MMA/BJJ iPhone Apps
June 10, 2010
Need to finish an armbar during camping but lacking proper technique? Need to know what Gilbert Yvel’s professional fight record is while you’re on a bus? Yep, there’s an app for that. Here are some iPhone apps for MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fans and practitioners.
MMA News
- MMA Underground – $1.99
Probably the most polished MMA app out there. Features MMA news, fighter database, upcoming events (MMA and grappling), and you can read the underground forums (no posting). - MMA Fan – Free
MMA news, videos, photos (MMA models), podcasts, and aggregated MMA-related twitter content. - MMA Torch – Free
MMA news – basically a pocket sized MMATorch.com website. - Ultimate Fighting Championship – $0.99
The official UFC app. Highlights, video content (in-app pay-per-view), slated to offer PPV events, Octagon Girls, UFC fighter database. Great app if you only watch Zuffa-promoted fights. - MMA Junkie Mobile – Free
MMA news from MMAJunkie and Yahoo! Sports.
More apps after the jump.
Technique
- iBJJ – $3.99
This app is a library of gi and no gi techniques that are broken down frame-by-frame. Each frame has a text description of the intricacies of the technique. The descriptions are quite detailed this way, but it would be nice if it had full-frame video as an accompaniment. - iBJJ Lite – Free
This is the free version of iBJJ. It only offers one technique from a limited set of positions. - iBJJ Rules – $0.99
I’m not sure what the point of this app is really even if it were free. If you’ve got an internet connection, you can look up IBJJF rules on their site. - MMA Grappling (NoGi) – The Guard – $3.99
Video tutorials on a variety of no gi guard techniques. The videos feature text cues with a description of what’s going on. It’s a little annoying that guard, guard flow, ankle locks, and striking are three separate apps. It would be a better organized approach to have these groupings roll up into an overall “MMA Techniques” app. Maybe have each grouping be an in-app purchase. The other MMA Grappling apps below are clones of this one, but with different techniques. - MMA Grappling (NoGi) – Guard Flow – $1.99
- MMA Grappling (NoGi) – Ankle Locks – $3.99
- MMA Grappling – Passing the Guard – $1.99
- MMA Grappling (NoGi) Lite – Free
The free version of the MMA Grappling series offers a taste of each category. - MMA Strikes 1 – $3.99
A library of 47 striking techniques (punches, elbows, kicks, knees, etc.). - MMA Strikes 1 Lite – Free
Free version. - Grapplearts Submissions – $3.99
The Grapplearts Submissions app was the first to hit the market. Grapplearts.com’s Stephen Kesting shows you how to execute submissions from all the major positions. They’re all no gi techniques despite the icon showing Stephen with a gi. Very similar in format to the MMA Grappling apps. The tutorials are done in video with textual cues, but paired with “keys to this submission” videos that go into further detail on the finer points. - Grapplearts Sweeps – $3.99
Same as Grapplearts Submissions, but sweeps only. Again, I really wish this were a subset of the first Grapplearts app – or at least make it an in-app purchase that costs a bit less. Grapplers aren’t exactly the wealthiest demographic.
Training
- Fitness Round Timer – $0.99
Great app for basic interval training. Interval times are customizable and it accesses your iTunes library so you can integrate your music into your workouts. Also lets you save and load routines. - UltraTrainer – $2.99
Similar to the Fitness Round Timer, but with more features. Allows you to create custom timers and also groups of timers. When creating intervals, it offers the option to randomize timers – a feature that’s especially useful for martial artists to develop reflexes and practice triggering a movement. It comes preloaded with a bunch of cue sounds that play at the beginning of each interval like “double-jab” or “sprawl”. You can also record your own sounds like, “TRY NOT TO PUKE!”… Integrates with iTunes for some workout jams. There’s also the ability to share timers for free on the Timer Exchange. - Tap & Track – $3.99
Helps you keep track of your daily intake and manage your weight. Comes hooked to a large database of foods that they update regularly. I really wish they would integrate with the Withings Wifi Body Scale. I’ll do a review on the Withings scale soon.
Nate
said
Hey Grapplemonkey,
This is Nate Ryan, I am the one teaching the moves on the iBJJ app. I just came across your blog and was reading your reviews.
First of all, thanks for reviewing us I appreciate it. We have a lot of people that ask why we didn’t include the full video’s in the app. We actually shot all the moves in HD video and I go through and pick all the frames then write up the text to accompany each frame. To be honest it would be way easier for me to just load the video up and talk through the moves.
My initial idea for the app was to use the technology of the iPhone to merge the media that video and books offer to create a unique way to break moves down for people while offering the movement behind the technique.
The reason we didn’t add the video in as an extra, is that we have a lot of moves on the app already and we plan on doubling the library of techniques in the next few months. If we had it all in video it would take up an enormous amount of space in the iphone/ipad.
That being said hope you like it, if you or any of your followers do have any thoughts on improvements let us know at http://www.paxmow.com.
Good training!
Nate
themonkey
said
Hey Nate, thanks for your comment. I actually find the frame-by-frame breakdown really useful for going backwards and analyzing the techniques. Having video would just help in understanding the timing of things. Maybe you guys could make video available as a wifi only feature?
Nate
said
This has been something we have wrestled with. We have all the video shot, but I don’t like the way the video plays out on the app. At the same time when I teach a technique in class, I show it slowly and breakdown the move to show the key points a few times and then I show the move in full speed. My vision with the iBJJ app was to break down the moves and then allow people to hit the play button to get a sense of the timing. I think that it works pretty well but it would be cool to have the full video play out at the end of the move. Unfortunately the size of the phone really limits what we can do if we want to keep adding more and more content. I want this to be the most complete BJJ reference on the market when it comes to apps.
The only way we could add video would be to host it somewhere and allow people to stream it to the phones. At this point we have so much stuff we are working on already. iBJJ is just me and my friend, I choose the techniques, cut the video and do the write ups and my friend built the app, made the website and does all the tech stuff that I have no idea about. At this point we just got the iPad version out, and he is currently making a droid version then a windows mobile version. I am spending my time cutting and editing new content.
But… at some point we will probably look at all the video that we have shot and see if it makes sense to do something with it. I am not promising anything here because I like the way our app works a lot right now. I feel that it forces people to look at the key frames and take note of many of the small details that are easily overlooked when watching a video. Even now I watch when people first use it and the very first thing many people do is hit the play button. They don’t look at the text or study the nuances of each frame, they just hit play watch it go through the move and then go to another move. People do start slowing down and looking at it frame by frame after that, but my fear with video is that they just watch the video play through and go Oh, I know that move.” and switch to the next one. One of the thing I always liked about instructional books was how they forced you to study each frame of the move being shown. There is nothing to distract the student from the breakdown of the move.
So I guess I look at the video as a double edged sword, at some point we will look at it and see if there is a place for it. But thank you for your feedback, it is always very much appreciated. I think half of our features came from people saying, “You know what would be cool…”
Jason
said
I respect Nate’s opinion on video vs still images. However, I still enjoy being able to see the progression. Oftentimes, I’ll look at a picture and wonder, how in the hell someone got from one frame to the other. Video comes in pretty damn handy there. Plus, I can always pause the screen.
I’ve purchased a lot of apps you’ve listed above. I’m fond of all the Kesting apps. I also like the apps from Killer Apps on chokes and armbars. But you don’t have them listed. The MMA Grappling apps are kind of hit or miss. Some I like, some I don’t.