MMA

A knockout (also referred to as a K.O.) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking. A knockout is usually awarded when one participant is unable to rise from the canvas within a specified period of time, typically because of fatigue, injury (serious or temporarily incapacitating, e.g. a bleeding cut above the eye can blind a fighter), loss of balance, or unconsciousness. A technical knockout (also referred to as a T.K.O.) is often declared when the referee or other judges (such as official ring physician, the fighter himself, or the fighter’s cornermen) decide that a fighter cannot continue the match, even though he did not fail the count.British records refer to TKOs as either “retired”, if the fighter refuses to continue, or “R.S.F.”, for Referee Stopped Fight.

Freestyle fighting is a synthesis of various styles of martial art such that the practitioner is free from only one style and able to use whatever is necessary to defeat the opponent. It varies from practitioner to practitioner in both technique and effectiveness, and has become very popular in today’s mixed martial arts or no-holds-barred fighting competitions.Freestyle fighting does not imply an absence of style in full. It is instead a joining of any technique, style, or concept/philosophy, similar to Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. Like Jeet Kune Do, the term freestyle is also generic and can be used by anyone at any time.The name is thought to mean the same as Mixed Martial Arts(MMA), which refers directly to combat sports, but MMA is a coined phrase for competition and not a style, hence there are no athletes who claim to be simply a “mixed martial artist” when competing. Freestyle fighting can refer to using anything possible, including things which are not allowed in competitions like biting or striking the throat which gives its name distinction from “Mixed Martial Arts”.The name “freestyle fighter” may be used by anyone who chooses to use it. A Karateka may use freestyle fighting if he prefers because it is a generally open term though usually when someone is a freestylist, they emphasize independently observing techniques to learn how they are used. In Puerto Rico, freestyle Goju-ryu is commonly practiced by Goju-ryu pracititioners who felt the art was too crystalized or too linear and began to research it themselves to find what is practical. This is one example of freestyle fighting.

The rules for most mixed martial arts competitions have evolved since the early days of vale tudo. As the knowledge about fighting techniques spread among fighters and spectators, it became clear that the original minimalist rule systems needed to be amended.One of the main motivations for these rule changes included the protection of the perceived health of the fighters—this was motivated by a desire to clear the stigma of “barbaric, no rules, fighting-to-the-death” matches that MMA obtained because of its vale tudo and no holds barred roots. It also helped athletes avoid injuries which would otherwise hamper the training regimens that improve skill and ability and lead to better fights in the future. The changes were also made for entertainment value—they promoted good fighters involved in action-packed fights rather than unskilled “street brawls.”Weight classes emerged when knowledge about submissions spread. When more fighters became well-versed in submission techniques and avoiding submissions, differences in weight became a substantial factor. Weight classes can vary widely between organizations.Headbutts were prohibited in many MMA organizations because it was a technique that required little effort and could quickly turn the match into a bloody mess; in short the visible cuts created were disproportionate to the amount of actual damage. Headbutting was common among wrestlers because their skill in takedowns allowed them to quickly transfer bouts to the ground where they could assault opponents with headbutts while not being required to alter their position.Small, open-fingered gloves were introduced to protect fists in punches. Although some fighters may have well conditioned fists, others may not. The small bones in an unprotected and unconditioned fist are prone to injury when it hits a torso or forehead with power. Gloves also reduce the occurrence of cuts (and stoppages due to cuts) and encourage fighters to use their hands for striking, both of which enable more captivating matches.Time limits were established to avoid long fights on the ground with little perceivable action. Matches without time limits also complicated the airing of live events. Similar motivations produced the “stand up” rule, where the referee can stand fighters up if it is perceived both are resting on the ground or are not advancing toward a dominant position. 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 similar ways as they do for boxing. Small shows usually use more restrictive rules because they have less experienced fighters who are looking to acquire experience and exposure that could ultimately lead them to getting recruited into one of the larger, better paying promotions.In Japan and Europe, there is no regulating authority over competitions, so these organizations have greater freedom in rule development and event structure.In general, a balanced set of rules with organization-specific variances has been established and is widely used, and major rule changes are unlikely, allowing for fighters in one organization to transition to others easily.

The following are various nicknames applied to different fighting styles. Apart from the fact that fighters are usually much more versed in one particular fighting style such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, wrestling, or other martial art, the following terms are used to describe how a particular fighter is attempting to accomplish a particular victory. For instance, BJ Penn and Fedor Emelianenko score victories by striking, “ground and pounding,” and submitting, depending on the strengths of their opponents. Note that some of these are not complete styles; rather, they are merely phases in a fighter’s game.
Sprawl-and-brawl
Clinch fighting
Ground-and-pound
Submission grappling

Today, mixed martial artists train in a variety of styles that have been proven effective in the ring, so that they can be effective in all the phases of combat. Although fighters will try to play to their particular specialties, they will inevitably encounter all kinds of situations; a stand-up fighting specialist will probably get taken down at some point and a submission artist might need to fight standing-up for a while before he can execute a takedown. A mixed martial artist might train in a particular style to enhance his or her skills in the phase of combat that that style targets. Typical styles, known for their effectiveness, that have been trained prior to the mixed martial arts career, and that are trained individually to enhance a particular phase of combat, are:

* Stand-up: Various forms of Boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and/or forms of full contact karate are trained to improve footwork, elbowing, kicking, kneeing and punching.
* Clinch: Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo, and Judo are trained to improve clinching, takedowns and throws, while Muay Thai is trained to improve the striking aspect of the clinch.
* Ground: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling, Judo, and Sambo are trained to improve submission holds, and defense against them. These styles are also trained to improve and maintain ground control.

Many styles have to be adapted slightly for use in the sport. For example, several boxing stances are ineffective because they leave fighters vulnerable to leg kicks or takedowns. Similarly, Judo techniques have to be adapted to an opponent not wearing a judogi. Usually, modern fighters do not train in any particular style, but either train in multiple styles with multiple coaches, or train in teams with other athletes focusing specifically on competition. Energy system training, speed drills, strength training and flexibility are also important aspects of an MMA fighter’s training. Mixed martial arts competition is very demanding physically, and the athletes need to be in top condition to be successful.

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.

As a result of sporting events, martial arts training, information sharing, and modern kinesiology, the understanding of the combat-effectiveness of various strategies has been greatly improved. UFC commentator Joe Rogan has claimed that martial arts have evolved more in the ten years following 1993 than in the preceding 700 years.The early years of the sport saw a wide variety of traditional styles—everything from sumo to kickboxing— and the continual evolution of the sport has gradually eliminated less effective techniques and “pure” styles, usually because specialized fighters were lacking in skills to deal with broader techniques.In the early 1990s, three styles stood out for their effectiveness in competition: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, amateur wrestling and shoot wrestling. This may be attributable in part to the grappling emphasis of the aforementioned styles, which, perhaps due to the scarcity of mixed martial arts competitions prior to the early 90s, had been neglected by most practitioners of striking-based arts.Fighters who combined amateur wrestling with striking techniques dominated the standing portion of a fight, whilst Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylists had a distinct advantage on the ground: those unfamiliar with submission grappling proved to be unprepared to deal with its submission techniques. Shoot wrestling practitioners offered a balance of amateur wrestling ability and catch wrestling based submissions, resulting in a generally well-rounded set of skills. The shoot wrestlers were especially successful in Japan, where this style initially dominated others.As competitions became more and more common, those with a base in striking became more competitive as they acquainted themselves with takedowns and submission holds, leading to notable upsets against the then dominant grapplers. Subsequently, those from the varying grappling styles learned from each other’s strengths and shortcomings, and added striking techniques to their arsenal. This overall development of increased cross-training resulted in the fighters becoming increasingly multi-dimensional and well-rounded in their skills. One of the first fighters to be considered the prototype for mixed martial arts was UFC middleweight champion, Frank Shamrock. “During his reign atop the sport in the late 1990s he was the prototype — he could strike with the best strikers; he could grapple with the best grapplers; his endurance was second to none.

Modern mixed martial arts tournaments are rooted in two interconnected movements. First were the vale tudo events in Brazil, followed by the Japanese shoot wrestling shows. Vale tudo began in the 1920s with the “Gracie challenge” issued by Carlos Gracie and Hélio Gracie and upheld later on by descendants of the Gracie family.In Japan in the 1970s, a series of mixed martial arts matches were hosted by Antonio Inoki, inspiring 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 concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was pioneered and popularized by Bruce Lee in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. Lee believed that “the best fighter is not a Boxer, Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style.” His innovative concepts were recognized in 2004 by UFC President Dana White when he called Lee the “father of mixed martial arts.Mixed martial arts gained significant international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, sparking a revolution in the martial arts.In Japan in 1997, the continued interest in the sport eventually resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships.The United States Army began to sanction Mixed Martial arts when the US Army Combatives School held the first annual All Army Combatives Championships in Nov 2005.The sport reached a new peak of popularity in North America in the December 2006 rematch between then light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former champion Tito Ortiz, rivaling the PPV sales of some of the biggest boxing events of all time,and helping the UFC’s 2006 PPV gross surpass that of any promotion in PPV history. In 2007, Zuffa LLC, the owners of the UFC MMA production, bought Japanese rival MMA brand PRIDE merging the contracted fighters. and drawing comparisons to the consolidation that occurred in other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in American football.

One of the earliest forms of widespread unarmed combat sports with minimal rules was Greek pankration, which was introduced into the Olympic Games in 648 B.C.Even as late as the Early Middle Ages, statues were put up in Rome and other cities to honour remarkable pankratiasts.No-holds-barred events reportedly took place in the late 1800s 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 throughout Europe. The first major encounter between a boxer and a wrestler in modern times took place in 1887 when John L. Sullivan, then heavyweight world boxing champion, entered the ring with his trainer, Greco-Roman wrestling champion William Muldoon, and was slammed to the mat in two minutes. The next publicized encounter occurred in the late 1890s whenfuture heavyweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons took on European Greco-Roman wrestling champion Ernest Roeber. Reportedly, Roeber suffered a fractured cheekbone in this bout, but was able to get Fitzsimmons down on the mat, where he applied an armlock and made the boxer submit. In 1936, heavyweight boxing contender Kingfish Levinsky and veteran professional wrestler Ray Steele competed in a mixed match, which Steele won in 35 seconds.Another early example of mixed martial arts combat was the martial art of Bartitsu, founded in London in 1899, which was the first martial art known to have combined Asian and European fighting styles, and which saw MMA-style contests throughout England, pitting European and Japanese champions against representatives of various European wrestling styles.Boxing vs. jujutsu contests were popular entertainment throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. 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 points decision, best of three throws or knockdowns, and victory via knockout or submission.Professional wrestling died out after World War I and was reborn in two streams: “shoot”, in which the fighters actually competed, and “show,” which evolved into modern sports entertainment professional wrestling.

While competition in the sport is occasionally depicted as brutal by the media, there was no death or crippling injury in a sanctioned event in North America until the death of Houston, Texas fighter Sam Vasquez on November 30, 2007.Vasquez collapsed shortly after being knocked out in the third round of an October 20 fight at the Toyota Center in Houston by Vince Libardi. Vasquez had two separate surgeries to remove blood clots from his brain, and shortly after the second operation suffered a major stroke and never regained consciousness. The only other verified fatality in competition is the 1998 death of Douglas Dedge in an unsanctioned fight in Ukraine. There are unconfirmed reports that Dedge had a pre-existing medical condition. Questions also have been asked about the health of Vasquez before his final bout, although no firm information has yet surfaced. Since he was age 35, he would have had to undergo extensive pre-fight medical screening in order to obtain a license to compete in Texas.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 TBI in MMA competitions when compared to other events involving striking.”

Though rules have been adopted, there is no general sanctioning body for the sport, and the sets of rules vary according to the laws of individual organizations and localities. It was thought that Olympic recognition would be forthcoming for the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, under the banner of pankration. However, the International Olympic Committee was unconvinced that Greece could handle the total number of sports proposed. To placate the IOC, the organizers removed all new medal sports and pankration missed out.The techniques utilized in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees and punches) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws). Some unarmed hand to hand combat techniques are considered illegal in most or all modern competition, such as biting, eye-gouging, fish-hooking and small joint manipulation.Over the last ten years, strikes to the groin have become illegal in all sanctioned organizations. The legality of other techniques such as elbows, headbutts and spinal locks vary according to competition or organization.A victory in a bout is normally gained by the judges’ decision after an allotted amount of time has elapsed, a stoppage by the referee or the fight doctor (in the event that the competitor is injured or can no longer defend himself intelligently), a submission, by a competitor’s cornerman throwing in the towel, or by knockout.