The most popular fighting styles in MMA

BY MARCEL MARIAK

The cultures of the world are incredibly diverse. Different people around the globe live vastly different lives. These differences can be religious, culinary, philosophical, and even architectural. Despite these immense variations in lifestyle, nearly every culture throughout history has one thing in common: they all have their own unique styles of hand-to-hand combat! From the traditional martial arts of Pacific Asia like Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, and Kung Fu, to lesser-known combative arts with African roots like Capoeira, Dambe, and Senegalese Wrestling. In the past couple of decades, there have been countless debates about which fighting art is the best. And until MMA became popular around the world, there was no definitive answer. The truth is that there is no REAL best martial art. After all, the fighter’s skill determines the efficacy of any martial art. Many physical and psychological factors are at play in a fight, and people with different physical attributes tend to excel more at different martial arts. Heavier, more muscular individuals tend to be better grapplers while lighter, slimmer fighters tend to be dominant strikers – of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Despite this, there are a few martial arts that are used more commonly in the MMA world than others. Here’s a breakdown of a couple most common fighting arts in MMA. If you’re a new fight fan, or if you’re looking to start training martial arts once the pandemic passes, this article will help you gain some perspective on what the fight world has to offer!

Karate
In the past few decades, Karate has gotten a bad reputation in the martial arts community. When western karate schools began to realize that they can retain more customers and make more money by making training less demanding, the Karate curriculum got seriously watered down. Despite this, there have been several fighters who have used a karate style to dominate in competition such as Stephen Thompson, Lyoto Machida, and even Conor McGregor.

Pros of Karate

• Karate’s sideways point-style stance allows for quick movement and a relaxed fighting style
• Karate-style fighters tend to keep their hands low. This allows them to have more balance and generate momentum for powerful kicks, as well as less fatigue in the shoulder
• Karate fighters are specialists at attacking from unexpected angles and with unorthodox techniques like spinning kicks

Cons of Karate

• While Karate includes some clinch work and grappling, it has very few ground-fighting techniques. As a result, Karate stylists tend to struggle on the ground unless they supplement their training heavily with other grappling martial arts like wrestling, judo, or Jiu-Jitsu
• The sideways stance makes lateral movements difficult. The point-stance also makes it nearly impossible to block (check) low-kicks
• Low hand position can leave the head open for attacks. The Karate stylist must rely on reflexes and movement to avoid strikes which can get tiring throughout a fight.

Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a brutal kickboxing martial art from Thailand. It incorporates stunning elbows, knees, punches, and kicks to end fights spectacularly. It also includes great clinch techniques and stand-up wrestling skills. It’s one of the most popular martial arts around the world with nearly any fight gym worth anything having a Muay Thai curriculum. It has been used to great effect in the octagon by fighters like Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

Pros of Muay Thai

• Because of the brutality of the sport, Muay Thai fighters’ bodies are incredibly conditioned. The shins of some Muay Thai fighters have even been determined to be stronger than iron. A Muay Thai fighter is a walking tank in the ring
• Muay Thai striking is simple and effective. Unlike karate stylists, Muay Thai fighters tend to stand their ground and prefer to walk-down their opponents with simple, powerful combinations instead of complicated spinning attacks
• The tall Muay Thai stance and high guard make it difficult for opponents to strike the fighter in the head and offer great defence against kicks
• Thai fighters are masters of the clinch, delivering powerful knees and slicing elbows to their opponents

Cons of Muay Thai

• The tall stance makes Muay Thai fighters prone to takedowns
• The high-pressure, brawling style of fighting can cause serious long-term brain injuries for fighters that are too willing to stay in the pocket and exchange strikes
• Ground-fighting techniques are completely absent in Muay Thai. A Thai fighter that has been taken down is easy prey for a grappler

Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the most common and oldest martial arts in the world. While the rules and techniques of wrestling have changed throughout the millennia, wrestling has been around for at least as long as recorded history. With our dexterous hands and opposable thumbs, humans are natural grapplers, so it’s no wonder that wrestling makes an impact in the octagon. Fighters that have found great success with wrestling include Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendez, and Brock Lesnar.

Pros of Wrestling

• Strong takedowns and grappling skills
• Wrestlers have incredible mental toughness; they don’t stop until the final bell
• Elite physical conditioning allows wresters to outwork and outpace their opponents
• Grappling allows the fighter to control their opponent more than a striker can

Cons of Wrestling

• Wrestlers can get fatigued from the fast explosive movements required in a stand-up engagement
• Wrestling involves no striking techniques, so a wrestler is vulnerable on the feet
• Wrestling rarely involves submissions, so wrestlers can sometimes run out of things to do or be outclassed by another grappler who knows submissions
• Due to the aim of wrestling being to never be on your back, wrestlers can sometimes begin to panic and lose their composure when their back is on the ground

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
It’s no surprise that Jiu-Jitsu – also known as the art of folding your opponent’s clothes while he’s still wearing them – has made this list. After all, it’s BJJ that made the UFC (read more about that in last week’s article, “3 UFC Fights That You Have to Watch Again”)! Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling art that focuses more on control and submissions than takedowns and power. As a result, almost anyone, regardless of their physical stature, can become proficient at Jiu-Jitsu. Nearly every modern UFC fighter is highly trained in BJJ, but some of the most famous Jiu-Jitsu practitioners include Royce Gracie, Demian Maia, and Nate Diaz.

Pros of Jiu-Jitsu

• The use of leverage and technique instead of brute force in BJJ means that a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner can fight with full intensity for hours
• Powerful Jiu-Jitsu submissions can end a fight in seconds
• A Jiu-Jitsu practitioner can control their opponents on the ground to avoid getting hit and limit their movement
• Jiu-Jitsu fighters are extremely comfortable on their back. They can even submit their opponent from some of the most disadvantaged positions

Cons of Jiu-Jitsu

• Jiu-Jitsu lacks any sort of striking combat, leaving the fighter vulnerable on the feet
• Unlike wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu puts less emphasis on takedowns. Jiu-Jitsu fighters can sometimes struggle to bring their opponent to the ground
• Every fight begins standing up, so a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner has to get past their opponent’s ranged weapons like kicks and punches before they can begin attacking

There you have it, some of the most popular martial arts in MMA! I’m curious to hear what you think about this list. Are there any notable fighting styles I missed? Reach out to me on the Toronto Caribbean News website by leaving a comment about the article and tell me what you think!