Without Wrestling MMA would have been unexciting. There are four main martial arts used in MMA. These are Muay Thai(kickboxing), Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and most importantly Wrestling. Wrestling in the mid to modern era has emerged as the best base for MMA. Today’s topic is about the importance of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
What is MMA?
Mixed Martial arts is a combat sport adopting at least half a dozen other popular martial arts, especially Wrestling. The combined sport (MMA) competes under rules that allow kicking, punching, grappling techniques both stand-up and on the ground.
Some wrestling (WWE)moves that can be utilized in MMA:
There are many wrestling moves but all are not fit for use in MMA. Some wrestling moves used by professional MMA fighters are given below:
Armbar:
Ankle lock:
Armbar is a very popular move to make the opponent submit soon. It is universally recognized and applied by many professionals including Becky Lynch, Alberto Del Rio, Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Armbar is one of the basic moves in grappling. It is also very painful. The MMA fighter grabs hold of the opponent’s arm and extends the legs across the opponent’s chest to gain power over him. There are many variations of using legs vs arms trying to force each other to give in. Armbar is a standard wrestling move in MMA to get an advantage to earn a win in the match.
An ankle lock,also called shin lock, is a leglock applied to the joints in the ankle. It is common in wrestling to create excruciating pain to the opponent. The pain is created by hyperextending the talocrural joint through plantar hyperflexion. The example of Plantar hyperflexion is like standing on tiptoes or pressing foot on the car gas pedal. The hyperflexion allows the wrestler or an MMA fighter to cause a lot of pain to the opponent by bending the joint without breaking or dislocating it. This wrestling move is allowed for submission purposes in MMA
Boston Crab:
Boston Crab is a type of spinal lock. The wrestler hooks the opponent’s legs in the arm and turns him face down to the mat. It is a devastating submissive move. Two superstars Rick Martel and Chris Jericho have executed the move with such perfection that it became their Signature Moves and sometimes utilized in MMA.
Hell's Gate:
Another wrestling move suitable for MMA fights. The Hell’s Gate is applied when the wrestler is on his back and the opponent attacks the man on the ground. The man on the ground must act quickly to defend himself by grabbing an arm of his opponent to pull him in. Then he places the lower part of his leg in the throat of the opponent and wraps the hands around the opponent’s back of the head. In this awkward situation, both the men cannot continue the fight for long. Even the attacker could be defeated by the man beneath him.
Camel Clutch:
The camel clutch is a popular old school move. It is a choke style hold where a wrestler sits on another wrestler’s back and grabs him by the chin, pulling back towards him. Using this move, Robert Palmer ended up gaining a tap out from Robin Laybourn in an amateur bout for the Canadian MMA Promotion Quest For Glory.
LeBell Lock:
It is a necklock. If a wrestler hooks the arm and goes in deep, he gets the shoulder lock and an elbow lock causing pain, especially getting the opponent across the nose. LeBell Lock is a popular wrestling move incorporated in MMA.
Kimura Lock:
The Kimura also known as the Double Wristlock, Chicken Wing and Gyaku ude-garami. The Kimura works by isolating the elbow and the shoulder joints through the use of four-figured grip. The competitions are effective both in BJJ and MMA competition.
Koji Clutch
The Koji Clutch works using both hands and a leg around the opponent’s neck to cause pain to him. The Koji Clutch is not familiar in the United States but it is widely used in Japan where it was invented by Japanese star Koji Kanemoto.
Rear Naked Choke:
In MMA, this move has been seen as a primal move and it is legal as long as the tap out is honored
Chokes are usually illegal in professional wrestling. While it is legal in MMA under the condition that the tap out by the opponent must be immediately responded to to end the above-mentioned pain. Besides the above mentioned wrestling moves, there could be more wrestling moves possibly utilized in MMA.