A brief look into the origins of Mixed Martial Arts:

Long gone are the days of the stereotypical bar-room-brawlers competing in MMA. Today, MMA fighters are some of the most disciplined, mild-mannered, hard-working and talented athletes on the planet. When the sport began in the early 1990’s the fighter pool was widely occupied with large, testosterone-fueled brawlers with no formal training in any combat sports. Who would win in a fight between a wrestler and a boxer? A Muay Thai fighter and a karate practitioner? Which martial artist would triumph above all others when placed in a fighting arena with no weight classes and only three rules; No groin strikes, eye gouging or biting. As the sport developed in the mid-1990’s we saw wrestling, boxing/kickboxing and the newly surfacing martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu emerge as the dominant forms of fighting. Never had a man of smaller stature been able to defeat a man much larger and stronger until Royce Gracie came along and won the very first UFC tournament; UFC 1.



At only 176 pounds Royce was successful in submitting Kimo, the 240-pound Taekwondo black belt, thus shattering all notions that the bigger fighter would always win. Royce’s success in the UFC launched Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the forefront of MMA training. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to this day remains one of the core disciplines of MMA and is a must if you want to become an MMA fighter.

1) Understanding the Three Main Areas of Fighting

If you are someone who is wondering how to get into MMA, getting started in your training can seem overwhelming. There are many martial art disciplines that you can devote your time to learning. However, let’s break down MMA fighting into its three main areas:

1. Stand-up: Fighting that occurs while both opponents are standing on their feet and trade strikes with hands, feet, elbows and knees.
2. Clinch: Although both fighters are still standing, the clinch differs from stand-up training in that the fighters are body-to-body, holding one another fighting for position and leverage rather than delivering strikes necessarily.
3. Ground: As you can assume, this refers to all fighting occurring on the ground.

 

What martial art is relevant in each of the three areas of fighting?

Stand-up fighting disciplines:

• Boxing
• Kickboxing
• Muay Thai
• Karate
• Taekwondo

Boxing provides a solid foundation for basic hand and footwork that is necessary to succeed in MMA fighting. However, MMA fighting is dynamic; elbows, knees and feet are weapons that you must learn to use that boxing won’t teach. Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate and Taekwondo are some other martial art disciplines that professional fighters train extensively. As someone that is just starting out in MMA training, Boxing, Kickboxing and Muay Thai will provide you with the most well-rounded skills and the basic understanding of fundamental foot and handwork. Classes on these disciplines are offered at most reputable MMA gyms and should be a heavy area of focus for those who want to start training MMA.

Clinch Fighting disciplines:

• Muay Thai
• Kickboxing
• Wrestling
• Judo
• Jiu Jitsu

The clinch is unique in that it is a middle area or transitional area between ground and stand-up fighting. Those who want to take the fight to the ground will use leverage within the clinch to throw an opponent down and bring the fight into their preferred arena; Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling or Judo. Those who prefer to stay standing and strike will also utilize the clinch to deliver devastating knees and elbows that can potentially end a fight. Whether you prefer to keep the fight standing or take it to the ground, a strong understanding of clinch work will be essential in your MMA training.

Ground Fighting disciplines:

• Jiu Jitsu
• Wrestling
• Judo

Judo was popularized by fighters like Ronda Rousey and Karo Parisyan. Although it is an Olympic sport and emphasizes leverage, body control and submissions, as a beginner training Judo is likely unnecessary.



As someone just starting mixed martial arts training, you should spend a large percentage of your time dedicated to Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling. A strong understanding of these will be essential if you want to become an MMA fighter.

Jiu-Jitsu will teach you submissions, body control and defense on the ground. You should devote a large amount of time to this discipline.

Besides, Wrestling is incredibly effective in learning how to control your opponent’s body and how to take opponents to the ground.

It is nearly impossible to survive as a professional MMA fighter unless you are well-rounded in all areas of fighting. However, it’s important to note most professional MMA fighters began training at a young age and are specialized in one of the martial arts listed above.

It is very common to see professional fighters who rooted their foundation with years, even decades, specializing and competing in only one of the above martial arts. It is only after this that they begin to learn the other areas of fighting and become a well-rounded professional MMA fighter.

As the sport continues to develop this trend has begun to change. We now see the next generation of fighters going straight into MMA gyms rather than first competing in High School wrestling or competing in Jiu Jitsu or Kickboxing tournaments.

To summarize the above, the most essential martial arts in Stand-Up, Clinch and Ground fighting for beginners to learn are:

• Boxing/Kickboxing
• Muay Thai
• Jiu Jitsu
• Wrestling

As someone that is starting mixed martial arts training, it is essential to build a strong foundation in these four disciplines.