Research Essay

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Professor Patricia Tusay

ENG 108

22 June 2020

Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies: Gladiators to Paid Athletes

  Introduction: 

The topic of the evolution of brutality to competitive sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a topic that needs to be proven to those who despise combat sports. I am passionate about MMA because it has become a significant part of my life going from watching it through its stone age days of organizations like Pride Fighting Championships to the evolution of what we see today on pay per view and ESPN for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mixed martial arts are the most honest form of violence between two professionals who dictate who is the best fighter in the octagon that night and no one can change the outcome besides them. MMA has many more important aspects than just fighting like teaching men, women, and adolescents how to train their body and minds to become leaders rather than followers. Dojos whether in judo, karate, boxing, or Jiu jitsu help anti-social people break out of their shell due to new found confidence that accumulates through discipline that comes from training and competition in mixed martial arts. Most people looking from outside in don’t understand that MMA is more than just violence. Those who are educated on the sport know it’s like abstract art going against the grain not being boxing or wrestling, but taking the best aspects of all martial arts for fighters to showcase their own take on what is the best technique. The complexity of MMA and the misconceived notions from society is what inspired me to want to educate those who are against it to be able help them understand it and inspire them to become fans or even students of MMA to instill the mind set of overcoming obstacles in life.

Background Section: Orienting Your Readers:

MMA origins began in the late 1980’s with next to no weight classes, minimal rules, and lack of adequate fighter equipment (Fakuda et al. 63). In the midst of a decade MMA went from being an underground sensation to a established sport with the premiere of Ultimate Fighting Championship a (UFC) in 1993 bringing forth the legend of the Gracie family (Fakuda et al. 64). Royce Gracie was the first to introduce the world to the effectiveness of Jiu Jitsu with him defeating opponents that were twice the size of him. This set off a new trend of people signing up for Jiu Jitsu classes to learn how to protect themselves and to this day has created thousands of Gracie academies around the world. According to Fakuda, a decade later in the 2000’s, the overall sport of MMA began to develop coherent weight classes, official competition gear, the octagon, and new rules that protected fighters from unnecessary damage (65). The new rules according to the official unified rules of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts | UFC, MMA include disqualification for curb stomping or kicking a downed fighter, disqualification for kneeing an opponent that has both hands on the mat, and point deductions for finger pokes (1). This research has showed the clear evolution of MMA adapting to the times to complement fighters to save them from themselves in the sense of preventing unnecessary damage that happens when fighters try to be to tough for their own good. These changes were important to bring forth the sport to the mainstream and make it the global phenomenon we see today. Another evolution in the sport was the contract with the UFC in 2015 with the United States Anti-Doping Agency or USADA starting doping testing pools that have cleaned out the sports steroid abusers to keep the sport honest and reduce injuries that were caused by fighters who were jacked on steroids(Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts | UFC 2). The acceptance of the evolution of MMA going from brutality to a legitimate competitive sport is important to normalize combat sport and help inspire the youth in the age of anti-social behavior to want to break out of their shells through the discipline and confidence that is gained from MMA training. MMA has also given woman the biggest platforms in the history of combat sports to thrive and gain followings due to organizations like UFC or Bellator. Woman fighters prove each and every bout that they are as entertaining as men fighters and inspire young woman around the world to want to train in a mixed martial art to follow in their heroes’ footsteps.

Importance of the Issue:

Many people have the gladiator unwarranted stigma with MMA and their preconceived notion is that its men and woman getting their bodies bludgeoned by fatal blows from every possible body part for the sake of entertainment for the masses. The research is needed to showcase to society the reason why MMA isn't barbaric. MMA has gone through a long process of evolution to come to the mainstream adapting rules to protect fighters from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) like no knees while a fighter has their hands on the ground and no kicking downed fighters (Soccer Kicks). Research can also help education the next generation of youth to see how martial arts can add discipline to their lives and help them overcome any obstacles that they may face whether that be trouble with social interaction or confidence.

The first source I used was written by John J. Brent and Peter B. Kraska called "Fighting is the Most Real and Honest Thing". The article is about the evolution about how MMA began from the combination of such disciplines including boxing, wrestling, judo, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Jiu jitsu, and Sambo (6). The second source was written by Mark A. Chen, David J. Cheesman called "Mental Toughness of Mixed Martial Arts Athletes at Different levels of Competition." The article brings forth that mental toughness is the main construct of what makes a fighter able to differentiate themselves from most athletes (905). It is inevitable for a fighter to go through physical pain that drives them to have to overcome it with a tough mentality to keep focus on their game plan to be the victor. There are many SMTQ studies included to showcase fighter's confidence, control, and constancy that they gain in training or throughout their careers. This source supports my research question with facts about the complexity of mental toughness that martial arts provides for the student or competitor.

My third source was written by Del Vecchio, Fabricio Boscolo, Sergio Masashi Hirata, and Emerson Franchini. The article was called "A Review of Time-Motion Analysis and Combat Development in Mixed Martial Arts Matches at Regional Level Tournaments." This is a study of the many movements that are included in mixed martial arts whether it be on the ground or in stand up. Based on the study high intensity ground striking and grappling towards rear naked chokes are the most prominent situations that happen in bouts (639).

The fourth source I used was written by David Fukuda, Jeffrey Stout, Patrick Burns, and Robert Fakuda. The article is called "Judo for Children and Adolescents: Benefits of Combat Sports." Job training has a healthy impact on the physiological improvements of a child enhancing their cognitive performance and social interactions (60). The article supports my research question and gives valid information on the empowerment that judo gives to the youth. Another source I used was written by Martin, Tywan, G. Williams, Antonio Whisenant, and S. Dees. The article is called "Mixed Martial Arts and the Media: An Examination of an Emerging Sport's Coverage in ESPN The Magazine." The article is focused on the evolution on how media has covered the sport of MMA and the effect of it on the public. The changing times is connected to the profit from consumers who dictate what is popular or unpopular allowing MMA to come to the mainstream (434). The most important source that I used was written by Steven Weimer and it is called "On the Alleged Intrinsic Immorality of Mixed Martial Arts." Weimer is evaluating whether or not the intent to hurt and injure opponents is the essential point to MMA and if so, does it make it intrinsically immoral (259). Weimer explains the rules of MMA and how there is restrictions that prevent the sport to be a street fight, but also use a metaphor of the physiological side of someone who likes BDSM to explain MMA fighter's willingness to experience pain. The article is the most important one for my research paper due to it's in depth analysis of if MMA is immoral or not and the proof showing that it isn't immoral.   I'm trying to convince those who are naysayers on MMA to help shine a light on the good that martial arts bring to the youths who need guidance especially in this day and age. The research is meant to back up my topic with facts rather than opinions or emotions. Once all perspectives are talked about than those who are opposed to MMA can see that the sport has become much more than gladiators hurting each other for our entertainment.

Conclusion:

Overall violence does not define MMA for what it is, but the skill and discipline that is put on display every time a fight is held inside of an octagon. When looked at with a microscope, you will see that normalizing MMA as a regular combat sport will allow you to realize the benefit it provides to inspire people to go out and want to train in a martial art to overcome obstacles in life and learn discipline and gain important social skills in an age of heightened insecurities.

Works Cited

Brent, John J, Kraska, Peter B; ‘Fighting is the Most Real and Honest Thing’: Violence and the Civilization/Barbarism Dialectic, The British Journal of Criminology, Volume 53, Issue 3, 1 May 2013, Pages 357-377. https://justicestudies.eku.edu/sites/justicestudies.eku.edu/files/sport_fighting_brent_kraska.pdf

Chen, Mark A, and David J Cheesman. "Mental Toughness of Mixed Martial Arts Athletes at Different Levels of Competition." Perceptual and Motor Skills 116.3 (2013): 905-17. Web. http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=b869996d-1af5-4e51-9b29-bbfbf967e4ce%40sessionmgr101

Del Vecchio, Fabrício Boscolo, Sérgio Masashi Hirata, and Emerson Franchini. "A Review of Time-Motion Analysis and Combat Development in Mixed Martial Arts Matches at Regional Level Tournaments." Perceptual and Motor Skills 112.2 (2011): 639-48. Web.

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=318fb6a0-cc9f-4e3b-825d-ff9d90f7c2d8%40sessionmgr101

Fukuda, David, Stout, Jeffrey, Burns, Patrick, and Fukuda, Robert. "Judo for Children and Adolescents: Benefits of Combat Sports." Strength and Conditioning Journal 33.6 (2011): 60-63. Web.    https://oce-ovid-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/article/00126548-201112000-00008/HTML

Martin, Tywan, G. Williams, Antonio Whisenant, and S. Dees. "Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and the Media: An Examination of an Emerging Sport’s Coverage in ESPN The Magazine." Public Organization Review 15.3 (2015): 433-52. Web.

https://link-springer-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11115-014-0283-x.pdf

“Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts | UFC.” Edited by Frank Fertitita, Homepage, William Morris Endeavor, 31 Oct. 2018, www.ufc.com/unified-rules-mixed-martial-arts.

Weimer, Steven. "On the Alleged Intrinsic Immorality of Mixed Martial Arts." Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 44.2 (2017): 258-75. Web.

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=a3a730ad-03db-4cfa-b603-94b992bb0c76%40sessionmgr4008