MMA Equipment

MMA, or mixed martial arts, is a combat sport where two competitors fight until a winner is declared. A match is won when one fighter is unable to continue, a referee stops the fight, or a fighter accumulates more points than his or her opponent at the end of the match. Commonly, MMA events are held in a ring similar to ones used in boxing, or in a cage with chain link fencing. Competitors use strikes, such as kicks and punches, grappling, such as wrestling holds and takedowns, and submissions, such as chokes and joint locks, to fight their opponent.

Mixed martial arts, or the sport of unarmed combat, had its first start in the original Geek Olympic games, back in 648 BC. Competitors of this sport were expected to fight to the death if a submission was not given by either opponent. This style of combat, known as Pankration, had few rules and no MMA equipment like gloves or groin cups. Later, in the 1800’s, no-holds-barred fights become popular as wrestlers and boxers often faced off to prove which of their styles was superior. In the early part of the 1900’s, Eastern martial arts were becoming recognized by the West for their intricate training regimes and often complex theories of combat. Matches between many different styles took place in this budding age of global cultural exchange. Nearing modern times, Brazilian Vale Tudo, which bares a close resemblance to modern MMA, started to popularize among Brazil’s tough street culture. At the same time in Japan, professional wrestlers took up Shooto to prove that their ’show’ skills were real enough to obtain victory in real fighting ‘shoot’ matches.