Mixed Martial Arts is also known as MMA for short. This is a full contact sport that is also known as a combat sport. It combines different styles and techniques of fighting. Mixed Martial Arts is popular in part because of the fact that it incorporates so many different styles of fighting. When you combine street fighting with the art of karate it makes this much more entertaining and exciting as a spectator sport than other forms of fighting.
The main methods of this fighting involve striking and grappling techniques. It is possible with this sport to be able to undertake this type of fighting if the opponent is on the ground or standing. With other forms of the martial arts this is not possible for example in boxing or kickboxing.
You might find yourself wondering about where MMA originated. Mixed martial arts was first exhibited in ancient Greece. There were few rules there that were imposed on the people who participated in fighting. In the Olympic Games in 648 BC and it was called pankration then. As time when on the style was developing into more violent and intense forms of fighting. It was known to the Romans as pancratium, and was practiced in the Roman Colosseum.
In the 1800's, tournaments and challenges all over in Europe, formed the no-holds-barred event that attracted many fighters. Each of the fighters can from a different area and each practiced a new type of martial art.
The UFC tournament is now held in a high regard. Mixed Martial Arts is a current form of art that is being used today. There are many people who show up wanting to be a part of the competition.
In Japan MMA is part of the Pride Fighting Championship. This is not only popular in Japan but as well in other places in the world. There is even a MMA competition that is held by the United States Army and theirs is called Army Combative Championship.
It was in December of 2006 that the MMA fame reached to North America. There was a fight that took place between a UFC champion and Tito Ortiiz a former champion. Many households and groups paid to watch this on TV with pay-per-view. The fight between these two is what leads to the UFC merging with the JPFC.
When this type of fighting first began it was a combination of Sumo along with kickboxing. This progress and changed however and now has been replaced with new styles.
With Mixed Martial arts on the rise we are starting to see more MMA clothing and gear being produced. There are new brands coming out and it is now common to see people trading in their old style of clothing for the more popular MMA styled clothing. This should be no surprise because of the increase in popularity of the sport. People want to dress like the fighters, or to dress showing off that they take part in MMA training classes, which are also becoming more common and more popular.