17/05/2022
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) has evolved in the last twenty years to the point that it is currently the fastest growing sport in the world. It is the third most watched sport in the United States, and it is achieving great growth and development in Asia and Europe. First of all, thanks to excellently organized competitions that are well covered by the media and production, some of the most successful fighters-competitors competing in this sport have become super stars and attract attention every day and leave a strong impression on each individual.
This martial arts format, which uses the most effective techniques from various martial arts, has proved to be very interesting to the public, and the current growth of MMA sports is expected in the years to come. Of course, such a large and rapid development of this martial art entails some negative consequences, and one of them is certainly the emergence of various myths related to MMA sports. Some of these most common myths are; MMA sport is dangerous, MMA sport is not for everyone, MMA sport should be banned, MMA sport is just a current fad, and one of the most common myths - MMA as a way of competition is a new and young way of competing in martial arts.
Let's start with the latest myth and the misconception that prevails among the population that MMA sport as a way of competing in martial arts is a new way with its short history of origin of some thirty years. Such an opinion is completely wrong and it mainly stems from a lack of knowledge of some of the basic historical facts from the history of the development of martial arts in the world.
Martial arts have been among mankind for thousands of years. Today's MMA sport is just another step in the evolution of martial arts, which has a long history of development, including MMA as a type of competition. The developmental path of MMA is just a natural continuation of the basic human need to practice martial arts in order for an individual to protect himself and his loved ones. At its core, MMA is a synergy of best techniques from all martial arts translated into a personalized system for self-defense or competition.
To understand the development path of today's MMA sport, we must go back to the distant past of the emergence of certain martial arts, which have their roots in the most elementary forms of martial arts that emerged around the world, independently of each other. In every sense, all styles of martial arts and therefore the history of martial arts in general have led to what we now call MMA.
The historical path of MMA
Today, it is believed that the most elementary forms of wrestling have mostly developed indigenously in almost the whole world. This hypothesis has been largely confirmed by archaeological research conducted in different parts of the world. Drawings, reliefs, engravings, statues, terracotta, decorative vases, coins, which show various martial arts techniques, we find almost all over the world. Among the oldest sources, which show various martial arts techniques that are used today in MMA sports, are those found in ancient Egypt, Crete, Mycenae, the Roman Empire, ancient Greece, ancient Japan, India, drawings of the ancient Incas, Chinese, Koreans, as with many other nations around the world.
One of the oldest visualizations of the martial arts sports theme was found in Egypt near the city of Tienen where a tombstone depicting a group of Nubians carrying a plate with a drawing of two wrestlers dating back to 1450 BC was found in the tomb. Also, according to the pictures found on the walls of the tombs of the pharaohs in Beni Hassan, which is about 4000 years old, it can be concluded that wrestling among the Egyptians was already quite developed at that time. On the famous relief where the fighters are painted in red and black, you can see many wrestling techniques that have their application in today's MMA sport. It is interesting to mention that many techniques of these ancient wrestlers are very reminiscent of certain throwing and choking techniques in today's Judaism (throwing over the shoulder, ie ippon - seoi nage, some levers, holding on the ground, some choking, etc.).
The ancient Assyrians, Babylonians and Etruscans also nurtured wrestling as a warrior-martial art and knew many wrestling techniques that still form the basis of techniques in MMA sports. Some 3,000 years ago, wrestling competitions were held in China, in which both children and adults took part en masse on "Wrestling Day". The then Chinese wrestling schools were known for their technique of various wrestling techniques, and most of these wrestling techniques form the basis of techniques that are applied in today's MMA sport.
Wrestling was also very popular with the ancient Greeks, as can be seen from numerous legends and written monuments. According to an old legend, Hercules and Theseus were taught wrestling by the gods themselves. Also the poet Homer in his famous works The Odyssey and the Iliad, describes wrestling. It is interesting to note that in Homer's description of the struggle between Odysseus and Ajanta, a technique appears that is almost identical in structure and form to the technique of Egyptian wrestlers and is performed by striking or bending the knee. The same technique is often used today in MMA sports, when knocking down opponents and forms the basis of wrestling and judo techniques.
Ancient shaking in ancient Greece had much fewer rules than today's boxing. He fought without rounds until one of the fighters was knocked out or admitted defeat. The rules allowed the opponent to be hit on the floor, which is equivalent to today's rules in MMA sports. There were no weight categories either but only two age groups, men and boys. The record of the chronicler of that time, which was sent to a fighter named Stratofont, speaks volumes about how fierce the fights were. , not even you yourself ”.
Wrestling existed as a separate discipline and as part of the pentathlon (pentathlon). In the old chronicles of that time it is written - "That there is no better spectacle in the whole of Olympia". It is obvious that martial arts, as well as the excitement they offer in their fights, have always been interesting to the audience with their curiosity, both in those ancient times and today in MMA sports. At the old Olympics, fist fights were introduced in 688 BC, wrestling and pentathlon were introduced in 708 BC, and in 748 BC, puncture was introduced.
Pankration as a sport was a very rough combination of punches, kicks and wrestling. Translated from the Greek, pankration means "all power", "pan" means everything, while "kratos" means strength and power. In its beginning, pankration was also known as "Pammachon", which in free translation means "free fight". Names that are almost identical in meaning to the name pammachon, we find in some later names for various forms of similar martial arts competitions such as; catch-as-catch-can, vale tudo (Portuguese - all worth it), free-fight, or today the most famous in MMA sport ultimate-fight.
Many of today's MMA coaches, as well as some experts in the field of martial arts, point out that pankration is the forerunner of today's MMA sport. Such a claim is only partially true because today it is known with certainty that similar battles took place in China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Africa, India and some other countries around the world. The rules of pancreation prevented only biting the opponent, as well as deliberately digging the eyes and tearing the nose and mouth with nails, all other techniques were allowed. Many who believe that pankration by using such, let's call them inhumane techniques, unique in the world are wrong, because the same martial arts techniques have been seen in China, Korea, India, Mongolia, Japan, Africa and some other countries.
As a competitive sport, punkration was a combination of the use of boxing and wrestling techniques, but what made it special were the extra elements like kicking. It could be said that pankration was in many ways similar to today's Ultimate fight, ie MMA sport. Fights often ended in hitting the opponent on the ground, choking, levering or gripping the opponent's ground. What is especially interesting is the fact that the then champions could very quickly and in just a few months of adjustment join today's competitions in MMA sports. Unlike them, today's MMA athletes should have a much longer adjustment to their way of fighting, if they dare to fight in that way at all (punches to the eyes and neck, punches and grips to the ge****ls, etc.).
It is also interesting to note that of all the sports that took place during the ancient Greek Olympic Games, only pankration was not included in the sports of the modern Olympic Games. Unlike pankration, today's MMA sport has great chances for that, and many of today's Olympic winners from various martial arts have joined MMA sports competitions. From the ancient Greek art of pankration, some other forms of martial arts emerged, such as the way of wrestling among the ancient Etruscans, or Roman pankration with slightly modified techniques and more humane rules of combat.
With the strengthening of the Roman Empire, many Greek "coaches" came to Rome to train the then patricians and prepare them for various wrestling competitions. With the beginning of the emergence of gladiatorial games, which are gradually becoming more popular, competitions in wrestling, boxing, and even pankration are less and less organized. Throughout the Roman Empire, various competitions in martial arts between skilled individuals who practiced various styles of combat were commonplace, for example, in the army, among patricians, gladiators.
Today’s martial arts experts agree that many practitioners of various martial arts styles around the world have always sought to test the effectiveness of their martial arts in fighting each other. As an example, we can cite competitions in the competition of strength and skills in martial arts, which were held in ancient Japan called chikara - kurabe.
According to the written chronicle of Japan Nihon shoki written in 720, the battle that was fought at the court of Emperor Suinin in 230 BC is described. n. e. between bare-handed fighters. According to that chronicle in the battle between Nomino Sokune and Taima-no Kahae, he defeated Sokune after he had previously knocked Kahae to the ground and dealt him multiple blows to the hands and feet, one of which was fatal. On the basis of these fighting techniques, the skill of yawara, which preceded the emergence of ju-jitsa, later emerged, and it is precisely the techniques of ju-jitsa that are today the basis of MMA sports.
According to some legends, similar fights of bare-handed fighters were fought in Burma, Java, in some parts of India, as well as later during the reign of Genghis Khan in Mongolia. After the collapse of the Mongol Empire, various martial arts flourished in China, including many kung fu styles. It was the masters of different kung fu styles who tried the most to try, compare and test their skills in fights with other opponents. Thus, in China, there were three known methods, ie testing methods among experts - masters of various martial arts.
When applying the first method, there is no contact and injury to the opponent. The demonstration of the technique is done with words and light hand movements, and the technique is explained to the smallest detail. Certainly, assuming that both practitioners are good connoisseurs of martial arts. This way of comparing two different styles is called "dok-sau" in the East. Another way is to perform the technique lightly with the use of some protective equipment, or to show only one part of a particular technique, usually with one hand, which is known as dahn chi sao. The third way is as old as fighting skills. His name is "kong sau", which in translation would mean talking only with his hands, although in free translation we can translate that name as free struggle.
Kong sau is a way of real fighting without any protective equipment or restrictions. The winner is the fighter who stays on his feet. Many famous masters of Chinese boxing (kung fu masters) were challenged in such a way as to prove their knowledge of martial arts. Due to the large number of injured and killed fighters, such a way of fighting, ie the way of testing and comparing knowledge, was often banned. Yet in many provinces of China, this way of comparing knowledge and skills lasted until the end of World War II. From today's point of view, such a way of fighting would be inhumane, but at that time it prevented the appearance of various self-proclaimed instructors who spread their ignorance, which is a mass phenomenon today.
This way of fighting among the famous masters of martial arts is not unknown in the world. Some of the most famous masters of different styles of martial arts were proponents of such a way of testing the knowledge and effectiveness of a particular style or individual master of martial arts. Among many we can cite; Jigoro Kano, Bruce Lee, Matsutatsu Oyama, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Shigeru Egami, Gogen Yamaguchi, Ivan Gene LeBell, Helio Gracie, Ed Parker, Muhammad Ali, and many others. If such a method of testing were introduced today, ie checking the real ability in martial arts, it is assumed that even more than a third of today's "masters" of certain martial arts, as well as various "champions" would be declared unprofessional, weak, inefficient and - false .
But new times have come, humanity, in which there is sport and sports rules. The various competitions and their diversity in styles are a place where everyone can find competition and discipline for themselves and express some of their abilities and skills. Unfortunately, with the vast majority of such practitioners - athletes, as well as with some "masters" of certain styles of martial arts, their knowledge, abilities and their skills in real freestyle wrestling would be insufficient or ineffective. For this reason, many fighters want to test their skills in the most realistic conditions in a kind of real fight, and such a fight is offered to them by MMA sport, regardless of their limitations, ie current rules.
Recent history
Until 15th century, there was no evidence in Europe of a special interest in unarmed combat. Only then in the books on fencing, we come across the first data that say that as part of fencing, unarmed fighting was practiced, which was applied when one of the fighters lost his weapon. Thus, Joachim Camerarius (1500-1574) and Paul Hector Mair describe and show in drawings the attitudes for fighting without weapons, but also the ways of bending the arms, hitting the knee, defending with movement and more. It is interesting to note that some jiu-jitsu procedures were used in Europe in the 16th century, which is what the verses of Hans Sauchs say, which in free translation reads: bosti “. Fighters in MMA sports also use some of the techniques shown in these drawings.
In the period up to the 18th century, wrestling and boxing fights were held, but they could not compete in beauty and attractiveness with sword fights. It was not until the 18th century that boxing in its present form originated in England, and Jack Broughton and Chamberlein were especially responsible for its formation. From the 18th century, boxing as a sport began to expand and develop rapidly and soon became one of the most popular sports in general. In many parts of the world, bare-knuckle boxers also took place, in which some techniques were allowed, which are nowadays inhumane or dirty techniques, such as punches and grabbs to the neck, blows to the eyes, back of the head, some wrestling grips and even kicks on the ground. Some of these techniques have their application in today’s MMA sport.
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the original Okinawan (called Te) martial arts began to mix with Chinese influences. This is when the Japanese skill Kempo to de (pronounced to te) was born, which in free translation means "the law of the hand". At that time, the opposition of different influences and styles of martial arts and the holding of competitions in freestyle wrestling (most often in the south of China and Okinawa) began to a greater extent. Although free fights between fighters of different martial arts styles continued in the 18th century, such fights flourished in the 19th century.
Already at the beginning and middle of the 19th century, various free fights were held around the world in which wrestlers, boxers, kung fu masters, and even fighters from some other styles of martial arts competed. As an example, we can single out competitions in freestyle wrestling between English (sometimes French) sailors who practiced wrestling, boxing, or French boxing - savate and Japanese sumo wrestlers. As a reminder of one such free fight, there is a famous painting dating back to 1861. Although there were many examples of holding freestyle wrestling competitions where fighters tested one style against another, one event is still particularly interesting.
One of the most significant events of freestyle wrestling happened in 1887, when the then champion and famous boxing champion John. L. Sullivan challenged the Greco-Roman wrestling champion William Muldoon to a fight. According to chroniclers of the time, Muldoon allegedly picked up Sullivan and knocked him to the ground and then kept him on the ground, in just a few minutes of fighting. It is interesting to note that in many well-known mutual fights in freestyle wrestling, wrestlers had an advantage over boxers. This way of fighting can often be seen in today's MMA sport.
Interesting competitions in freestyle wrestling appeared in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the organization of Bartitsu events (from 1898 to 1903). Namely, the instructors of the bartitsu club accepted various invitations for freestyle wrestling in and around London, where they mostly easily defeated their rivals. At these gatherings, individuals of different styles of struggle clashed like; wrestlers, boxers, masters of French boxing - savate, and masters of judo and ju - jitsu. If we should single out one name in history that contributed to the emergence of MMA sports, it would certainly be William Barton-Wright (bartitsu), as one of the founders of this way of fighting.
For the further development of MMA sports, special mention should be made of the vaudo tudo competitions organized at the beginning of the 20th century in Brazil, which were based on the skill of jiu-jitsu, and why the Gracie family (especially Helio Gracie) has great merits. On the other side of the world, sporadic freestyle wrestling competitions have been held in Japan since 1970. Among the many competitions held, one event should be singled out. A competition between Antonio Inoki and the famous boxer Muhammad Ali held on June 25, 1976. Although the rules of that fight helped Ali to defeat Inokia more easily, the fight itself aroused great interest in this type of competition.
Modern MMA sport began with a sporting event held on November 12, 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver called the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Among the organizers of the competition should be noted Art Davie, Robert Meyrowitz
and Rorion Gracie. Eight fighters of different fighting styles took part in the competition; Royce Gracie, Zane Frazier, Ken Shamrock, Telia Tuli, Gerard Gordeau, Kevin Rosier, Patrick Smith and Art Jimmerson. A total of 86,592 spectators witnessed the dominance of Royca Gracie via pay-per-view. Although the event had a large audience, the organization of the next competitions did not go very smoothly.
The founders of UFC competitions, especially Rorion Gracie, believed that UFC competitions had to be conducted with fewer rules to make fights more real. However, when Senator John Mcain saw the fights, he didn’t like them, so he did everything he could to ban that kind of competition. Thus, MMA sport became banned in 1997 in New York, as in most of the United States, but also in some European countries, such as France. The ban on holding competitions in some countries has lasted for quite a long time, such as; West Virginia by 2011, Wyoming by 2012, Vermont by 2012, Connecticut by 2013. The New York State Assembly voted in 2016 to lift the 1997 ban on MMA sports, making it the last state to legalize MMA sports in the United States. The legalization of MMA sports has been greatly contributed to by the introduction of changes in the rules of wrestling (say the introduction of more humane rules).
There were some changes in MMA when the UFC bought Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta in 2001, as well as when they formed the parent company Zuffu and appointed Dan White president. With their acquaintance and influence in the state of Nevada, they managed to legalize MMA sports, which was crucial for the further development of MMA sports. Gradually, many other MMA sports organizations in the world emerged, some of which are; Bellator, Pride, Affliction, Strikeforce, WEC, MMA, IFC, Riesling, Elite XC (discontinued), and others. Among the many great competitors and coaches, the popularity and development of MMA sports are especially due to Gene LeBell, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Matt Hughes, and among women Gina Carano .
And finally, for all those who are not supporters of freestyle wrestling and consider MMA sport to be inhumane and as such unnecessary, here is an old Japanese karate saying. Kenva Mabuni - "There is nothing worse than when your martial arts knowledge fails in the moment of self-defense."
• Competitors competing must fit within one weight division.
• Every athlete must wear bandages, a groin guard and a mouth guard.
• The round lasts five minutes. In this case, the title fight consists of five rounds.
• The fight is judged by three side judges who calculate the points according to a ten-point system. The winner of the round gets 10 points, the loser - 9 or less. Also, a cage judge can take a point for breaking the rules.
• The use of punching and wrestling techniques is allowed
As for prohibited actions, the following are not allowed in the octagon:
• bangs on the head;
• effects on the eyes;
• holding hair or cheeks;
• bites;
• attacking actions in the groin;
• hitting the openings of the nose, ears, eye sockets with your fingers;
• fractures of small joints (hands, fingers);
• capture of the collarbone;
• kicking the opponent on the floor;
• Knee blows to the head in stands and body are allowed
• trampling on the body of the opponent;
• spitting;
• driving into the canvas with the head, neck;
• throwing opponents out of the cage;
• obscene language;
• attack the opponent during a break between rounds or when the fighter is in the care of the referee;
• disregard the instructions and instructions of the judge;
• throw out the towel during a fight.
The weight distribution of fighters is as follows (from minimum to maximum):
• minimum weight (from 53 to 57 kg);
• minimum weight (57 to 61 kg);
• lightweight category (61 to 66 kg);
• light weight (66 to 70 kg);
• welterweight category (70 to 77 kg);
• average weight (from 77 to 84 kg);
• light heavyweight (84 to 93 kg);
• high weight (93 to 120 kg).
• super heavyweight (from 120kg)
There are also four categories in women's competition:
• straw (48 to 52kg)
• fly (52kg to 61kg)
• bantam (57 to 61kg)
• perolaka (61kg to 66kg)
If you analyze what it takes to enter MMA without gloves, then you can find out: the fighter of this tournament is an athlete who sticks to a few points. We will dwell on them in more detail.
It is necessary to have a certain talent and train regularly with full dedication.
As practice shows, this statement is 100% accurate. There are many cases when a talented fighter could not be fully realized due to elementary laziness. Therefore, as the saying goes, "Work and work will grind everything."
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