wrist. 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 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. Official sporting associations in traditional martial arts have been working to reduce injuries by emulating , requiring protective equipment such as headgear. However, newer forms of competitive fighting have emerged to recreate the original spirit of the traditional events by minimizing or even eliminating protective gear. MMA is growing in popularity, and creates more scoring opportunities by allowing the use of both the hands and the feet. Some forms also allow for and strikes. The more recently developed mixed martial arts fighting Mixed martial arts 7

allows any maneuver except eye , hair pulling, groin strikes, and finger bending.[26] Many U.S. states have a "no elbow policy" for amateurs to help protect the young fighters from serious injury by cuts or . The use of a "12-6" elbow has been banned by several organizations along with restrictions on the use of knees to a downed opponent, dictated by one person having a hand, arm, or knee on the ground. Knees to the head of a grounded opponent is allowed in Japanese MMA. are also widely prohibited because they require little effort and can quickly open cuts that might cause a fight to be stopped due to injury rather than because there is a winner.

Victory 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. Knockout (KO): as soon as a fighter becomes unconscious due to strikes, his opponent is declared the winner. As MMA rules allow , 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 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 Doctor Stoppage: the referee will call for a time out if a fighter's ability to continue is in question as a result of apparent injuries, such as a large cut. The ring doctor will inspect the fighter and stop the match if the fighter is deemed unable to continue safely, rendering the opponent the winner. However, if the match is stopped as a result of an injury from illegal actions by the opponent, either a disqualification or no contest will be issued instead. Corner stoppage: a fighter's corner men may announce defeat on the fighter's behalf by throwing in the towel during the match in progress or between rounds. Decision: if the match goes , then the outcome of the bout is determined by three judges. The judging criteria are organization-specific. Forfeit: a fighter or his representative may forfeit a match prior to the beginning of the match, thereby losing the match. Disqualification: a "warning" will be given when a fighter commits a foul or illegal action or does not follow the referee's instruction. Three warnings will result in a disqualification. Moreover, if a fighter is injured and unable to continue due to a deliberate illegal technique from his opponent, the opponent will be disqualified. No Contest: in the event that both fighters commit a violation of the rules, or a fighter is unable to continue due to an injury from an accidental illegal technique, the match will be declared a "No Contest". Mixed martial arts 8

Clothing Mixed martial arts promotions typically require that male fighters wear shorts in addition to being barechested, thus precluding the use of gi or fighting kimono to inhibit submission holds. Male fighters are required by most boxing commissions to wear groin protectors underneath their trunks. Female fighters wear shorts and sports bras or other similarly snug-fitting tops. Both male and female fighters are required to wear a mouth piece. 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.

Common disciplines Most 'traditional' martial arts have a specific focus and these arts may be trained to improve in that area. Popular disciplines of each type include: • Stand-up: Various forms of Boxing, Kickboxing, , and Karate are trained to improve , elbowing, kicking, kneeing and punching. • Clinch: Freestyle, Greco-Roman wrestling, and Judo are trained to improve clinching, takedowns and throws, while Muay Thai is trained to improve the striking aspect of the clinch. • Ground: Submission Grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Luta Livre, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling and Sambo are trained to improve ground control and position, as well as to achieve submission holds, and defend against them. Some styles have been adapted from their traditional form, such as boxing stances which lack effective counters to leg and the muay thai which is poor for defending against takedowns due to the static nature, or Judo , Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 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, and flexibility are also important aspects of a fighter's training. Some schools advertise their styles as simply "mixed martial arts", which has become a genre in itself; but the training will still often be split in to different sections. 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.[27] [28]

Popular disciplines

Karate Karate has proved to be effective in the sport as it is one of the core founders of kickboxing.[29] [30] Various styles of karate are practiced by some MMA fighters, notably Chuck Liddell, and Georges St-Pierre. Liddell is known to have an extensive striking background in and Koei-Kan[31] where as Lyoto Machida practices Shotokan Ryu(Machida Karate variant which focuses on original Shotokan) Karate[32] and St-Pierre practices .[33] Other famous black belt karateka in MMA include: • Andrews Nakahara (Kyokushin) • Antonio Carvalho (Shotokan) • Assuerio Silva (Shotokan) • (Kyokushin)[34] • (Kenpō)[35] • Gunnar Nelson (Gōjū-ryū) • Jadamba Narantungalag (Kyokushin) Mixed martial arts 9

• Katsunori Kikuno (Kyokushin) • Maciej Górski (Shotokan) • Mark Holst (Shotokan) • (Gōjū-ryū) • (Ashihara)[36] • Seth Petruzelli (Shitō-ryū)[37] • Tarec Saffiedine (Shihaishinkai) • () • Chuck Liddell (Kenpō) • Chris Greeley (Kempo) While Greeley never fought in MMA, he did co-sponsor legislation to make it legal in Maine when he was a member of the legislature there, and he does hold the rank of Shodan.

Muay Thai Muay Thai, like boxing and various forms of kickboxing, is recognised as a foundation for striking in mixed martial arts, and is very widely trained among MMA fighters. Fighters such as , , Mauricio Rua, , , Jose Aldo, , , among others are well known for their Thaiboxing backgrounds. Countless other mixed martial artists have trained in Muay Thai, and it is often taught at MMA gyms as is BJJ and Wrestling. Muay Thai is the style which is used predominantly for the stand-up game in MMA. It originated in , and is known as the "art of eight limbs" which refers to the use of the legs, knees, elbows and fists. It is a very aggressive and straight forward style from which kick boxing is derived from.

Judo Using their knowledge of ne-waza/ground grappling and tachi-waza/standing-grappling, several Judo practitioners have also competed in mixed martial arts matches. Former Russian national Judo champion , famous UFC fighter Karo Parisyan and Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida were some of the most prominent jūdōka in mixed martial arts. Many MMA fighters trained in Judo such as Ferrid Kheder, , , , Michihiro Omigawa, , and Don Frye had found success in their for mixed martial arts. , a former WEC middleweight champion has even credited judo for his success during an interview.[38] Other notable MMA fighters holding black belts in Judo include: • Anderson Silva • • • Karo Parisyan • Kim Dong-hyun • Manvel Gamburyan • • • Fedor Emelianenko Mixed martial arts 10

Catch Wrestling was a catch wrestler and a student of Billy Riley's Snake Pit in Whelley, Wigan. In the film Catch: the hold not taken, some of those who trained with Gotch in Wigan talk of his fascination with the traditional Lancashire style of wrestling and how he was inspired to stay and train at Billy Riley's after experiencing its effects first hand during a professional show in , England. After leaving Wigan, he later went on to teach catch wrestling to Japanese professional wrestlers in the 1970s to students including Antonio Inoki, , , Osamu Kido, Satoru Sayama ( ) and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Starting from 1976, one of these professional wrestlers, Inoki, hosted a series of mixed martial arts bouts against the champions of other disciplines. This resulted in unprecedented popularity of the clash-of-styles bouts in Japan. His matches showcased catch wrestling moves like the sleeper hold, cross arm breaker, seated armbar, Indian deathlock and keylock. Karl Gotch's students formed the original Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan) in 1984 which gave rise to shoot-style matches. The UWF movement was led by catch wrestlers and gave rise to the mixed martial arts boom in Japan. Wigan stand-out soon thereafter began training MMA legend . Catch wrestling forms the base of Japan's martial art of shoot wrestling. Japanese professional wrestling and a majority of the Japanese fighters from , Shooto and the now defunct RINGS bear links to catch wrestling. , Kazushi Sakuraba, Kamal Shalorus, , and , among other mixed martial artists, study catch wrestling as their primary submission style.[39] The term no holds barred was used originally to describe the wrestling method prevalent in catch wrestling tournaments during the late 19th century wherein no wrestling holds were banned from the competition, regardless of how dangerous they might be. The term was applied to mixed martial arts matches, especially at the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[40]

Amateur Wrestling Amateur Wrestling (like Freestyle, Greco-Roman or American Folkstyle) gained a tremendous respect among martial arts practitioners due to its effectiveness in Mixed Martial Arts competitions. Starting from successes of wrestlers in earlier UFC events and till the present day, wrestling has produced a great number of MMA champions. Wrestling takedowns, offense and defense are widely studied by various mixed martial artists. Wrestling is also credited for conferring good conditioning, explosiveness and stamina, necessary in Mixed Martial Arts competitions. Fighters and prominent champions with wrestling backgrounds include Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, , , and Cain Velasquez to name a few.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the early 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the time were single elimination martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo and tae kwon do. It has since become a staple art for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing widespread attention to the importance of ground fighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

Strategies The techniques utilized in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees, punches and elbows) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws). Although sanctioning bodies such as the IFFCF have rules and regulations for MMA, rules may vary between promotions. In many promotions they have adopted the unified rule system that the most popular promotion UFC has established. While the legality of some techniques (such as elbow strikes, Mixed martial arts 11

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 .[41] [42] [43] 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 in take downs. Many traditional disciplines remain popular as ways for a fighter to improve aspects of their game.[44] [45]

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 Karate fighter who has trained in various , Judo, and/or Sambo to avoid takedowns to keep the fight standing. Often, these fighters will study submission wrestling to avoid being forced into submission, 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.

Strikeforce fighter, , former Pride Fighting Championship fighters Mirko Filipović, Igor Vovchanchyn, Wanderlei Silva and also Former UFC champions and Chuck Liddell have been successful using sprawl-and brawl techniques. The standing fighter is attempting to escape defeat via armbar by slamming his opponent to the ground so that he will release his grip. 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 and Judokas that have added components of the striking game (typically boxing), and Muay Thai fighters. Wrestlers and Judokas 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. Former UFC champion Randy Couture is one of the most notable practitioners of clinch fighting. Also, current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva commonly uses knee strikes from a Muay Thai clinch. Mixed martial arts 12

Ground-and-pound Ground-and-pound is a ground fighting tactic consisting of taking an opponent to the ground using a takedown or , obtaining a top, or dominant position, and then striking the opponent, primarily with fists and elbows. 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 , and strike until their opponent submits or is knocked out. Although not a traditional style of striking, the effectiveness and reliability of ground-and-pound has made it a popular tactic as it was first demonstrated as an effective technique by UFC and Pride grand prix champion, Mark Coleman.[46] It was then adopted as the signature style of former UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes. UFC champions/former champions Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Randy Couture and Georges St-Pierre are well known for their ground-and-pound. Today, strikes on the ground are an essential part of a fighter's training.

Submission Grappling (Sub-Seeking) Apart from being a general martial arts, 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 , whereby they physically pull their opponent into a dominant position on the ground. Submissions are an essential part of many disciplines, most notably Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, catch wrestling, judo, Sambo, and shootwrestling. They were popularized in the early UFC events by Royce Gracie and . Notable contemporary fighters that often practice this strategy include Damian Maia, Frank Mir, , and Masakazu Imanari.

Women's competition "Female fighting has been slow to start and finding our place amongst the male warriors has sometimes been a struggle. In 2001, when there was little interest in women's MMA. Thanks to many people, female fighters have come a long way and you will now find most MMA shows in America and Japan feature women's MMA matches."[47] The sport of mixed martial arts has female athletes. Female fights are more prominent in Japan, with promotions such as the all-female Valkyrie and JEWELS (formerly known as Smackgirl).[48] However as 2010, there are only a few professional mixed martial arts organizations in the United States that invite women to compete. The main organizations to have support female MMA include Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships, and the now defunct EliteXC. Historically people have had a perception that women are not as prominent as men in mixed martial arts, there has been a growing awareness of women in the sport due to popular female fighters and personalities such as Megumi Fujii and Gina Carano. Carano quickly became the face of women's MMA after appearing in the now defunct EliteXC MMA promotion; this was furthered by her appearances in the remake of the hit TV show American Gladiators. Mixed martial arts 13

One of the first major female MMA fights was Gina Carano's Strikeforce debut against Elaina Maxwell where Carano won via at Strikeforce: Triple Threat in San Jose on December 8, 2006. Strikeforce has become the first major promotion in the United States to have held a female fight as the main event on August 15, 2009. The fight between Gina Carano and Cristiane Santos attracted 856,000 [49] Women fighting in MMA. viewers. Santos made history with her victory over Carano as she became the first ever Strikeforce Women's 145 lbs Champion.[50]

One relative newcomer to female MMA is Bellator Fighting Championships. Before Bellator's third season the organization had only loosely associated itself with female MMA, holding only seven female fights. However since the third season, the organization has started to become more involved in female MMA, with a women's 115 lbs (52.16 kg) tournament. The tournament included a number of noteworthy female MMA fighters such as Megumi Fujii, Lisa Ward, and Zoila Frausto among others. Bellator crowned their first 115 lbs female champion, Zoila Frausto at Bellator XXXIV on October 28, 2010.

Children's competition MMA events are popular with children. Some tournaments, such as the Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship, admit children. In 2010, rules were changed to allow ground and pound on child competitors.[51]

Safety

Mixed Martial Arts competitions have changed dramatically since the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, specifically with the inception of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The overall injury rate in MMA competitions is currently similar to other combat sports, including boxing.[52] [53] MMA is dangerous, and its fighters are put at a serious risk of injury each time they enter the cage. MMA fighters are given more care and precaution than athletes in most other sports. With supervised fights, pre- and post-fight MRIs, four ringside doctors and two ambulances in A trainer attends to a fighter following a case of emergency at each event, and mandatory steroid testing, these submission loss. organizations reach the highest levels of safety and quality in all aspects of the sport.[54]

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."[55] Sprained fingers and toes; cuts and bruises on the head, face, and neck; and bloody noses are the most common injuries in MMA.[56] According to The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2006), MMA must continue to be supervised by properly trained medical professionals and referees to ensure fighter safety.[11] Mixed martial arts 14

Fatalities While competition in the MMA have been occasionally depicted as brutal by the media,[57] there have been no documented cases of deaths after a sanctioned MMA event prior to 2007.[58] In the period of 2007 to 2010, there have been two fatalities in mixed martial arts matches. The first was the death of Sam Vasquez on November 30, 2007.[59] Vasquez collapsed shortly after being knocked out by Vince Libardi in the third round of an October 20, 2007 fight at the in , .[60] Vasquez had two separate surgeries to remove blood clots from his brain, and shortly after the second operation suffered a devastating and never regained consciousness.[59] While questions have been asked about Vasquez's health before his final bout, no firm indications of pre-existing problems have yet surfaced. The second death stemming from a sanctioned mixed martial arts contest happened in South Carolina on June 28, 2010, when 30-year old Michael Kirkham was knocked out and never regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead two days after the fight.[61]

Notes

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[2] McFarland, Matt (May 6, 2008). "Ultimate Fighting wants to come to NY" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080509011831/ http:/ / wnyt.

com/ article/ stories/ S435831. shtml?cat=300). WNYT.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / wnyt. com/ article/ stories/ S435831. shtml?cat=300) on 2008-05-09. . Retrieved 2008-05-06.

[3] UMSTEAD, THOMAS (September 18, 1995). "Operators struggle again with UFC time overrun" (http:/ / www. highbeam. com/ doc/

1G1-17777872. html). Cable & Wireless Inc. Multi Channel News. . Retrieved 2009-01-15.

[4] Trembow, Ivan (March 1, 2007). "UFC PPV Revenue Tops $200 Million in 2006" (http:/ / www. mmaweekly. com/ absolutenm/ templates/

dailynews. asp?articleid=3520& zoneid=3). MMA Weekly. . Retrieved 2007-06-18. [5] John R. Little, Curtis F. Wong (September 2000). Ultimate Martial Arts Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill; 1 edition. ISBN 0-8092-2835-1.

[6] Noble, Graham (March 2001). "An Introduction to E. W. Barton-Wright (1860-1951) and the Eclectic Art of Bartitsu" (http:/ / ejmas. com/

jmanly/ articles/ 2001/ jmanlyart_noble_0301. htm). Journal of Manly Arts. . Retrieved 2007-06-14.

[7] "Journal of Combative Sport: Jujitsu versus Boxing" (http:/ / ejmas. com/ jcs/ jcsart_JapanTimes_1199. htm). Journal of Combative Sport. . Retrieved 2008-05-07.

[8] "Fighting Spirit: An Introductory History of Korean Boxing, 1926-1945" (http:/ / ejmas. com/ jcs/ jcsart_svinth_0801. htm). Journal of Combative Sport. . Retrieved 2009-02-16. [9] Willoughby, David P. (1970). The Super Athletes. A.S. Barnes & Co., Inc. pp. 376–380. ISBN 0-498-06651-7. [10] Wickert, Marc. 2004. Dana White and the future of UFC. kucklepit.com. See Wikiquotes for the text. [11] Bledsoe, G. (2006). Incidence of Injury in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Competitions. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, CSSI, 136-142.

[12] "Fight Finder - UFC 1 The Beginning" (http:/ / www. sherdog. com/ fightfinder/ fightfinder. asp?search=yes& EventID=7). Sherdog.com. . [13] Peligro, Kid (2003). The Gracie Way: An Illustrated History of the World's Greatest Martial Arts Family. Invisible Cities Press. pp. 79–84. ISBN 1-931229-28-7.

[14] "What is Pride?" (http:/ / www. pridefc. com/ pride2005/ about/ whats_about01. htm). Pride. . Retrieved 2006-12-23.

[15] Walter, Donald (December 8, 2003). "Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal?" (http:/ / www. grapplearts. com/

Mixed-Martial-Arts-1. htm). Grapple Arts. . Retrieved 2006-02-25.

[16] Martin, Todd (November 6, 2007). "The overlooked origins of mixed martial arts" (http:/ / www. kocosports. com/ absolutenm/ anmviewer.

asp?a=18493& z=9). Kocosports.com. . Retrieved 2007-11-06.

[17] Doyle, Dave (April 4, 2000). "UFC scores TKO on its business rival" (http:/ / . foxsports. com/ boxing/ story/ 6615122). Fox Sports, MSN. . Retrieved 2007-03-27.

[18] "Source: UFC buys Pride for less than $70M" (http:/ / sports. . go. com/ sports/ news/ story?id=2814235). , ESPN. March 27, 2007. . Retrieved 2007-06-15. "This is really going to change the face of MMA. Literally creating a sport that could be as big around as soccer. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the NFL" —, one of the UFC's majority owners [19] (PPV) UFC 40: Vendetta. Zuffa (November 22, 2002). Event occurs at 1:00 into Chuck Liddell vs. . "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

[20] Sloan, Mike (June 22, 2007). ""No Win" Situation is Must Win for Shamrock" (http:/ / www. sherdog. com/ news/ articles. asp?n_id=8036). Sherdog, ESPN. . Retrieved 2007-06-22.

[21] "Mixed Martial Arts Regulation in North America" (http:/ / www. abcboxing. com/ states_regulate_mma. pdf). January 22, 2010. . Retrieved September 10, 2010. [22] "Attorney General: Chairman James Krayeske, State Boxing Commission, Formal Opinion 2008-021, Attorney General State of

Connecticut" (http:/ / www. ct. gov/ ag/ cwp/ view. asp?A=1770& Q=429560). CT.gov. December 8, 2008. . Retrieved September 10, 2010. Mixed martial arts 15

[23] "Ontario joins list of provinces to allow mixed martial arts" (http:/ / www. globaltoronto. com/ programs/ 16x9/ Ontario+ joins+ list+

provinces+ allow+ mixed+ martial+ arts/ 3403946/ story. html). Shaw Communications Inc.. August 16, 2010. . Retrieved November 16, 2010.

[24] "States for Kickboxing or MMA" (http:/ / www. ikfkickboxing. com/ USAStates. htm). International Sport Combat Federation. July 13, 2010. . Retrieved September 10, 2010. [25] Krauss, Erich (1 December 2004). Warriors of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. U.S.: Citadel Press Inc.,. ISBN 0806526572. [26] Young, C. (2002). Extreme Sports: Injuries and Medical Coverage. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 1:306–311.

[27] Gree, Andrew (December 20, 2005). "Kids in MMA" (http:/ / innovativema. ca/ forum/ view. php?pg=kidsinmma). Innovative Martial arts. . Retrieved 2006-12-13.

[28] Gutierrez, Luis. "JKD and Children" (http:/ / onedragon. com/ article_04. html). One Dragon Martial arts. . Retrieved 2006-12-13.

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23/ sports/ 23karate. html). . . Retrieved 2010-01-30.

[30] "Lyoto Machida and the Revenge of Karate" (http:/ / www. sherdog. com/ news/ articles/ Lyoto-Machida-and-the-Revenge-of-Karate-17521). Sherdog. . Retrieved 2010-02-13.

[31] http:/ / martialarts. about. com/ od/ mmaandufc/ p/ chuckliddell. htm

[32] http:/ / martialarts. about. com/ od/ mmaandufc/ p/ machida. ht

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[36] http:/ / www. semmyschilt. com/ career/ karate. html

[37] http:/ / www. mmaresultsonline. com/ seth-petruzelli/

[38] "entrevista a paulo filho (interview with Paulo Filho)" (http:/ / www. . com/ watch?v=6Jdx0WEckkM) (in Portuguese). youtube.com. .

[39] "Randy Couture 'Moving Away From a Jiu Jitsu Mentality'" (http:/ / www. mmafighting. com/ 2010/ 01/ 20/

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[40] http:/ / www. riverhorse. tv/ originalindex. php?page=22 Catch: the hold not taken documentary DVD 2005

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[42] " Administrative Code, Chapter 467, Unarmed Combat" (http:/ / www. leg. state. nv. us/ NAC/ NAC-467. html). Nevada State Athletic Commission. August 11, 2006. . Retrieved 2006-06-18.

[43] Davis, Gray (2001). "Laws & Regulations Governing Boxing & Martial arts in " (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/

20060507043348/ http:/ / www. dca. ca. gov/ csac/ laws/ booklet. pdf) (PDF). California State Athletic Commission. Archived from the

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[45] "They All Go Into the Dark: The Necessity of Evolution in MMA" (http:/ / bleacherreport. com/ articles/ 61410-they-all-go-into-the-dark-the-necessity-of-evolution-in-mma). CBS Sportsline. April 20, 2008. . Retrieved 2008-10-18.

[46] "UFC 10: Birth of ground ‘n’ pound" (http:/ / sports. yahoo. com/ mma/ news?slug=dd-ufcten041109& prov=yhoo& type=lgns). Yahoo. . Retrieved 2010-01-19.

[47] Debi Purcell, founder of the website fightergirls.com, on the history of female competition. fightergirls.com (http:/ / www. fightergirls. com)

[48] Sherdog.com (2008-10-08). "Valkyrie Takes Flight Nov. 8" (http:/ / www. sherdog. com/ news/ news/ valkyrie-takes-flight-nov-8-14700). Sherdog.com. . Retrieved 2009-09-12.

[49] Meltzer, Dave (2009-09-08). "Carano-Santos a ratings hit" (http:/ / sports. yahoo. com/ mma/

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[51] Sherlock, Tracy (October 29, 2010). "Ramped up violence in kids' MMA tournament alarms coach" (http:/ / www. vancouversun. com/

news/ Ramped+ violence+ kids+ alarms+ coach/ 3743508/ story. html). Vancouver Sun (Vancouver). . Retrieved 30 October 2010. [52] Bledsoe, G. (2006). [53] Incidence of Injury in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Competitions. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, CSSI, 136-142.

[54] http:/ / www. mmafacts. com/ main. cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent& screenKey=cmpMyth& s=MMA

[55] Incidence of Injury in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Competitions (http:/ / www. jssm. org/ combat/ 1/ 18/ v5combat-18. pdf) - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, July 2006. [56] Landa, J. (2004). Risk and Injuries in Contact Fighting. Journal of Combative Sport. Mixed martial arts 16

[57] Telander, Rick (October 11, 2006). "Sweet science morphing into Brutality TV" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071012154640/ http:/ /

findarticles. com/ p/ articles/ mi_qn4155/ is_20061011/ ai_n16768457) (Reprint). Sun-Times. Archived from the original (http:/ /

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[58] Doyle, Dave (October 11, 2006). "MMA's alleged brutality, and more" (http:/ / community. foxsports. com/ blogs/ FOXSportsMMA/ 2006/

10/ 11/ MMAs_alleged_brutality_and_more). . Retrieved 2006-12-22.

[59] "Update: Sam Vasquez Dead at 35" (http:/ / www. sherdog. com/ news/ news. asp?n_id=10203). Sherdog.com. 2007-12-02. . Retrieved 2007-12-02.

[60] Sievert, Steve (2007-11-26). "Mixed Martial Arts Notebook: Vasquez in toughest fight" (http:/ / www. chron. com/ disp/ story. mpl/ sports/

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[61] "Fighter Dies in South Carolina After First Pro Bout" (http:/ / www. sherdog. com/ news/ news/ Fighter-Dies-in-South-Carolina-After-First-Pro-Bout-25374). Sherdog.com. June 28, 2010. . Retrieved June 28, 2010.

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Image: vs UFC 115.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mirko_Cro_Cop_vs_Pat_Barry_UFC_115.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Contributors: User:Bad intentionz Image:UffiziFlorenceWrestlers.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:UffiziFlorenceWrestlers.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: User:Rorybowman Image:UFC 74 Respect Bout.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:UFC_74_Respect_Bout.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Contributors: Lee Brimelow Image:Shamrock Frye heel hook screenshot.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Shamrock_Frye_heel_hook_screenshot.jpg License: unknown Contributors: Nyquistx3 Image:Mma ground fighting.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mma_ground_fighting.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: -Marcus- Image:Glovescropped.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Glovescropped.png License: Public Domain Contributors: East718 Image:Slamcropped.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Slamcropped.png License: Public Domain Contributors: East718 Image:MMAstandup.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:MMAstandup.png License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 Contributors: Matthew Walsh Original uploader was East718 at en.wikipedia File:Strikeforce trainer 2010-01-07.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Strikeforce_trainer_2010-01-07.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 Contributors: Matthew Tosh License

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