Whats the REAL deal with martial arts today?

[The Fonz]

I am not a martial artist. I WANT to be. I admit it is because I became absolutely intrigued with media that I have seen. From ninja-turtles when i was a little kid to Bruce lee movies and finally to the UFC, I have been influenced by this media.

But I don't want to learn to be a great fighter because im trying to be cool. I want to learn how to fight because I ABSOLUTELY HATE the idea that someone could literally kill me or injure me greatly just because they might be bigger or stronger than I am. That is the idea that undoubtly gave birth to almost all martial arts.

So heres my question now.

What REALLY works?

Why are there no traditional martial artists in the UFC today? This year was the first I've ever seen the UFC and I started with the very early years when there were fighters that had traditional styles, but now there only seems to be 4 styles. Muay Thai, BJJ, American boxing, and american wrestling.

Why the heck is this? Some of the home video Ive seen of Bruce Lee was absolutely amazing. His speed and coordination was unbelievable. Are there no kung fu or wing chun students that are willing to compete?

I would really like to know what the deal is.

I know the UFC isnt no holds barred, but you cant always hope to end the fight with a kick to the kneecap.

Can't any other martial arts style compete today? Or are they beat?

[cross]

Why are there no traditional martial artists in the UFC today? This year was the first I've ever seen the UFC and I started with the very early years when there were fighters that had traditional styles, but now there only seems to be 4 styles. Muay Thai, BJJ, American boxing, and american wrestling.

The people you see in the UFC are highly trained athletes(obviously) and the training they do is specific to the type of environment they fight in. Dont get me wrong, any of them could put you into a world of pain rather quickly, but the way they train is not the only way.

Can't any other martial arts style compete today? Or are they beat?

Maybe not in the ufc, but other styles of martial arts have alot to offer in terms of self-defence, self-improvement etc etc.

What REALLY works?

This question has been asked many times before and the usual answer goes something like this:

The martial art that will work is the one you spend enough time practicing to become proficient at.

It all takes time, no matter what style you choose.

[Mr. Mike]

Ed Parker said "I would rather have one technique that I can fight with instead of 100 techniques that fight me!"

Kinda what he meant here is that he would rather train the heck out of one technique than try to water down 100 of them and hopefully remember themm when in duress.

Picture this: You have one technique for a punch, say something simple like if it is a right punch coming back at you, you can slide your left leg back and go into a right leg forward fighting stance while blocking that punch with your lead arm...all one movement. Then kick the groin, and chop the neck with the blocking arm after landing the kicking leg. Now you could also learn that for the opposite side adn you have a left punch covered. All you would need to do to adapt that to a defense against a kick is drop your block to a downward motion. Follow up with relatively the same counter...now learn that on the opposite side. You started with one defensive technique against a right punch. You adapted it slightly for a left punch, then again for a kick. One technique that you train the heck out of...over and over and over...I would feel fairly comfortable and confident with my ability in that technique. Now add that kind of dedication to an entire system...now you have "what really works."

Sorry for being so loquacious, but you get the point.

What works? Ask that to five different people on this board, adn get seven different answers.

As for the UFC thing...the basic premise is that all the fights end up wrapped up, or in what we call the clinch. So why not train for it? You're right...the earlier ones were alot of fun...lots of striking...less mat work...then Royce walked all over them and so did Severn...the rest is history. Yeah, I liked the ones with the blood spattering all over the ring and the fight having to be stopped because the loser was getting his head elbowed through the mat...even the one where the little guy knocked out the huge Samoan in like 13 seconds...but please don't use the UFC to influence your style decisions...uless you are wanting to train for that type of environment.

Ultimately, I think we all just want to learn what will work against somebody who doesn't like the way we do our hair or the fact that we have tattoos and decides to throw down...the common crap.

Every art offers something in the way of self defense...some more so than others. My art is one that is purely defensive...not really sport oriented, although I do go to competition often. Some are more highly steeped in tradition than others...mine for example, only has what I call trickle-down tradition...it is tradition that has trickled down from Master to Master; no really something that is practiced the same way it was years and years ago, i.e. Shaolin or Tai Chi.

My answer, and the best answer is to research this the way you would research a new car, or house, or for that matter your next wife, because you may end up dedicating just as much time to it over the years.

Hopefully I answered some of your questions well enough.

Good luck and Godspeed.

Mr. Mike

[Cmon]

I don't think traditional martial arts would be able to compete in UFC because most of the violent nature of the art. UFC has rules what you learn in traditional martial arts is not to play by rules. Some arts teach eye strikes and most arts that you would call traditional (not sport) teach you how to kill or seriously injur someone. So in the UFC they wouldn't be allowed to do a lot of thetraditional martial arts.

Im not to up on the UFC rules but im sure you can't brake bones willingly. I watch it when i can i enjoy it but like someone said it is very athletic.

[Muaythaiboxer]

most UFC guys would maul todays traditional fighters not all but most,

what works? = keep it simple, no head kicks, no spining stuff, no complex throws, use the Kiss stratagy, keep it simple stupid,

[Gumbi]

As for the UFC thing...the basic premise is that all the fights end up wrapped up, or in what we call the clinch. So why not train for it? You're right...the earlier ones were alot of fun...lots of striking...less mat work...then Royce walked all over them and so did Severn...the rest is history. Yeah, I liked the ones with the blood spattering all over the ring and the fight having to be stopped because the loser was getting his head elbowed through the mat...even the one where the little guy knocked out the huge Samoan in like 13 seconds...but please don't use the UFC to influence your style decisions...uless you are wanting to train for that type of environment.

UFC is the best thing you're going to see in reference to real combat. As cross said, its not the ONLY way to go, but you'll never go wrong should you decide to go this way.

The UFC/MMA favors no particular individual style, and the mindset is not "all fights go to the ground" with a bunch of wrestlers pounding it out on the mat. The mindset is about cross training and being well versed in all areas of combat- free range striking, clinch work, and ground grappling. Which range you prefer to fight in is completely on you.

As far as to why those 4 arts were listed on the first post, its due to the way those styles train that led them to being so successful. Everyone one mentioned has hard to full contact sparring, which is absolute neccessity when attempting to learn how to fight effectively.

I don't think traditional martial arts would be able to compete in UFC because most of the violent nature of the art. UFC has rules what you learn in traditional martial arts is not to play by rules.

The earlier MMA competitions had virtually no rules. Tell them to fight in Mecca in Brazil, which still carries old MMA rules (no biting, no eye gouging). Biting and eye gouging are way overestimated in fights, as they have been used before in MMA competitions.

Its also the most ridiculous argument I've heard. I train BJJ- in training BJJ there are no strikes while grappling, but does that mean Im not going to punch someone in the face when I mount them on the ground? Theres no groundwork in kickboxing, but that doesnt stop Wanderlie Silva from curb stomping his opponents in a ring.

Both fighters have to abide by the rules, and the "no rules" argument is used way too often by people who are afraid to get into the ring and test their skills, or have seen others in their style fail and want to convince themselves what they're doing is still correct, and lie to convince themselves.

Some arts teach eye strikes and most arts that you would call traditional (not sport) teach you how to kill or seriously injur someone. So in the UFC they wouldn't be allowed to do a lot of thetraditional martial arts.

Incorrect. You had said yourself that you're not very familiar with UFC, so I'll ask in a nice way that you dont give misinformation on something you'r'e not familiar with (im not here giving boxing tips, you know?)

You can seriously maim or even kill someone with all techniques seen in UFC. Elbows to the face on a mounted opponent can crush his skull, not to mention stomping a downed opponent, or choking him for longer periods of time (after he passes out/ taps out). There are also no rules stating that you cant kick to the kneecaps, the simple truth is that its much harder to break someone's leg than you would believe. Theres no easy way to do it other than training, and there are no death touches that will help you defeat your opponent.

Beyond the argument about styles being "too deadly for the ring" you also have to take into account this- almost every martial art has the same basic versions of kicks and punches (jabs, crosses, front kicks, side kicks, and roundhouse kicks). The fact is that even styles which teach deadly techniques also teach these and therefore would not be a stranger to MMA competition.

Think about it for a minute- if I train in a martial art that teaches deadly techniques, and I take away something simple like biting or eye gouging and all of a sudden my style isnt working- doesnt that show a very narrow, limited view of combat? I mean seriously, it appears as if you're only two choices are not fighting period, or absolute destruction of your opponent.

Im not to up on the UFC rules but im sure you can't brake bones willingly.

Sure you can. Most of the submission joint locks seen in MMA are used to break limbs at the joints (knees, shoulders, elbows, ankles). Grab it and twist away. Its also virtually impossible to prevent a striker from breaking bones when he punches/kicks someone.

When someone is caught in a submission attempt (i.e. an armbar) they've got two choices- tap or dont. If they refuse to tap, the limb gets broken and severely hyperextended. If they do tap, they forfeit and the lock is released, sparring the joint from being broken (if you tapped quickly enough). Some people choose not to tap out still, and get their limbs badly broken or are choked into unconciousness.

[Mr Pockets]

The UFC is comprised of fighters using martial arts that have been proven (in the cage.) Yes, there are some rules to protect the fighters, and make it sanctionable, and no, a UFC fight doesn't look or play out like a street fight (because there is a different strategy to winning a 3 round fight than a 30 second street fight); but that doesn't disprove the point that the martial arts UFC fighters fight with are the ones that really work. Why don't you see some Eagle Claw Kung Fu Master in the cage? It's not because his art is so deadly it can't be used in a sanctioned fight. You'll always hear the arguments in favor of those theoretical "I can chop your throat and finger strike your eye and blah blah blah" but the simple fact is you're better off knocking the guys head off than shooting your finger at his eye and missing. I'd bet good money that even if a "master" tried to do that to, say, Chuck Liddell, Chuck would knock him on the ground first. Adapting NHB competition to self defense street fighting is not that hard.

With that said, like always, I recommend Muay Thai as a striking art, or just Boxing. It's not difficult to learn to punch with no gloves on, or to knee a groin rather than a stomache in a clinch, or kick a knee instead of a leg or torso. Not to say that a normal thai leg kick won't end a lot of confrontations.

[SevenStar]

I don't think traditional martial arts would be able to compete in UFC because most of the violent nature of the art. UFC has rules what you learn in traditional martial arts is not to play by rules. Some arts teach eye strikes and most arts that you would call traditional (not sport) teach you how to kill or seriously injur someone. So in the UFC they wouldn't be allowed to do a lot of thetraditional martial arts.

Im not to up on the UFC rules but im sure you can't brake bones willingly. I watch it when i can i enjoy it but like someone said it is very athletic.

the avg. tma guy would get mauled by the avg mma guy, for one reason - training methods. a lot of people try to play the "too deadly" card, but realistically, if what you are doing is too dangerous to practice with force against a resisting partner, how can you have alot of confidence in your ability to do it on the street?

[Mr Pockets]

Kind of ironic that the too deadly moves are often all too easy to practice safely.

[AngryMatt]

For all you UFC marks, yes I do think that its a good promotion... but go watch a PRIDE event. Just once.