Mixed Martial Arts – Complete and Holistic Form of Fighting
As the name suggests, mixed martial arts is a form of unarmed full contact combat sports that combines different techniques from different forms of martial arts. It also includes use of standing and on the ground techniques. It has minimal rules and this makes the sport more exciting. It was officially not declared a sport until the Ultimate Fighting Championship was introduced in 1992.
UFC is usually fought in a boxing ring or an open cage called an octagon. A UFC fighter can make use of any fighting style among boxing, Muay Thai, Sambo, kickboxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, taekwondo, judo, Shooto, karate etc. Players may not be trained in every martial art technique. Most fighters have training of at least two to three styles and have attained black belt.
Mixed martial arts include not just fighting against your opponent to knock him down. It is about knowing and understanding the different styles of martial arts being used during a fight. Mixed martial arts are more about fighting with style and discipline. The fighters are not only judged for knocking the opponent down but also for utilization of various martial art forms and its technique.
Even though mixed martial arts is a sport bounded by certain rules and regulations, if you have seen some live matches, they can be termed almost barbaric. Hence, players are equipped with unique fighting gear that includes, special clothes, shorts, gloves, shorts, rash guards, mits and body straps to protect themselves against serious injuries.
How it is played?
Two fighters clash against each other and try to defeat the opponent through punches, kicks, elbow blows, knee hits, submissions, headlocks, etc. As per mixed martial arts rules, players with extreme weight differences cannot fight against each other. There are special weight classes put in place for distinguishing and determining who can pit against whom. The opponent is defeated by regular knock out, technical knockouts, submissions or technical submissions.
Besides winning over each other, the match can be declared due to disqualification of a player, doctor stoppage, corner stoppage, surrender of match by a player before starting or referee might interfere to stop a fighter from being seriously injured if he sees it coming.
Disqualification takes place if either of the players blow an illegal strike, player falls unconscious, throws the opponent out of the ring / cage or hit body areas that are barred as per rules.
As per unified rules of mixed martial arts, players cannot indulge in eye gouging, head bouts, small joint manipulation, strike back of the head, hit groin, kidney or trachea area or kick opponents head when lying on the ground.
Players are judged on different aspects like their command of the cage, amount of aggression used, striking and grappling technique, types of martial art techniques used, whether it was a complete standup fight, ground fight or clinch fight, how long was the dominant pose held on the floor etc.
Typically, these aspects are taken into consideration only if the fight has not been declared or finished within three to five minutes of usual fight (play) time. Mixed martial art is exciting and enjoyable sport to watch if played with decorous rules.