Once the MMA community was founded in the 1980s, mixed martial arts quickly grew in popularity and along came the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC as we all know it. Although the company struggled initially, the late nineties saw UFC establish itself and the rules were refined from virtually no rules or ‘anything goes’ to what we have today.
You Choose
MMA is practiced for many reasons; some just want to be fit, while others would like to be able to defend themselves in the event of a threat of violence. Then there are those who develop a passion for the discipline and end up as pro MMA fighters, striving to emulate Conor McGregor and make a fortune in the process. There are also those who train for the camaraderie and the social side of the sport; when you train Brazilian Jui Jitsu, or BJJ in Reading, for example, there are no egos and everyone has a positive attitude. BJJ is one aspect of MMA that focuses on the ground game and a smaller person can easily defeat a larger, stronger opponent by good use of weight distribution, using the opponent’s strength against them.
Try the Experience
Rarely does a person first enter the MMA gym with the plan of getting into it; most turn up just out of curiosity, perhaps accompanying a buddy who trains a couple of times a week. The atmosphere usually gets to you and before long, you decide to try out a class. The great thing about MMA training is they cater for every level from raw beginner to pro and the younger, the better. There’s a lot to learn, striking, kicking, blocking and, of course, the ground game, which is very demanding, with grappling and the ground and pound.
Self-Defence
Due to the comprehensive nature of mixed martial arts, it is great for self-defence; learn how to block, put a person off balance and sweep their legs away, plus there are holds that incapacitate a person. After a few months of training twice a week, you would be able to repel a physical attack, which is especially important for females and the addictive nature of the discipline takes you on a longer journey that you had planned.
Global Trend
People all over the world practice MMA and there are gyms in every UK city, meaning that you are never far away from a camp where you can learn the basics of mixed martial arts to see if it hits a home run with you!