When students accept the benefits of learning MMA, they take a step back in time to work alongside the Olympic hand-to-hand combat fighters of ancient Greece. Alexander the Great spread the teachings of Greek hand-to-hand fighting to India, where he worked hard to recruit athletes as soldiers. A Buddhist monk who traveled through India learned the basics of combat and took the information back to China, where the sports of judo, karate and kung fu all descended from Greek hand-to-hand combat.

As the martial arts spread throughout the world, they morphed according to their country of practice. Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, for example, became a unique sport known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Many of the best fighters in the different sports started to challenge one another for bragging rights. As these matches grew in popularity, the people who practiced certain sports realized that they had to learn the skills of multiple arts to gain an advantage in fighting their opponents.

MMA helps to boost a student’s confidence and inner strength. Students develop the ability to understand themselves and to set goals that they take pride in achieving. Also, students learn concentration and focus, which translates well into their academic lives. The healthy respect for rules and teachers that a student develops in MMA training holds the student in good stead throughout his or her life.

Students also learn the art of self-defense. In addition to providing students with protection in the event of a physical altercation, martial arts forms strong mental alertness and good physical conditioning. By modifying a student’s body language and self-presentation, martial arts provides students with the ability to carry themselves with respect and confidence.

Another purpose of martial arts is to develop self-awareness. Students will learn to appreciate both their strengths and their weaknesses and to harness their potential as they work to meet their goals. The benefits of learning MMA even include relief from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, stress reduction and anger management for the dedicated student