The face of MMA is an ever-evolving one with fighters becoming faster, stronger and more disciplined by the day. Even those passionate MMA athletes who are not bound to become the next McGregor or Nurmagomedov are making use of whatever means possible to be the best they can be. Apart from strenuous workout routines, healthy diets, and physical and mental aptitude, video analysis is fast becoming a go-to method for any sportsman (or woman) trying to up their game in MMA. While video analysis has long been used by elite sporting teams and individual athletes, its benefits are finally being recognised in the various martial arts fraternities as well.
What is video analysis and what relevance does it have to sport?
Video analysis is a tool that is being used more frequently in modern-day sports gain insight into an athlete’s form and technique in order to improve overall strength and ability and gain a competitive advantage. Although the martial arts are still viewed as a very spiritual practice, it is also a highly competitive sport in which thousands of fighters compete to be ranked as the best in their various disciplines. The increased use of video analysis mostly stems from the skyrocketing popularity of smartphones which has made capturing quality videos almost effortless. There are also, of course, numerous state-of-the-art camcorders and complementary applications available that make taking, editing and analysing action videos easier than ever before.
How can video analysis help improve MMA technique?
There are countless reasons why video analytics should be employed in MMA, both to the benefit of the individual athlete and the sport in general. Video analysis enables fighters to see exactly where they need to improve their various techniques. Once you are able to view yourself in action, you can pinpoint any problem areas and make the necessary changes to your training schedule to boost improve your technique and boost your overall performance.
Injury prevention
Injuries are common among MMA fighters and while most are obtained courtesy of kicks and blows from the opposition, some are exacerbated by poor technique. As with all things in life, prevention is always better than cure when it comes to sport-related injuries. If trainers and fighters can identify and correct injury-causing habits, chances are that fitness levels and overall performance will improve alongside the reduction in injuries.
Mimic the best
You can improve your performance significantly by studying the video analysis of some of the best MMA fighters in the game. The video footage will showcase the habits and fighting techniques that sets the fighter in question apart from the competition, allowing the viewer to try and incorporate some of the practices into his own fighting approach. Analysing videos of rival fighters will also see the playing field being levelled as competitive advantage diminishes due to special tactics being uncovered.
Technology is undoubtedly revolutionising sport at breakneck speed. Video analysis can help boost MMA performance significantly without detracting from the nature of the sport in any way.
