What is MMA?

[Tez3]

MMA is made up of karate, TKD, Judo, JJ, BJJ, Muay Thai, Aikido and any other style you do. Ground and Pound isn't a style it's something you do to someone. It also include Sambo for some, wrestling for others. It doesn't include brawling unless you are trying to be offensive.

 

[Tez3]

I think this answer is so good I'm going to quote it here from another thread.

From and with thanks to Blindside for this. This is in fact the universal truth about MMA.

"MMA is a sport ruleset, the athletes competing under those rules use various martial arts to compete under that ruleset."​

 

[TFP]

Just about everyone starts with no training.

Basics would include things like

Seperated - footwork, jab, cross, hook, front kick, round kick, catching punches, covering up, checking kicks, Shooting, Sprawling, etc.

Clinch - Digging for underhooks, controlling the head, arm drags, duck unders, body locks, shucking, controling the hips, backsteps, back arches, etc

Ground - Mount escapes, side mount escapes, getting back to feet, passing guard, sweeps, defending strikes from bottom, submissions, etc.

Weapons (If those are part of the curriculum) - Footwork, targets, parries, crashing to clinch, settip up, protecting and attacking the hands, etc.

"Mixed Martial Arts" is probably not the best term, as it is rather missleading, but it is the one that stuck. You don't need to have experience to start, it's more about how you train then anything else.

Your "clinch" definition completely forgets the Thai Clinch aspect of that position. Something heavily used to success in most MMA gyms. I'm guessing your still talking about a beginner, but the Plum and knees from there should be included for a beginner.

 

[Jason Norin]

For me, you need to be some sort of a fighting genius in order for you to become a good mixed martial artist. It is hard enough to learn one martial art, what more of you study different disciplines.. Some who doesn't appreciate MMA thinks that MMA matches are street fights with rules. They are definitely wrong. Thinking that way is more like saying all martial arts are barbaric.

 

[Shai Hulud]

Thank you Andrew, that was pretty helpful.

I have another question that might help put it in perspective for me.

If a complete newbie walked in, someone with absolutely no experience in the martial arts, no base to draw from, how would that person begin his training? Is there some kind of approach to teaching the "basics", however that may be defined? Are there techniques or drills that they would start working on at the beginning stages of their training?

There are some who make a transition into MMA from a particular style, say a boxer, a judoka, or a BJJ practitioner.

There are also others who enter the MMA scene starting from scratch - this too is done and is becoming more and more popular as the sport gains prominence.

You will generally need more than one coach for the sport - especially if you intend to compete on a higher level. A standard setup would be a program for your striking game, another for your ground/grappling game, and a third to string it all together and help you with general and sport-specific conditioning. You may be able to get by with just the third one (MMA coach/instructor), but you may miss out on a lot by choosing not to focus specifically on the components of your MMA build.

You'll learn the basics isolated from one another first, like in any MA, drilled statically with resistance gradually added. The ideal end result should be that the technique be weaved along with your others into a dynamic system of moves and techniques that work for you, backed up by solid conditioning.

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

i know that MMA can be fluid but these are the martial arts that "Contemporary Fighting Arts" includes as MMA:

• Western Boxing
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• Karate
• Kickboxing
• Shoot Fighting
• Judo
• Muay Thai Boxing
• Western Wrestling
• Catch Wrestling
• Russian Sambo
• Capoeira

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

We launched the LFS brand in Africa this year and plan to roll out internationally going forward. The concept is based on
a fighting concept that combines the best aspects all fighting styles to create something completely new. Our vision is to give every fighter a chance to take their destiny into their own hands and fight their way to the top.


From the Kung Fu of Shaolin Monks, Jujutsu and Karate from the shores of Japan, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Russian military style combat of Sambo, through to today’s modern Karate, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts – LFS welcomes fighters of all fighting styles, from single-discipline pugilists to combination fighters.


The carefully-defined rules of LFS draw on the history and complexity of martial arts and how they have evolved across the world. The rules provide fighters with an equal platform and the opportunity to showcase their cunning skills, style and stamina.


With a limit of only 20 seconds on the ground, fighters have a chance to perform more all-rounded fights, having to display the best of their striking skills, as well as the best of their ground techniques due to the limited time on the ground. With 3 x 2-minute rounds, fighters will deliver a much more explosive performance, promising to deliver a higher rate of KO’s and spectacular ground and pound or submission finishes. Last Fighter Standing also has a 10-second fight action rule. This increases the pace of the fights as fighters have to perform within 10 seconds.


LFS has a unique hexagon-shaped ring with five ropes. This ensures that television viewers will not miss a second of pulse-pounding excitement and will have a chance to observe a fight from every angle. It makes the sport so much more spectator friendly as well.

You can view a video in our gallery explaining LFS if you wish. We are most excited as the first grand finale is in 3 weeks time in Johannesburg with the SA Championships (16 finalist - 4 x per weight group) and also 4 international fights competing for the Wolrd LFS belt.

How does the 20 second ground rule create more all-rounded fights? It would definitely make it more appealing to the audience, combined with the 10-second fight rule, but it would also give a serious advantage to any striking arts.

Similarly, I can't see the 10-second fight rule doing anything but hurt styles that are more defensively oriented, allowing the more aggressive styles to take control.

With regards to the 3 x 2 minute-rounds, why would this end in a higher rate of KO's instead of just even more decisions?

Since those are the main differences from your ruleset and the most common ones that I've seen, I'm failing to see how it would provide fighters with an equal format in any unique way. Make it more exciting, sure, especially if you can get the higher rate of KO's, but I see no way that adding these extra rules it makes it more 'equal' for fighters.

 

[drop bear]

How does the 20 second ground rule create more all-rounded fights? It would definitely make it more appealing to the audience, combined with the 10-second fight rule, but it would also give a serious advantage to any striking arts.

Similarly, I can't see the 10-second fight rule doing anything but hurt styles that are more defensively oriented, allowing the more aggressive styles to take control.

With regards to the 3 x 2 minute-rounds, why would this end in a higher rate of KO's instead of just even more decisions?

Since those are the main differences from your ruleset and the most common ones that I've seen, I'm failing to see how it would provide fighters with an equal format in any unique way. Make it more exciting, sure, especially if you can get the higher rate of KO's, but I see no way that adding these extra rules it makes it more 'equal' for fighters.

You can also do crazier takedowns and riskier submisions because you know you wont get flogged for five minutes if you screw it up.

Not a huge fan of ropes though. We do them becuse a cage is just prohibitively expensive. but the ring creates all these issues of people sliding underneath them.

 

[Hanzou]

20 second limit on the ground is weak sauce.

 

[Headhunter]

We launched the LFS brand in Africa this year and plan to roll out internationally going forward. The concept is based on
a fighting concept that combines the best aspects all fighting styles to create something completely new. Our vision is to give every fighter a chance to take their destiny into their own hands and fight their way to the top.


From the Kung Fu of Shaolin Monks, Jujutsu and Karate from the shores of Japan, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Russian military style combat of Sambo, through to today’s modern Karate, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts – LFS welcomes fighters of all fighting styles, from single-discipline pugilists to combination fighters.


The carefully-defined rules of LFS draw on the history and complexity of martial arts and how they have evolved across the world. The rules provide fighters with an equal platform and the opportunity to showcase their cunning skills, style and stamina.


With a limit of only 20 seconds on the ground, fighters have a chance to perform more all-rounded fights, having to display the best of their striking skills, as well as the best of their ground techniques due to the limited time on the ground. With 3 x 2-minute rounds, fighters will deliver a much more explosive performance, promising to deliver a higher rate of KO’s and spectacular ground and pound or submission finishes. Last Fighter Standing also has a 10-second fight action rule. This increases the pace of the fights as fighters have to perform within 10 seconds.


LFS has a unique hexagon-shaped ring with five ropes. This ensures that television viewers will not miss a second of pulse-pounding excitement and will have a chance to observe a fight from every angle. It makes the sport so much more spectator friendly as well.

You can view a video in our gallery explaining LFS if you wish. We are most excited as the first grand finale is in 3 weeks time in Johannesburg with the SA Championships (16 finalist - 4 x per weight group) and also 4 international fights competing for the Wolrd LFS belt.

Nice advert but sorry it makes 0 sense you say you want to give "every fighter a chance to make their own destiny" but by doing 20 second ground limits your favouring the strikers and the wrestlers and the jiu jitsu will be forced out that will make people less well rounded as the strikers won't need to train grappling as much. Now I'm not a huge grappling fan myself I've trained it for when I did mma but it's not something I enjoyed as much as striking but I still respect it and it got it's place and you can't take it away or it is basically kickboxing

 

[lianxi]

OK, I am asking this question in all honesty. Then name itself give a big clue, but I would like to get some more information, as I have no involvement with the MMA community and I would appreciate getting on board enough to understand where this comes from and what it is all about.

I understand it is Mixed Martial Arts, taking the best (hopefully) techniques from many styles and using them in heavy-contact competition.

What I don't understand is: what makes it MMA? Is anyone who practices more than one art considered a Mixed Martial Artist, whether or not he competes? Has MMA evolved into an art with a somewhat standardized curriculum, at least within a certain group, or is it recreated with every individual who begins by studying more than one art?

A little enlightenment would be appreciated. Thanks.

Michael

The best explanation I've found is that MMA is considered a sport, like football - there are organizations within that sport - ie - the UFC is an organization within the sport of MMA that organizes fights, makes rules, issues titles, etc - so UFC is like the NFL within the sport of MMA.

 

[Martial D]

The best explanation I've found is that MMA is considered a sport, like football - there are organizations within that sport - ie - the UFC is an organization within the sport of MMA that organizes fights, makes rules, issues titles, etc - so UFC is like the NFL within the sport of MMA.

I also heard that a fist is when you clench your hand into a ball, and that water is wet.

 

[JowGaWolf]

MMA is short for Messy Martial Arts

 

[FriedRice]

The best explanation I've found is that MMA is considered a sport, like football - there are organizations within that sport - ie - the UFC is an organization within the sport of MMA that organizes fights, makes rules, issues titles, etc - so UFC is like the NFL within the sport of MMA.

This is correct.

It's like Boxing. Kung-Fu has hand boxing, but it's not Boxing as it is known by the Boxing rules.

MMA is a sport with specific rules. Training, ie. BJJ and Muay Thai separately, doesn't make someone a Mixed Martial Artist.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a highly effective form of self-defense, emphasizing leverage and technique over brute force. It equips individuals with the skills to control and subdue opponents, even in size and strength mismatches. This martial art enhances self-confidence and situational awareness, providing invaluable tools for personal safety and self-defense.

This is the second time someone has created an account just to post a link to that Canadian BJJ school.

Don't spam. You're not here to discuss BJJ, you're here to get free marketing.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

This is the second time someone has created an account just to post a link to that Canadian BJJ school.

Don't spam. You're not here to discuss BJJ, you're here to get free marketing.

For future reference, it’s usually better to just click the “report” link when you notice spam. That way when we delete the spam you aren’t left with a comment that appears to be replying to nobody.

 

[Oily Dragon]

For future reference, it’s usually better to just click the “report” link when you notice spam. That way when we delete the spam you aren’t left with a comment that appears to be replying to nobody.

Trying to find the other post from these dudes, maybe you already nuked it, but it was out of nowhere and unrelated to the thread. Last month or so.

The only reason I remembered was the 905 area code, Toronto.

I guess some people just want free advertising.