Mixed Martial Arts have evolved a lot over the years. With the rise in popularity of the UFC, MMA techniques and styles that are considered some of the best have also been refined. Wrestling, boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are mostly seen in the MMA scene. These are the styles mostly used by fighters. But there are also many options and tons of martial arts that MMA practitioners will never attempt to invest their time and effort into training.
10. Sumo
Sumo fights are one of the most thrilling things to watch, but this style doesn’t translate well to MMA. The biggest issue is that sumo wrestlers focus on pushing their opponent out of the ring rather than causing serious damage to the opponent. Someone using this technique will definitely have a hard time getting stuck in the octagon with a top-class striker. Most sumo fighters will compete against super heavyweights, which could lead to some unique battles. But those fights wouldn’t be completely fair, as Heavyweights are already known for their vicious striking power.
9. Tai-chi
Tai-chi is mainly practiced for self-defense and health. It is popular among the general public, who practice it for meditation. But it isn’t a form of martial arts that can be performed well in a contest. In the MMA world, being unpredictable is highly demanded, and a rigid, predictable and traditional fighting style will not help fighters much.
8. Capoeira
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art specifically known as dance fighting. Fighters can use various techniques of capoeira, but using it as a sole fighting style will most certainly result in destruction. This style discourages the use of punches. While dynamic fighting styles will be beneficial in increasing a fighter’s repertoire of moves, simple is usually more effective than flashy. Attempting a feinting attack can ultimately leave a fighter open to an even more brutal counterattack.
7. Wing Chun
Wing Chun is a form of southern Chinese kung fu. It can be potentially beneficial in an MMA contest, but it depends on each individual practitioner. This style is incredibly dangerous as any of the blows are focused on vital parts of the body, such as the throat and eyes. As you know, these types of attacks are illegal, so this style cannot be performed in the octagon. Although the technique is useful in kicks that target areas like ankles and knees, the fighter has to consider the idea that this could end a career in an instant.
6. Kung Fu
Action movie fans probably think that Kung fu is one of the best martial arts for fighting, but this is a huge misconception. Although it is entirely possible to incorporate aspects of kung fu into MMA training, few would dare to focus solely on that discipline. There are some major drawbacks when attempting to use kung fu in a general MMA contest. One of the biggest problems is that it doesn’t prepare the fighter for any type of ground game.
5. Baguazhang
Baguazhang is one of the three main Chinese martial arts. It is an interesting style, but not useful against other MMA styles. The biggest problem with this form of martial arts from a competition perspective comes from its use of repeated circular motions. Knowing that the opponent will always be moving, attacking and defending in a relatively circular pattern gives the fighter an advantage.
4. Jeet Kune Do
This is a hybrid martial art that was created by Bruce Lee. While the style truly embodies what made MMA great, it has become mostly obsolete in competition. Lee was interested in ensuring that all techniques of Jeet Kune Do were useful in real life. If a fighting style is not already highly viable for competition and some of the skills a fighter needs to learn are not usable, it is difficult to justify spending the time to learn them.
3. Kyusho Jitsu
It is a type of martial art that focuses on targeting pressure points to further injure an attacker and defend oneself against him. While this seems useful, if a fighter has the opportunity to focus on pressure points, he probably has the opportunity to focus on devastating submission holds. Much of this technique focuses on self-defense rather than actively moving forward against an opponent. The self-defense pressure points aren’t as useful as a grip that can end a fight in a matter of seconds.
2. No touch martial arts
There have been several No touch martial arts videos online. These videos focus on a lone man who drives off or defeats multiple attackers without touching them. Almost every fighter knows that these videos and this style of martial arts are absolutely useless. Fights would be very different if fighters didn’t even need to touch their opponents, but in the real world no one has been able to accomplish such a feat.
1. Aikido
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art. It entirely revolves around the idea of not causing harm to opponents. In a world where most fights end with one opponent inflicting more pain than the other, it is difficult to see where Aikido fits in. The use of art to control an opponent’s hands and wrists is also something that is not allowed in the rules of most MMA competitions.
Also Read:- How To Improve Your Striking Fluidity for MMA?
