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It is mainly a sport made for self-defense, but has been widely used in MMA as of late.

The art originated from Judo, but was modified by legendary practitioners Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie Family. BJJ came into prominence in MMA when Royce Gracie swept the earlier Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments using the technique back in the early 90s.

The concept of side control, mount, back mount, and even full and half guards you often see in UFC all came from BJJ.

Trademark moves:
Submission moves like the armbar and the triangle choke are proven show stoppers. The full mount, side control, and guards used by BJJ practitioners make them dominant on the ground.

Famous practitioners:
UFC and Pride legends Royce Gracie and Antonio Nogueira have won championship belts because of their outstanding BJJ ground game. Another UFC champion, Anderson Silva, earned his BJJ black belt under Nogueira himself.

Where I can train: KMA Fitness and Martial Arts boasts URCC fighters as well, teaching BJJ, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Judo, even Yoga!

MMA 101: Wrestling
Before we proceed, you’re going to have to get the WWE thing out of your head. Wrestling in MMA are practiced by amateur and Olympic wrestlers, not professional ones. This is a form of martial arts that also uses grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws, and takedowns.

It proves efficient when it comes to scoring take downs and ground fighting, and is almost as popular as BJJ in the UFC. Amateur wrestling is scored by superior positions, which means you basically have to be on top when grappling on the floor.

Wrestling in MMA could be in a form of Greco-Roman or Freestyle, but wrestlers must be able to know submission fighting as well.

Trademark moves:
Pinning opponents to the mat is one thing, but wrestlers have the meanest ground-and-pound in mixed martial arts. They are also known to resort to takedowns and body slams in times of despair.

Famous practitioners:
Former pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar is now dominating UFC’s heavyweight division, thanks largely to his outstanding collegiate-wrestling background and WWE-like physique.

Greco-Roman wrestlers Randy Couture, Georges St-Pierre, and Dan Henderson are not to be denied as well. Their clinch game has brought them victories throughout their careers.

Where I can train: The Wrestling Association of the Philippines is a good training ground for aspiring wrestlers. What makes them ultra-legit is the fact that WAP athletes actually train for the Olympics.

MMA 101: Sambo
It is a modern combat sport developed in the Soviet Union which means “self-defense without a weapon” in Russian. Sambo is classified into three differently styles: Sports Sambo, Freestyle Sambo, and the MMA-used Combat Sambo.

Many Russians consider Sambo as their national sport, although its origins go way back to Judo. It also has a softer version for wounded practitioners, called Samoz, and was created and modified by the father of Sambo himself, Anatoly Kharlampiev.

Although not as widespread worldwide, Sambo is being used by a handful of notable MMA fighters in other organizations outside of UFC.

Trademark moves:
Combat Sambo boasts a wide variety of chokeholds, along with straight fist striking, mostly resembling aikido-like moves.

Famous practitioners:
MMA fans might be familiar with the number one ranked heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. The former Pride heavyweight champion is barely undefeated and is known to be one of the most dominant fighters when it comes to striking and grappling.

Where I can train: Believe it or not, there are several Sambo institutions in our country, most notably the Philippine Sambo Association. You can visit PinoyMMA.com and MMAPhilippines.com to get more information.