Weight Classes!

[sensei8]

This topic has been talked about, but...

I hate the fact that UFC and the like use the weight class division? Why? We're MAists and we should be able to know how to defend ourselves no matter the weight class of our unknown attacker.

I understand why they're there, the weight classes, but UFC 1 and the other first ones, had NO WEIGHT CLASS! Now, we have weight classes.

Frosts me to no end!! Are we MAists or not?

Your thoughts, please!!

[Zaine]

My Shorin Ryu instructor was 300+ and over 6 feet tall. I was 6 feet and lanky and young and stupid and all the good things that make for an uncoordinated teen. Because of this, a lot of my training was against a bigger guy so I agree about the weight divisions. A good Martial Artist trains for people of all sizes, not just the people in their same weight class. I stopped watching UFC a long time ago and can cite that as a reason. I don't think that an person (man or woman) should limit themselves to learning to fight a certain weight class.

[Lupin1]

Depends. In Karate, I'd gladly go up against someone bigger than me, but in Judo it's a different story. We had this one big older guy who learned Judo when he was a boy in Soviet Russia who restarted the same night I joined. Because there weren't too many adults in class I got paired with him a lot despite the fact he was five inches taller and a good 150 pounds heavier than me and even doing fit ins with him wore me out like crazy. Even when I did them properly my back would hurt after picking him up a few times and I was always afraid he was going to land on me. Granted, I'm just a beginner in Judo-- might be different for a professional-- but I for one am glad I don't have to compete against someone his size in a real match.

[Lupin1]

Depends. In Karate, I'd gladly go up against someone bigger than me, but in Judo it's a different story. We had this one big older guy who learned Judo when he was a boy in Soviet Russia who restarted the same night I joined. Because there weren't too many adults in class I got paired with him a lot and even doing fit ins with him wore me out like crazy. Even when I did them properly my back would hurt after picking him up a few times and I was always afraid he was going to land on me. Granted, I'm just a beginner in Judo-- might be different for a professional-- but I for one am glad I don't have to compete against someone his size in a real match.

[MasterPain]

UFC 1 was trying to simulate an unarmed fight. Now it is trying to be a fair athletic contest. We can't put defense and a gladiator contest in the same category. Unless you want escaping the cage to be counted as a win.......hmmm

[CredoTe]

UFC 1 was trying to simulate an unarmed fight. Now it is trying to be a fair athletic contest. We can't put defense and a gladiator contest in the same category. Unless you want escaping the cage to be counted as a win.......hmmm

Absolutely... The philosophies behind training are totally different with respect to these two categories. If a Roman legionnaire or centurion was placed in a gladiatorial arena, he would most likely be destroyed. Likewise, though, if a gladiator was placed on the battlefield amidst unit tactics, he would most likely be destroyed.

Similarly, a good caliber self-defense/MA practitioner that's placed in a UFC fight with a highly trained athlete will most likely lose. If that same self-defense/MA practitioner met the same UFC fighter on the street in a situation, he would have a much better chance of defeating the UFC fighter ("much better chance", mind you; never a guarantee; and, the UFC fighter is still a highly skilled machine! Which usually means....RUN AWAY! As you hint at in your "escape the cage"...lol)

Of course, a wrench is thrown into it all if either party in either of my scenarios spends time training in the opposite philosophy... (legionnaire could train to become a gladiator and vice versa, etc)

[sensei8]

I respect the weight class divisions...completely! What I don't respect is when those who are partakers of said venues, think that what they do is far superior to every other style of the MA, as well as those practitioners of said other styles. I've heard it and I've read it and I've exchanged with those of said venues, and to them I say, you'll have no choice on whom will attack you on the streets.

[sensei8]

UFC 1 was trying to simulate an unarmed fight. Now it is trying to be a fair athletic contest. We can't put defense and a gladiator contest in the same category. Unless you want escaping the cage to be counted as a win.......hmmm

If it works, I'm no one to knock it.

[CredoTe]

I respect the weight class divisions...completely! What I don't respect is when those who are partakers of said venues, think that what they do is far superior to every other style of the MA, as well as those practitioners of said other styles. I've heard it and I've read it and I've exchanged with those of said venues, and to them I say, you'll have no choice on whom will attack you on the streets.

Agreed

[Rateh]

I'm 5'3". I train to defend myself, not stand toe to toe with someone. Should I be attacked, I plan on causing as much damage as possible in as little time as possible, then running away. I am not training to stand there and fight someone.

It's easy to say that you should be able to fight anyone of any size, when you are bigger than I am. A person could easily be more than a foot taller than me and more than twice my weight, in good shape. Trying to stand toe to toe against them would be a very unintelligent idea.

In other words, I feel that weight classes are necessary in sporting. I also feel that smaller people should be able to defend themselves against bigger people, but not in a toe to toe match.