Kajukenbo, the first martial art and Mixed Martial Art (MMA) developed in the United States, was founded in 1947 at Palamas Settlement on Oahu, Hawaii. It developed out of a group calling themselves the "Black Belt Society", which consisted of black belts from various martial arts backgrounds who met to train and learn with each other. This was the beginning of an evolutionary, adaptive style designed to combine the most useful aspects of the arts.
