The Complete Guide To Full Contact Fighting

Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is a term used to refer to a combat sport that combines the elements of many fighting styles into one all-inclusive sport. Well, I believe that it is more than just a sport, it's also considered a self defense as to being well versed with all aspects of martial arts and weaponry. Thus, It does not limit itself to being just a fight sport.



Banned in it's early existence in the 1990's and often called "No Holds Barred" or "Human Cockfighting", It re-emerged as a full grown sport with sets of rules which ensures the safety of the competitors and practitioners. MMA has been rapidly gaining in popularity in the U.S. and around the world, and is often referred to as “the world’s fastest growing sport".





The roots of MMA date back to the ancient Greeks and the early Olympic sport of Pankration which uses every aspects of fighting from kicks,punches,joint manipulations,to brutal attacks to various areas of the body called pressure points. Pankration was such a brutal sport with little or almost no rules at all and even resulted in death.



As an avid martial arts enthusiast I would like to share my favorite top 10 martial arts you should master in able to make you a complete Full Contact Fighter/Mixed Martial Artist or even a self defense expert.



At an early age you should start with striking sports such as Muay Thai/Kickboxing or Savate in your preparation for being a full contact fighter.



Muay Thai



also known as Thai Boxing or The Art of the Eight Limbs is the Thai name for a form of hard martial art practiced in several Southeast Asian countries including Thailand. It is known as Pradal Serey in Cambodia, Tomoi in Malaysia, Muay Lao in Laos and as a similar style called Lethwei in Myanmar. The different styles of kickboxing in Southeast Asia are analogous to the different types of Kung Fu in China or Silat in the Malay peninsula. The Thai military uses a modified form of Muay Thai called Lerdrit.



Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. Traditional Muay Thai practiced today varies slightly from the ancient art Muay Boran and uses kicks and punches in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing. Muay Thai is referred to as "The Science of Eight Limbs", as the hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in this art. A master practitioner of Muay Thai thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight "points of contact," as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxing and "four points" (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts.



Savate



also known as boxe française, French boxing, French Kickboxing or French Footfighting, is a French martial art which uses both the hands and feet as weapons and combines elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed, unlike some systems, such as Muay Thai and Silat, which allow the use of the knees or shins. Savate is perhaps the only style of kickboxing in which the fighters habitually wear shoes (savate being a French synonym for "old shoe"). A practitioner of savate is called a savateur (male) or savateuse (female).



This features a unique type of kicks and punches and mostly used in competition:



Kicks:



fouetté (literally "whip", roundhouse kick making contact with the instep), high, medium or low

chassé (side or front piston-action kick), high, medium or low

revers ("reverse" or hooking kick making contact with the sole of the shoe), high, medium, or low



coup de pied bas (literally, simply "low kick", a front or sweep kick to the shin making contact with the inner edge of the shoe, performed with a characteristic backwards lean) low only.



Punches:



direct bras avant (jab, lead hand)

direct bras arrière (cross, rear hand)

crochet (hook, bent arm)

uppercut (either hand)



Pankration



as practiced in the ancient world, combined elements of both boxing (pygme/pygmachia) and wrestling (pale) to create a broad fighting sport similar to today's mixed martial arts. A match was won by submission of the opponent or if the opponent was incapacitated. A contestant could signal submission by raising his hand, but sometimes the only form of submission was unconsciousness or death. Joint locks and choke holds were common techniques of accomplishing this. In fact, there were only two rules: contestants were not allowed to gouge eyes or to bite.



Grave, even permanent injuries were common as an accepted means of disabling the adversary: mainly breaking limbs, fingers or even the neck. Pankration bouts were quite brutal and sometimes life-threatening to the competitors. As a result, a paides event (a somewhat vague younger age group) for pankration wasn't established at Olympia until 200 B.C.



There were no weight divisions and no time limits. Referees were armed with stout rods or switches to enforce the rules against biting and gouging. The contest itself continued uninterrupted until one of the combatants either surrendered, suffered unconsciousness, or was killed. Although knockouts were common, most pankration battles were decided on the ground where both striking and submission techniques would freely come into play. Pankratiasts were highly-skilled grapplers and were extremely effective in applying a variety of takedowns, chokes, and punishing joint locks. Strangulation was most feared during ground combat, and was the leading cause of death in matches. A fighter would immediately raise his arm in defeat once his opponent's forearm had secured a firm grip across the windpipe or carotid artery (though there are stories of fighters who chose to die rather than surrender.)



Modern Pankration is now MMA. a combination of striking and grappling arts. Vale Tudo (Anything Goes in Portugese) features MMA hybridized fighting techniques used in Brazil in the early decades of the 21st Century. Popularized by the Gracie Family in Brazil MMA emerges in and is recognized around the world today.



And now the ground arts:



Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu



is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position and using joint-locks and chokeholds to force an opponent to submit. The system developed from pre-World War I Kodokan Judo, which was itself then a recently-developed sport derived from multiple schools (or Ryu) of Japanese Jujutsu. One of those schools was Fusen Ryu, whose focus was on ne-waza (ground techniques). At that time, Judo was also known as "Kano Jujutsu", and, even more generically, simply as Jujutsu.

It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Sparring (commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.



Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes ground fighting techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and chokeholds also found in numerous other arts with or without ground fighting emphasis. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are sometimes negated if grappling on the ground. BJJ includes many techniques to throw or tackle opponents to the ground which revolve around using the primary bases of the body, the hips and shoulders. These takedowns are difficult to counter without training. Once the opponent is on the ground, a number of maneuvers (and counter-maneuvers) are available to manipulate the opponent into suitable position for the application of a submission hold. Achieving a dominant position on the ground is one of the hallmarks of the BJJ style, and includes effective use of the guard position to defend oneself from bottom, and passing the guard to dominate from top position with side control, mount, and back mount positions. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess when utilized by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate.



Russian Sambo also called Combat Sambo



The word Sambo is an acronym of САМозащита Без Оружия (SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya) meaning "self-defense without a weapon" in Russian. Sambo has its roots in traditional folk styles of wrestling such as Armenian Koch, Georgian Chidaoba, Moldovan Trîntǎ, Uzbek Kurash, Mongolian Khapsagay and Azerbaijani Gulesh (wrestling style).

According to the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), Sambo is one of the four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today, the other three being Greco-Roman wrestling, Freestyle wrestling and Judo. FILA accepted Sambo as the 3rd style of international wrestling in 1968 until the Sambo community formed its own organization Federation International Amateur Sambo (FIAS) in 1985. In 1993, FIAS split into two organizations. Both organizations used the same name and logo. The two groups were often referred to as FIAS "East" (under Russian Control) and FIAS "West" (under US and Western European Control). This split mirrored the last days of cold war politics of the time as well as the recent break-up of the Soviet Union. In 2005, FILA reached an agreement with FIAS "West" and reassumed sanctioning over sport sambo.At present FILA sanctions international competition in the style as does FIAS (formerly FIAS "East"). Both organizations conduct separate world championships and other international events. However, only FIAS sanctions and conducts Combat Sambo competition.

In 1980, Sambo was a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia. However, due to boycotts, it failed to bring sufficient numbers for continued inclusion as a participatory game. [2]

There is no single, universally recognized founder of Sambo. However, Anatoly Kharlampiev is often officially recognized as the founder of Sport Sambo. Two other primary authors of Sambo were Vasili Oshchepkov (who died during the political purges of 1937 for refusing to deny his education in Japanese Judo under Judo founder, Jigoro Kano), and Viktor Spiridonov, who originally developed Sambo as a soft, aikido-like system since he was maimed during the first world war [3]. Sambo is entirely a Russian martial art developed from other techniques.



Judo



meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by applying a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet) - as well as weapons defences - are a part of Judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (Kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).

Ultimately, the philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for almost all modern Japanese martial arts that developed from "traditional" schools (koryū). Practitioners of judo are called jūdōka



Sport judo utilizes more of throwing and pinning down techniques (ippon) ,while ne-waza utilizes ground fighting techniques with joint locks and chokeholds.



Greco-Roman Wrestling



is a form of amateur wrestling practiced throughout the world. It is one of three styles contested in the Olympic games.

According to the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today, the other three being freestyle wrestling, judo, and sambo.

Colloquially referred to simply as Greco, this style of wrestling forbids attacks below the waist. As a result, throws are encouraged as the Greco-Roman wrestler cannot avoid being thrown by simply hooking or grabbing his opponent's leg. Otherwise, the sport is similar to freestyle.

Arm drags, bearhugs, and headlocks found in freestyle have greater prominence in Greco-Roman. Throws especially known as suplays are used, in which the offensive wrestler lifts his opponent in a high arch while falling backward on his own neck to a bridge in order to bring his opponent's shoulders down to the mat. Even on the mat, a Greco-Roman wrestler must still find several ways to turn his opponent's shoulders to the mat for a fall without legs, including (but not limited to) techniques known as the bodylock and the gut-wrench.



Often seen in the olympics and in the US. this is a sport that emphasizes on techniques and strength.



Open hand self defense and combat arts:



Krav Maga



is a self-defense and military hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel, which assumes no quarter, and emphasizes maximum threat neutralization in a "real life" context. It came to prominence following its adoption by various Israeli Security Forces and is now used by military and law enforcement personnel, as well as civilians, around the world.[citation needed]

In some countries, a simplified version[citation needed] is often taught in civilian self defense classes. This excludes numerous 'more lethal' or forceful techniques taught in a military or police context, because of legal proscriptions restricting the teaching of hazardous or life-threatening techniques without appropriate legal authorization.



In Krav Maga, there are no hard-and-fast rules, and no distinction in training for men and women. It is not a sport, and there are no specific uniforms, attire or competitions. All the techniques focus on maximum efficiency in real-life conditions. Krav Maga generally assumes a no quarter situation; the attacks and defenses are intended for potentially lethal threat situations, and aim to neutralize these and escape via maximum pain or damage to opponents, as rapidly and safely as possible. Crippling attacks to vulnerable body parts, including groin and eye strikes, headbutts, and other efficient and potentially brutal attacks, improvized use of any objects available, and maximizing personal safety in a fight, are emphasized.

The guiding principles for those performing Krav Maga techniques are:



Neutralize the threat

Avoid injury

Go from defending to attacking as quickly as possible

Use the body's natural reflexes

Strike at any vulnerable point

Use any tool or object nearby



According to a description written for the self-publication media site Associated Content, the basic premises of Krav Maga are:



You're not going to care how much damage you're going to cause.

Cause as much damage as possible and run.

Do not try and prolong a fight. Do what needs to be done and escape.



The basic idea is to first deal with the immediate threat (being choked, for example), prevent the attacker from re-attacking, and then neutralize the attacker, proceeding through all steps in a methodical manner, despite the rush of adrenaline that occurs in such an attack. The emphasis is put on taking the initiative from the attacker as soon as possible.



other forms of krav maga are LOTAR or Haganah. these are developed and used by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and adopted by the FBI and other counter terror forces around the world.



FMA or Filipino Martial Arts



is a broad term more detail is covered in specific aricles. The three major branches of Filipino martial arts are Arnis typically from the northern Luzon regions, Eskrima from the central Visayas regions, and Kali from the southern Mindanao regions. Within these branches dwell a long line of masters, families, systems and history. Most Filipino systems will associate with one of these terms and their respective Regions of the Philippines.

Ranking systems, proficiency levels and terminology can differ greatly from system to system, organization to organization. FMA instructors employ a wide range of training methods to demonstrate the knowledge, skill and best practices necessary to address a situation and to assess their students understanding and proficiency. Mastery is not identical. Thus, higher or lower levels of proficiency can be applied to each assessment/training method depending upon the maturity of a particular student. These individual exchanges/assessments can then be used to identify gaps in proficiency for individuals within specific areas.



A pair of rattan sticks used in Eskrima

Martial arts ranking systems are a modern adaptation that developed during the commercialization eras of karate. For example: Shotokan Karate master Gichin Funakoshi's original ranking system consisted of: white belt: five kyūs; brown belt: three kyus; black belt: five dans.

FMA has not become a highly commercialized art, therefore it has retained its traditional forms hierarchy: master/instructor/student; or grandfather/father/son. Some FMA systems have adopted or created their own ranking systems



FMA also emphasizes on weaponry and open hand combat such as the use of Knife fighting (including disarming),defense and proper use of weapons and open handed attack defense.



Modern Army Combatives



is a term popularized by the US Army for hand-to-hand combat training. It now encompasses various hybrid martial arts, which incorporate techniques from several different martial arts and combat sports. Unlike combat sports, such systems usually have limited sport application and often focus on simple techniques for use in self-defense or combat.

As defined by US Army FM 21-150 Combatives:

Hand-to-hand combat is an engagement between two or more persons in an empty-handed struggle or with handheld weapons such as knives, sticks, and rifles with bayonets. These fighting arts are essential military skills. Projectile weapons may be lost or broken, or they may fail to fire. When friendly and enemy forces become so intermingled that firearms and grenades are not practical, hand-to-hand combat skills become vital assets.



It also integrates the use of fire arms and other weapons available in combat.





These are only my two cents on what arts you should master in order to become a complete fighter. These are really proven effective and efficient if used wisely and with exact precision.



"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water" - Bruce Lee





Get the best mma and bjj instructionals by clicking the link below

>