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MMA has come a long way in overcoming the notion of sensationalized brutality. It has evolved into a real sport that showcases incredibly talented athletes, thanks largely to a major overhaul of its flagship league, the UFC. Abandoning the doomed "no rules" approach and embracing proper regulation has set an example of a true competitive nature in the sport—it demands both more control and skill from the fighters. But while the UFC’s popularity stirs interest in combat sports as a whole, it is clearly not a venue for traditional martial arts.


Organizations like the UFC filter the sport through a thick layer of spectacle. For one thing, there is no official ranking system or process for determining title-shots. Fights are arranged based on potential excitement value and the popularity of the fighters. The process of cutting fighters follows the same pattern. For example, Wanderlai Silva has gone 1-5 over the last three years including three consecutive losses, yet he can write his own ticket thanks to a mob of fans. While Thales Leites days were clearly numbered after a poor performance against Anderson Silva at UFC 97, despite a respectable record of 14-3 by the time he was officially cut from the roster. The reasoning is understandable: fan-favourites bring in a bigger gate and more pay-per-view buys. However, by describing itself as Mixed Martial Arts, the UFC is associating itself with more than simply entertainment.


Martial arts are traditionally segregated studies of self-defence and combat with little integration. The path of learning is linear—a student chooses a style such as Jiu-Jitsu, Karate or Judo and then competes against rival schools of a similar discipline. Even the Olympics include many different elements of MMA, including Boxing, Wrestling, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, which are kept separated. These segregated styles simply beg the question of superiority. Who would win? A Karate master or a Jiu-Jitsu master? In theory this is what MMA offers: a clash of styles. But in fact, by requiring athletes to be proficient in many aspects, MMA produces a style of its own. It is rare for a fighter to succeed for long by focusing on a single element, such as striking—as demonstrated by gifted kickboxer Cheick Kongo curling up like a fetus after each takedown by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99.


Sensei Robert Krantz (7th Dan), is the founder of the Milton School of Jiu Jitsu and my Sensei. He recently mentioned his dislike of the term “Mixed Martial Arts”. He calls it inaccurate because there is no requirement to be a martial artist in order to enter MMA competitions. Krantz is not against mixing techniques, in fact he teaches Combined Jiu-Jitsu Arts (CJA), a style that combines many elements including striking, grappling and joint locks. Yet he points out how wrestlers and boxers compete in MMA tournaments, despite neither of those skills being based in martial arts. MMA also has little to do with self-defence techniques, which are usually a fundamental part of a dojo’s teachings. Furthermore, elements such as cage-fighting put pressure on more traditional schools to change their approach and accommodate current, popular trends. But, as Sensei Krantz puts it, "why would you go to steak house and order spaghetti?"


Martial arts have a hierarchy of training, respect and honour. There is a philosophy for living involved that goes beyond fighting and self-defence. Respect for yourself and others are just as important as learning strikes and submissions. Students are expected to take methods and lessons from the dojo and apply them to everyday life. Simply put, a martial artist holds that title at all times. And while many schools may be overly-rigid in their teachings, more and more have begun embracing a hybrid of styles while maintaining the important traditions. 

To be fair, while MMA may not be the most accurate name, there is nothing necessarily preventing true martial artists from succeeding in MMA competitions. In fact, there is a strong argument to be made that such individuals have a greater chance of success; just look at the dominant careers of Lyoto Machida, Royce Gracie and Georges St. Pierre. It seems that even though MMA functions as a separate entity, the principles of Martial Arts are still present thanks to the athletes who choose that type of dedication and lifestyle. It is just up to the fighters to make that choice for themselves.

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