Historical Perspective
Mixed martial arts competitions, led by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), are perhaps the most popular form of combative spectator sport in the world. In December 2005, the California State Athletic Commission legalized mixed fighting competitions, and promotors have flocked to the Golden State to offer several events that gross millions of dollars. Also, view the listings in the Annotated Bibliography: Mixed Martial Arts.
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Mixed Martial Arts (Answers.com)
An extensive overview of the history, people, strategies, techniques, and organizations of mixed martial arts action. Photos, links, and references are provided. (Last DCTKD update: 12/13/2006)
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Olympics a direct pipeline to MMA (Yahoo! Sports)
by Dave Meltzer
“If the past is any indication, the Beijing Olympic competition in wrestling and judo could be the springboard for future mixed martial arts stars.” (Originally Published: 8/15/2008; Last DCTKD update: 9/15/2008)
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Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal?
by Donald F. Walter, Jr.
The senior thesis of a Hampden-Sydney College (VA) student. Offers a good overview of Gracie jujitsu, the development of the UFC, and nicely summarizes the criticism leveled against the UFC and MMA competitions in the late 1990’s and how these criticisms were addressed. (Originally Published: 12/8/2003; Last DCTKD update: 1/1/2007)
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Fight Clubbed (Slate.com)
Ultimate fighting ought to be a great American sport. Instead, cable companies, Sen. John McCain, and a squeamish public are killing it.
by David Plotz
From 1999: “The outcry against ‘human cockfighting’ became a crusade, and like many crusades, it was founded on misunderstanding. UFC fell victim to cultural determinism about what a fight is. In countries such as Brazil and Japan, where no-holds-barred fighting has a long history, it is popular and uncontroversial. But Americans adhere to the Marquis of Queensbury rules. A fight consists of an exchange of upper-body blows that halts when one fighter falls.” (Originally Published: 11/17/1999; Last DCTKD update: 3/8/2007)
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Relive UFC 1-99 (Yahoo! Sports)
Synopsis of each UFC event from 1 to 99—Royce Gracie, Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, GSP, and more. (Last DCTKD update: 4/15/2010)
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Welcome to the Exciting Sport of Mixed Martial Arts (ExtremeProSports.com)
by Robert Rousseau
A very good summary of mixed martial arts competition beginning in 1976 with the Muhammed Ali-Antonio Inoki staged match that highlighted the interest in what style of fighting is best. Describes the impact of rule changes over the last 10 years for UFC, and the contrast between the two largest organizations today, PRIDE FC and UFC. (Last DCTKD update: 3/16/2007)
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Jiu-jitsu History (Jiu-jitsu.net)
by Gene Simco
This is an excerpt from the book, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, The Master Text, and is an excellent synopsis of jiu-jitsu including possible ancient roots, development in Japan and the Feudal Era as well as in early the 1900s through contests with Kodokan judo practitioners, jiu-jitsu in Brazil led by the Gracie family, and the contrast between Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. (Last DCTKD update: 3/16/2007)
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Historical Pankration Project
"This project is but a small step in the direction of bringing historical accuracy back into the modern art of Pankration and the general pool of techniques associated to it. Here will be archived together all that can be found concerning The Ancient Art of Greek Pankration and the later Roman Pankratium. The Archives will contain all the imagry and text gleaned from historical sources to support any theories about the Art of Pankration and a modern functional recreation of it." (Last DCTKD update: 3/16/2007)
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Pankration, An Ancient Martial Art (NewsFinder.org)
by Fotopoulou Sophia
A very good article on the history of pankration including techniques, diet of the ancient Greek athletes, and commentary on the possibility of Alexander’s troups perhpas sharing Greek sport with the people of India in the 4th Century AD. Although very well written and detailed, there are no references. (Last DCTKD update: 3/15/2007)
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