A lot of people mistake the term "contact sport" to denote what are actually "full contact martial arts". Technically, the term "contact sport" is a broad umbrella of sports where physical contact occurs such as in various team and combat sports. Full contact sports allow for either deliberate or incidental physical impact among players such as actions including blocking and tackling. Full contact sports include rugby, football, lacrosse, ice hockey, and team handball. Full contact martial arts include combat sports such as MMA, boxing, taekwondo, jujutsu, judo, muay thai, and others. To better illustrate the differences among contact sports, consider basketball. Physical contact is common in basketball but is not required. In fact, a number of physical contact results in fouls. Rugby is a full contact sport because tackling opponents head on is a must and will not result in fouls. Finally, MMA is a full contact martial art because fighters battle almost without protective gears and will most likely make full contact when they fight. Other contact sports such as semi-contact and limited-contact sports differ from full contact sports in terms of the level of physical contact allowed, use of point system in determining the winner, and extensive use of protective gear.
Martial arts consist of systematized fighting techniques. A wide range of martial arts disciplines have been developed in different parts of the world. Various forms of wrestling evolved among Native Americans, and Greek and Romans. There are also a number of Asian fighting styles such as wushu, jujutsu, karate, judo, and others. The Hawaiians also have their own martial arts involving small and large joint manipulation techniques, while Capoiera was developed by African slaves in Brazil.
Western interests in martial arts gradually grew during and after World War II as a number of military personnel were exposed to the local fighting styles in various parts in Asia. Asian and Hollywood films helped catapult the popularity of martial arts into the mainstream. As more people began practicing martial arts, organizations and associations were formed to further promote these disciplines. Tournaments and competitions were eventually organized and usually involved fights between athletes of the same field. However, some organizations began allowing fights between different disciples, as in the case of mixed martial arts. Notable MMA organizations include UFC, Pancrase, Shooto, K-1, and DREAM. Perhaps, one of the most sought after goal of every martial arts organization is the inclusion of their martial arts in the Olympics. Currently, only judo, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling are included in the Olympics.
Martial arts organizations have implemented various rules and guidelines to ensure that their arts are standardized across the world. Weight classes were developed to in matching competitors. This ensured that smaller fighters are not disadvantaged by heavier opponents. Weight class divisions differ among martial arts and weigh-ins are done before the fight to ensure that both fighters have reached their agreed upon weights. Most Asian martial arts also use color belts to denote the level of expertise of their practitioners. It is a common misconception that fighters with black belts are considered "masters" of the art. However, black belts only usually mean that the practitioner has mastered the basics of the martial art. Color belts and rankings vary widely among the martial arts and these are usually awarded based on skills and length of training.
There has been a number of MMA events since it was popularized by UFC back in the 1990's. UFC events are usually done twice a month with each event usually having an average of 9 fights including televised main card fights and unaired preliminary fights. To date, there have already been more than 170 UFC events held in the United States, and various countries. Newer MMA organizations such as WEC have already held around 50 events while PRIDE has sponsored around 70 events.
Betting or wagering is also a common offshoot of any competition. Betting can actually be done of virtually all kinds of competition and full contact sports are of special mention. People's fascination on full contact sports stems from its very physical nature. The intensity of the fights excites enthusiasts and makes them wager on their favorite teams, players, and fighters. Perhaps the easiest and most accessible way to bet full contact sports is through the internet. There are websites that are dedicated in providing players with accounts from which they can place bets and even provide participants with live feeds of the events. These websites also provide betting odds and analyses to help participants choose their bets. Betting in MMA can be difficult because MMA is a relatively new sport and has a lot of variables to consider. Fighters come from different martial arts disciplines making it more difficult to determine who'll end up as the winner. But before wagering in these websites, careful study of the events, the players/teams/fighters involved, and websites' betting rules, money deposits, fees, and cashing in winnings should be considered very carefully.
Martial arts consist of systematized fighting techniques. A wide range of martial arts disciplines have been developed in different parts of the world. Various forms of wrestling evolved among Native Americans, and Greek and Romans. There are also a number of Asian fighting styles such as wushu, jujutsu, karate, judo, and others. The Hawaiians also have their own martial arts involving small and large joint manipulation techniques, while Capoiera was developed by African slaves in Brazil.
Western interests in martial arts gradually grew during and after World War II as a number of military personnel were exposed to the local fighting styles in various parts in Asia. Asian and Hollywood films helped catapult the popularity of martial arts into the mainstream. As more people began practicing martial arts, organizations and associations were formed to further promote these disciplines. Tournaments and competitions were eventually organized and usually involved fights between athletes of the same field. However, some organizations began allowing fights between different disciples, as in the case of mixed martial arts. Notable MMA organizations include UFC, Pancrase, Shooto, K-1, and DREAM. Perhaps, one of the most sought after goal of every martial arts organization is the inclusion of their martial arts in the Olympics. Currently, only judo, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling are included in the Olympics.
Martial arts organizations have implemented various rules and guidelines to ensure that their arts are standardized across the world. Weight classes were developed to in matching competitors. This ensured that smaller fighters are not disadvantaged by heavier opponents. Weight class divisions differ among martial arts and weigh-ins are done before the fight to ensure that both fighters have reached their agreed upon weights. Most Asian martial arts also use color belts to denote the level of expertise of their practitioners. It is a common misconception that fighters with black belts are considered "masters" of the art. However, black belts only usually mean that the practitioner has mastered the basics of the martial art. Color belts and rankings vary widely among the martial arts and these are usually awarded based on skills and length of training.
There has been a number of MMA events since it was popularized by UFC back in the 1990's. UFC events are usually done twice a month with each event usually having an average of 9 fights including televised main card fights and unaired preliminary fights. To date, there have already been more than 170 UFC events held in the United States, and various countries. Newer MMA organizations such as WEC have already held around 50 events while PRIDE has sponsored around 70 events.
Betting or wagering is also a common offshoot of any competition. Betting can actually be done of virtually all kinds of competition and full contact sports are of special mention. People's fascination on full contact sports stems from its very physical nature. The intensity of the fights excites enthusiasts and makes them wager on their favorite teams, players, and fighters. Perhaps the easiest and most accessible way to bet full contact sports is through the internet. There are websites that are dedicated in providing players with accounts from which they can place bets and even provide participants with live feeds of the events. These websites also provide betting odds and analyses to help participants choose their bets. Betting in MMA can be difficult because MMA is a relatively new sport and has a lot of variables to consider. Fighters come from different martial arts disciplines making it more difficult to determine who'll end up as the winner. But before wagering in these websites, careful study of the events, the players/teams/fighters involved, and websites' betting rules, money deposits, fees, and cashing in winnings should be considered very carefully.
About the Author:
One of my own favorite martial arts is BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) which we have at our gym in Brisbane.
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