THE EAGLE – Mma – One week after the ‘Gloria Fight Tournament 3’ event, held in Celano, we met the Eagle Fight Team from L’Aquila.
Among combat sports, Mixed martial arts (MMA) is one of the most dynamic and adrenaline-filled. Its roots lie in ancient history; Influenced by various combat disciplines, MMA has become a martial art form in itself that combines technique, mental and physical strength in a context of spectacular competition.
From traditional Chinese martial arts to Greco-Roman fighting games, history is rich in fighting forms that have contributed to shaping this discipline whose current form, however, was born in Brazil in the 1920s and 1930s inspired by Vale Tudo, a type of competition that allowed practitioners of different martial arts to compete without many restrictions which was followed by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), created by the Gracie family, a pillar of current MMA.
Rules and Structure
MMA is a mixture of different fighting disciplines, including boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and others. As we have seen from the images, the matches take place in an enclosure called an ‘octagon’, similar to a cage, which offers enough space for the fighters to move and use a variety of techniques.
The rules of MMA vary slightly from organization to organization but, generally, they prohibit attacks on the eyes, throat, joints, genitals and regulate blows to the head during takedowns and ground and pound.
The techniques used in MMA include punches, kicks, elbows, knees, throws, submissions.
Fighters, therefore, must be versatile, able to respond quickly to their opponent’s moves and modify their strategy according to the circumstances.
