| It’s easy to believe that mixed martial arts was | | | | fighters held a high level of esteem among the |
| started back in 1993. The Ultimate Fighting | | | | Olympic athletes, and inspired the later Etruscan and |
| Championship, or UFC, started then and popularized | | | | Roman Pancratium fighting tournaments. |
| the idea of finding the ultimate fighting form based on | | | | These latter versions of the tournament became |
| extant styles. In those beginning stages of the UFC, | | | | much more brutal and lethal than their Greek |
| there weren’t many safety regulations, and many | | | | predecessor. These fighters, as well, held a high level |
| fighters of different fighting traditions would enter the | | | | of esteem in the Roman culture, with statues in many |
| same ring for the first time ever. | | | | cities of the Empire that honored particular Pancratium |
| However, the concept of a mixed martial arts fighting | | | | contestants. |
| tournament is nothing new. Some people might | | | | After the fall of Rome, mixed martial arts fighting |
| remember the movie Bloodsport where the | | | | tournaments went mostly underground in the West, but |
| protagonist, Frank Dux (played by Jean Claude Van | | | | continued somewhat publicly in the East. The Eastern |
| Damme), enters and wins a mixed martial arts | | | | search for the ultimate fighting style culminated in |
| tournament called “The Kumite.” Much | | | | Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. Dissatisfied with the |
| controversy has surrounded Frank Dux’s claim, but | | | | formality of Wing Chun and the other traditional styles |
| the fact of international mixed fighting style | | | | in China, Bruce Lee began to incorporate other fighting |
| tournaments is documented. These types of | | | | techniques into what became his signature fighting |
| tournaments date far back into history, perhaps into | | | | style. |
| prehistory. | | | | Master Bruce’s idea was simple. He would take |
| The earliest recorded events of what could be called | | | | the elements of any given fighting style and use what |
| mixed martial arts tournaments were in 648 BC. | | | | worked. If it didn’t work, it was ruthlessly cut out of |
| These were called the Pankration, which was a | | | | the curriculum. He encouraged this Do-It-Yourself |
| no-holds-barred fighting contest that was included in | | | | mentality in his students. This mentality also found its |
| the Olympic Games for the first time that year. These | | | | home in the UFC and MMA. |