what martial arts are in mma
Mixed martial arts (MMA) pulls techniques from several different striking and grappling styles, but a few core arts show up in almost every high-level fighter’s game.
What Martial Arts Are In MMA?
The Core “Big Four”
These are the main foundations you’ll see in modern MMA training and high- level competition.
- Boxing – Hands-only striking: jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts, head movement, footwork, defensive guard.
- Muay Thai / Kickboxing – Full striking system with kicks, knees, elbows, and clinch work; often called the “art of eight limbs.”
- Wrestling – Takedowns, clinch control, top pressure, and the ability to decide whether the fight stays standing or goes to the mat.
- Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu (BJJ) – Ground fighting and submissions: chokes, armlocks, leglocks, positional control (guard, mount, back control).
These four give you a complete toolkit: striking at range, clinch and takedowns, and control/submissions on the ground.
Other Styles Commonly Used
Many successful fighters blend in traditional or less common arts to create unusual timing, angles, or weapons.
- Karate – Side-on stance, explosive footwork, in‑and‑out blitzes, spinning and side kicks.
- Taekwondo – Dynamic, high and spinning kicks, unusual angles that surprise more conventional strikers.
- Judo – Throws and trips from the clinch, especially using overhooks, underhooks, and body locks instead of the gi.
- Sambo – Russian style combining wrestling, judo‑like throws, and submissions, very effective for takedown‑to‑submission chains.
- Sanda (Sanshou) – Chinese kickboxing with built‑in wrestling-style takedowns from striking exchanges.
Plenty of fighters also bring in bits of traditional jiu‑jitsu, kung fu, or other regional styles, but they usually adapt them to MMA rules and realities.
Striking vs Grappling: Quick View
Here’s a compact look at which arts feed which phase of an MMA fight.
| Martial art | Main role in MMA | Key tools |
|---|---|---|
| Boxing | Striking (hands) | Punch combos, head movement, footwork | [5][7][1]
| Muay Thai | Striking & clinch | Elbows, knees, low kicks, clinch control | [9][7][1][5]
| Kickboxing | Striking (hands & legs) | Punch–kick combos, high and body kicks | [7][1][5]
| Wrestling | Takedowns & control | Double-legs, single-legs, sprawls, top pressure | [1][5][7]
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Ground & submissions | Chokes, armlocks, guard, back control | [3][9][5][7]
| Judo | Throws & trips | Hip throws, foot sweeps from clinch | [3][5][7][1]
| Karate | Striking style | Side stance, blitz entries, snap kicks | [7][1][3]
| Taekwondo | Striking style | Spinning, high, and fast kicks | [1][3][7]
| Sambo | Wrestling + subs | Clinch takedowns, leglocks, top control | [7][1]
| Sanda | Striking + throws | Kicks and punches into dumps and trips | [1][7]
How Fighters “Mix” These Styles
In practice, modern MMA gyms usually teach a blended curriculum rather than pure, old-school versions of each art.
- Strikers might base their game on Muay Thai/boxing, then add wrestling defense and basic BJJ to stay standing.
- Grapplers often come from wrestling or BJJ and slowly develop enough striking to set up takedowns and defend themselves on the feet.
- Some specialists (like karate or taekwondo stylists) use their traditional base as a surprise weapon but still rely on core MMA basics under pressure.
In today’s scene, if you train for MMA, you’re really training a custom mix of boxing, Muay Thai/kickboxing, wrestling, and BJJ, with any extra style layered on top as flavor.
TL;DR: The main martial arts in MMA are boxing, Muay Thai/kickboxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu‑jitsu, with karate, taekwondo, judo, sambo, sanda, and others added depending on the fighter.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.