Know your MMA from your BJJ

BJJ: Short for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a grappling sport developed in the early 20th century in Brazil.

Grappling: Fighting using holds, chokes and/or joint-locks but no punching or kicking.

MMA: Short for Mixed Martial Arts, a full contact combat sport using a wide range of techniques from Muay Thai to Karate.

Tapping Out: During a fight, tapping the mat or your opponent means your opponent has won, usually because you are in a hold or choke that you can’t escape from.

Gi/No-Gi: Gi is the Japanese word for a martial arts training uniform. The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi is similar to a Judo gi. BJJ can also be practiced in shorts and t-shirt, and is then called no-gi BJJ. No-gi BJJ with some striking thrown in (such as Muay Thai) constitutes a solid base for MMA.