MMA_Jim

I didn't learn the martial arts to become a "fighter", nor do I want to be in multiple fights. In addition, I didn't learn the martial arts for rank/title and the like. No, my primary focus for learning the martial arts is to win in a street fight. In that street fight, my goal is to not go to the ground, but, if I do, I'm very capable and very comfortable to do so. In that, I'm complete in my totality! My style trains/practices all of the time at near 100% resistance~best way to know, short of an actual street fight, if what you've been taught and/or what you're teaching works or not! *EDITED* Better?

Hughes backed up because he was expected a separation between the two by the ref, who unfortunately missed the infraction. I've been hit in the groin on a few occassions while training, and I dont normally wear a cup while training. It'd be absurb of me to say that the strike to the groin doesnt hurt- of course it does, I know first hand- Im a guy. The point Im trying to make is that it proves to be no more effective (at best) and in my experience less effective that other options from the same positions. Through my experience training, I've been dropped with hard crosses to the face, solid body shots to the ribs, liver kicks, cut kicks, but a groin shot has yet to produce the same results. Guys know from before they reach puberty that getting kicked in the groin hurts- girls know right around the same age that kicking boys in the groin hurts them. Clawing the eyes is something thats common sense and you hear EVERYONE respond with when asked what to do in a serious life or death situation. So, with this in mind comprehend that thousands of (violent) rapes still occur every single year to women with the simple knowledge stated above- do you think these women didnt try to fight back? They do not work as well as people put them out to be- it you hit it fine, but if you rely on it you're very unlikely to produce results.

In the very first UFC, eye gouges, strikes to the groin, and biting were fined- but still allowed. Those that broke those rules would be fined $5000- but it was a $50000 winner take all tournament. In fact, Gerard Gordeau aggressively bit Royce Gracie when Gracie closed the distance with him. It went by almost unnoticed because such tactics dont do much in the way of a real fight. This is the reason when you watch that fight (you can see it on Royce's highlight video as well) that Royce did not let go of the rear naked choke on Gordeau when Gordeau began to tap. Yes this is the same Gordeau that eye gouged Yuki Nakai so severely that he is permanently blind in one eye. During that same fight, Gordeau also sunk his teeth into Nakai's neck. Contrary to what so many RBSD people would tell you- he was unable to tear his throat out, as human teeth are very frail and unable to penetrate very significantly. Bear in mind that Gordeau also outweighed Nakai by 100 lbs (Gordeau was 235lbs to Nakai's 135lbs) and even with the use of dirty tactics, Nakai submitted him. Groin strikes occur still in UFC- wild illegal the ref has to spot the infraction. This occurred the second time Frank Trigg and Matt Hughes fought. Trigg caught Hughes with a knee dead on in the groin- cant get much more than that. Hughes buckled and tried to get away for the proper ref stoppage- but the ref didnt see it and the match continued. After about 30 seconds, Hughes was able to reverse Trigg from the bottom, pick him up with a double leg, run him clear across the cage and slam him to the ground where he proceeded to take Triggs back and choke him out- again.

Judo black belts? Actual judo black belts with from USJI, USJA, or USJF-accredited rank? In what context did he 'destroy' Judo black belts- while applying joint locks on them in a controlled manner for instructional purposes, or actual free randori? What I know of Small Circle Jujutsu isn't consistent with them contending with, let alone 'destroying', a legitimate judo black belt- with the possible exceptions of Wally Jay and possibly David Castoldi, who themselves have formidable judo credentials. So are we talking about this: Looks like every other version of japanese ju jitsu I've seen- and no you wont be "destroying" any judoka let alone any bjj guys with that. Wristlocks are great for demonstration because it translates to be able to give one great power at almost no physical expense on their own part (i.e. a small guy can easily control and flip a big guy with no effort). Works great for demos- in real life, its application is very very limited (but still has a small place)

Such as what? The reason fighters were initially put in cages was to keep certain people from running away. What significant changes occur that should lead someone to end a fight so quickly on the street as opposed to the cage? This of course is still assuming unarmed combat, as the vast majority of street fights are. I understand that you think a fight should be ended quickly in theory but there is a significant different between theory and practice. Very true, theory and practice are very different and of course you must prepare in case you are unable to take them out quickly. I'm not saying that every fight will end quickly but the objective would be to take them out as soon as possible which could be enhanced by the following factors. Factors which could shorten the fight. Hard Ground Shoes Walls Eye Gouging Groin Strikes Throat Strikes and Grabbing Finger Manipulations Stomping on a downed opponent. Strikes to the back of the head Hair manipulation Biting Maiming All of what you mentioned has been legal or has occurred during mixed martial arts matches since being highly publicized (1990's+). A hard ground doesnt do anything except hurt a little more after the fact- you dont conciously feel the difference when youre in a fight until afterwards (unless, of course we start speaking of takedowns and slams, which do just fine ending fights themselves) Shoes were used in early MMA- all it really does is offer a little extra striking surface. In that respect, it would help hasten fights on average (due to extra striking surface and not breaking ones feet) but it would hardly be significant. Walls= cages Eye gouging occurred often during early MMA events Biting occurred sometimes in early MMA events Groin strikes occurred often in early MMA events None of these proved effective in ending the fight- certainly a solid punch to the face or elbow proved significantly MORE effective. While the things above could work, what it already used works much much better. Throat strikes were very legal in early MMA- they proved to be very ineffective and impractical in MMA. I have no idea why there is even a restriction against them, other than many of the rules being developed by people in the boxing world who know nothing about MMA... Finger manipulations occurred very frequently in early MMA- they dont stop fights at all. Many fighters broke their hands when gloves werent worn in early MMA events- if they can break their hands and still fight/throw a punch, what makes you think a little thing like a broken finger is going to stand in their way? Stomping a downed opponent is legal in Japan and Brazil (should be legal in the US too). Theres something about kicking a guy when hes down that just irks the boxing officials and keeps them from allowing it. Strikes to the back of the head CAN be effective- one must be proficient enough in grappling to be able to get to the back in the first place. (i.e. an elbow strike to the head to stop a takedown is not a good example of ending a fight quickly, because its a weak strike that doesnt produce much power or have much effect. Taking someones back and dropping elbows on their spine, on the other hand, has a very good effect) Hair manipulation occurred in early UFC's as well- one must also have long hair for this to be an issue. Maiming = ?

In my opinion... If you're not a fighter, havent been in multiple fights, and havent practiced frequently at near 100% resistance- you should not be teaching other people how to do something you've never done.

Unfortunately, Judo in the US is of an exceptionally poor quality (in comparison to other countries).

Judo and Jiu Jitsu around the same in the groundfighting game? Far from it. I've trained with Olympic Judoka, and they simply are not on the same level as a jiu jitsu fighter when it comes to the ground work. Would you expect a jiu jitsu fighter to be able to stand up (literally) against a judoka? Of course not. An Olympic judoka will make quick work and be able to play around with any jiu jitsu fighter on the feet. Now taken to the ground.... The reverse now applies from the jiu jitsu fighter to the judoka. An Olympic Judoka stands no chance whatsoever against a world class jiu jitsu fighter. That same jiu jitsu fighter could again play around with that judoka on the ground just the same as the judoka could probably throw that jiu jitsu fighter with one arm. Jiu jitsu fighters spend nearly their entire training on the ground. Judoka spend nearly all their training on the feet. Even a judo club that commits a significant portion to their newaza simply doesnt put in the same amount of hours on the ground that a jiu jitsu fighter does. Theres a reason why jiu jitsu fighters win on the ground and judokas win on the feet- its about hours practiced there, but in no way is judo remotely close to jiu jitsu on the ground, and niether does the best thrower in jiu jitsu threaten any Olympic Judoka on the feet. *EDIT* Food for thought- Hidehiko Yoshida is an olympic gold medalist in Judo- Royce Gracie is far from a world class jiu jitsu fighter (he has excellent jiu jitsu, but its self defense/gracie style jiu jitsu- not world championship jiu jitsu). So, a mediocrel black belt jiu jitsu fighter, who spends his days teaching seminars (and less training) and gives up 50 lbs to an Olympic gold medalist judoka does this to him: When Yoshida gets mounted for about 4 minutes, he doesnt do a single thing correct to escape Jiu Jitsu fighters spend almost their entire training on the ground?? Maybe in BJJ... IF you look at Daito Ryu Jujitsu or Goshin Jujitsu are a few examples of Jujitsu that don't spend all their training on the ground. Not all Jujitsu is BJJ you know.. Granted, and while I dont want to start a flame war, I've trained with many japanese ju jitsu and other made up ju jitsu's- heres how they rank in my book- On the ground: BJJ->Judo->JJJ On the feet (throws) Judo->BJJ->JJJ I've trained with a few Japanese Ju Jitsu black belts- they're around the level of a 6month brazilian jiu jitsu white belt. Judo black belts (on average) are usually around very good white belts or blue belts on the ground.

Royce did a rear naked. Shamrock claims Royce used the gi to choke him- he clearly didnt. What he did do was wizzer shamrocks arm from the guard and grab his own lapel to secure it. Lets not forget how easy it is to grab and punch when someone's wearing a gi. Gi or not, Royce won because hes a better grappler. The gi allows options for both parties, but anyone with the smallest level of training would be able to make effective use of the gi moreso against the person wearing it than the other way around.

While you may see the eye gouge as being an "end all be all" Krav, and many Krav practicioners, sell it as such. The combination I explained will work exceptionally well provided that it hits (i.e. you dont miss outright). A sure outcome of the situation will be a very injured opponent, although I understand this is relevant to the efficiency of the practitioner. Nontheless, the eye gouge requires a specific set of circumstances in order to have any desired effect. The target is exceptionally small, easily protected, and difficult to pinpoint. Conversely, a solid follow up elbow (after the palm strike as shown) will do significant damage regardless of where it hits your opponent. Anywhere near the jawline allows to ko's or at the least severely rattles ones opponent. Anywhere higher (suppose the assailant drops his jaw and his head) still leads to a vicious cut on that same opponent- a cut on his head, forehead, or anything above the eye allows for plenty of blood to leak into his eyes. Besides the head, thrown well the same elbow can break a collarbone or be dropped into someones chest to knock the wind of out them. Its so exceptionally versatialle, regardless of where it hits. Your targets range from the chest all the way up to the head. You just blocked a punch, so you know your opponent is right in front of you- you could literally close your eyes and throw an elbow and do alot of damage having no idea what you hit. Its not a guarenteed ko itself, but I will guarentee significantly better results than an eye rake. An eye rake that misses its target does nothing- theres no power behind the shot. An elbow that it blocked at best, still transfers significant amounts of power and your opponent still has to absorb that blow.

Judo and Jiu Jitsu around the same in the groundfighting game? Far from it. I've trained with Olympic Judoka, and they simply are not on the same level as a jiu jitsu fighter when it comes to the ground work. Would you expect a jiu jitsu fighter to be able to stand up (literally) against a judoka? Of course not. An Olympic judoka will make quick work and be able to play around with any jiu jitsu fighter on the feet. Now taken to the ground.... The reverse now applies from the jiu jitsu fighter to the judoka. An Olympic Judoka stands no chance whatsoever against a world class jiu jitsu fighter. That same jiu jitsu fighter could again play around with that judoka on the ground just the same as the judoka could probably throw that jiu jitsu fighter with one arm. Jiu jitsu fighters spend nearly their entire training on the ground. Judoka spend nearly all their training on the feet. Even a judo club that commits a significant portion to their newaza simply doesnt put in the same amount of hours on the ground that a jiu jitsu fighter does. Theres a reason why jiu jitsu fighters win on the ground and judokas win on the feet- its about hours practiced there, but in no way is judo remotely close to jiu jitsu on the ground, and niether does the best thrower in jiu jitsu threaten any Olympic Judoka on the feet. *EDIT* Food for thought- Hidehiko Yoshida is an olympic gold medalist in Judo- Royce Gracie is far from a world class jiu jitsu fighter (he has excellent jiu jitsu, but its self defense/gracie style jiu jitsu- not world championship jiu jitsu). So, a mediocrel black belt jiu jitsu fighter, who spends his days teaching seminars (and less training) and gives up 50 lbs to an Olympic gold medalist judoka does this to him: When Yoshida gets mounted for about 4 minutes, he doesnt do a single thing correct to escape

Every martial art is taught to military/police/ security at one part of the world or another. Modern wars are fought with tanks, guns, aircraft, and naval vessels. Hand to hand combat (UNARMED hand to hand combat at that) is probably the least of any army's concern, and the least of their expertise. That being said, I dont have much to say about the art in question, but if any style attempts to teach you how to fight multiple attackers- walk away from it.

Did you read the responses at all? I addressed that whole issue- Royce didnt use his gi as a "weapon" against Shamrock- he caught him with a rear naked choke (albeit from the side).

The block he uses is excellent- its nothing more than simple boxing/thai boxing techniques borrowed in Krav. Its also the most favored technique to defend against looping punches/ haymakers. Hand blocks, commonly seen in karate, leave one vulnerable when attempted on circular punches. Circular punches are unpredictable and can make solid contact if you reach out to block it and misjudge. A correct block, as shown in the video, covers up all targets and protects one well, at the minor expense of absorbing the blow. As far as the rake to the eyes- it looked like a decent self defense scenario in my opinion until then. Heres the problem with the eye rake- it has to hit the eyes to be at all effective. If your opponents head isnt snapped back, or if he closes his eyes, this technique is utterly useless- as it wont even offbalance him. Why not just apply simple thai boxing techniques here- block the haymaker, and counter with a strong cross, elbow, follow up with a strong knee, and plant him on his rear. Thats quick and effective, and I dont care what I hit with the elbow.

Such as what? The reason fighters were initially put in cages was to keep certain people from running away. What significant changes occur that should lead someone to end a fight so quickly on the street as opposed to the cage? This of course is still assuming unarmed combat, as the vast majority of street fights are. I understand that you think a fight should be ended quickly in theory but there is a significant different between theory and practice.

How many Aikido "masters" have you seen in action? Aikido runs really beautiful demos in the eyes of people that have no idea what they're watching. The "Uke's" (if I used that word properly...) often run wildly in (aiding in momentum for the "master" to throw them) use unrealistic attacks (large leaping punches that throw them off balance) and also wait their turn to attack during the demo. Over-compliance is the biggest problem I see in Aikido demos- an "attacker" often goes flying through the air without the defender even making contact with him- such as this demo: Over compliant attackers again in this reel- notice how they all attack one at a time, are immobolized after only one counter (be it a punch, wrist lock, throw, etc) and are always running full speed at the demonstrater giving plenty of momentum for a throw that looks easy. Im not knocking aikido- Im simply pointing out how easily it is to see through a demo of any sport- sometimes its better just to watch that style in action against a resisting opponent to see how well it fares

Agreed This is because most street fights dont have two professionally trained fighters- the reason why fights go on for so long in UFC is because the fighters are so evenly matched. The majority of rules in UFC are set so as to be bias against grappling. What works in the cage against a professional fighter works EVEN BETTER against a non trained fighter. A street fight, or fight for your life, is actually easier than a cage fight (from my imput, I've done all three). Any street fight I've been in that didnt involve multiple assailants was over in 5-10 seconds- and this goes way back to the day when I was merely a blue belt in jiu jitsu. The ones that had more than one person to deal with natrually lasted longer, but no single attacker lasted more than 15 seconds of being a problem before being choked unconcious. This is not a testemant to myself as a tough guy but rather a testemant to jiu jitsu (and the multiple opponents scenario Im referring to also has multiple people on MY side as well). Now, the biggest difference to me between a street fight and a cage fight is that I dont get paid to fight outside the ring and I get nothing from doing it- I dont want to do it because I dont want to break my hand, or risk injuring anything else the will prevent me from fighting in the cage. Aside from that, other differences are: -Your opponent often has no idea what hes doing -There are no weight classes -you can be held liable if you hurt this guy too much Street fights are over in a few shots because the people involved often have NO CLUE how to fight (despite so many claiming that they do, regardless of the training they may or may not have). Most people involved in a street fight have no idea what theyre doing, have no stamina, dont have bodies conditioned for fighting, etc etc. Its over in a few shots because when people are swinging wild haymakers at each other, neither knows how to keep their hands up, and neither is accustomed to taking a hit, one connection is usually the end of the fight. Have no illusions- cage fights are 3- 5 min rounds and boxing matches are 12- 3min rounds- but either fighter will make short work of a "street fighter" in a matter of seconds.

Forget what Ken Shamrock said in regards to the gi being a "weapon." The gi offers the opponent so many options of control, especially considering that a regular staple in the training of modern fighters is jiu jitsu. The only reason Royce wore it was because no one knew jiu jitsu. Sakuraba put on a clinic of why not to wear a gi when he fought Royce. Royce himself has even since abondoned wearing a gi in MMA competitions.

This thread just never dies... Here it is guys: Bruce Lee was for all intents and purposes, the ideal candidate to be considered the first mixed martial artist. Initially studying Wing Chun, he decided that it didnt work as planned during real life street fights, so he made many alterations while opening criticizing it which infuriated many in the practice. After working with Chuck Norris he decided that head kicks could be a practical technique in a fight. Prior to this he felt kicks should never be above the waist. Chuck was quite known for his head kicks and changed his opinion of them. He was an avid fan of western boxing and muhammed ali. He noted that western boxing was far more advanced that any other martial art when it comes to utilizing hand strikes. Convinced that he was too fast to be caught, he never practiced groundwork- until he met Judo Gene Lebell on the set of a movie. After hearing this comment, Gene Lebell proceeds to literally pick Bruce up, sling him over his shoulders and parade him around the movie set, much to Bruce's surprise. He remarked "put me down, or I will kill you" afterwhich Gene Lebell responded to every request by Bruce "I cant put you down or you'll kill me!" As such Bruce starts to study much Judo and wrestling. Essentially JKD is nothing more than a mindset, and is pretty much mixed martial arts (using what works, discarding that which doesnt). Against a modern fighter, Bruce doesnt stand a chance- he simply doesnt have the skills. It should be noted that it was BECAUSE of Bruce's experiments and hard work that many people now KNOW what to do and what to work on. Its very difficult to compare old martial artists to modern one. All the old martial arts masters simply do not stand a chance against a modern mixed martial arts fighter, but that mma fighter knows how to fight because of the lifelong committments and accomplishments of old masters such as Kimura, Kano, Gracie, and the like

Ask yourself the same question about standup styles of fighting... This is a dead horse that is beaten too many times "BJJ cant work against multiple opponents" BJJ never claimed that it could. The irony is that all these traditional styles that claimed they could proved unable to defeat a single opponent when paired up in the first UFC. If you cant even defeat one, dont speak to me about any theories on defeating many. So in short, grab a knife or get a gun

AND... Yet, the question was... My answer is still... Kazuyuki Fujita- 6'0 230 lbs Professional MMA fighter Bob Sapp- 6'6 375 lbs former professional football player (and since he gets paid to fight hes also a "professional" mixed martial artist) So thats what happens when a football player fights against a skilled MMA fighter- its no contest. What would make you think it would ever be one? Because a football player is big and strong? Strength and aggression are things that pro fighters know plenty about- everyone that gets into a fight uses these two things- its nothing new when a big strong guy comes along. What this fight shows is that regardless of how big, strong, and "bad" one may be, its still no contest againt a skilled MMA fighter

Why not? Anybody can beat anybody anytime and anyday. No one is unbeatable. Look at Bob Sapp vs Fujita for your answer on that one- the chances of a football player beating up a skilled MMA fighter are about as good as that same mma fighter beating the football player in football.

The video isnt working . . . Give it another try, Jim. It worked for me. Might have been a temporary glitch when you accessed. It's an interesting presentation. Ok it worked this time around- I've seen this guy before, but I dont know that I've got the patience to sit though some of his 10 minute videos. Im not seeing a whole lot- it doesnt look much different than a typical Japanese Ju Jitsu class. Heres some of the problems with what he says: First he seems to have a problem with fighters, or people who are traing to fight. Now, first and foremost he IS correct when he suggests that self defense and fighting are two different demons. The catch is that self defense is the studying of the basics- something a (good) fighter will have had to studied in depth when he first started training. I am both a fighter and a self defense instructor- self defense is easy and as a result kinda fun. That being said, I have seen fighters who neglected their self defense training from the beginning "oh I dont want to learn that stuff" and it cost them when some big goon put them in a headlock and they couldnt get out. Now, alot of the techniques Im seeing him do are WAY to choreographed. You said your instructor plays the assailant in the video? Hes way to compliant. I cant stand when I see some karate instructor show an eye poke or something similar to what was shown on the video and the attacker is suddenly immobolized and completely compliant- it doesnt happen like that against a RESISTING opponent. There seems to be a very heavy reliance on strikes. Now Im not saying strikes are bad, but in a self defense situation they may be. Everyone reacts to being hit different, regardless of how "deadly" the person throwing the strikes is. As such, you can never really say that someone is going to let go of a grip, grab their eyes, drop to a knee, or whatever else the overly compliant attacker does in these videos. I see it all too many times "the guy grabs me in a headlock so I grab his testes or poke his eyes and he lets go" In such positions your opponent has more control of YOU than you do of him. As a result if you start trying to trade shots with him, he can trade shots with you. He can do everything that you do to him and hes most likely going to fight back- not fall dead to the ground. His "advice" on grappling. He has a great misconception- that grappling takes place on the ground. Some does, some takes place on the feet. Theres a popular saying "Grappling happens." That means no matter how bad you are, how well trained you are (world class kickboxers that are MUCH better strikers than he or ANYONE in his system find themselves taken to the ground) sometimes you end up on the ground or in a grappling situation. The best thing to do when that happens is to KNOW what to do and not just say "oh we dont train it because we dont want to be there" I always hear "stay on your feet, dont go to the ground against multiple attackers." Well the tools that help you most here are grappling tools- having the ability to maintain your balance and defend crude takedown attempts- something a pure striker will not be very proficient at. And when either one of it goes to the ground, I'll be the one that'll be able to get back to me feet again. Now, why is so much credence given to the fighting styles ? (i.e. UFC styles) Simply put, because there is documented evidence that it unbias- videotapes- that show particular techniques working. When a fighter shows a technique and someone questions its validity, he can show a fight where he may have used the technique. Stories from the street dont count, because they're a dime a dozen and theres no way to refute them, so you really cant even bring them into the argument. Grappling works poorly on the street eh? While at work my staff and I fought our local college football team and I choked out 3 people, never got hit in the face, and avoided the ground (and they all outweighed me by at least 50lbs) all due to my grappling experience. Any story he or any other instructor wants to bring up- I can bring up one of my own and neither can be refuted. So lets keep it simple, show me a video of it working or be willing to test it against a resisting opponent.

Yes, there can be a vast difference between being a fighting and someone proficient in self defense. Self defense can be seen as what leads up to the altercation and how to diffuse the situation, and fighting being the pinnicle of the altercation. The video isnt working, but anyways in regards to what your instructors says... Self defense superior to fighting? Hardly the case. In what context is he referring to? Self defense is mostly dealing with the basic defenses and basic responses of people to get out of the most common situations. I.E. you're training how to defend yourself against an untrained attacker. Thats as simple as martial arts can get. Fighters, on the other hand, are training for utmost proficientcy in their strength, skill, and technique. Fighters train to fight other fighters who are training in the same thing that they are and with the same passion. A fighter indulges himself (or should indulge himself) in whatever he is doing. A fighter will almost always know significantly more than the self defense instructor- it is usually the fighters themselves who work as self defense instructors on the side

We must also remember that the cage and rules set up for MMA were created by the Gracies to showcase and accommodate their style over others. Yeah... it's designed to favor grappling so much, it kind of upsets me... Why do you believe that? I strongly disagree. Refs who either do not understand grappling or are just nervous about fans growing bored will 'stand 'em up' in the middle of a guard pass or submission setup. This happens routinely. You will never see a fight stopped when both fighters are standing and dancing around each other refusing to engage, with the fight restarted in an under-over clinch. Judges who do not understand grappling hand victories to "lay n pray" fighters, because they are either directed to do so or cannot tell the difference between a fighter posturing up in his opponent's guard and landing hard punches and the same fighter with his posture broken and being controlled by the bottom fighter. Merely being on top does not mean you are in a dominant position. This type of judging does not favour grapplers. The techniques that are banned are designed to favour the sport being able to be sanctioned, not to favour grapplers. You could not put on an event in the US with soccer kicks, stomps and headbutts. The original Gracie rules permitted all these things and more. The Gracies ceased involvement with the UFC when the rules became more restrictive. Where did they go? Japan, with longer rounds, legal stomps and soccer kicks. The cage is used to prevent fighters being thrown out of the arena. In a matchup between a striker and a grappler, who do you think would be more susceptible to being thrown? At first they were designed for that (by the Gracies). Now it just turns out that they're still favored, even though it is no longer on purpose. Look at that Nick Diaz guy. In a recent fight he was getting pounded so badly by the opponent's kicks and knees to the head. So what does the guy do? lay one knee on the ground. Now "he is grounded" and he cannot be kicked or kneed in the head. So cheeky. Look at Tales Leites vs Silva. He'd get TOUCHED and he'd drop to the floor and spread his legs. He did this the whole fight. Silva was so frustrated. So many people wished Silva could stomp the guy right between his openly spread legs for making one of the most boring title matches in MMA history. If you're a puny striker you can pretty much turtle your way to the end of the fight (back on the ground, spread legs, hand to the sides of your face). Yes, the ref will stand you up. Then you can dance around, and drop again. All those 5 minute hug-fests could end quickly if kneeing to the groin or a headbutt to the face were allowed. Look at the prohibitions... no kicking while the opponent is "grounded" (there is a difference between lying in the floor and putting one knee in the ground on purpose, but the rules do not care!), no kneeing while the opponent is "grounded". No disqualification for turtling your way to victory. No kicking in the kidneys. No strikes to the groin. See a pattern? The limitations on grappling, as far as I know are "no small joint manipulation". Ok, so maybe you are right, UFC is no longer designed to favor grapplers. Now it just turns out that it strongly does, but not on purpose. Read my post on page 4- most of the rules are in tact against grappling. The Gracies stopped fighting after you saw a Ken Shamrock use the rules (time limit) to "tie" Royce Gracie in a superfight. They prefer to fight with no rules, no time limit, anything goes.