Mixed Martial Arts Fighting

Mixed martial arts fighting, commonly referred to as MMA, is an ever-evolving sport that has suddenly gained immense popularity and media attention. So what's the big deal? Why has it captured the interests of millions of fans worldwide?

I think part of the reason for the popularity of mixed martial arts is that fans are smart enough to comprehend just how difficult this sport really is, and because of this they admire and respect the fighters. You can't spend some time in the gym learning to throw hands and expect to do well in the UFC. If you want to fight in the UFC or another MMA event, you at least need to learn to strike with all parts of your body (hands, feet, knees, elbows, and even shoulders) from many positions, including standing, up against the wall, and on the ground. You also better learn to wrestle, defend takedowns, and thwart submission attempts.

Does that sound like a lot? As an instructor in mixed martial arts, I can say that's barely scraping the surface of everything a MMA fighter needs to learn and practice day after day, year after year to become proficient. Beyond technique, MMA fighters need extensive conditioning to be able keep their strength, energy, and wind through three five-minute rounds, or in championship fights, five five-minute rounds.

The sheer athleticism required to go all-out in a real MMA fight for 25 minutes is pretty crazy. Often times that's after dehydrating themselves and not eating to make their official fighting weight. It's a challenging and often painful existence, but the fighters love what they do. The chances of injury are fairly high, when you consider the training involved to reach a high level of competition.

Some people seem to misunderstand MMA fighters as guys who didn't get enough love as children, or big brutes with barbaric instincts who just want to go hurt someone. Without generalizing too much, because there are certainly a few of those in any sport or occupation, most fighters in the UFC and other major fight leagues are consummate professionals. They exhibit good sportsmanship and dedicate themselves to their own training and conditioning.

Most fighters desire to win, not to really injure their opponent. In fact, many of the feuds and "bad blood" between opponents is created by the fight leagues to inspire emotion among the fans. There's something about going toe-to-toe with your fellow man in an even match that makes you respect the person, whether you win or lose. That respect goes a long way. Very often even when total strangers face each other in the cage or ring they develop strong friendships afterward.

All the dedication, learning, and hard work required, plus the sportsmanhip exhibited are just signs that this is an evolved, civilized sport where two men (and in some leagues women) can willingly face each other in an even competition to see who will prevail. It's not even always about winning a match, but rather the thrill of letting loose the inner animal for a short time.

To compare cage fighting to street fighting is unfair. Even though its origins and even some of its fighters may have come from street brawls, today's sport has changed a lot. The typical street brawler cannot survive against the well-honed technique and athleticism of today's elite MMA competitors. It's not a show of bravado, but rather a display of knowledge and a test of will.

A good mixed martial arts match is much closer to a game of chess than many other popular sports. It's single competition where each competitor must think several moves ahead of his opponent. He must combine real maneuvers with fakes to distract the opponent and take him out of his own comfort zone. The competitor builds and uses good defensive position to survive attacks and counter attacks in the vulnerable directions using his most powerful pieces.

Some chess players prefer the diagonal charging bishop, while others prefer the zig-zagging knight. Such is the case in MMA, as some prefer to strike on their feet, while others prefer to attempt submissions or strikes from the ground. These are but two of dozens of strategies employed by professional MMA fighters.

As an advanced society, we desire advanced competition to test our humanly limits and to entertain those around us. We want to see the best of the best square off, and we certainly don't mind the fact that there's a bit of random chance involved. Because in MMA there's always a chance that a strike will catch a fighter just right and bring a quick end to the match.

For more answers about MMA fighting, go to www.nhbma.com