| The craze of mixed martial arts has grown | | | | developed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into the system it is today) |
| tremendously over recent years, and the rise of the | | | | entered Royce Gracie, the smallest of three brothers, |
| UFC seems unstoppable, growing more popular some | | | | into the tournament. Royce went on to submit each of |
| may say than traditional boxing. | | | | the bigger and stronger opponents, going on to win the |
| Fighters have a great many more options as they | | | | tournament. |
| have the option to take the fight to the ground and | | | | So what is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or |
| grapple for submission. There is definitely an extra | | | | Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, is a full-contact grappling martial art |
| emphasis on brains over brawn. | | | | whereby fighters grapple to submit their opponent |
| But what actually is MMA and what makes up the | | | | using technique and leverage over strength, enabling |
| ground fighting part of the equation? MMA is a mixture | | | | them to submit an opponent much bigger and stronger |
| of different martial arts, and to be taken seriously, a | | | | than themselves. |
| fighter needs to have skills in both stand-up fighting and | | | | It is billed as one of the most humane arts also, |
| ground fighting or grappling. | | | | allowing, in cases, practitioners to completely dominate |
| Until a few years ago, people considered the kicking | | | | their opponent, disabling and beating them without |
| arts of karate and taekwondo to be superior arts for | | | | having to draw blood or throw a strike. |
| fighting and self defense with the impressive spin kicks, | | | | So how are submissions achieved? Submissions, |
| but their application was put into question as the arts | | | | signaled by an opponent "tapping out", are achieved via |
| were rendered useless when, as many fights do, | | | | joint-lock or choke hold, whereby if the person does |
| things end up on the floor. | | | | not tap, they would be rendered unconscious or |
| It was during the first UFC tournament that Brazilian | | | | sustain a broken bone or joint. |
| Jiu-Jitsu was put on the map. The Gracie family (who | | | | |