The Full Circle Evolution, Resurrection & Birth of modern MMA (strange facts)

MMA in Japan derived from SHOOTO, Pancrase & Rings, which gave birth to the PRIDE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS, DEEP, CAGE FORCE, HEROES, DREAM, etc.

All three of those early MMA bodies have their original roots in Puroresu (Japanese style Pro-wrestling). Which was derived from a hybrid of Catch-wrestling & kickboxing*. Which was derived from Greco-Roman/Freestyle wrestling (and some say descended from ancient Pankration).

*(Kickboxing was a hybrid of various Karate styles and Muay Thai)

Catch-wrestling (which used real submissions but was boring for Americans), in America, 'devolved' into the modern-day freak show of WWE/WCW/TNA style pro-"wrasslin" promotions, which used predetermined outcomes.

But, thankfully, a few of the old-time Catch Wrestlers, like Billy Robinson, Karl Gotch, Lou These, and others, helped keep the art alive by training many of Japan's post-war Pro-Wrestlers, and even some of today's MMA fighters.

Modern Boxing actually evolved from a NHB type of free-for-all type of brawl that might have resembled early UFC's.

MMA in Brazil was derived from Vale Tudo events that were the results of the JuJistu techniques a Japanese Judo/JuJistu master taught to a bunch of Brazlian kids in the early part of the 20th Century. Some of his techniques evolved into another style called Luta Livre. The other became two families of Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu...the most popular one being the style of the Gracie family.

These two styles converged in NHB Vale Tudo and grappling events and eventually were joined with Judo, Wrestling & Muay Thai to evolve into modern MMA.

In the late 19th century, Jigoro Kano tried to create an ultimate hybrid of 19th century jiu-jitsu and wrestling forms. He combined the teaching methods, choking, and pinning techniques of Tenjin Shinyo-ryu jujutsu, with throws from Kito-ryu jujutsu, with miscellaneous techniques from western wrestling, and a moral philosophy that had roots in Western humanism to create what was first called Kano Jujitsu, and is today known as Judo. The Kodokan Institute was established to develop it.

But Judo/Jujitsu did not remain static. By the early 20th century, technical universities in Japan had developed a style of judo that emphasized ground technique. They soon dominated Judo competitions. Kano decided to step in in 1925 and change the rules to make competitions more balanced and not all ground-focused.

Note that Mitsuyo Maeda went to Brazil to demonstrate Judo/Jujitsu BEFORE the 1925 reforms, so the form he demonstrated to the Gracie brothers had much more ground technique than the modern Judo we know of today. In fact, you could argue that traditional Gracie Jujitsu is in some respects more similar to pre-1925 Judo than modern Judo.

This is why matches like Yoshida vs. Gracie have much more historical significance than most MMA fans realize.

And likewise, the long history between catch wrestling and judo explains why Yoshida v. Barnett, Yoshida v. Gardner, Royce v. Hughes, and the Gracie v. Sakuraba feud were so significant.

It was one of Kano's top judokas, Mitsuyo Maeda, who once fought as a Pro-wrestler (Catch-wrestling style - with real subs), in America and Europe, who taught a handful of Brazilians (including the Gracie's), and was a key figure in the birth of today's modern Mixed Martial Arts.

Some of the American wrestlers he and other Japanese Judokas fought went on to blend the Judo/JuJitsu techniques with their own Catch-wrestling techniques.

Two of these famous wrestlers eventually went to Japan and started teaching this style there. Which of course led to MMA in Japan.

MMA in America derived from the Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu/Vale Tudo fighters and Japanese Pancrase fighters introducing NHB in the first UFC.

Eventually SHOOTO (the oldest, most organized and regulated MMA body), became more of an influence and after NHB/MMA nearly died in America, the sport was resurrected by the new owners of the UFC, and modern MMA was born.

Global unified MMA is soon to follow...we hope.