What IS MMA?

[RW]

Something I have noticed what intrigues me is how even karate or traditional martial arts techniques are first dismissed by muay thai fighters as one of those "impractical karate stuff", then when someone is actually skilled and open minded enough to make them work, suddenly everyone tries to incorporate them into their MMA repertoire and suddenly "they're MMA/Muay thai techniques".

And when a technique is obviously not muay thai, then the technique gets called a funny name and its origin (not muay thai) is supressed. I'm starting to hear nonsense such as the "anderson silva kick" (mae geri kick to the face) or "lyoto machida kick" (jumping front kick to the face).

[Harkon72]

Yes MMA is a strange ethos, Muay Thai seems to be it's "in" style while BJJ is it's gritty brother. I suppose the full contact world of Thai Boxing has much kudos compared to us that fight in our pajamas. Then the knockdown fighters among us would do just as well in the cage.

[pittbullJudoka]

I'm starting to hear nonsense such as the "anderson silva kick" (mae geri kick to the face) or "lyoto machida kick" (jumping front kick to the face).

And with both of theses great fighters coming from traditional back grounds never knew this kick until Steven Segal taught it to them. So all of my karate instructors must have been light years a head of the game because the front kick and jumping front kick were taught in the first few months of training with them.

[sensei8]

To me...MMA is just a brand of the MA.

Like a Corvette is a brand of General Motors. What attracts one to any particular brand of anything is of a personal choice.

The brand of MMA, as it's known today, is appealing to many, both MAists as well as non-MAists, and in that, MMA is here to stay as the acceptance is reaching widely across the world.

Is MMA a style of the MA? I suppose it is to some extent, and as long as it's marketed as such, then MMA IS a style of the MA.

[Harkon72]

I agree, MMA is a style in its own right. Even just in attitude, the way it is taught and what its priorities are.

[Dobbersky]

Some awesome posts, thank you so much everyone

[Himokiri Karate]

Basicly the modern mma is actualy a sport and NOT a fighting style.

However if you want to go back before it was popular among the pop culture, then mma was in essence and I quote:

"The Deadly art of Shootfighting"

This style was popularized in the western world by Ken Shamrock, although the person who coined the term was bart vale. Ofcourse bart was a shady guy BUT if you fought mma back then, you had to be tough and crazy due to no rules and the dangerous reputation it had as well as having to deal with being labled a thug and low life and not a martial artist/sportsman.

Now shootfighting itself, is a combination of japanese kickboxing and catch wrestling which originated in japan, in the japanes often times catch wrestlers also happend to be in the pro wrestling circuts and every now and then they did a "shoot match" meaning a real fight.

This explains that the term "shoot" isnt about shooting for a takedown but rather a "Real pro wrestling match" Which in a ironic twist mma is popular because of the wwe touch the zuffa company adds to its ufc promotions.

Also to add Bart Vale was also a karate man by origin

[Harkon72]

I agree, MMA is a Sport, not an Artform. If you can win or lose to someone outside yourself then it's a competitive sport.

[tallgeese]

Plenty of arts have a competitive side. Most times, an art moves from being an "art" or combat form and then transitions to the competitive arena. In the case of MMA, we started with the evolution of sport and now people are using it for more than just fighting in a cage and as prep for self defense, fitness, ect.

It's kind of gone backwards in the case of MMA. We started seeing what established art beat what, then codified rules led us to RELATIVE standardized product. Then, this product went from being taught exclusively for fighters to compete and went more mainstream where people use it as a base for whatever they are doing ma's for.

Just because it's not the traditional progression does not make it less of a "martial art"

[Harkon72]

I can see your argument, and it is very valid. It's just that old fashioned guys like me are set in our ways. Any combative sport has an art to it, I just watch Olympic fencing to see that. I can see a martial prowess to MMA despite it's brutality. All martial arts are deadly by definition.