Mixed Martial Arts
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is the fastest growing sport in the world and has taken the close combat community by storm, with good reason. It's entertaining and exhilarating, and much more complex than, say, boxing.
MMA is a full contact combat sport that employs a wide variety of martial arts fighting techniques, from striking to grappling.
The history of modern MMA competition can be traced to mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s, the Gracie family's vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s and early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s.
But modern mixed martial arts competition only emerged in popular culture in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Initially based on finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat situations, UFC competitors of various arts were pitted against one another with minimal rules or concern for safety, but subsequently, many additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and to promote mainstream acceptance of the sport have been adopted.