about 1 month ago Article 4 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Fighting Like a Girl (The Sequel)

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we take a second look at women's prizefighting. Although the UFC recently put its first ever women's fight under it's belt, a century before now -- women were literally fighting in the streets of London for their rights.

3 months ago Article 0 comments

The Martial Chronicles: All-In Down Under With Sam McVea

Cageside Features Guest Columnist John S. Nash, brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time he explores the fact that before there was MMA in the United States there was Vale Tudo in Brazil. And before that? Well there was boxing legend Sam McVea taking part in "all-in fighting" in Australia.

4 months ago Article 0 comments

The Martial Chronicles Returns: L'Idole de Paris vs. the Fraud of London

Cageside Features Guest Columnist John S. Nash, brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time he explores a long expressed desire of fans of mixed martial arts to see an elite level heavyweight boxer try his hand at their sport.

5 months ago Article 1 comment

The Pugilist 2: Nate Diaz, Tom Johnson, and the Manly Art of Self Defence

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash, brings us yet another fascinating article from his archives. This time we explore some comparisons between MMA fighter Nate Diaz's boxing style, with those of one scientific boxer of the past, Mr. Tom Johnson.

6 months ago Article 2 comments

The Martial Chronicles: James Figg & the Lost Origins of the Sport of MMA

Cageside Features Guest Columnist John S. Nash, brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time he explores the bizarre and little known story of how boxing, mixed martial arts, and even professional wrestling are all the offspring of James Figg, the first heavyweight champion of pugilism.

6 months ago Article 0 comments

The Martial Chronicles: In the Trenches

Cageside Features Guest Columnist John S. Nash, brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. With Veterans Day having been recently commemorated here in the States, this time he takes a look back at the hand-to-hand combat of World War I.

6 months ago Article 11 comments

The Pugilist: Nick Diaz, Daniel Mendoza, and the Sweet Science of Bruising

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us yet another fascinating article from his archives. This time we explore some comparisons between MMA fighter Nick Diaz's unusual boxing style, with those of 19th century bare-knuckle legend, Daniel Mendoza.

6 months ago Article 3 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Glima, the Jiu-Jitsu of Iceland

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we travel to Iceland. Yes, Iceland.

6 months ago Article 1 comment

The Martial Chronicles: Jiu-Jitsu Brings Mixed Martial Arts to Brazil

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we journey to Brazil.

6 months ago Article 4 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Meets the American Wrestlers

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we look at some of the history behind the Gracie family legacy.

7 months ago Article 1 comment

The Martial Chronicles: Fighting Like a Girl

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we look at women's prizefighting, the fact it is not a recent invention, and explore its roots, which reach all the way back to the very beginning.

7 months ago Article 0 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Why MMA's Really Nothing More Than Professional Wrestling

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we look at the little known fact that mixed martial arts really is professional wrestling.

7 months ago Article 4 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Fighting Presidents

Cageside Guest Columnist John S. Nash brings us another feature edition of his fascinating series chronicling the origins of MMA. This time, we look at some of the toughest men in our great nation's history, our Fighting Presidents.

7 months ago Article 2 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Jiu-Jitsu Conquers Australia

Under "jiu-jitsu rules", which according to the ringmaster, meant that each of the men would be allowed, "To hit, scratch, bite, pull by the hair, kick sideways, gouge, or strangle. Practically the only forbidden action was a straight kick." There would be no pinfalls and one man yielding to the other would only decide the match...

7 months ago Article 14 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Origins of Mixed Martial Arts - The Brazilian Connection

If mixed martial arts was not born at UFC 1, when was it brought forth? How far back can one trace its lineage while still being able to give it the name mixed martial arts? Let's explore...

7 months ago Article 1 comment

The Martial Chronicles: The Last Shoot

"My man is not a foul wrestler or unnecessarily rough," declared Pesek's manager, Max Baumann, yesterday, "but when an opponent fouls him, he will not tamely submit to it. Wladek Zbyszko tried that stuff, foul holds, and finally Pesek, after warning him a dozen times, whacked him on the jaw for a down and out. The next time they met Pesek threw him twice, two beautiful thuds to the mat... "

7 months ago Article 3 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Before Fighting Was Ultimate It Was Super

What's better: karate, boxing, or wrestling? Who'd win if Ali fought Bruce Lee? How 'bout either against Bruno Sammartino? Could I do better than those guys? Would you (or those you may know) be a fan of the UFC if it was actually called 'Super' instead of 'Ultimate'? In this edition, learn about the forgotten, but true story, of the first MMA league in the United States.

7 months ago Article 8 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Why CM Punk Is 'The Baddest Man On The Planet'

Learn why it is within professional wrestling, and not boxing or mixed martial arts, that one will find the heir to Muldoon, Sullivan, Broughton, and Figg... "The Baddest Man On The Planet".

7 months ago Article 0 comments

The Martial Chronicles: The Fight of the Century

This edition of Martial Chronicles deals with boxing, rather than Pro Wrestling or MMA, but we thought Cagesiders (being the multi-faceted bunch you are) might still find this post both enjoyable and interesting. So we're cross-posting it here for you; it has also been published at bloodyelbow.com and badlefthook.com.

7 months ago Article 2 comments

The Martial Chronicles: Trial By Combat; or, Dog Fight

Every professional fighter active today (and us fans) owes a debt of gratitude to the English boxers of the 17th century and 18th century who gifted us "prize fighting". Defined as a boxing (or any combative sport for that matter) contest where the participants fight for money, prize fighting is not only the parent to modern boxing, but is also a parent to the UFC, K-1, and even the WWE.[†]

7 months ago Article 1 comment

The Martial Chronicles: The Forgotten Olympic History of Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling

Catch-as-catch-can, with its combination of traditional freestyle wrestling pins and the holds of submission grappling, has captivated the imagination of modern combat sports fans. Many of these fans would be surprised to learn that something as violent as catch wrestling was once a part of the Olympic games.[†]