Yes, MMA is about inflicting physical superiority over another person.īut to quote Sam Sheridan again, “When you think about it, fighting in a ring is incredibly civilized. One caveat: Some of these descriptions may make MMA sound unduly violent. It is for these new enthusiasts that we offer the following glossary of MMA terms frequently mentioned during color commentary. Add to this the slang related to the sport of MMA itself, and sometimes you might not be sure what language the commentators, or your more knowledgeable friends, are actually speaking. This is understandable given that MMA derives from a variety of martial arts and fighting styles, each with its own moves and terminology. And a judges’ decision occurs when a fight goes the distance, usually three rounds that are five minutes in duration, and a panel of experts decides who won the fight according to a variety of criteria.įor viewers, all of this translates into a fun opportunity to get together with one another, root for their favorite fighter, and even yell at the TV when things aren’t going so well for their camp.īut those of us who are interested but not yet familiar with how MMA works might find that while we enjoy the spectacle, we are a bit uncertain about what exactly we are watching. A knockout is the same as in boxing.Ī referee stoppage occurs when the referee determines that an opponent is unable to defend himself intelligently in the face of an attack. Their job is to use wrestling, judo, and grappling techniques (among others) to gain position and apply finishing holds use boxing and Muay Thai techniques (among others) to land physical blows or use some combination of these, with the ultimate goal of finishing the fight via tapout, knockout, referee stoppage, or judges’ decision.Ī tapout occurs when an opponent is caught in a finishing hold that would otherwise result in severe injury or unconsciousness. For most people who take it seriously, fighting is much more about the self than the other”.Īnd mixed martial artists who want to be successful must take it seriously, because they must become proficient in a variety of domains. There seems to be something about watching two people enter an enclosed space and try to best each other, using nothing but their bodies, that speaks to something within us.Īuthor Sam Sheridan writes in A Fighter’s Heart, “The depths (of fighting) are about knowledge and self-knowledge, a method of examining one’s own life and motives. After a number of years on the fringe, mixed martial arts (MMA) has more recently lodged itself firmly in the national Zeitgeist.Įven many people who don’t follow it closely seem to have heard of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) or Strikeforce, which are two of the main MMA outlets.
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