TOOLSHED MMA

MMA has also been referred to as No holds barred (NHB) fighting, but this term is no longer considered an accurate
description of the modern sport, with its formalized rules and banned techniques that have been developed for the
fighters' safety. A common misconception is that the sport is also called "ultimate fighting", due to the popularization of
the sport by the UFC.

Mixed martial arts was originally based around the concept of pitting different martial arts and fighting styles against
each other in competition with minimal rules, in an attempt to determine which system would be more effective in a real,
unregulated combat situation. Modern MMA competition is an evolution of such events, but rules have been
implemented to promote acceptance of the sport, while at the same time maintaining as much of the original
no-holds-barred concept as possible. There is however no general sanctioning body for the sport, and the sets of
rules vary according to the laws of individual organizations and localities (although there were attempts to make the
sport, under the banner of pankration an Olympic sanctioned sport for the 2004 games in Athens).

The techniques utilized in MMA competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees
and punches) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns
and throws). Some unarmed hand to hand combat techniques are considered illegal in arguably all modern MMA
competition, such as biting, eye-gouging, fish-hooking and small joint manipulation. Over the last ten years, strikes to
the groin have become illegal in all sanctioned MMA organizations. The legality of other techniques such as elbows,
headbutts and spinal locks vary according to competition or organization.

Victory is normally gained by judges' decision after an allotted amount of time has elapsed, a stoppage by the referee
or the fight doctor (in the event that the competitor is injured or can no longer defend himself intelligently), a
submission, by a competitor's cornerman (throwing in the towel), or knockout.

While MMA competition is occassionally depicted as brutal by the media, there has never been a death or crippling
injury in a sanctioned MMA event in North America.

Evolution of MMA fighters

In the early 1990s, three styles stood out for their effectiveness in MMA competition: Amateur wrestling, Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu and Shoot wrestling. This may be attributable in part to the grappling emphasis of the aforementioned styles,
which, perhaps due to the scarcity of mixed martial arts competitions prior to the early 90s, had been neglected by
most practitioners of striking-based arts.

Even though fighters combining amateur wrestling and striking dominated the standing portion of an MMA fight,
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylists had a distinct advantage on the ground. Those unfamiliar with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu proved to be
unprepared to deal with its submission techniques. Shoot wrestling practitioners offered a balance of amateur wrestling
ability and catch wrestling based submissions resulting in a generally well rounded set of skills. The shoot wrestlers
were especially successful in Japan, where the martial art initially dominated other arts.

As MMA competitions became more and more commonplace, those with a base in striking became more competitive as
they began to acquaint themselves with takedowns and submission holds, leading to some notable upsets against the
dominant grapplers. Subsequently those from the various grappling styles learned from each other's strengths and
shortcomings and added striking techniques to their arsenal. This overall development of increased cross-training
resulted in the MMA fighters becoming increasingly multi-dimensional in their skills.

Training

Today, mixed martial artists train in a variety of styles that have been proven effective in the ring, so that they can be
effective in all the phases of combat. Although MMA fighters will try to play to their particular specialties, they will
inevitably encounter all kinds of situations; a stand-up fighting specialist will probably get taken down at some point
and a submission artist might need to fight standing-up for a while before he can complete a takedown. A mixed martial
artist might train in a particular style to enhance his or her skills in the phase of combat that the style encompasses.
Typical styles, known for their effectiveness, that have been trained prior to the MMA career, and that are trained
individually to enhance a particular phase of combat, are:

MMA competition requires training in striking, wrestling, and submission fighting.

    . Stand-up: Boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai are trained to improve footwork, elbowing, kicking,
       kneeing and punching.
    . Clinch: Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo, and Judo are trained to improve clinching,
       takedowns and throws, while Muay Thai is trained to improve the striking aspect of the clinch.
    . Ground: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling, Judo, and Sambo are trained to improve
       submission holds, and defense against them. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and styles of amateur wrestling are
       trained to improve positioning.

Many styles have to be adapted slightly for use in the sport. For example, several boxing stances are ineffective
because they leave fighters vulnerable to leg kicks or takedowns. Similarly, Judo techniques have to be adapted to an
opponent not wearing a judogi. Commonly, modern day MMA fighters do not train in any particular style, but either
train in multiple styles with multiple coaches, or train in teams with other MMA athletes focusing specifically on MMA
fighting. Energy system training, speed drills, strength training and flexibility are also important aspects of an MMA
fighters training. Mixed martial arts competition is very demanding physically, and the athletes need to be in top shape
to be successful.