Do you think MMA is full of glorified thugs and traditional is the real deal?

Question

I know I will probably get spammed/criticised for this but imao, I think that the MMA fighters are just thugs really. I mean, boxing is OK with the gloves and head/body shots only but MMA is brutal. It is extremely dangerous street fighting confined to a cage. I think traditional focus is better. Why?

1) With MMA one eat,sleeps and drinks fighting-when in a real life situation you may not want to maim your opponent-I doubt MMA has pain compliance specialisation. Also, if you give a traditional martial arts or two a backseat in your life, you may surprise yourself when fighting how much better a fighter you are after training. If you do martial arts regularly, your mentality may change to attack rather than defend.

2) The drills and sparring in traditional arts are frequent, your speed improves very quickly on a subconscious level as you do it regularly.

3) When reaching brown/black belt during traditional, you can run through self defense situations with peers such as knife/gun attacks and if the opponent knocks you down/grabs your guard/swings uncontrollably. Not to mention you learn to fight multiple people. Also the kata/forms help with movement.

4) Traditional martial arts have weapons training.

5) You perfect the technique in traditional training-not just speed and strength-they will eventually come to you after technique perfection.

6) It seems more noble training traditionally-it even teaches discipline. MMA seems (to me) to be bullying- the guy who knows traditional martial arts only uses them when required-then he shows (after time) how he can kick ***!

7) Several martial arts can help you kick *** even if you're unfit!

However, I understand that traditional arts are more robotic and artistic-they should teach them in a way where punch bags,kick bags,speed balls,wooden dummy and protected sparring (to name a few) are used so that the learner can see where he/she must improve. I also understand the importance of learning two or three different martial arts (not several like MMA) so that a person knows: how to defend himself, how to strike and how to fight on the ground.

What you you think? Let us discuss this in a civilised manner.

Answer 1

I completly agree. I am not a fan of what mma has become. I find the UFC barbaric- cage fighting? its sad how far entertainment has fallen.

edit: ," pros might live eat and sleep fighting, but that is a good thing" WTF dude thats messed up!



At my school of the martial artists who fight somehow its always the MMA guy(and not the same guy)- I have yet to see a traditional martial artist engage in a fight at school. Biased and generalizing yes but thats the way it seems

Answer 2

I dont see how you can see MMA fighters as thugs but boxers being ok. I've seen more arragont boxers than MMA fighters. Though I do agree there are some undisciplined MMA fighters. But I see that as a minority. Every single person from my gym is very humble or at least acts that way in the gym. My coach runs his place more like a traditional dojo though and we must bow and show respect address get other by sir and ma'am no cussing, etc...I think some instructors do not so this so some of their fighters might no learn respect like more traditional artist.



1)It is funny you say that because the biggest debate between mixed martial artist and traditional is in the streets and that MMA is a sport not self defense and traditional martial artists are the ones that teach you the eye gouging, small joint manipulation, groin strikes etc...that would "maim" an attacker. With the exception of those illegal moves a MMA fighter will learn the same techniques as a traditional the same submission hold you'll see in judo you might see a MMA person do.



2)Drills and sparring at plentiful in MMA too



3)That is good I think it is good to learn some weapon defense. But remember if someone has a gun or knife your best bet it to comply. I was in Krav Maga and learned weapon defense and they told use to use it whenever you think you'll be hurt no matter what you do otherwise give the attacker what they want. But like I said it is better to be overprepared than under. Fighting multiple people is about the same you need to punch and get away and always keep all the attackers in sight.



Katas/forms are pretty useless to me. Even Bruce Lee who learned traditional arts and saw the importance of cross training in several martial arts(a non-sport MMA) thought katas were useless



4)Weapon training aside from knives and maybe short sticks(kali) are pointless. People do not walk around with swords, bos, sais, etc... anymore.



5)Sport or self defense all crediable martial arts make you learn technique first then power and speed will come.



6) It depends on who knows the art and who is teaching it. Like I said my teacher runs a gym of respect if he catches you fighting on the street and it is not to defend yourself in other words it you are picking fights you can't train there anymore. Some people abuse power some don't just depends on the person.



7) I think when practicing martial arts you should become fit at least relatively fit. You may not be an Olympic athlete but your fitness should do up regardless.



think you are under the misconception that a MMA fighter trains in like 10 different art and doesn't train in the arts in depth. Most MMA fighters have like one maybe two strong base martial art that often is traditional and they learned throughout childhood then they take on a few other arts to complement what they know.

Answer 3

I understand you, but MMA is not hundreds of styles compiled into one.

MMA is it's own style. It just has techniques and disciplines from other styles in it.

And then MMA does have sparring, very controlled sparring.

Starting at number one now, pros might live eat and sleep fighting, but that is a good thing and that is how all people should live. I don't spend much time on my computer either and i feel really good about it.



Number two now. Drills and sparring are more frequent with a higher quality in MMA.



Number three. You don't really need to learn how to defent against multiple people, cause if you have good MMA you can hit them all.



Four. Needless, cause a knife is a REALLY tight situation and a sword, forget it. A gun only at close range. Kung Fu weapons and such are illegal to even carry, as is a knife. You probably won't be carrying a trident through the streets.



Five. MMA perfects their game, their techniques through every drill and every sparring session/round they/we have.

Even more effective and even faster than in traditional martial arts.



Six. MMA is not bullying. :(

I never fight unless i am in an SD situation. Even if he's threatening me in any way he can still press charges and win if i smack first.



SEVEN!!! :P

And MMA is one of them! ;)

But that's a bad arguement. You should always try to get fit. This just shows people that they shouldn't need to be healthy. They shouldn't need to eat healthy and work out and take care of their body.

Being fit also makes you a great fighter. That is ONE of the factors.

Answer 4

Both have thugs in them to say the least. Neither is more special than the other but MMA is only a sport. It is not a martial art system.



Traditional Martial Arts are more about developing the character and defense systems of a person. They are not robotic unless you are talking about the so called sport version of the Kata. In essence all TMA's teach students to flow in their techniques and not be robotic so this is not an accurate description.



TMA people like me, and I know several, not only live, eat and breath our arts but we lead by example and life is our only challenge...not proving our worthiness by standards set forth to propel a person to glory or fame, both of which have nothing to with real martial arts.



TMA may have weapons training but you will never find a person carrying a sai, nunchaku or katana on the street...however knowing how to use a bo staff relates into using a broom handle or stick for self defense so yes it is valuable.



Perfection of technique in TMA does not mean just the ability to apply it on an attacker but rather to throw a flawless technique at will. Only a few masters will ever reach this level in their training but we all strive for it. Learning and understanding the science beyond the technique is much more important to TMA than fighting with others in the ring.

Answer 5

Nope.



First of all, the definition of a "Thug" is an outcast who attacks others short of murder and may or may not involve robbery. It comes from the Indian word "Thuggee" which means Thief or Scoundrel in Hindi and Sanskrit and refers to an ancient cult in India which preyed upon travelers robbing and k1lling them. Granted some MMA fighters might have a police record or two in their past as in any other professional sport, I doubt if the majority of em actually enter the cage with murder and robbery in mind.



Secondly, even if we were to say it's true, I don't believe MMA holds a monopoly on "Glorified thugs" as you call em, Traditional Martial arts have em too and with the long history behind the Traditional arts dating back to ancient times compared to the fledgling MMA industry, I'd say logically, TMA would have the greater number of "Glorified Thugs" in their ranks compared to MMA.

Answer 6

First off, I think your logic is skewed. I can see no possible way for weapons training to mean that traditionalists are less thuggish than MMA fighters.



Secondly, I feel that you're letting the minority outweigh the vast majority. The majority of guys who do MMA are disciplined guys who like to compete. There's nothing wrong with that. There is a minority, of course, of guys who pick up MMA just to beat the crap out of people. Really, are there none of those in traditional arts? Saying that MMA as a whole is made up of these guys is like saying that traditional martial arts are full of guys who only want to learn a stance or two so they look like they know what they're doing. Those dudes exist, but they're in the minority and never last more than a class or two.



Martial arts, fighting sports, or whatever you want to call them attract meatheads who are enamored with extreme violence. That's the way it is. The majority of folks who participate in them are not saints, good guys, or warrior poets, but regular people who run the gamut from bullies and thugs to really good folks.

Answer 7

This is one of the most interesting questions I've seen here. The answers are also interesting, accurate, and even surprising. It's been my small observation that many men still think they have the better deal and "women's work" is boring. One thing that surprised me in reading the answers is how many women said positive things about the work they do and how satisfying it can be. I've worked outside the home in high tech industries that housework can't hold a candle to as far as complexity, and interesting subject matter and I like the stimulating environment. I would go bonkers trying to raise kids. I would also go bonkers with fear if I had to fight in a war. I agree that roles are changing, but there is still a lot of social pressure for people to look or act certain ways. For example, women can wear just about anything, but a man could lose his job, family, even his life, if he wore women's clothes in public. I think I'll ask a question about this sometime. I also see how men can benefit financially from their education and work. Many women still try to marry someone who can support them. Even so, if they don't benefit enough financially from the marriage, and outlive their spouse, then they may have little money, or education to rely on when they get older. She may not have had good paying jobs long enough to get social security so she may face poverty. It's a tough question to answer, but a good answer can help many people. Perhaps the best way to get by is to not worry about things you can't change and learn to get along as well as you can with what you have available (i.e. talents, knowledge, possessions, whatever.)

Answer 8

I've read all your questions and you're trying really HARD to indicate that MMA is trash and Chinese Kung Fu is the best fighting art out there.



It's not really a question you're asking? You're looking for someone to back-up your opinion. And it's no use cause even before you try waiting for answers you've already made up your mind that traditional is the real deal.



You want to know why MMA is superior over Kung Fu. Because it's efficient and doesn't rely on Flashy and Eye Candy moves like the one in the movies. I have a buddy last year that posted vids on YouTube where he was beating Kung Fu farts. Unfortunately, those videos were removed for some reason. Maybe some chinese fanatics has complained about it being porn and unfit for YouTube.



As for me, I'm doing Muay Thai and I'll do BJJ next year, then I'll be a true MMA fighter. I also did boxing as a kid and teenager so my stand-up is complete. And yes I can kick any Kung Fu/Wushu/Taekwando/Karate/Boxing dude's hiney with ease.

Answer 9

Yes, I do. MMA is not a martial art at all. It's a sport. Most (but not all) MM "Artists" are, as you said, glorified thugs. So, there's no question as to which one is the real deal.



As I said, not all MM "Artists" have the egocentric, block-headed attitude that most of them have. You can difinitely tell on here which ones have that attitude and which ones don't. Some of those few MM "Artists" that don't have that attitude have really surprised me with their great answers.



This all boils down to the fact that it's not the martial art, it's the martial artist... even though MMA isn't a real martial art.

Answer 10

You are over-generalizing.



The thugs don't last long in professional mma. Kimbo is a great example. He started out as a street fighter, but as soon as they put him against someone with a solid martial arts background, he lost.



The best mma fighters all have a strong background in one or more traditional martial arts, including karate, jujitsu, muay thai, judo, and many more. The fighters who start out directly at mma gyms have not had as much success, at least not yet.

Answer 11

I do not agree with you. MMA is a sport. Nothing more. Any physical sport requires its elite athletes to "eat, sleep, and dream" the sport. In this case, its fighting.



And I'm confused about why you would think that boxing is acceptable and MMA is not? MMA is far less devastating on the body than boxing. God knows Dana White brings out that medical study supporting this every chance he gets.

Answer 12

I consider myself a freestyle fighter and I have to admit that i am embarrased to associate myself with most mma fighters, but the reason you probably do not like mma is because the fighters radiate idiocy and dishonour. MMA in itself though is great because when it comes to styles and technique the skys the limit, though I do admit mma fighters have not even scratched the surface of mma's great potential after all it is based on bruce lee's jeet kune do philosophy of removing the useless flashy moves and keeping with the real and effective fighting techniques.

Answer 13

FIRST OFF YOU ARE AN IDIOT

1) traditional martial arts are used in mma in some fighters

2) the drills in mma are frequent also you idiot

3)wow in ancient battlefields they had gun to disarm. a lot of traditional martial arts have a lot of useless techniques that were added in recent years

4)they have weapon training in thing you would never carry around. unless u do kali or knife training.

5)perfect technique could be achieved in mma also

6)mma aint bullying a ufc fighter in croatia risked his life to save two people. 80% of traditional places suck

7)that is true. but being unfit is unhealthy

i think you are a idiot and i would be willing to spar you whenever you want so i can kick you *** for putting down mma. im not saying tradtional martial arts suck. i actually train in traditional martial arts along with wrestling,bjj, and mma

Answer 14

alright first, it's not as brutal as boxing. boxers generally take head shots more in one round that mixed martial artists take in an entire fight. what's worse, getting kicked in the leg or hit in the head?

also, in a real life situation you'd better be prepared to destroy your attacker or else you are not truly prepared for a real life situation.



second, drills are practiced in both ta and mma, so your point is irrelevant



third, two things. if you're only practicing those situations at brown/black belt level, you're exposing the reason belt ranks are simply foolish. also, most mixed martial artists train for sport, not for self defense against weapons. its two very different concepts they are

incomparable



fourth, who gives a **** about weapons training



fifth, the technique is perfected in mma training as well. why would it not be? this is not a valid point



sixth, competition breeds more respect and discipline than any class an individual can take, in my experience, and since most mixed martial artists train for sport, i believe more discipline will be gained by them than the ta practitioner



seventh, what the **** is your point with this one? i really don't see how this helps your argument

Answer 15

1

Answer 16

i'm a traditional and non traditional martial artist, i study and teach yang style tai chi chuan, as well as co-instructor in women's self defense and combined combative martial arts (mma style) i also study largo mano arnis, hsing-i and shuai jiao...



1. okay, lets for a second take the art out of the equation.. thugs can be found in any martial art.. take the taekwondo class with that one student who just has to put a little more power into his kick while sparring just to get that whince out of his opponent.. first off bullying has nothing to do with the art that you've chosen to learn, and everything to do with your character..



2. boxing is actually much more dangerous and brutal and has caused more injuries to it's athletes than mma has since its inception. mixed martial arts competitions are completely stopped when a fighter can no longer defend himself competently.. boxing allows the fighter to regain a bit of focus back and sends a man, who is half out on his feet mind you, back into the fight to continue being pummeled. mma bouts last at most 25 minutes.. a boxing match that goes the distance can last up to 40 minutes.. mma bouts consist of several ranges of combat, kicking, punching, clinch, ground, boxing consists of one - punching.. in mma a fighter usually can land about 30 strikes (combination of punches, kicks, knees and elbows) to various areas of the body.. in boxing a fighter can land anywhere from 40-70 punches, usually to the opponents head.. and yes the gloves in mma are a mere 6 oz, and boxing are 12, however a professional boxers punch is 60% more devistating than a mma fighters punch. it's all a boxer does, of course it's going to be more brutal..



3. yes it the beginning of the ufc and still today in some unsanctioned clubs it is glorified street fighting.. but now legitimate mma franchises like the ufc have followed fighting commissions regulations, created rules and trained responsible referees and are taking the best precautions to ensure a safe environment for fighters.



4. mma fighters do focus most of their time and energy on fighting. they concentrate on several aspect of training - martial training (which usually consists of some combination of boxing, kickboxing/muay thai, and bjj/grappling/wrestling) as well as cardio and strength training. each of the seperate arts an mma fighter trains in has been a legitimate form of competition in their own right for decades. non of which has been deemed a lethal form of self defense, but rather sport (i.e. boxing, kickboxing, wrestling).



5. in a reality situation you are not facing an opponent, but rather an attacker, someone who wants to cause you bodily harm.. maiming should not even be a factor. rather survival should be your main goal.

mma doesn't have pain compliance specialization (small joint manipulations are not allowed in mma) however, in a real life situation no one but law enforcement agents should be concerned about pain compliance, civilians, be it martial artists or not, should focus on stun and run methods, gross motor defenses that allow you to survive a real life situation.



6. in martial arts you become a better fighter not due to the art but due to the commitment you give your art. there are traditional martial art styles that don't consist of full contact sparring, or reality scenario training. if you don't know what it's like to be hit for real, you're not going to know what to do when that time comes. if you have never executed your techniques when being completely surprised by an attacker, how will you know whether you are able to work past the shock and adrenaline and remember what you are supposed to do.

depending on the martial art you do, your mentality may change to attack rather than defend.



7. drills and sparring in mixed martial arts are also frequent. your speed improves very quickly on a subconscious level as you do it regularly.



8. now here is where i deviate.. when it comes to mma and traditional martial arts in regards to self defense training i find that both lack greatly. most people join a traditional school with the misconception that they will learn to defend themselves.. yes you may learn that.. after you've learned basic movements, katas and drills which can take years.. mma teaches you to fight in a sport oriented manner, not that you can't use it on the street, but in a reality self defense situation you are not concerned with give and take like in a match.. i've witnessed and observed and researched many traditional martial arts ideas of knife and gun defenses (mma has none) and with the fine motor skill movements and fancy disarms they are just unrealistic and honestly short changing students to make them feel confident with movements that may not have been tested in decades. scenario trainings are minimal and not full speed, environmental elements are non existents (when are you going to get attacked in a full matted room with no debris on the ground) only a few tra

Answer 17

Just my personal opinion, I totally agree. I don't really have that much of a problem with MMA precisely, just UFC and the like. It is too brutal and it disgraces the name of Martial Arts.

Answer 18

the rest of the question is to long so ill answer the main part with yes.

Answer 19

MMA fighters are not thugs. Many well-known fighters, such as Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, have college degrees. Carlos Newton is a doctor in geriatric medicine and actually owns a geriatric care facility. Hidehiko Yoshida represented his country in the Olympics. Mirko Filipovic served as a member of his country's anti-terrorist police, and served as a representitive in parlament. Matt Lindland ren for public office as well during this latest election. Pat Miletich, Matt Hughes, Ken Shamrock and others have worked with or donated to the military. Terry Martin is going for his doctorate degree in Law and tries to keep the local kids off the streets. Genki Sudo is famous for coming into the ring with a banner that says, "We are all one", with all the world's flags on it. Chris Lytle's day job is as a fireman.



Bottom line: MMA fighters are people. You're going to get some guys with a bad attitude, just like all walks in life, but there are more than a few who are excellent role-models, men and women who have families, people who give back to their community.



MMA is actually less dangerous than boxing. If you ever get the chance to check out Compustrike scores, you'll see that MMA fighters take fewer shots to the head, meaning less brain-damage is suffered over the long run. Even boxing's standing eight-count rule basically allows a guy who almost got knocked out to continue fighting. In MMA, if a fighter is knocked down, the referee won't wait too long before stopping the fight. Another factor to consider is that boxing is only strikes, while MMA includes grappling. I've seen matches ended without a single punch or kick being landed.



In MMA, you don't "eat,sleeps and drinks fighting". I know plenty of people who train in MMA and its related systems as a hobby, something to do for fun. They have no ambitions to become MMA champions.



Because MMA training includes both striking and grappling, it allows you to vary the tactics you use, and the amount of force that you use. MMA doesn't generally include the maiming techniques you speak of. Perhaps if a joint lock is applied explosively, but MMA training normally doesn't include biting, gouging, or skin-ripping techniques. MMA allows one to decide whether knocking the opponent out, choking them unconcious, keeping them at bay with jabs or leg kicks, or simply holding them down until help arrives is the best option. That's because MMA training gives one a broader range of tools to deal with all sorts of situations. This is even demostrated in the ring with fighters like Lyoto Machida and Fedor Emilianenko defeating opponents in a number of different ways, based on what tactics are appropriate for that fight.



I have not seen a study where, through any sort of martial arts training, "mentality may change to attack rather than defend". With all due respect, I believe this is a baseless claim.



"The drills and sparring in traditional arts are frequent, your speed improves very quickly on a subconscious level as you do it regularly." If you replace "traditional" with "mixed martial", the same thing is true.



About drills, multiples, etc: MMA teaches you, first and foremost, the practical, pragmatic side of martial arts. The drills and training methods found in MMA training prepare you for a fight at a faster rate than methods that I've found common in "traditional" martial arts. While MMA tends to refer to the sport competition, I've been in classes and seminars where "MMA" was taught as a means of self-defense, including against weapons. The same training methods were used, just new variables were added. You may want to look into people like Mark Hatmaker and Walt Lysak, and even Pat Miletich and see what they've done with their self-defense programs. And the thng is, with MMA, you don't have to wait four years or whatever until you're a brown or black belt. You can start training this stuff from day one.



Incidentally, a friend of mine trained in MMA was jumped by three guys one night. He used the techniques he learned in MMA, like clinch pummeling, ground-and-pound defense, and the basic boxing cover to defend himself. MMA training gets you used to actually fighting someone. You start increasing the numbers, and it's more of a challenge, but the principles are still sound.



MMA isn't about speed and strength, although like any good athletic program these will be developed as well. Technique is the key, just like with all martial arts. Seeing guys like Frank Mir or Shinya Aoki pull off bizare submissions, or guys like Lyoto Machida or Anderson Silva strike with precission and technique should make that abundantly clear.



MMA takes as much discipline as any other martial art. I've known a number of people who have become calmer, increased their focus, quit smoking, etc. as they've progressed through MMA training. I'm not sure where your idea that it was bullying came from. If two guys or ladies both agree to fight in the ring or the cage, nobody is being taken advantage of. In training, it's a very much like a family, and we all try to help each other out. Even after two people from two different gyms fight, they usually embrace one another after the match. It's all about respect.



If you're fit, you can fight better than if you're unfit. One observation I've made in martial arts over the years is that a little knowledge can go a long way. So six months of training in any martial art will give you an edge up over someone with no training, all things being equal. But why would you want to be unfit? If there's one thing MMA does well, it punishes laziness. It makes you fit. And that is better overall for your lifestyle.



"I also understand the importance of learning two or three different martial arts (not several like MMA)"... just what do you think MMA is? MMA fighters train in two or three martial arts, generally speaking. Lyoto Machida trains in Sumo, Shotokan, and Brazilian Jiujitsu. BJ Penn trains in Brazilian Jiujitsu, wrestling, and boxing. Fedor Emilianenko trains in Judo, Sambo, and Muay Thai. Jens Pulver trains in boxing and wrestling. Marcus Davis trains in boxing and Brazilian Jiujitsu. Kid Yamamoto trains in wrestling and kick boxing. Anderson Silva trains in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and Taekwondo. Most MMA fighters have been training one discipline since they were children, and being something of an expert at that, expand into the realm of what they don't know. That sounds like what you're recommending. So I can't really tell what you're getting at here.



I'm not sure where your perception of MMA comes from, but it seems colored by vast amounts of misinformation. MMA and its many facets are far from perfect, but you're talking like someone who's entire knowledge of the subject comes from seeing a few clips on TV, or reading what a non-MMA person has said about it. I hope the information I've shared has helped you better understand what MMA is all about. I would suggest that you stop by an MMA gym and train for a little bit. Who knows, you may even *gasp!* enjoy yourself.