Mixed Martial Arts or MMA is defined as a full contact sport that offers a wide variety of techniques from different styles, both stand-up and on the ground. This includes both stand-up and on the ground skills such as kick boxing, Karate, Judo, wrestling and Muay Thai. MMA allows one to fight with the whole body by combining the arts of throwing, striking and joint manipulating techniques.

Each of the disciplines has a long history and Muay Thai, for example, was utilized for warfare in the 1800′s. These fights became spectator sports for Kings in various countries over the years. Muay Thai makes use of eight contact points and its name means “Art of Eight Limbs.” These include knee hits, punches, kicks and elbow strikes performed in a stand-up position. This is no comparison to the sport of Western boxing that only has two points, hands and feet.

Holding the opponent down through grappling moves similar to wrestling is known as ground fighting. Clinched fighting is when the opponent tries to prevent strikes or get the dominant position while on the ground. The only equipment needed for MMA is small gloves, open-fingered or closed, this also depends upon the country, type of fight and weight category. Victory in MMA is determined by knockout, submission or doctor stoppage. Referees have the ability to stop a fight if one of the opponents has sustained serious bodily injury or there have been numerous warnings and fouls causing disqualification.

Mixed Martial Arts first became an official sport within the US when the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was held in 1992. The no-holds-barred fight with few rules became a disciplined sport including time limits and restrictions reducing the risk of bodily harm. The UFC expanded its activities from the United States to Canada in 2008. Pay-per-view events began drawing huge audiences making Calgary comparative to large cities such as Los Angeles or Chicago. Shows are sold out within minutes by people of all ages and lifestyles.

Individuals travel from all over the world to learn from the best instructors at several schools in Calgary that teach MMA. If interested in this sport, instructors caution that one should watch a few sessions before committing. Professionals are eager to speak with potential students and enroll them in starter classes to make sure this is an adequate sport for that person. Competitive martial arts differ from self defense and should not be categorized as the same. There may be some overlapping techniques, but many of the ideas are not practical for someone to utilize in an attack type situation.

This website will provide more information about MMA:
Calgary Muay Thai
Calgary kick boxing