For a lot of people, life can quickly become very monotonous. Humans are creatures of routine, and after a while,people occasionally want to find change to brighten up mundane patterns. With mental health greatly focused on in recent years, plenty of people have turned to mixed martial arts to experience something new and dress-up exercise as a valuable skill to invest themselves in. Another reason for this would be the added benefit of self-defense if the worst were to happen.
Given the rising popularity of combat sports, this article outlines three combat principles and what benefits they can provide if you’re looking for something new to dig your teeth into.
Boxing
One of the oldest forms of combat sports, boxing is a fighting principle considered very basic on the surface. Anyone can begin boxing and achieve fantastic results over time. The sport is primarily focused on mastering the art of punching, hence the reason it is considered fairly simple compared to other combat principles.
Boxing also has an emphasis on endurance; your goal is to outdo your opponent by physically overwhelming them. As such, a training boxer must train to last longer than their opponent via high-intensity, stamina-boosting workout methods. This high intensity over longer durations is a staple of boxing, making it a sport not for the faint-hearted. While all combat sports are a great form of exercise,boxing has a true focus on high-intensity workouts, making it an excellent choice for shredding weight as well as getting fitter.
MuayThai
“The art of eight limbs”, MuayThai translates to “Thai Boxing”. As simply put as that is, MuayThai takes traditional boxing and adds the use of hands, elbows, shins, and knees when facing an opponent. This combat principle is also considered very simple; the main goal of the sport is finding the quickest and most efficient way to face an opponent.
This form of combat prides itself on being simple. It avoids complicated and difficult-to-learn combos and trades them for effective striking maneuvers, which enables participantsto develop skills quickly and efficiently.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Created by the Japanese, Jiu-Jitsu is known as the “gentle art” and was created for the ancient samurai. These armed warriors developed the gentle art in case they found themselves disarmed. As such, Jiu-Jitsu is the perfect principle if self-defense is the primary goal when undertaking combat as a hobby.
There’s also the popular Brazilian version of the sport; the main focus of the Brazilian variant is to use close-quarter grappling techniques to subdue an opponent. This form of combat was developed to aid smaller combatants in facing larger opponents, making it an excellent principle for yourself and even your kids. A simple internet search for‘personal training gym near me’ should show plenty of places where you can learn and practice this sport, along with many other combat sports.
Overall, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is very much inspired by judo and traditional Jiu-Jitsu. It avoids intentional striking, which can make it an attractive form of combat for those who are not interested in more action-packed fighting principles.
Conclusion
Combat is growing in popularity, and rising stars in the UFC scene are also driving the marketing for those who wish to partake in mixed martial arts. While the glitz and glam can be an attraction for some, there are genuine reasons to undertake a combat sport to benefit your physical and mental health no matter who you are.