Why are you so interesting MMA?

“I only want to be known as the best ever. Is that too much to ask?” – BJ Penn

Who knew that MMA fighting dates back to as long as 648 B.C. and originated in Greece. The Greeks created Pankration, which literally translates to “everything or more” and “strength.” This sport eventually became the most popular event during the Olympics as it used techniques such as boxing and wrestling.
But, the modern MMA fighting came about in 1925 by a family of Brazilians. The infamous Gracie family who started the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu concept after Carlos Gracie learned how to fight with Mitsuyo Maeda, who was a judo fighter and of Japanese heritage that lived around the same region. Maeda was known as a prizefighter in “no holds barred competitions.” Interesting enough, he actually started his fighting career as a sumo wrestler in his teen years but lacked the structural built of this sport. He was fortunate to travel around different countries but in 1915 landed in Brazil. From then on, he focused on judo and eventually became a pioneer in introducing this Japanese sport to Brazil.
For Carlos Gracie, Maeda brought true inspiration and started his own academy in Rio de Janeiro and focused on the concepts of MMA. But marketing this type of sport would be harder than expected until the Gracie brothers invented the “Gracie Challenge,” which challenged any fighter in size, talent, or any other aspects that are thrown into the art of physically beating someone in a match. This led to recognition from other destinations and eventually landed in the United States where the first ultimate fighting championship (UFC) organization launched in 1993. As the first appearance of UFC sparked attentions of many, by the time the third installment aired, the ratings just kept jumping in the number of thousandths.
With very few rules in the beginning, “no division weight, time-sensitive, or security equipment and fighting in an octagon,” UFC was the epitome of fighting legally with many to entertain.
Now there are many different types of organizations that involve the fighting skills of MMA such as K1, Pride, and UFC to name a few. But what is it about this sport that intrigues the eyes of many and have us addicted to the phenomenon of “real fighting?”


http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/halloffame/mitsuyomaeda.htm
http://hubpages.com/hub/Historyofmma
http://www.mmawiz.com/posts/270:Funny_MMA_Figher_Quotes
http://www.bjj.org/interviews/maeda.html