Nutrition in Combat Sports

Chapter 18
Mixed Martial Arts
Gregory H. Bledsoe
Learning Objectives
To provide a brief history of mixed martial arts
To explain the rules and scoring of mixed martial arts
To review the medical literature pertaining to mixed martial arts
18.1 Introduction
The sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) is a relatively new phenomenon in most
countries. Although MMA can be traced back to the Vale Tudo matches occurring
in Brazil since the 1920s and 1930s, some have argued that the true origins are more
likely the ancient Greek games and the sport of pancrase. In any event, MMA has a
long history and its popularity has grown exponentially in the USA and other western
countries in the past 10–15 years. Though cloaked in controversy, it appears
MMA is here to stay. Those involved in combat sports need to understand the history
and rules of MMA in order to understand the sport and help prevent injury.
18.2 Background
Although pancrase – a sport in the ancient Greek games that combined wrestling and
boxing – appears similar to MMA, the recent history of the sport is traced back to the
country of Brazil and in particular the Gracie family. The story of the beginning of
MMA in the USA – a beginning that spread to other countries like Japan, Canada,
and many in Western Europe – is a story of the beginning of a new martial art called
Brazilian, or Gracie, Jiu Jitsu. The name Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) was given to this art
to differentiate it from the traditional art of Japanese Jiu Jitsu from which it sprang.
G.H. Bledsoe
Director, The Combat Sports Center for Safety and Research, Saint Simons Island, Georgia, USA
e-mail: gbledsoe@mac.com
R. Kordi et al. (eds.), Combat Sports Medicine, 323
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-84800-354-5_18, © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009