Mma - New Breed of Athletes

Mixed Martial Arts

With the rise of mixed martial arts, also know as MMA, traditional combat and martial art sports have seen a downfall in popularity. While many people enjoy mixed martial arts, traditionalists are angered and have shared their feelings. Many of these people believe that mixed martial arts is a sport of savagery with only thugs for competitors. What many of the traditionalists don't see or refuse to see is the different aspects of mma competition. Many of these people would also disagree that mixed martial arts is safer than sports such as boxing and kick boxing. People also don't tend to think of all the different aspects that makes mixed martial arts so competitive. My strongest point is that the men that compete in MMA are not savages or thugs, but perhaps the most highly trained athletes in the world.

Many people that see a MMA competition for the first time would not think that it is a very safe sport. In reality MMA is safer than traditional combat sports such as boxing and kick boxing. When a competitor is hurt or stunned beyond comprehension in boxing or kick boxing, they are stood up, given a standing eight count, and then continue to fight. What many people don't realize is the potential damage that can occur after this happens. If being hurt and pummeled once wasn't enough, they get to stand up and endure more pain and potential brain damage. In MMA, when a competitor is pummeled and hurt badly, they aren't given an eight second count to regain their bearings, but the fight is stopped. In doing this, the competitor is not getting the chance to be hurt worse and endure potential damage. In MMA there are also choke holds and limb locks called submissions. If a choke hold or a limb lock has been applied, the competitor can "tap out", stopping the fight and avoiding potential injuries. If they don't submit, it is a risk of their own to be injured.

There are also many different aspects of mma that make it very competitive. These many aspects are why the sport is called mixed martial arts. Some of the different martial arts that are trained in mma include boxing, kick boxing, free style wrestling, Greco Roman wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo,