Moderator: Not sure what forum (if any) is appropriate for this thread. Move to another forum or kill it at your discretion. While I enjoy Chuck Norris, Van Dam, Bruce Lee, et cetera movies until a day or so ago, I never watched TV shows like UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships). Unlike professional wrestling, UFC seems to be legitimate combat although I am not sure of this. Circa 60-65 years ago, I was a good grappler & had some martial arts skills. I won a conference wrestling championship & a few minor AAU events. Some questions/comments.The UFC program I watched showed no attempts to kick an opponent in the head. In my mind, this lends a lot of credence to UFC events. When I was active, I am sure that an attempt to kick me in the head would result in my opponent being in a lot of trouble. If there were no rules, I would expect to seriously injure him. Using NCAA or AAU rules, I would expect to have him on the mat under my control. While head kicks make exciting fiction. I do not think a head kick can be effective unless the opponent has already been hurt or exhausted, while the kicker is still quick (in which case, almost anything would be effective to end the match). The gloves worn in UFC matches seem designed to protect the hands, allowing hard hits to the face, head, & ribs. They also seem to restrict the effectiveness of various martial arts & grappler techniques, but I am not sure of this. Many of the UFC contestants seem to have poor body balance concepts. I am surprised at how often a fighter seems to be pushed off his feet due to an improper stance. This seems to happen with very little technique on the part of the attcker. Once a fighter has been taken down & is on his back, it seems more effective for the fighter in control to have his body at right angles to his opponent rather than parallel. Also: As a fighter is taken down, he seems to make no attempt to be face down instead of on his back. From a face down position he would have more of a chance to escape control. On his back, there are not many (if any) good maneuvers to allow an escape from control. I noticed some situations which would have allowed an effective blow using the heel of the hand. Instead, ineffective attempts were made to use a blow with the clenched fist. Note that the heel of the hand has a solid foundation in situations for which a clenched fist blow is not very effective due to the wrist joint not providing good support.Perhaps my observations are not accurate. I wish I could see some of the action in slow motion. I am not familiar with UFC rules. Perhaps a thorough knowledge of them might change my opinion relating to the above remarks. I would appreciate comments/explanations relating to the above.
Brief Notes Brief Notes The various mixed martial arts organizations have their own rules. For instance, generally speaking, you don't kick people when they're on the ground. In an organization called Strikeforce, the rule was no elbows to the head when someone is on the ground. It seems an awkward way of fighting; Muay Thai fighters might have some trouble with that rule; there are sometimes the elbow is the natural thing to do. But in the end, the big difference between the organizations is promotion. In other words, while yes, a UFC fight seems a bit more natural-looking than a Strikeforce fight, the UFC is also the foremost American operation because it has done the most to attract the high-end talent. It's a huge enterprise. As to your questions and notes: • "The UFC program I watched showed no attempts to kick an opponent in the head. In my mind, this lends a lot of credence to UFC events. — Actually, if you watch enough, you'll see head kicks. The firm rule is no head kicks once a target is to one knee. But if everyone is standing, the only real question is whether a fighter wants to take a chance. High kicks are spectacular when you get a good strike, but they're also dangerous in terms of getting caught by the counterstrike. Generally speaking the numbers are against it unless one is really, really good at their kicking game. But, still, you're not going to see a lot of high-kick knockouts. • "The gloves worn in UFC matches ...." — They are, I believe, four-ounce boxing gloves. And yes, they are of interesting design since they seem to force a traditional, American closed-fist punch. Most martial artists I know prefer other means of striking a target. • "Many of the UFC contestants seem to have poor body balance concepts. I am surprised at how often a fighter seems to be pushed off his feet due to an improper stance." — There are generally two things going on here. First, the best athletes tend to develop their own style within their games. Watch good basketball shooters and baseball hitters. Watch what some baseball pitchers do to their arms. Form instruction is very important to fundamental development, but at some level people develop their own versions of proper form. The second thing going on is the nature of UFC fights in recent years. Through the first several, the contests were organized into tournament brackets. Form was vital; breaking form risked getting one devoured by another technical fighter. Over the years, though, as UFC became more like boxing with regular champions and contender ratings, the fights have gotten faster, stronger, and more brutal. Techniques move in trends; for several years Brazilian Jiu Jitsu dominated the UFC ranks. And then, of course, the judos, kickboxers, and others adapted, and it keeps going 'round like that, with "MMA" beginning to shape up as an art of its own. It has been at least a decade since we could judge MMA according to the various art forms that shape it. • "Once a fighter has been taken down & is on his back, it seems more effective for the fighter in control to have his body at right angles to his opponent rather than parallel." — Yes. It seems self-evident. Side control offers greater leverage and less interference than being in the guard; mounting the guard offers even better leverage and control. • "Also: As a fighter is taken down, he seems to make no attempt to be face down instead of on his back. From a face down position he would have more of a chance to escape control. On his back, there are not many (if any) good maneuvers to allow an escape from control." — The way the sport works, the last thing a fighter wants to do is give up his back. However, the BJJ butterfly guard technique is designed specifically to neutralize an attacker. The point is to make sure the opponent cannot hit you especially hard. • "I noticed some situations which would have allowed an effective blow using the heel of the hand." — The gloves are designed to make this much harder. A heel uppercut runs the risk of accidentally gouging the target's eyes. I'm uncertain of the theory behind forcing these guys to punch like boxers, but that's how it goes right now.
