Commission National de Mixed Martial Arts, the national federation representing MMA in France. One of the largest countries in Europe, France is also a nation with deep roots in the martial arts and with strong ties to the international sports community. The Commission National de Mixed Martial Arts, CNMMA, has been active as a non-profit organization for the development of MMA since 2009. During that time they have, among other things, educated over 80 MMA teachers, providing them with expertise on how to plan and carry out MMA training with practitioners on all levels in terms of athletics, health, safety and martial arts values. “In our opinion the way to move forward and raise awareness on MMA in France is to focus on education – about MMA towards the general public as well as within the MMA community to ensure the development of the sport” says CNMMA President and IMMAF board member Mr Bertrand Amoussou. “The CNMMA has worked the past four years on putting an educational structure in place, including a technical system for the safe progression from the grass-roots level and all the way up to the top professional level.” The task of the CNMMA is a challenging one as there is political opposition to MMA in France and professional MMA is currently not permitted. The CNMMA has already spent much time over the past years promoting the sport and keeping a dialogue with leading policy makers. This dialogue will continue to be one of the key tasks ahead for the CNMMA. “The CNMMA has made progress in the political arena in the last year and we are confident that the IMMAF membership will encourage the political leaders as well as the French sports community to evaluate and welcome MMA in the near future. I truly believe that MMA will soon play an important role in the martial arts family here in France” says Mr Amoussou. The CNMMA has filed to change the name of the organization to Commission Française de Mixed Martial Arts, and will release a new web page later in the spring.]]>
