Martial Arts

If you’ve ever been to an MMA event, you’re probably aware of the tradition of fighters touching gloves at the start of and sometimes during a fight. This signature display is one of the fundamental principles of MMA, and if you’re new to the sport, you may be wondering what the purpose of the act is. So, why do MMA fighters touch gloves? 

MMA fighters touch gloves as a show of sportsmanship, respect, and honor. Touching gloves before a fight is the most common way for two fighters to show respect to one another in this sport. It’s basically a silent good luck gesture that transcends verbal communication altogether, and it can be seen as both an act of friendship or guile, depending on who you ask.

This article will take a more in-depth look at glove touches in MMA and the school of thought behind it.

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For many newbies, BJJ feels terribly hard. Being on the receiving end during every training session is not much fun either since you are always on the defense, leaving you feeling weary and discouraged. Granted, learning a new skill takes a bit of time, but why does BJJ’s learning curve feel incredibly steep?

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is an art that not many people are familiar with. It has grappling techniques, which make it difficult for beginners to grasp quickly. Jiu-jitsu students will learn how to take someone down and fight on the ground in class; this takes time because they may be working against more experienced opponents than they themselves have been before.

Whenever you watch BJJ superstars grappling on TV, they always seem to fight with so much ease, and pulling submissions doesn’t look like that much of an effort either. So, why is it the exact opposite when it comes to you? Let’s find out as this article looks into why many BJJ enthusiasts find it difficult to learn this martial art and discover which steps to take to make your training journey less of a challenge.  

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Kickboxing is a combat sport that curates moves from multiple martial arts types, including full-contact karate, Muay Thai, and boxing. It’s also sometimes referred to as K-1 or Dutch-style kickboxing. Many gyms offer kickboxing classes, but not all gym owners know if it’s suitable for mixed martial arts (MMA).

Kickboxing is good for MMA because it provides a base for the fighter’s stand-up. They can train to land strikes anywhere on their opponent’s body and avoid being hit by dodging and maintaining distance. Aside from some clinches and sweeps, kickboxing lacks grappling techniques, and a successful MMA fighter will need to add wrestling and BJJ to their technique training. 

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Mewing has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its online presence throughout several social media platforms. People claim it’s helped solve many health issues, including sleep disorders, joint pain, and jaw slack. While there’s no scientific backing to these claims, it’s interesting to see the correlation between strong jaws from mewing and MMA fighters.

Proponents of mewing claim it’s good for MMA because it strengthens jaw muscles. It prevents jaw, chin, and tooth damage when fighting in the ring. Mewing limits mouth breathing, which is known to cause exhaustion, especially when people are moving around often. It could be an excellent tool to improve breathing techniques.

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As a mixed martial arts (MMA) fan, you are arguably familiar with one of the essential pieces of equipment that fighters must wear to protect their hands: gloves. But why should referees also wear gloves during fights?

MMA referees wear gloves for basic rules of sanitation and hygiene. Indeed, the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) has adopted hygiene rules to prevent the transmission of certain diseases. This is why, like the medical staff, the referees wear black nitrile medical gloves. 

This article will briefly cover why referees need to wear gloves, which US organization sets the rules for combat sports, the main differences between MMA referee gloves and fighters’ gloves, and the referees’ basic equipment. Let’s dive in.

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If you’ve heard that fighters shave their legs, it’s true. But why? Are they required to? 

Fighters shave their legs because they claim it decreases friction, making it easier to escape holds. The lack of hair makes wounds heal faster, helps deep-tissue massages be less painful, and shows off their muscles. Although typical, shaving is not a requirement to play the game. 

This article will explain each of these claims in more detail. We will also look at whether these are legitimate reasons and if it matters if there is a scientific basis behind them. Read on to discover the truth.

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Muay Thai is the traditional Thai boxing sport that has unique techniques and traditions. If you follow their competitions and tournaments, you may realize that the fighters change their names frequently. But why do Muay Thai fighters change their names?

Muay Thai fighters change their last names and adopt their gym names to honor their trainers and gyms. They also do this to show people their fighting styles and promote the gym they fight for. If they change their gyms during their fighting career, they’ll change their names, too.

In the rest of the article, we’ll elaborate on different possible reasons that Muay Thai fighters change their names. We’ll also talk about other traditions in their culture.

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Many female MMA fighters weave their hair into cornrows when they fight. Is this something they are required to do by the rules of the sport? Do they braid the cornrows to keep their opponents from ripping their hair out, or is it a personal choice?

Female MMA fighters have cornrows for safety and as part of their overall image and brand. Long hair can distract the fighter, and although pulling a fighter’s hair is illegal, accidents happen. But they are not required to wear cornrows, and some female MMA fighters choose not to.  

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