Royce Gracie fails drug test

[bushido_man96]

It is unfortunate, but it seems that the misjudgements of a few people will now set the stereotype for the MMA genre.

[gzk]

I can't find this being reported anywhere else- anyone else know of a second source?

The Sweet Science

Wrestlemag

It may just be my prejudices (in fact it almost certainly is!) but I'm with YoungMan on this. If it was going to happen anywhere it was going to be MMA. Only because it is dominated by such a pro sport "win at all costs" ethos. we've seen it in boxing (I don't know about kickboxing, K1 etc?) and I think MMA was always going to be next.

Next? It had already happened - Vitor Belfort and Kevin Randleman, among others, and I agree with you that the cause is the pro sport "win at all costs" ethos, but that is because we are talking about top-level pro athletes, not MMA in particular. In fact, if you compare the level of incidence for MMA over, let's say, the 15 years it's had worldwide exposure against other pro sports, I think you'll find it not too high. Like any sport, there are top-level pro MMA competitions, minor and semi-pro MMA competitions, and entry level amateur MMA competitions. This is a pro sport problem, not an MMA problem.

[bushido_man96]

This is a pro sport problem, not an MMA problem.

I agree completely.

[Dazed and Confused]

This is a pro sport problem, not an MMA problem.

I agree. I was speaking in the context of martial arts.

[YoungMan]

MMA, which takes the techniques of various martial arts, but excludes the philosophy, culture, and tradition, would be the ideal setting, martial arts-wise, for doping. No different than any other sport.

I think traditional martial arts, which minimizes the importance of competition and winning, would not breed such thinking.

[Patrick]

For more coverage/reporting: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&ncl=1117282261

[IcemanSK]

I can't find this being reported anywhere else- anyone else know of a second source?

The Sweet Science

Wrestlemag

It may just be my prejudices (in fact it almost certainly is!) but I'm with YoungMan on this. If it was going to happen anywhere it was going to be MMA. Only because it is dominated by such a pro sport "win at all costs" ethos. we've seen it in boxing (I don't know about kickboxing, K1 etc?) and I think MMA was always going to be next.

It has happened in kickboxing in the 90's, but it wasn't tested for back then. He was never "caught": but people knew.

[gzk]

Gracie Maintains Innocence

[french fri25]

wow. thats a shame. i looked up to that guy a lot too. he did always seem like such a nice, honorable guy. but we all should remember, just because of this incident, it doent mean hes a bad guy. who knows why he used the drugs. im sure he didnt have them prescribed to him but he shouldnt be seen as a bad guy because of a mistake. he still has a chance to turn his life around and get back on track.

[bushido_man96]

The only difference between the "traditional" guys and the "MMA" guys on the doping situations is that since the MMA guys are in the spotlight, they will always be reported, as has been the case with Royce. Your run-of-the-mill Instructor/student next door could be doing the same thing, but he won't get nationwide notice, because he is not in the spotlight.

There is no question about the damage that Royce has done here. However, I have always kind of looked at him as a more "traditional" stylist, because the original art that he learned would fall under the category of many practitioners' "traditional" definition. He just took it into the MMA competitions with him.