What is MMA?

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The Mixed Martial Arts Industry is growing dramatically in Asia but what exactly is Mixed Martial Arts?

It is no surprise that Mixed Martial Arts or MMA is currently the fastest growing sport in the world considering how deeply rooted so many cultures are to Martial Arts in general.

There are various types of Martial Arts world wide from Stand-up, Grappling, Weapon based and Low Impact. Before the introduction of modern weaponry into warfare, every successful culture could not survive without it’s own form of Martial Arts, some having several.

Similar to Japan, a prominent Combat Culture, the Philippines alone has several forms of combat sport that include Panantukan (boxing), Dumog (Grappling), Sikaran, Kali and Escrima. In the 1800s Filipinos would settle disputes with
duels wielding swords. By the 1930s, in efforts to make settling disputes ore h
umane, the duels became full-contact bouts using sticks. The combination of their local styles alone sits comfortably under the umbrella of Mixed Martial Arts as practitioners can Throw, Sweep, Submit, W
restle and Strike.

Mixed Martial Arts is the combination of Stand-up and Grappling. Athletes have 3 five minute rounds to achieve a Knockout, Technical Knockout or Submission. The bouts are scored on points by judges, usually martial arts practitioners or regulators themselves and should none of the above be achieved the bout goes to a decision based on the how the judges have scored the rounds. (MMA Judging Rules by beatdownbets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwMVmPBGYoA)

Since the commercialisation of the sport, there will always be questions on its safety and morality. Nevertheless, much like every contact sport, Mixed Martial Arts is regulated and safety is enforced. Illegal strikes exist,fouls and penalties are all part of regulating the standards of MMA and are crucial for the sports’ sustainability.

Practitioners of Mixed Martial Arts need to constantly evolve and improve their skills. The concept of combining multiple forms means that athletes need to keep educating themselves and in order to bring the best version of themselves to perform in the cage and be prepared for anything.

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