Mixed Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full-contact sport that combines the use of both striking and grappling to best represent the conditions of an actual fight. Its competitors incorporate techniques from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, and Muay Thai, as well as many others.

While "No Holds Barred" (NHB) fighting existed in many forms throughout history—most notably, in Vale Tudo contests in Brazil—the modern sport of MMA began in 1993 with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the United States. Since then, MMA has become one of the most popular sports in the world.

While mixed martial arts has undoubtedly had a profound impact on the world of sport and entertainment, far greater was its impact on the world of martial arts. What the UFC gave the world of martial arts was empirical data by which to draw inference about the efficacy of martial arts techniques across different disciplines. Prior to 1993, conversations about how a skilled wrestler would fare against a skilled boxer, for instance, were left to debate. With the introduction of this new open rules format that allowed all styles to compete against one another, however, martial artists and fans alike could now see how martial arts techniques and tactics played out before their eyes. To say that the advent of mixed martial arts has had a lasting impact on how the martial arts are taught and practiced would be an incredible understatement. Indeed, many martial arts disciplines have changed more since 1993 than they had in centuries before that! At Modern Martial Arts and Fitness, we use these lessons from the sport of mixed martial arts to teach techniques that have proven to be effective against skilled opposition, under duress, under open rules conditions. All of our instructors, in fact, have competed in mixed martial arts and have tested their techniques first-hand in live combat.

Consistent with our other classes, a mixed martial arts (MMA) class at Modern Martial Arts and Fitness will feature a brief aerobic warm-up where you will prepare your body for exercise while simultaneously becoming familiarized with many of the essential movements performed in MMA techniques. This warm-up will be followed by a demonstration of several MMA techniques, which will then be practiced by all of the class participants. Finally, the last portion of the class will allow for the testing of techniques in live sparring, performed at a safe and controlled pace. Please note that live sparring is never required, and students may always choose to use this time to continue practicing techniques with a partner, if they so choose.