Mixed Martial Arts:Is it just fighting?

Your average human might see a glance of MMA on television, then label it as just cage fighting.  It is simply much more than that. It is a full-contact combat sport that combines elements of striking, grappling and ground fighting, created from various combat sports before its inception.

One of the earliest forms of MMA originated from the Han Dynasty in ancient China, developed by the Chinese military as a form of hand to hand combat used in warfare. The art was called Shai Jiao and used combined styles such as wrestling and kung fu. It was one of the first martial arts to incorporate both striking and grappling techniques including punching, kicking, throwing, and various submission hold or locks. While MMA bouts took place previously, the term was not used until the Ultimate Fighting Championship came into existence in 1993.

MMA combines physical disciplines and techniques to create a competitive sport where opponents fight using kicks, punches as well as submissions, throws, and slams. It is basically several martial arts combined into one, but still has many rules to protect competitors’ safety.