What is MMA?

Nothingcompares

From time to time people ask me what MMA is? I find I can't really explain it all that easily or quickly and usually have to get a real long speil which usually ends with me saying "you're welcome to come by my club, or any club, any time and find out for yourself, it's much easier when you experience it".

But for the likes of Mark Leonard, Shane Thomas and John Kavanagh, etc. you must get a lot of people ringing you up asking you. What do you tell them?

Futureman

Eh, it's Mixed Martial Arts numbnuts. The name is self explanitory.

biko

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts

Nothingcompares

Futureman

Nothingcompares - I didn't mean to sound like a smart arse, but what I meant is that if you tell someone what it stands for, it's pretty obvious what it actually is, and if they don't/can't grasp that it's a 'mixture' of all different martial arts, then they have aptitude issues!

Nothingcompares

I completely disagree with you. In fact, I don't think MMA is a particularly accurate way to explain what MMA is. It's not a mixture of different martial arts. It's not a bit of kempo and judo with some capoeira. It's not some Thai mixed with Greco with a bit of BJJ for the ground.

MMA is competition between physiological equals that pits physical strategy again physical strategy. It's about punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing your opponent without getting hit or too badly hurt in return, it's about controling your opponent in the clinch, stopping him from hitting your or breaking your posture or taking you to the canvas. It's about you taking your opponent to the ground and hitting him until he can't defend himself, it's about controlling your opponent on the ground so he can't get back to his feet or hit you. It's about finishing your opponent with chokes, stranglers, joint manipulation, so he can't hit you or hurt you any more. It's about going to toe to toe while being or being on the way to your physical and cardiovascular peak.

Nothingcompares

goodnight futureman.

Futureman

Nothingcompares wrote:

MMA is competition between physiological equals that pits physical strategy again physical strategy. It's about punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing your opponent without getting hit or too badly hurt in return, it's about controling your opponent in the clinch, stopping him from hitting your or breaking your posture or taking you to the canvas. It's about you taking your opponent to the ground and hitting him until he can't defend himself, it's about controlling your opponent on the ground so he can't get back to his feet or hit you. It's about finishing your opponent with chokes, stranglers, joint manipulation, so he can't hit you or hurt you any more. It's about going to toe to toe while being or being on the way to your physical and cardiovascular peak.

All you're doing there is talking about what happens in an MMA fight, and what it INVOLVES.
You asked 'what "IS" MMA?' i.e. what does it mean.

cowzerp

The easiest way of explaining it is by using what people are familiar with-i usually say its like a boxing match with judo and kicking added in-this is loads of information for someone who does not know what mma is! we know there's more to it than that but thats a good starting point..

Colm_OReilly

Futureman,

Consider this a warning, your posts thusfar on this thread have neither been informative or funny, which are the requirements.

Nothingcompares,
The shortest answer I give is that it's a mixture of judo, wrestling, and boxing. Of course, it also depends on the audience.

If a prospective client asks I'll go into more detail, ask them what they're looking for, have they seen the UFC, explain the hierarchy of competition.

If some randomer asks I'll just say I beat up children!

Colm

arybvtcw0eolkf

I find most people asking don't really want a complete breakdown of its real meaning. So I just ask them have they seen UFC on TV, I usually get "yes" and their satisfied with that.

If they want a further explaination I'll go down the same road as Colm, but stressing its not a 'no-rules' fight in a cage!.

Futureman

Colm_OReilly wrote:

Futureman,

Consider this a warning, your posts thusfar on this thread have neither been informative or funny, which are the requirements.

Riiiiight, I see. And biko's post was?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Futureman wrote:

Riiiiight, I see. And biko's post was?

Informative.

astfgl

Mixed Martial Arts is a fighting system where you dont restrict your training/fighting to just one of the three possible ranges of a fight (striking/clinch/ground).
Most martial arts just cover one range, with a few covering two (but still specialising in one), but in MMA you cover all equally.

arybvtcw0eolkf

astfgl wrote:

Mixed Martial Arts is a fighting system where you dont restrict your training/fighting to just one of the three possible ranges of a fight (striking/clinch/ground).
Most martial arts just cover one range, with a few covering two (but still specialising in one), but in MMA you cover all equally.

The problem with that is a lay person wouldn't know about ranges etc, and then your into explaining all that too!.

FiannaGym.com

"It's like full contact kickboxing but you can fight on the ground too!"

If someone doesn't have the vocabulary to get to grips with other elements just say that. If they sound interested you can then elaborate...

"Well, you train punching, kicking and knees (not usually elbows), then you also train throws and sweeps and fighting on the ground. It's great because if your fighting someone who can beat you up with punches and kicks, you learn to take them to the ground, and beat them there! - The most important thing is, that you learn to use techniques and skill to overcome your disadvantages, if your small you learn to use that if you heavy you learn to use that (then I look philosophically into the distance)... Thats whats so great about MMA, unlike other martial arts, everyone learn something different, they develop their own style... Your not expected to learn this or that technique - just what works best for you"

Or something. haha.

Peace

Nothingcompares

futureman, i know what mma is (i think) i just wanted a succinct way of explaining it to civilians (lol) without using MMA terminology. I also, wanted to try and explain it without relying on comparisons to other sports and martial arts. For example, I wouldn't describe Muay Thai as boxing with legs and elbows. Or kickboxing with elbows. Nor do I like to be too reliant on "Have you seen UFC or Pride?" type explanations. Just because i don't think they reflect, from a first impression from a newbie, what happens inside the MMa club. I saw a a mma high light clip of pride (silva foodstomping etc.) and I was immediately put off by the savagery. How many mma clubs practice foot stomps?

Nothingcompares

astfgl wrote:

Mixed Martial Arts is a fighting system where you dont restrict your training/fighting to just one of the three possible ranges of a fight (striking/clinch/ground).
Most martial arts just cover one range, with a few covering two (but still specialising in one), but in MMA you cover all equally.

Yes, this is alog the lines of what I was looking for. But personally I don't want to imply "MMA is better because it covers more stuff" or MMA is martial arts evolved. However that's all my own bias.

Clive

I generally don't ever talk about MMA to people who don't do some form of martial arts unless I'm trying to bone them, but I usually just say it's like boxing and wrestling stuck together.

Black Swan

This "What is MMA?" discussion is useful. Thanks Nothingcompares.

RealJohn

To a someone with little or no background information, I usually just say that it's a mixture of judo and kickboxing because your average joe on the street has some idea of what's involved in both (I might replace judo with wrestling if they start asking about judo chops).
I would then expand on that relative to how much they might already know about those or other martial arts.