| Mixed martial arts has become an increasingly popular | | | | they had with one another. |
| combat sport. MMA, as it is commonly shortened to, | | | | Today's MMA is much more structured, but still allows |
| makes use of various fighting techniques and a | | | | for interested participants to get out aggression and |
| minimum set of rules to create an organized but | | | | tension, which is probably why it is so popular. More |
| hands-on contact sport. In the past, mixed martial arts | | | | rules are in place that prohibit eye gouging, biting, hair |
| has been criticized as being nothing more than | | | | pulling, fish hooks and other painful, underhanded |
| free-for-all fighting, but with rules and guidelines in place, | | | | techniques, so more people are willing to try their hand |
| MMA has been able to shake off most of the | | | | (no pun intended) at mixed martial arts. |
| negativity that seems to surround it. Mixed martial | | | | As mentioned earlier in this article, Mixed Martial Arts is |
| artists are people who have trained for the MMA, and | | | | comprised of several fighting techniques. Having a |
| people who compete are referred to as MMA fighters. | | | | mixed bag of fighting techniques ensures lively and |
| So, what is MMA? Mixed martial arts is a structured | | | | unique fighting styles and competitions, which is part of |
| setting in which two people fight one another, without | | | | the allure of the sport. Some commonly found fighting |
| endangering one another. Special training and | | | | techniques in MMA include boxing and kickboxing, judo, |
| cross-training is what ensures MMA is never | | | | freestyle wrestling and shoot wrestling, Sambo, Muay |
| considered as nothing more than street fighting. It is | | | | Thai, Kyokushin karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A lot of |
| also becoming very popular in the United States and | | | | these fighting, offensive and defensive techniques |
| even around the world. | | | | have some common themes among them, but each |
| MMA has a long history, dating back to the Olympic | | | | style of fighting has its own unique aspects, which is |
| Games in Greece in 648 BC. The purpose of MMA at | | | | why MMA is so interesting when everything is brought |
| this time was to provide combat sport, amusement | | | | together. |
| and training for Greek soldiers. Rules for the fight were | | | | MMA is often criticized as being nothing more than |
| minimal and basically ruled out eye gouging and biting, | | | | brawling and a way of encouraging violence, but those |
| and a fight ended when one or both solders became | | | | who take part in the sport understand there it is a lot |
| incapacitated. The fighting at this time was very brutal, | | | | more than "just a fight". |
| and many participants often died from the encounters | | | | |