Mixed martial arts training or MMA is becoming increasingly popular in gyms across America. MMA is essentially a no holds barred combat, in which two fighters engage in a brutal match locked in a cage. The popularity of this beautiful sport has gone through the roof in the last years, and now it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

Origin of Mixed Martial Arts Training

Fighting roots can be traced back as far as the Greek Olympics with the name of Pankration. It was a mix between wrestling and boxing, with very few rules. Originally, Helio Gracie a Brazilian youngster, learned Jiu-Jitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda(a Japanese master that immigrated to Brazil). He felt he was lacking strength and power to defend himself against much bigger opponents, so he created what is now known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

The Gracie family was so confident that they could defeat any competitor that they publicly challenged different instructors from different fighting styles to prove that Gracie-Jiu-jitsu was the most efficient fighting style in the world. Then came the UFC, created by Rorion Gracie as an eight man tournament to crown the best fighter in the world.

Mixed Martial Arts: The Basics

Practically all martial arts are performed inside a cage. In terms of technique, almost anything goes with some exceptions, namely wrist locks. Grappling and striking form the basics of mixed martial arts. Grappling consists of throws, takedowns, submissions, pins and holds based on Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Amateur wrestling and submission grappling. Striking arts include punches, kicks, elbows, knees based on boxing, karate, muay-thai and kickboxing.

Originally fighters came from a variety of backgrounds, but as time passed, some started to take relevance inside the cage and attracted popularity.

• Judo is a Japanese martial art form based on throws. It’s not quite as popular as wrestling for takedowns.
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the most popular grappling/submission style for MMA. It’s practically the norm, and covers self-defense aspects and mostly ground fighting (submissions) techniques.
• Amateur wrestling is very common in many athletic programs in schools and colleges. Most fighters nowadays come from an amateur wrestling background. It’s highly effective for takedowns, pin holds, and domination on the mat.
• Striking arts share a lot of similar techniques. Most individuals know karate and kung-fu from movies, but they are the least popular styles.
• Muay-thai is a martial art from Thailand similar to kickboxing but more brutal. It uses punches, kicks, knees, elbows and some throws.
• Kickboxing is a martial art from Japan that is based on karate and Jiu-Jitsu. It’s one of the most effective styles for striking and covers punches, kicks and knees.

Mixed Martial Arts: Getting Started

The first thing you need to do is find a gym, depending on your schedule and financial situation you’ll have to look for a gym that imparts many classes during all hours of the day and has a decent fee. It’s always good to have an inclination for an art. Don’t be shy to ask for advice and absorb everything you can.

You should expect a high-intensity and dynamic class, most gyms or dojos work with belts or levels, so you don’t need to be in any particular shape to train.

Try different styles before jumping into a full MMA class that teaches all aspects of combat. It’s always good to have a strong foundation on a particular martial art. The best thing you can do is to look for an art that suits your needs, although nowadays fighters are complete and end up learning everything.

Once you are accustomed to training, the next step is getting the right equipment to be safe while sparring. A lot of injuries happen when trainees and even fighters don’t use proper equipment or follow safety measures.

Let’s start with the most abundant things in the gym:

1. Hand Wraps

Hand-Wraps are indispensable. Once you start training, suddenly bruises and calluses will appear. The principal function of the hand-wraps is to stabilize and protect the wrist and the hands when punching the bag or opponent.

Good hand-wraps cost less than 10 dollars, are 100% washable and come in a variety of colors.

2. Mouth Guard

Please always use a mouth guard. MMA is a contact sport, and you need to take care of your mouth. Whether you are doing jiu-jitsu or full contact kickboxing always use this important piece of equipment.

A wide arrange of MGs are on the market. They can be found from 5 dollars to even 25 dollars with many different functions. Your best bet is to ask your trainer which he prefers.

3. Groin Protection

The genital area is super sensitive. Kicks and knees to the groin are very common in gyms.

A good groin protection cup is around 30 dollars, and most of the time, they have a good life span (around 5 or 7 years).

4. Gloves

MMA gloves are different from boxing gloves. The former are much lighter weighting only 4oz instead of 16oz. The primary function of both is to provide some protection for your hands.

Gloves are usually around 20 to 40 dollars and are perfect for sparring and punching the bag.

Additional Equipment

Shin pads will take care of your shins, but only use them for sparring. When kicking the heavy bag, take them off. It will strengthen them.

Rashguards are essential for NO-GI grappling, and they will act as a second skin. Traditional t-shirts can get a little messy.

Headgear is super important for training. Concussions are nasty and repetitive punches to the head can give you a headache. Invest in head protection. Headgear is usually around 60 dollars and comes in a variety of colors.

Weight Categories

The unified rules of MMA establish that fighters have to fight in weight categories. There are seven main weight categories:

• Flyweight 125 lbs to 135 lbs
• Bantamweight 135 lbs to 145 lbs
• Featherweight 145 lbs to 155 lbs
• Lightweight 155 lbs to 170 lbs
• Welterweight 155 lbs to 170 lbs
• Middleweight 170 lbs to 185 lbs
• Light Heavyweight 185 lbs to 205 lbs
• Heavyweight 205 lbs to 265 lbs

Mixed Martial Arts Training Meets Your Routine

The benefits of mixed martial arts are immense. Whether you are a bodybuilder, runner, amateur, or a professional athlete. The practice of mixed martial arts will help to shed fat that just won’t go away. Your muscle and cardiovascular endurance both increase plus it’s a fun and out-of-the-box training style to break up your routine.