Hybrid martial arts, also known as hybrid fighting systems or sometimes eclectic martial arts or freestyle martial arts, refer to mixed martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several particular martial arts (eclecticism). While numerous martial arts borrow or adapt from other arts and to some extent could be considered hybrids, a hybrid martial art emphasizes its disparate origins.
The idea of hybridization or "mixing" of martial arts traditions originates in the 5th Century BC. The concept rose to wide popularity during 5th Century BC in Greek Olympic game Pankration, which uses aspects derived from various arts including boxing and wrestling.
