Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground. Such competitions allow martial artists of different backgrounds to compete.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling but especially ground fighting. It was derived from the Japanese Martial Art of Kodokan Judo in the early 20th century, which was itself then a recently-developed system (founded in 1882), based on multiple schools of Japanese jujutsu. It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant using leverage and proper technique; most notably, by applying joint-locks and choke-holds to defeat them. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Sparring (commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.
Jujutsu (柔術, jūjutsu - "jujitsu") literally meaning the "art of softness" or "way of yielding" is a collective name for Japanese martial art styles including unarmed and armed techniques. Jujutsu evolved among the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent without weapons. Due to the ineffectiveness of striking against an armored opponent, the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it.
Boxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win. Victory is achieved if the opponent is knocked down and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten seconds (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO). If there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges scorecards.
Kickboxing (キックボクシング) refers to the sport of combining the grace and style of boxing with kicking. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground. Kickboxing is often practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a full-contact sport. In the full-contact sport the male boxers are bare-chested wearing shorts and protective gear including: mouth-guard, hand-wraps, 10-oz. boxing gloves, groin-guard, shin-pads, kick-boots, and optional protective helmet (usually for those under 16). The female boxers will wear a tank top and chest protection in addition to the male clothing/protective gear. In European kickboxing, where kicks to the thigh are allowed using special low-kick rules, use of boxing shorts instead of long trousers is possible.
Wrestling is an ancient martial art that uses grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, generally between two people, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position. Wrestling is one of the oldest of martial arts with references to it as early as the Iliad that recounts the Trojan War in the 13th or 12th century BC. There are a wide range of styles with varying rules with both traditional historic and modern styles. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into other martial arts as well as military hand-to-hand combat systems.
Grappling refers to the gripping, handling, and controlling of an opponent without the use of striking, typically through the application of various grappling holds, choke holds, and counters to various hold attempts. Grappling forms an important part of both ground fighting and standing clinch fighting. Sports that use grappling include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, Judo, luta livre esportiva, mixed martial arts, Sambo, and wrestling. FILA uses the term grappling interchangeably with the sport of submission wrestling.
Karate (空手) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) from indigenous fighting methods te (手, literally: "hand"?) and Chinese kenpō. Karate is characterised as a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands (karate chop). Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles.
Muay Thai -Thai Boxing) is the Thai form of a hard martial art originating in Indochina. It is similar to Muay Lao from Laos, pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia and closely related to lethwei from Myanmar. The art has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. Muay Thai as it is practiced today varies significantly from its ancestor muay boran, such as in its use of gloves similar to those worn in Western boxing.
Judo (柔道) meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by executing a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet)—as well as weapons defences—are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).
Sambo (Russian: самбо—also called Sombo or Cambo and sometimes written in all-caps) is a relatively modern martial art, combat sport and self-defense system developed in the Soviet Union and recognized as an official sport by the USSR All-Union Sports Committee in 1938, presented by Anatoly Kharlampiev.The word "Самбо" (Sambo) is an acronym of camозащита Без Оружия (Samozashchita Bez Oruzhiya), meaning "self-defense without weapons" in Russian. Sambo has its roots in Japanese judo and traditional folk styles of wrestling.
Cardio Kickboxing is a sport-specific equipment-based fitness program created by Frank Thiboutot at The Bay Club in Portland, Maine in 1992. The original circuit training format was developed to help promote the sport of kickboxing through kickboxing for fitness. The techniques used during the one-hour classes, using conventional heavy bags and training pads, are based on authentic kickboxing techniques which provide both resistance training and cardio vascular benefits to its participants.
