World Combat League

[bushido_man96]

I think that what Norris is trying to do with the WCL is bring back what he and the dream team of the '60s - '70s competed in, as far as rules go. It was really America's first experiment in the full contact venue, and I think he is bringing it back, because he enjoyed it so much.

[yingampyang]

Yes i agree with that statement.

[shift]

How well is it really doing though?

I only just started to remember the names and I had to try hard to remember them as well.

Ray Daniels

Jason Bourelly

and a girl name santiago

there are a few others I can pick up by face like this slim asian guy and this thin irish looking dude blond spikey hair.

I can't remember anyone elses face or names. I can't remember the teams names or who is on which team.

I must say I am not fond of the rules, but from time to time it generates some exciting action. There are times the action is drastically boring but...when it's exciting it really is exciting. Saw a dude get knocked out with a jump reverse side kick to the gut...ouch

[yingampyang]

yes true , but he is still doing well for him self.

[KarateEd]

I was watching a WCL match over the weekend and saw where one of the fighters ("Fighter A") finished the match but was injured and unable to go on. The next time he was due up for fighting (with what appeared to be the same opponent-"Fighter B") he was replaced by a substitute. This bothered me. In other venues the guy that can no longer compete due to an injury is done, whether the ref ends the bout or a corner worker throws in the towel. Here, however, Fighter A was replaced with a fresh substitute. This put Fighter B in the hole from the beginning, in my opinion, because he and Fighter A had beat on each other quite effectively in the earlier match. Now Fighter B was facing a fresh guy, all his efforts spent on Fighter A were gone (or, the other way around, the sub was facing a guy that someone else had softened up, so to speak).

I guess because the WCL has teams instead of individuals it requires some way of substituting fighters so that a single injury doesn't destroy a team's chance of winning a meet. I don't really care for this, though.

[MooYeaDoKID]

Who here watches or is a fan of Chuck Norris World Combat League. It's a great Kickboxing org, with teams from cities across the USA. It's like International rules Kickboxing, except more exciting. Fighters come from different backgrounds (Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Sanda, Karate, TKD) And it's a great org.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyHYSSfojlQ

yes i think the striking part is more exciting because of the diversity of technique in it, unlike UFC they actually use more martial stuff, although it is always more fun to see a LANDED spinning back kick in UFC seeing how rare it is! Cung Le's awesome

[bushido_man96]

yes i think the striking part is more exciting because of the diversity of technique in it, unlike UFC they actually use more martial stuff, although it is always more fun to see a LANDED spinning back kick in UFC seeing how rare it is! Cung Le's awesome

How is the WCL more "martial" than that UFC? Both are fighting organizations, but the UFC allows more ranges of combat.

[joesteph]

Who here watches or is a fan of Chuck Norris World Combat League. It's a great Kickboxing org, with teams from cities across the USA. It's like International rules Kickboxing, except more exciting. Fighters come from different backgrounds (Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Sanda, Karate, TKD) And it's a great org.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyHYSSfojlQ

yes i think the striking part is more exciting because of the diversity of technique in it, unlike UFC they actually use more martial stuff, although it is always more fun to see a LANDED spinning back kick in UFC seeing how rare it is! Cung Le's awesome

When I saw this link, I decided to visit, and I was so interested in what I saw, I went to the official web site. There are a number of videos there that made me bookmark it for future visits.

I went through the thread and found there are a number of rules that I'll have to learn to understand better, and I realize everyone isn't in agreement about what rules should or shouldn't be there, but if this organization is no different from any other, then there's nothing special to offer. I think that the comment made about more "martial" may simply mean non-grappling, and no criticism was intended. Personally, I prefer the "slug it out" with foot and fist over grappling, but those in the grappling arts, or who incorporate grappling into their art, are looking for how their techniques could be applied effectively, and so may not be as interested. Well, that's diversity of appeal for you; we don't all think and feel alike.

One or two of the postings in the thread referred to past times. I remember when full-contact karate with the minimum of protective gear was first presented on the air, and it was limited in the number of rounds the fighters would go. They would hurl themselves at one another, hammering away, really putting on a good fight show. As more and more rounds were added in, the fighters realized they had to pace themselves for longer bouts, and one after the other spoke of honing his "boxing skills." I remember the eight kick rule being needed, as the fighters were doing what I recall was becoming referred to as "bad boxing," the kicks taking too much energy from the fighters. Frankly, that's when I lost interest. This is a welcome comeback for me.

I think it's great to have different organizations with rules that distinguish themselves from one another. One organization might appeal to those who are adherents of a certain kind of fighting, another organization might appeal to those who adhere to a different kind, and there are always the martial arts fans who want a choice of everything, from boxing bouts to WCF ones, to UFC.

[tallgeese]

I'm always happy to see another combat fight league out there for athletes to work specific skill in an arena, so on that front it's good.

Hopefully, it makes a go of it. With the UFC juggernaught dominating marketing it will be an uphill struggle. Still, I do hope it survives in a niche kind of role at least.

Bottom line, I probably wouldn't turn it off.

[joesteph]

I watched a number of videos and can honestly say I really enjoyed them. As for the rules I wondered about, I found them at the following:

http://www.worldcombatleague.com/rules.html

But under the techniques allowed/not allowed, while striking with the knees is mentioned (yes, above the waist), elbows aren't at all. I wonder if it's meant to be an obvious "No!" like striking the groin. I couldn't tell from the videos if the elbows were being used. I definitely didn't see them used against the face/head, although when the fighters collided and a flurry resulted, who knew what went on with the elbows, intentional or not, against the body.