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Knowing how to strike and how to wrestle isn't enough. MMA is decided in the switch from one to the other.
All ranges · Every distance
MMAMixed martial arts
MMA isn't just another martial art: it's the arena where they all meet. Standing, on the ground, against the cage — and above all in the transitions between those three worlds, where fights are really won.
Where it comes from
The history
Its direct ancestor is Brazil's Vale Tudo — “anything goes” — which, from the 1920s onwards, pitted fighters from different styles against each other in bouts with almost no rules.
On 12 November 1993, UFC 1 in Denver put the question to a worldwide audience: which martial art actually works? The answer, delivered by Royce Gracie, was that fights end up on the ground — and few disciplines prepare you for it.
The next two decades turned the experiment into a sport. The Unified Rules, adopted in the early 2000s, brought weight classes, rounds, mandatory gloves and banned strikes. The single-style specialist died out: the modern fighter has to strike, wrestle and submit.
The principles
What we actually drill
Takedowns and takedown defence
Deciding where the fight happens often matters more than how hard you hit.
Cage work
A territory of its own: with your back to the fence, the rules of the clinch change.
Ground fighting with strikes
BJJ positions need a rethink as soon as fists enter the equation.
At Arcano
How we teach it
MMA is trained on Tuesdays and Thursdays, morning and evening, plus Saturday afternoons. An MMA Kids class runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings. Sessions combine striking, wrestling and groundwork, with the intensity matched to each person's level.
Who is it for?
- Practitioners coming from a single discipline
- Beginners hungry for all-round training
- Children and teenagers
- Amateur competitors
Schedule
MMA this week
TUESDAY
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MMA KidsKids
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THURSDAY
MMAAdults
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MMA KidsKids
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SATURDAY
MMA KidsKids
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Frequently asked questions
Straight answers
Do I need a combat sports background?
No, but MMA means learning several languages at once. Many people start with BJJ or Muay Thai before adding MMA.
Do we hit hard from day one?
No. Sparring is progressive and supervised. The first weeks focus on technique and positioning.
What kit do I need?
MMA gloves, a gum shield and shin guards. For your first class, just come in sportswear.
Other disciplines
