Sport of the Month London Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
What is mixed martial arts?
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, especially at the local level. The sport is often wrongly called Ultimate Fighting after the top promotion in America, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
MMA started to take off in the early 1990s with the advent of the UFC. Early UFC fights were dominated by Royce Gracie with his style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In this style, a fighter is comfortable on his back in a defensive posture, and he is able to grab body parts to score submissions.
MMA has progressed since the ‘90s where most fighters majored in one fighting style. Clubs and teams will now teach a combination of wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai kickboxing, judo and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
To win, you have to knock out your opponent or make him give up/submit. When a fighter can’t take any more pain, he taps on the mat. That’s why a submission victory is called a tap out.
Professional fights are for three, five minute rounds in which time the judges will observe and decide who won if the fight has not been ended by submission or KO. Similar to boxing, judges score the fight. But unlike boxing, points are awarded for more than strikes; such as take downs, throws, submission attempts, position reversals. Training for an MMA competition demands hours of dedication and practice.
MMA started to take off in the early 1990s with the advent of the UFC. Early UFC fights were dominated by Royce Gracie with his style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In this style, a fighter is comfortable on his back in a defensive posture, and he is able to grab body parts to score submissions.
MMA has progressed since the ‘90s where most fighters majored in one fighting style. Clubs and teams will now teach a combination of wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai kickboxing, judo and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
To win, you have to knock out your opponent or make him give up/submit. When a fighter can’t take any more pain, he taps on the mat. That’s why a submission victory is called a tap out.
Professional fights are for three, five minute rounds in which time the judges will observe and decide who won if the fight has not been ended by submission or KO. Similar to boxing, judges score the fight. But unlike boxing, points are awarded for more than strikes; such as take downs, throws, submission attempts, position reversals. Training for an MMA competition demands hours of dedication and practice.
Why should I participate?
MMA is not just for people who want to fight professionally, there is a huge amateur scene with many clubs across the United Kingdom. Unlike other sports, getting started is cheap, gloves and a gum shield and your away. With so many ways to win and countless techniques to learn, whether you are big or small, male of female there are skills you can learn which will be useful against all types of opponent. Many skills are equally effective in a self-defence scenario and students often benefit from the confidence this brings.
How do I get started?
There are several gyms, clubs and clinics around South West London that offer PROMAI MMA classes. Contact Joe on 07971 551212 or Lee on 07984 026810 to find out more information or click www.promai.com/mma
To find MMA clubs near you, go to the sports clubs/venues section of the TotallySporty website.