Ground Fighting Styles

The competitors of Mixed Martial Arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship employ many different styles of martial arts in order to defeat their opponent in a match. Learning standing-fighting methods and ground-fighting styles can increase the probability of a win for a competitive fighter. There are several common ground fighting styles used, and each has a history of sport, performance, and self defense purposes—similar to the goals of a mixed martial artist competitor.

  1. Judo

    • Judo is a Japanese martial art and was created by the president of Tokyo University, Professor Jigoro Kano, at the turn of the 20th century. Professor Kano had mastered several styles of jujutsu, and developed judo based on the basic principles of jujutsu. Some of the traditional jujutsu techniques were eliminated to introduce moves that could defeat an opponent without injury. Judo techniques focus on grappling, throws, pins, joint locks, and chokes. Training also teaches judo students how to overcome a larger opponent through yielding, balance, leverage, and control. In addition to technique, most judo masters teach their students how to develop moral character. In 1964, the International Olympic Committee introduced men's judo as an official Olympic sport, and women’s judo was added in 1992.

    Sambo

    • A Russian martial art, sambo means to “self protection without weapons.” Sambo is derived from many different world martial arts systems and was created for the Soviet Army in the 1920s. The Soviet police also used Sambo for crowd control and other law enforcement purposes. Sambo’s founders explored martial arts from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa to find the best techniques to create Sambo. Ground techniques include the most effective moves from Russian folk-wrestling styles and other ground-fighting styles such as American wrestling and judo. Sambo also incorporates standing fighting techniques, derived from Asian martial arts such as karate and aikido. The combination of ground and standing techniques make Sambo an effective fighting style.

    Catch Wrestling

    • Catch wresting developed in late 19th-century America. Traveling carnivals featured wrestlers who would challenge audience members to a fight using traditional American wrestling moves. Bets were placed about who would win. Because money was on the line, some audience members would cheat by using moves such as eye-gouging. There was also distrust among some audience members as to whether the carnival referees were officiating fairly. Eventually the athletic performers began to incorporate hooking moves used on any part of the body that they could hook—or “catch.” The catching methods proved so effective that the performers were able to protect themselves from cheating audience members and leave no question as to who had won the challenge. Catch wrestling employs similar techniques to traditional wrestling, with the addition of the effective hooks.