FIGHTING DISCIPLINES
READING TIME · 1 MIN
MMA blends striking and grappling arts. Knowing what each brings makes a round easier to score.
ON THE FEET
STRIKING ARTS
Boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, karate and taekwondo all feed the standing game — punches, kicks, elbows, knees and the footwork to land them. On the cards this is effective striking: the cleaner, harder, more frequent blows that do damage.
ON THE MAT
GRAPPLING ARTS
Wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo and sambo decide what happens in the clinch and on the ground — takedowns, sweeps, positional control and submissions. This is effective grappling: control that advances position, threatens a finish, or sets up damage.
MIXED
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Mixed martial arts is the blend: a wrestler grinding out top control, a striker sprawling to keep it standing, ground-and-pound from inside the guard. When you score, weigh whoever imposed the more effective offence — striking or grappling — not the style you find prettier.