Know MMA?

[Red400]

I'm doing a survey for random [and a little personal] reason. ^_^

There's no denying that MMA is the fastest rising sport that is heading into main-stream. But I'm wondering how many people DO know about this sport right now. If you are a 'fan' of this sport, then you know what MMA stands for.

For those who don't know about it, then that's quite alright: I have no doubt in my mind that this sport will be talked about like Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Boxing, etc. in the near future. ^_^

If you do know what MMA is, then what was the first event you've seen of it?

Also, feel free to discuss anything MMA related here ^_^

MMA stands for 'Mixed Martial Arts', for those that don't know.

[Detox]

I dunno what I'd call myself. If I see it is on, I'll watch it, but I don't schedule it into my day, or personally have a favorite guy.

I was the same way about pro wrestling. That is, when I watched it when I was 8 years younger.

[Red400]

Yeah....I'm a big MMA fan. ^_^;

I do follow some other promotions [such as Strikeforce], and Affliction, before it was cancelled. Also the WEC. ^_^ I even saw my first MMA event at April

But when I first heard about, I pretty much acted like you did Detox. I only watched it if I knew it was on[ Or when I happened to come across it, since I have no t.v guide ^^;] and I had no particular favorite fighter...

An interesting note about pro-wrestling and MMA: Two famous 'heavy-weight' WWE stars turned into MMA Fighters. One is Brock Lensar and the other one is Bobby Lashly [Both on a current winning streak, with Bobbly being undefeated so far].

[Detox]

I actually heard about Brock. Is he doing well in MMA?

I used to watch him on WWE.

Never heard of the other guy.

[Red400]

Detox:

He actually doing pretty well. He might of lost his fight in the UFC, but since then, he has won all his fights by knockout. He is actually UFC's Heavy-weight champion. Although...I think he only has 6 or 5 fights in his UFC career [he fought in Japan, but they didn't count them because of rules/regulations], so people think that he doesn't deserve the title: They believe that if it wasn't for his size, he would of sucked completely.

[kempff]

Yeah I know what it is. I think it's a joke. It's glorified rough-housing with no real technique or power.
I hate MMA affiliated academies/dojos/etc.
I abhor so called MMA "martial artists".
I have not met a more pig-headed group of "martial artists".
That they call themselves the successors of Bruce Lee is also disgusting.

[Detox]

What is the alternative, Kempff?

[kempff]

The hundreds of other actual martial arts?
But please understand, martial arts in the US are nothing like they are in Asia.
I'd mention Krav Maga, but that's for another thread.
It's really a joke here, with how much marketing is put in.
In Asia there is a deal of marketing (of course concerning fighting leagues and underground fighting arenas, that's another story), but there's a real commitment to your art. It's not just for you, your style, emphasis is placed on your role in the greater community and cultivating rather train for your own ends. If you disgrace yourself, it's a disgrace to your academy, master, and fellow students.

MMA seems to be a accumulation of everything vain and flashy Americans and amateurs like to see, then aired on TV with a WWF/WWC atmosphere. This is not positive for martial arts, when the purpose is not at all fighting.
I use Americans because we're so used to seeing in cinema what we expect from and for Martial Arts.
It's really a difference of cultures. I get that in Asia you'll find punks who just want to fight for their own gain, but the cultural expectations are COMPLETELY different.

Anyway, if it's not clear, I've got a background in martial arts.

EDIT: Red, I'm not trying to hijack your thread, just voicing a different side. I'll be less vocal now.

[Red400]

Kempff: Don't sweat it. ^_^

There are plenty of people that share your opinion. There's someone on the proboards support that saids that although she trained in MMA: She would much rather compete in the traditional martial arts. That punching takes away the 'art' form of the martial art.

And I know what Krav Maga is ^_^ *Seen Fight Quest on Discovery Channel*

When UFC was first created though [originally created by Royce Gracie], it served a simple purpose: Different styles of Martial Arts competing each other to see which style was the best.

I remember seeing the early UFC fights, when there were no rules in the sport. People went into the cage without training in any other form of martial arts: They were forms of Jujitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, Nin-justu, Kenpo, Muay Thai, and even Sumo. The original creator of the UFC, Royce Gracie, created the sport to prove that the Brazilian Jiu-justu was the 'ultimate' martial arts. With Brazilian Jiu-justu alone, he dominated the UFC by making people submit simply because NONE of the strikers had no ground game what-so-ever. Once Graice had someone of Muay Thai, Karate [other striking arts] on the ground, it was pretty much done.

This should be history for any person that is a fan of MMA, but I'm giving just a beginning summary of the sport.

Well, MMA has actually gotten big in Asia [most notably in Japan]. Before it was closed, PRIDE was the biggest MMA organization in Japan. And the sport has stretched across other places: You have people coming from Canada, U.K, France, Japan, Russia, Brazil, and now they're promoting their sport in Mexico. An interesting thing about MMA is that half of the 'Best Pound For Pound Fighters' are not from America, but rather other countries.

.....I feel like I'm rambling on about something that relates nothing to your post, Kempff. Hope you don't mind. ^^;

EDIT: I think MMA fighters think of themselves as successors of Bruce Lee is because Bruce Lee was the first person to come up with his own form of martial arts. I remember watching the 'How Bruce Lee Changed The World' and they were talking about that Bruce Lee basically took the 'necessities' of other Martial Arts and put it into his martial arts: He took away the various stances that people needed to set up their attacks into a simple one.

Then again, I only saw it once, so I can vaguely remember it

[kempff]

I'm familiar with UFC/MMA's past.

There's someone on the proboards support that saids that although she trained in MMA: She would much rather compete in the traditional martial arts. That punching takes away the 'art' form of the martial art.

This is an odd comment from her. Punching is essential to nearly all martial arts (capoeira is an example of out of the norm).
MMA only makes it look glorified.

I thought you'd be aware of what Krav Maga is, it's a deadly art.

Well, MMA has actually gotten big in Asia [most notably in Japan]. Before it was closed, PRIDE was the biggest MMA organization in Japan. And the sport has stretched across other places: You have people coming from Canada, U.K, France, Japan, Russia, Brazil, and now they're promoting their sport in Mexico. An interesting thing about MMA is that half of the 'Best Pound For Pound Fighters' are not from America, but rather other countries.

Indeed, this is something that is true.
While in Japan recently I noticed MMA clubs and posters, and at the same time I found traditional dojo's and academies had no need to broadcast themselves. This is detrimental to them, but alas. Cultural and historical tendencies will be in their favor however.
It's expected that most or half would not be from America btw, there are 5.7 other billion people in the world.

I've heard the Brazilian Jijitsu debate before, and indeed, traditionally trained martial artists that lack training in many different fields, styles, techniques, will fall to a more athletic style.
This is again, expected, several or one style will seem superior to the rest.

The MMA aspect is a two part bothersome thing for me.
The first occurs in people that say they are fans of MMA or UFC.
A fan is someone that likes or idolizes the aforementioned thing.
Fans in the current day are an integral part of money flow.
This money flow begins from a popular idea of the day.
Money drives many things: who is popular, who "fights", etc.
What you see on the screen is what will create the most hype.
We know this from WWW, WWF, etc.
Anything used in this aspect is devoid of meaning beyond: make more money.
The fans propagate something because they like how it looks or idolize themselves in said position; dare I say this is for money or fame, and not anything else?

The second is MMA's effect on the traditional arts.
MMA's growing popularity, I am not entirely convinced is due to fighting prowess.
A blend of styles to get the so called "useful" techniques.
And people always link Bruce Lee to this.
Many people misappropriate what Lee taught as making the perfect fighting style, and MMA declares itself as superior.
This sends them to thinking that Lee meant the point of martial arts was to fight with only necessary movements, the climax of your career is the fight in which you have removed all unnecessary movement (watching the events, is this not what is shown?).
Due to idolization of Lee (enforcing their prerogative) and the so called rise of MMA (TV and money mixing are very useful), said artists see themselves as enforcers of some new age: one in which their superior art is dictated through might.

I do not like seeing Lee's take on martial arts so marketed, but then again, he made movies in which have become icons for all the wrong reasons.
(Jun Fan) Jeet Kune Do, Lee's own art, is something I'll use to explain myself.
Lee said himself that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name, that once taken in, is to be discarded.
You cannot use Jeet Kune Do to lead the way, or use mere form to lead you; using what is necessary and trusting yourself, understanding that when it matters, Jeet Kune Do does not save you, but what you create.

Appropriately, members of "traditional" martial arts, are limiting themselves. When they demean MMA, they are hypocrites as they have not expanded their field or been honest with themselves; declaring yourself a student of said art first and foremost shows the limited perception you have of what martial arts are.
If you are to learn what is useful in martial arts, you must see many different styles, Jeet Kune Do practitioners are the same, as are MMA. This is a trap however, as usefulness in martial arts is precisely what Lee said will lead you astray: relying on the style to form to you will leave you slighted. Additionally, if you never devote time beyond the body, you've wasted everything. To simply create and be done with simplicity, that is the most powerful and wholesome, honest approach. It's incredibly easier said than done.

To summarize all I've TL;DR, a real fight is a blur, perhaps a few seconds, and your ability to create is what will keep you alive. Brazilian Jijitsu, MMA, UFC, etc, none will increase your chances.
But then I'd say fighting is not the focus of martial arts...

That got wayyy too long.
I can understand the appeal of UFC and MMA, but it's unfortunate how far it is from the intentions of Lee and how it lacks the incorporation of controlling and expressing your mental, inner self.

[Red400]

I have to say that there has been some major surprises in MMA the past two days [both good and bad....for me anyway]. Here's two that I think was the most surprising:

Anderson Silva not only won, but dominated Forest Griffin by beating him via knockout in the first round. Keep in mind, Anderson Silva is a weight class below Forrest. Forrest Griffin ran out of the cage uncharacteristically right after the fight was over. [He's been known to have 'heart' and class during a fight. Even in defeat, he was a humble person]. Personally, I still like Forrest Griffin....but the way he was knocked out was one of the most humiliating knockouts I had ever seen [and I've seen lots of fights now ] But to be fair: Anderson Silva is a person that is widely considered the 'pound for pound king' in MMA. He has dominated two weight divisions and lands most of his punches and kicks. No one in the UFC has defeated him yet. And he has also dominated the likes of Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson, two top fighters in MMA.

Brian Bowles beat Miguel Torres for the WEC Bantam belt by knockout, also in the first round. Miguel Torres has been undefeated for more than 5 years and lost only once out of 37 fights [that lost coming in by a decision: not by tapout or knockout]. His record before this fight was 36-1: now 36-2. He had a 17 win streak before this fight, only one going to decision. And Brian Bowles now has a record of 8-0. Personally, I thought Miguel Torres was going to win this fight, as did many others. But Brain Bowles pulled off a 'Faber-Brown' moment, but beating the 'unbeatable'

[angelous]

I know what MMA is. I don't care for it, but I know what it is.