Ultimate Fighting

[Kookamoor]

but now look....kook has joined in....how friggin cool???

My girls are about half way through the program with kempo. The are both getting close to brown belt, and both want to quit. If they do quit I am seriously thinking about starting...although I might go with Tang Su Do.(spelling).

If your girls are getting sick of the martial arts, why not say 'take a break' for a few months. Ask them again in the new year if they'd like to go back. Even if they don't, they may enjoy it more in a few years. I know I find drills kinda boring at times, but I understand the greater purpose and get a lot out of breaking down the forms and the applications. I don't think I would have appreciated that when I was in my early teens.

Tang Su Do? I don't think I've heard of that... I love kung fu, but so much depends on the teacher, I think. I went to a martial arts seminar a few months back and we went over some different styles. I must say I was fairly unimpressed by karate, but jujitsu and aikido were both intriguing. I didn't think much of the teachers, though. I'm going to be looking for a new school in a few months when I move back to Oz, and it's a little daunting. My school here is very traditional, and it's going to be hard to find one that meets my very high expectations.

If you are interested in pursuing any martial art, just be sure it's not a McDojo.

 

[Aardvark]

I can appreciate that a lot of people dislike watching fights be it UFC, kickboxing or any of the myriad of martial arts styles. With all full contact fights serious and lasting damage can be done. That is a risk that the participants are presumably aware of and accept before stepping into the ring.

As to should full contact fighting be banned, I think the genie has been out of the bottle far too long and bans and legislation would only drive these fights underground.

My own interest with fighting is the fitness and discipline that is required to perform at a high level. My preferred sport is Triathlon, which apart from the odd accidental kick or punch during mass swim starts, doesn’t require any fighting skills.

I now kick box because it gives me a good anaerobic workout, which I wasn’t getting in my previous training regime. I also spar but because I don’t want to risk injury I doubt I’ll ever enter a contest.
I do watch fights, mainly kick, and all the while they are conducted without bias to either opponent and the weaker opponent can submit and leave the fight at will I’ll continue to watch.

 

[Kookamoor]

As to should full contact fighting be banned, I think the genie has been out of the bottle far too long and bans and legislation would only drive these fights underground.

This is a really good point - why do people want to fight in the first place? Often I would think it's about proving oneself and about "showing what you've got". Frankly, isn't it better that these people get on TV and get their egotistical boost in a controlled scenario rather than having underground 'Fight Clubs'?

I don't really see any dissenters on this thread, so this is possibly a pointless post because there IS no argument at this stage. Is there controversy about UFC? I haven't seen any.... Moto?

 

[RitalinKid]

I despise boxing, but I do watch UFC occassionally and enjoy it. Boxing seems to be more about brutality, whereas UFC appears to involve a lot more tactics. It isn't just about the force and direction of your punch, but about wearing your opponent down and seeing an opening.

I've been learning kung fu for 2 years now, and we freespar frequently, though we try and avoid facial contact. The one thing that I have learnt from UFC is that you have to fight *your* way. If you try and emulate or adopt the methods of your opponent you are sure to lose. If you're an upright fighter trying to beat a grappler, don't try and grapple to win. My fighting style is about targets, not just brute force. I will never overpower a 6'4'' muscular man, but I stand a damn good chance of taking out a knee or catching a pressure point in the throat.

Not sure whether your debate has any oomph, Moto. I think the men involved in UFC bring it upon themselves, and who are the viewers to say whether they are dumb-arses or not? If you don't like it, don't watch it (I don't watch boxing, for example). For my two cents, having watched the Ultimate Fighter reality show a bit, it's better that the arrogant, pigheaded men are duking it out under controlled conditions, rather than trying to prove themselves in a bar with less willing combatants.

Great post, Kook. I find UFC way more satisfying than boxing. UFC isn't about who's best at doing it one particular way. It's about who's the best. I also like that most of the fights have a clear winner. That's not always so in boxing. In the UFC, those guys are not fighting for points. They all want that KO.

On the subject of taking on bigger men . . . Are you familiar with Gracie Jiu Jitsu? The first UFC event was won by Royce Gracie; he went untouched. THe guy is 6'2", 174 lb. He was the smallest guy there, but the fact that Gracie Jiu Jitsu is based on leverage and speed allowed him to dominate. Now, almost all fighters have to learn to grapple because if a grappler tangles you up and gets you on the ground you're dead if you don't know the right submission moves or how to pass guard, etc. The majority of fights, including bar brawls end up on the ground, so it's worth knowing how to and practicing the art of fighting. Anybody can be attacked at any time, so it's very practical knowledge.

 

[Motokid]

I don't really see any dissenters on this thread, so this is possibly a pointless post because there IS no argument at this stage. Is there controversy about UFC? I haven't seen any.... Moto?

I wonder if the thread title leads people to believe it's about the fighting going on in TBF and not a television show/sport thing....maybe I should ask the mods to move thread to the TV/Movie forum???

What do you think?

 

[RitalinKid]

The thread can be both, MotoKid. Screw it. Who cares anyway?

Did you catch the pay-per-view last night? Good one. Really good one. Riggs was throwing some really heavy hands.

Did you hear about the Boston cop that was in it? Sean Gannon. We downloaded his underground movie during the fight. He got his ass handed to him, but he really does have one heckuva chin.

And Andrei Arlovsky! That guy is just an animal.

 

[Kookamoor]

I wonder if the thread title leads people to believe it's about the fighting going on in TBF and not a television show/sport thing....maybe I should ask the mods to move thread to the TV/Movie forum???

What do you think?

Ha! I don't think members are putting rear naked chokes on each other just yet I think see where this thread goes, and if it continues to be centred around the TV broadcast then ask for it to be moved. Someone may still like to comment on the concept itself yet.

 

[Sonny673]

I'll start with the show on Spike TV.

I loved the show and got into it until I had to go to college, in which my television watching days ended. The reality show part of it really hooked me with me wanting to see what was going to happen to each person each week. The fights on the show weren't bad. You can't really expect much since they are amateurs in a way.

Now, on to the actually UFC Pay-Per-View fighting. My friend and I rented two of the DVDs a while back, and we loved them. The DVD that I remember so vividly was the one with Tito vs. Chuck Liddel. I thought Tito would be much better since he talked a lot of shit, and even said that when he gets going he goes insane. When the fight actually started, Chuck Liddel was all over him, and Tito really didn't seem to have his mind in the fight. Overall it was a good fight, but Tito talked a whole lot more than what he showed.

What I love about it is all the different styles people show, and I love guessing which one will triumph and seeing if I was right.

 

[Motokid]

So far the first season of the Spike reality show was much much better. The second season (which is on now) has really been a bummer pretty much with the exception of the Jorge fight two weeks ago.

 

[Kookamoor]

So far the first season of the Spike reality show was much much better. The second season (which is on now) has really been a bummer pretty much with the exception of the Jorge fight two weeks ago.

It's bad for a reality show, but the fighters have better ethics - they aren't the beer swilling agressive pigs that last season were. This season is more about the fighting and less about the background stuff. These fighters set a much better example.

Oh, and the fight last week with Luke was *awesome*. He beat the tar out of the other guy and showed all his doubters that he was one to beat. I always like to see the strange one get up.

 

[Sonny673]

Is Luke the one who meditates and must sleep with his legs pointing in a certain direction? If so, I'm so glad to hear he kicked ass. Everyone else was laughing at him and thinking he was going to be a first one gone.

 

[Leolioness4200]

I never did watch UF before I met my boyfriend but he's into that type of stuff so now I'm a fan and I love it...it's not like wrestling which is to me nothing but entertainment...UF you actually get to see blood and that's the whole reason I like to watch a fight... that and to see who is the winner.

 

[Kookamoor]

Is Luke the one who meditates and must sleep with his legs pointing in a certain direction? If so, I'm so glad to hear he kicked ass. Everyone else was laughing at him and thinking he was going to be a first one gone.

Yep! That's the one!! I think he's gaining some more respect now.

I never did watch UF before I met my boyfriend but he's into that type of stuff so now I'm a fan and I love it...it's not like wrestling which is to me nothing but entertainment...UF you actually get to see blood and that's the whole reason I like to watch a fight... that and to see who is the winner.

I assume you mean amateur wrestling, because in the WWE you see a fair bit of blood... But I know what you mean - real competition is very different.

 

[Kookamoor]

Am presently watching the UFC reality show.

Luke: "Eating this pizza is like having sex with a fat prostitute".



He's still the weird one!

 

[RitalinKid]

A coworker that irritates everybody may becoming to practice with us tomorrow night. My teacher is already telling us how he wants us to submit him . . . if he shows up. Fun.

 

[Kookamoor]

Hazaa!

Spoiler

Luke is into the final after a knockout!!

Wooooo!

 

[Motokid]

Kook, can you please tell me what the hell is wrong with all the heavyweights? Are they so scared of the potential knock-out power? Are they scared of the one big hit? I have not seen the fight you refered to yet. But all I can think is the middleweights have it all over the heavyweights this season.

 

[Kookamoor]

Kook, can you please tell me what the hell is wrong with all the heavyweights? Are they so scared of the potential knock-out power? Are they scared of the one big hit? I have not seen the fight you refered to yet. But all I can think is the middleweights have it all over the heavyweights this season.

Yeah the heavyweight fights have been *really* boring so far. They tend to be more boxing matches with the occasional upright clinch as they try to get into positon to grapple, but can't get their opponent on the ground. I haven't been watching the heavyweight fights so much because they're boring. I'm not sure why they're using this tactic, I don't think I know enough about UFC to really say. They seem to lack cardio fitness to keep going and get exhausted a lot more quickly thanthe middleweights. You've *got* to see last night's fight - awesome!

Next week it looks good too. There's 3 middleweights and 3 heavyweights left and so next week one of the heavyweights is fighting a middleweight. They showed a preview of the fight and it looks really good - a lot of energy and action, which has really been lacking in the heavyweight fights.

 

[leckert]

I have always liked boxing. At one point I could tell you the top 20 ranked heavyweights by name. (no longer!). I feel that it is becoming too money-centric, though, and I am begining to doubt the legitimacy of some fights.

To answer one of Kook's earlier questions, though, about why we fight at all: I think, at least in my experience, it is a rage issue. Haven't you ever been so mad that you just want to pound the ever loving gorilla piss out of someone? The pugulist arts refine and control this rage, and make it a thing of beauty, and a test of strength, endurance, and tactics. I think UFC does this better than any at the moment.

The first UFC bout I watched was on pay per view about ten years ago. I was completely unprepared for it. I assumed it was going to be something like "Professional" Wrestling. The brutality made me very uncomfortable. I think it is an acquired taste, at least for me it was. I'm not as big a fan as RK, but I do enjoy watching sweaty men grapple with each other in their tights.

 

[Motokid]

The ufc of 10 years ago is completely different than today. They are better sanctioned, better referreed, better trained, and they have a few rules that are strictly enforced. I've seen some older fights and they are brutal. The newer stuff on TV today is marketed very well, yet still has a raw reality that boxing is lacking. Watch Spike TV on Staurday nights from 9:00pm until 11:00pm. They show highlights of fights, and then the rerun of the UFC2 reality show.

You'll dig it. Maybe have some fried ice cream while you watch