When you hear the term, “Mar
tial Arts” you probably think of something along the lines of karate or Tae Kwon Do. There are a lot of variations and in loose terms, they are all considered martial arts. Martial arts are simply a codified system that is based on longstanding traditions. It is a way to practice self-defense, competition, and more. However, martial arts is not the most extreme sport around. The title of the most extreme sports ever is Mixed Martial Arts or MMA.
MMA, is in its basic form, a full contact. It uses striking and grappling techniques that can be done while you are standing or lying on the ground. This in essence makes it a combination of wrestling, boxing, and martial arts.
In the beginning, MMA combat and competitions were designed to figure out which type of martial arts was the best. Was karate something that would make you invincible or did you need to practice some other form of martial arts? In a very short time though, the people who were trying to win would use a mixture of all types of martial arts. This lead to MMA fighting to be very brutal, because there were very few rules against certain things.
The term MMA was not well known until the early 1990s. However, now there is a long list of fighters who enjoy it and fans who love watching it. The new rules of it, ensure that there is some safety in it for those who fight it out using various techniques. There are PPV events and it ranks consistently alongside of boxing and wrestling matches that are also on PPV.
With the new rules, which were designed to protect fighters, there is a weight limit that ensures someone who is not very large will not be paired with a giant. It also included the use of gloves to cut down on cuts that a fighter may receive as well as protect the fist of the person striking out. There are also time limits so that competitors can have the option to preserve their strength for later on in the match.
To win, you goal is simple. You have to throw legitimate punches and follow the rules well enough that your opponent surrenders. However, there are times when the referee can call a match, judges can say it has been enough, and a fight doctor can say that the match should not continue.
