| It would be impossible to fully track every aspect of | | | | young man's style and start gaining there own |
| the beginnings of mma. The Greeks, Romans, | | | | submissions. One mistake was made though. Now |
| Cavemen? I will try to bring to you a history of mma | | | | they were getting knocked out. The new rules to |
| that impacted the United States as I believe it | | | | this competition incorporated rounds, and if they |
| occurred, and what is now the growing popularity in | | | | were on the ground too long with no action the ref |
| this reality fighting. When I use the term reality | | | | would stand them back up. Not exactly a grappler's |
| fighting, it refers to actual full contact striking and | | | | desire. With these new rules in place a new breed of |
| joint wrenching submissions. It is not meant to | | | | fighter emerged. Mma fighters had to find a new |
| disrespect the traditional martial arts. In Brazil there | | | | way to cope with the double threat of stand up and |
| was a competition called vale tudo (Portuguese for | | | | ground fighting. Many of these fighters started to |
| anything goes) In the early nineties an elder son of a | | | | cross train in both ground fighting and stand up. The |
| very respected Brazilian jiu-jitsu (bjj) master came to | | | | world of mma in the United States would never be |
| the United States. This elder son and his younger | | | | the same. It was no longer a matter of style versus |
| brother were giving Bjj lessons out of their garage. | | | | style, but who had the better stand up OR ground |
| This elder son partnered with another man and began | | | | game. It's very complex if you think about it. Say |
| a very popular competition where fighters of | | | | fighter A is stronger at stand up than on the ground. |
| different styles would fight each other abiding by | | | | His competitor, fighter B is equal at both, maybe a |
| only a few rules. The younger brother of the man | | | | little better at standing and just as good a fighter as |
| you started this competition dominated the fighters | | | | A on the ground. This scenario can be a combination |
| that stood before him. Many of the fighters were of | | | | of a lot of variables. There is strategy in these fights. |
| a standing style (karate,kung-fu,etc) when this young | | | | They do not just go toe to toe with a fighter. They |
| man would take them down and tie them in a pretzel | | | | study their competitor and try to exploit their |
| they were at a loss on how to defend against it. At | | | | weakness. Regardless where mma originated from, |
| this time there were no time limits on rounds. This | | | | no one can deny the explosion this sport has seen, |
| young man would hold on to his competitors like an | | | | or the skill of these athletes. These are not brainless |
| anaconda; wearing them down and waiting for the | | | | brawlers wanting to duke it out, they are skilled |
| right moment to apply a submission hold. It did not | | | | combatants with a strategy wanting to compete |
| take long for future fighters to start training in this | | | | with other skilled fighters. |