The predictability of MMA
They are known as the Big Four: Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling, and Brazilian Jujitsu. There are ,amu mixed martial arts fans would love for us to believe that all you need is the Big Four, and you will have all of the techniques that you need for MMA or self-defense. Nopw you know that I am over this like a cheap suit on a skinny man :) I am actually enjoying this as I type. After all, if may quote Popeye " I am what I am and thats all that I am."
OOOOOkay. First of all, MMA pundits tell us that MMA( or NHB as it was known in its infancy) was the ultimate expression of real street effectiveness in martial arts. It was style versus style. The undeniable truth in their eyes. First, jujitsu wizard Royce Gracie laid waste to a host of skilled(and not so skilled) fighters. So jujitsu, Brazillian Jujitsu is in. Then, some high level wrestlers( Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and a host of others) learned that if they could stuff a jujitsu man's takedowns, they would not fall prey to submission attempts. Wrestling is definitely in.
BBBBBUTTT, what to do now that you are both standing and staring at each other. Oh yeah, you punch and maybe even kick them. Boxing is a popular sport in America, and certainly proven for its effectiveness in an above the waist, fistic encounter. Plus Mike Tyson, Roy Jones jr. and Oscar De La Hoya were providing some serious evidence of the finesse involved in the "sweet science." Boxing was sooo in.
To handle the devastating effectiveness of the true heavy hitters out there, someone remembered that often times a good kick will end the fight, or at least keep a skilled puncher so off balance that they cannot land their haymakers. Less getting punched in the head? They loved it, so kickboxing was now in as well. Thai boxing seemed to be among the most effective and simple of the kickboxing systems, so throw it in the mix, because MMA was all about the speed of the learning curve.
Whew!! We have everything covered. MMA gyms are popping up all over the country. They teach the Big Four (BF from now on) and off into the MMA mix they go. We know their names: Militech, Chute Box, Lion's Den, Dragon's Lair, the Top Teams (American and Brazillian) and a variety of others.
Many school and many fighters produced some highly skilled fighters. They had refined and evolved in the MMA sense of the word. An interesting gumbo of results began to surface. You had world champion Bjj players being stalemated and arm-locked by bjj purple belts. Check out the Roberto Traven and Frank Mir fight. You had highly skilled wrestlers being outscrambled in the submission game. Check out Frank Shamrock versus Olympic Gold medallist Kevin Jackson. You had pro boxers being knocked out by grapplers. Check out Jens Pulver versus Takanori Gomi. MMA practitoners were gloating and grinning like the Cheshire cat in the face of any traditional martial artist they could find. After all, this was all the proof they needed. The traditional martial arts were on their way out we were told. Man, would it ever end? YUP. Something started happening along the way. People started to win with techniques that were NOT a part of the BF. Check out the way Shonie Carter sent Matt Serra to the land of "who and where am I" by way spinning back fist. Look at Kazushi Sakuraba's humbling of Vitor Belfort with not one but two spinning back kicks to the body. And lastly, look at the way the hammerfist is being used to break the grip of a person resisting an armlock. OR look specifically at the Ricardo Arona versus Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Rua send Arona to talk to the Sandman( in Portuguese I would presume) by way of a mounted hammerfist.
"Anthony, where are you going with all of this?" you may ask. Anthony is all about telling you. See, the only real difference in the efficacy of traditonal martial arts, and the BF is the intensity and focus with which you train. Now that traditional martial artists are taking advantage of the amazing leaps in athletic science, the only differences between the combative skills of MMA guys and traditional artists is the philosophical component. Shall I toss in a few more examples? Okay, you win. How about David Louiseau's fight-ending spinning back kicks? How about Patrick Smith punting Rudgard Moncayo into the next time zone by way of front kick. How about when Karo Parisian puts on his in fight judo clinics against some of the UFC's best, notably, welterweight standout Diego Sanchez? Okay, I am done gloating I think :)
What I am saying is simple folks.If all you have is a limited toolbox of fighting techniques, sooner rather than later, the counters for the techniques, and your personal preferences, will be discovered, and exploited. That is why one can often see a much less skilled but noticeably more athletic fighter win out over technicain with limited tools. For all of you traditional guys turned MMA, look back into your traditonal roots. You may find more answers there than you think. And thinking one step ahead of your opponent will only help you. That is is folks, I am gonna head out of here. I am suffering from a serious apple juice jones these days. Gotta feed the monster :)
OOOOOkay. First of all, MMA pundits tell us that MMA( or NHB as it was known in its infancy) was the ultimate expression of real street effectiveness in martial arts. It was style versus style. The undeniable truth in their eyes. First, jujitsu wizard Royce Gracie laid waste to a host of skilled(and not so skilled) fighters. So jujitsu, Brazillian Jujitsu is in. Then, some high level wrestlers( Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and a host of others) learned that if they could stuff a jujitsu man's takedowns, they would not fall prey to submission attempts. Wrestling is definitely in.
BBBBBUTTT, what to do now that you are both standing and staring at each other. Oh yeah, you punch and maybe even kick them. Boxing is a popular sport in America, and certainly proven for its effectiveness in an above the waist, fistic encounter. Plus Mike Tyson, Roy Jones jr. and Oscar De La Hoya were providing some serious evidence of the finesse involved in the "sweet science." Boxing was sooo in.
To handle the devastating effectiveness of the true heavy hitters out there, someone remembered that often times a good kick will end the fight, or at least keep a skilled puncher so off balance that they cannot land their haymakers. Less getting punched in the head? They loved it, so kickboxing was now in as well. Thai boxing seemed to be among the most effective and simple of the kickboxing systems, so throw it in the mix, because MMA was all about the speed of the learning curve.
Whew!! We have everything covered. MMA gyms are popping up all over the country. They teach the Big Four (BF from now on) and off into the MMA mix they go. We know their names: Militech, Chute Box, Lion's Den, Dragon's Lair, the Top Teams (American and Brazillian) and a variety of others.
Many school and many fighters produced some highly skilled fighters. They had refined and evolved in the MMA sense of the word. An interesting gumbo of results began to surface. You had world champion Bjj players being stalemated and arm-locked by bjj purple belts. Check out the Roberto Traven and Frank Mir fight. You had highly skilled wrestlers being outscrambled in the submission game. Check out Frank Shamrock versus Olympic Gold medallist Kevin Jackson. You had pro boxers being knocked out by grapplers. Check out Jens Pulver versus Takanori Gomi. MMA practitoners were gloating and grinning like the Cheshire cat in the face of any traditional martial artist they could find. After all, this was all the proof they needed. The traditional martial arts were on their way out we were told. Man, would it ever end? YUP. Something started happening along the way. People started to win with techniques that were NOT a part of the BF. Check out the way Shonie Carter sent Matt Serra to the land of "who and where am I" by way spinning back fist. Look at Kazushi Sakuraba's humbling of Vitor Belfort with not one but two spinning back kicks to the body. And lastly, look at the way the hammerfist is being used to break the grip of a person resisting an armlock. OR look specifically at the Ricardo Arona versus Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Rua send Arona to talk to the Sandman( in Portuguese I would presume) by way of a mounted hammerfist.
"Anthony, where are you going with all of this?" you may ask. Anthony is all about telling you. See, the only real difference in the efficacy of traditonal martial arts, and the BF is the intensity and focus with which you train. Now that traditional martial artists are taking advantage of the amazing leaps in athletic science, the only differences between the combative skills of MMA guys and traditional artists is the philosophical component. Shall I toss in a few more examples? Okay, you win. How about David Louiseau's fight-ending spinning back kicks? How about Patrick Smith punting Rudgard Moncayo into the next time zone by way of front kick. How about when Karo Parisian puts on his in fight judo clinics against some of the UFC's best, notably, welterweight standout Diego Sanchez? Okay, I am done gloating I think :)
What I am saying is simple folks.If all you have is a limited toolbox of fighting techniques, sooner rather than later, the counters for the techniques, and your personal preferences, will be discovered, and exploited. That is why one can often see a much less skilled but noticeably more athletic fighter win out over technicain with limited tools. For all of you traditional guys turned MMA, look back into your traditonal roots. You may find more answers there than you think. And thinking one step ahead of your opponent will only help you. That is is folks, I am gonna head out of here. I am suffering from a serious apple juice jones these days. Gotta feed the monster :)
posted by Anthony, freestyle kenpo teacher | 9:37 PM
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