top of page

Mixed Martial Arts MMA: The Best Self Defense Method, Everything You Wanted To Know About It

Updated: Jun 16, 2022

In this article, we'll take a look at: What is Mixed Martial Arts MMA? What is the history of mixed martial arts MMA? What are the rules for fighting in mixed martial arts MMA? What is winning in mixed martial arts MMA? What are the strategies for fighting in MMA? What are the fighting tactics in MMA? What are Sprawl-and-Brawl Tactics in MMA? What is the Clinch-Fighting Technique in MMA? What is Ground-And-Pound Technique in MMA? What is the Lay-and-Pray technique in MMA? What is the Submission-Grappling Technique in MMA? What kind of protective equipment and clothing are used in mixed martial arts MMA? What kind of equipment for training in MMA?

 

What is Mixed Martial Arts MMA?

The "Lay-and-Pray" fighting technique is the opposite of the "Ground-And-Pound" technique. The intention is to lie on your opponent and do nothing in the hope that he will give up.
Surrender of the enemy, technique "Lay-and-Pray"

MMA is a hybrid martial art that combines the techniques of Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Karate, Muay Thai, and others. Although it was in its infancy a brutal and rule-free image of a bloody sport, it gradually became one of the fastest-growing sports in the world in the early 21st century. Combined martial arts MMA is hand-to-hand combat, where it is allowed to use all existing techniques from the world of martial arts without weapons, with the rules allowing standing or lying fights. This martial art originated in Portugal, in the fights "Vale-Tudo" in the loose translation "everything goes", fighting without weapons and without any restrictions, which have been known in Brazil since the 1920s. The whole world longed for a style of wrestling in which the best of existing methods would prevail. The Gracie Brazilian family understood this demand and brought the sport to the United States in the early 1990s. Thus, MMA first caught the attention of many in North America. Helio's son, Royce Gracie, represented the family at UFC 1 in Denver, Colorado in 1993. The name of the UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship - refers to the organization that has become the leading promoter of mixed martial arts competitions. The first goal of UFC events was to pit fighters of different styles against each other - for example, wrestler versus boxer and kickboxer versus judoka. Initially, the only rules were a ban on bites and dislocation eyes. According to the rules, the fight was stopped when one of the fighters surrendered, fell unconscious, or the coach threw a towel. Royce Gracie has been declared the UFC 1 Champion at the Denver Octagon. Pay cable TV attracted about 86,000 viewers at the first UFC tournament. In the third tournament, this number increased to 300,000.


What is the history of mixed martial arts MMA?

What is Pankration?

It is believed that mixed martial arts have their roots in the middle of the second half of the first millennium BC, during the ancient Olympic Games. When "Pankration" was the combat training of the Greek armies, it was also considered a martial art of Ancient Greece. The fierce competition combined wrestling, boxing, and street fighting. It was allowed to kick and hit the defeated enemy; Only bites and eye removal were prohibited. Usually, the battles ended when one of the fighters admitted defeat or was unconscious. In some cases, participants have died during the Olympic Games. Pankration became one of the most popular events of the ancient Olympic Games.


What is "Vale Tudo"?

This fighting style emerged later in the 20th century in Brazil through the martial arts known as "Vala Tudo" loosely translated as "everything goes." It was published and made popular by brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie, who opened their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu School in Rio de Janeiro in 1925.
"Vale Tudo" Brazilian battle - "everything goes"

In 393 AD, the Roman emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games, ending the Pankration era as a popular sport. However, this fighting style emerged later in the 20th century in Brazil through the martial arts known as "Vale Tudo" ("everything goes"). It was published and popularized by brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie, who opened their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro in 1925. The brothers gained attention by publishing the "Gracie Challenge" in the local Area Newspapers and stating in advertisements, “If you want to break an arm or a rib, contact Carlos Gracie. The brothers brought all true martial arts enthusiasts to their challenging industry with a blatant challenge. Thus, their competitions became so popular that they had to be moved to large football stadiums to accommodate the crowd.


How did Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu get to the USA?

The mixed martial arts trend gained momentum very quickly in the United States and burst into the public consciousness in 1993 when the UFC Ultimate Fighting Championship was held for the first time. In fact, not a dry theory - The fighters competed with each other almost without limits to determine who would be the best. The variety of battles stunned the audience, the audience was eager to see the battle in full contact, and in fact, this is what they got in terms of the level of violence that ware in the battles. That is, battles that did not stop, even if the opponents were shaded in blood.


Why did the UFC have to change its MMA image?

The mixed

Initially, the UFC marketed its product, MMA, as an unrestricted sport in which anything can happen. Her brutality angered many, including politicians in the United States. Even Senator John McCain called the Octagon fight "cockfighting among the people" and tried to ban it. In 2001, the new UFC administration introduced regulations to make the sport less dangerous. Weight categories, rounds, and time limits have been added, and the list of arena violations has been expanded. Over time, the need arose to make combined martial arts a competitive sport with predefined rules. This led the industry to explosive growth, and in terms of popularity, even reached the level of old and popular TV shows like boxing and professional wrestling.


What are the rules for fighting in mixed martial arts MMA?