Chris August 11th, 2008
Mixed Martial Arts
By: Christie Bohorfoush, Senior Staff Writer
What is Mixed Martial Arts, you ask? Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions, to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground.
Modern mixed martial arts competition emerged in popular culture in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Initially based on finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations, competitors of various arts were pitted against one another with minimal rules or concern for safety. In the following decade, MMA promoters adopted many additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport. Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with pay per view reach rivaling boxing and professional wrestling. In fact, MMA has become the fastest growing spectator sport.
The history of modern MMA competition can be traced to mixed contests throughout Europe, Japan, and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s; the Gracie family’s vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s; and early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s. The sport gained international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie handily won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament, submitting three challengers in just five minutes, sparking a revolution in the martial arts. Meanwhile in Japan the continued interest in the sport resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships in 1997.
The concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was pioneered and popularized by Bruce Lee in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Lee believed that “the best fighter in not a Boxer, Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style.” His innovative concepts were recognized in 2004 by UFC President Dana White when he called Lee the “father of mixed martial arts.” Recognition of its effectiveness as a test came as the United States Army began to sanction mixed martial arts with the first annual Army Combatives Championships held by the US Army Combatives School in November 2005.
The techniques utilized in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees and punches) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws.) As mixed martial arts has no international sanctioning body, rules may vary between promotions. While the legality of some techniques (such as elbow strikes, head butts and spinal locks) may vary, there is a near universal ban on techniques such as biting, strikes to the groin, eye-gouging, fish-hooking and small joint manipulation.
Today, mixed martial artists must cross-train in a variety of styles to counter their opponent’s strengths and remain effective in all the phases of combat. For instance, a stand-up fighter will have little opportunity to use their skills against a submission artist who has also trained in take down. Many traditional disciplines remain popular as a way for a fighter to improve aspects of their game.
Popular Disciplines Are:
O Stand-Up: Various forms of boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and forms of full contact karate are trained to improve footwork, elbowing, kicking, kneeing and punching.
O Clinch: Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo, and Judo are trained to improve clinching, takedowns and throws, while Muay Thai is trained to improve the striking aspect of the clinch.
O Ground: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling, Judo, and Sambo are trained to improve submission holds, and defense against them. These styles are also trained to improve and maintain ground control.
I first became interested in the martial arts having worked in law enforcement myself, where I received some training in take down procedures and how to place out of control suspects in four-point restraint. My interest further grew through the popularity of mixed martial artists in Hollywood movies (such as Jeff Speakman and Steven Segal.)
While I must admit that I had little interest in what I considered to be a barbaric sport – Boxing- where the whole idea seemed to be nothing more than to knock your opponent out, I found myself becoming more interested in Mixed Martial Arts. What attracted me to the sport is that it combines all forms of self defense, while opponents have respect for one another. The sport is less about who can knock each other out, as it is about the skill of the mixed martial artist himself/herself. During these competitions the referee, for example, does not allow fighters to just be beaten to a pulp (like in a boxing match)… Here, the competition is stopped as soon as someone taps-out, can no longer fight back, or has sustained an injury that does not allow the fighter to continue. Here again, respect for the mixed martial artist.
For months now, I have watched these mixed martial arts fights on television or via pay per view; but when it came LIVE to Huntsville, Alabama’s Von Braun Center, I had to experience the competition in person. Let me say this… I was very impressed with the courage of every fighter that partook in these matches. It takes a great deal of courage to walk into a ring not knowing if in the next few seconds you may be knocked out, have to tap-out, or be taken down to the mat in a submission hold. This is the excitement behind each match-up, because it does all come down to the skill of each individual fighter. I saw a match where a large fighter, with arms like rock hard steel, get knocked out by the punch of another fighter who barely looked like he could fight his way out of a wet paper bag. As mentioned, it is not about how big a fighter is or his/her appearance, it all comes down to the skill of the fighter.
This was the Extreme Combat International ECI 15 competition… and I loved every minute sitting ring-side for these competitions. Sure, some might ask: What in the world would bring a lady to a fighting match? Well for this lady, it is simple… there is a grace and beauty, believe it or not, in the art of mixed martial arts. There is something very thrilling about watching two highly trained athletes go toe-to-toe with one another, using every fighting skill they know to defeat their opponent. Every kick, every punch, every move strategically planned. Knowing full well that any wrong move may also cause you to lose the fight. The sport just has to be seen and experienced to appreciate! Indeed, I walked away from this experience an even bigger fan of the Mixed Martial Arts and of those who are disciplined fighters.
An enthusiastic crowd of over 3,000 fans attended this well crafted event, making it one of the larger turn outs for this growing sport in Alabama.
NOTE: If you would like to experience a Mixed Martial Arts Competition, it will be returning to the Von Braun Center in early 2009. For more information on ECI visit their website http://www.extremecombat.org/
Official Results:
Brandon Palmer def Brandon Lovett Armbar – round 3
Mike Philllips def Paul McAdams Guillotine – round 1
Adam Garcia def Walter Locke
Dale Griffith def Todd Allen
Jake Edgeman def Jeremy Knytych
Scott Farhat def Glenn Seigel Guillotine – round 1
Jimmy McElroy def Chester Mclain
RC Hagans def Brian “Dragon” Fletcher
Colin Bower def Eric Knytych
Matt Smart def Daniel Atchley Ref Stoppage – round 1
Luke Reiter def Cali Lucas DQ Unsportsmanlike Conduct end of round 1
Chris Craft def Nathan Jordan Guillotine – round 1
Brandon Stewart def Rodney Booker TKO – round 1
Sammy Trammell def Matt Huskey Rear Naked Choke – round 1
Click Here for a gallery of images from the event.
