Ultimate Fighting

[Motokid]

I'm not sure if this should be in the television and movie forum or not...much depends on where this discussion goes.

Anybody watch, and or care to voice their humble opinions on Ultimate Fighting. If you are not familiar with the term:

Think a controled street fight. The event takes place in "The Octagon" not a conventional boxing ring. The fighters wear the very minimum "gloves". The finger tips are exposed and there might be a quarter of an inch of padding on the knuckles but that's it. No head gear. Nothing on the feet. Full contact with feet, knees, elbows and of coarse punching is allowed. About the only thing not allowed is direct assault on the groin, no eye gouging, no biting and no finger or toe bending. Everything else is fair game. It's real. The fights mostly end in knock-out, or by the loser "submitting" when they are at risk of either having a limb broken or dislocated through leverage, or they could be choked out. Yes, choking is permitted.

It's a combination of full contact karate, wrestling, kick boxing, and toe-to-toe boxing. Most of the champions are mixed martial arts champions. Some of it gets very difficult to watch on occasions because it is quite brutal at times. Modern day gladiators is quite appropriate as a title.

There is a referee to maintain control, and stop the match at submission or based on their opinion of the way the match is going.

I can see this discussion going in a few directions. Do you watch it? Do you think events like this should be acceptable in a "civilized" society? Should they be shown on TV? Have you seen the reality type show on Spike TV that grooms the next up and coming stars and awards the winners with a contract to fight in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)?

I can provide a link to the UFC website should anyone want to check this out.

I'll let the mods decide where to put this thread, but since I think most don't watch this I believe the thread will head in the direction of debating why this type of thing even exists.


Here's the link: http://www.ufc.tv/

For anyone interested there is a fight on Monday October 3rd at 9:00pm east coast time on Spike TV. If you are a boxing fan you owe it to yourself to watch this.

 

[RitalinKid]

I've recently become a fan, MK. A guy I work with has actually beaten Frank Shamrock. He has now taken me under his wing, and I'm learning his brand of fighting, which is a mix of Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling and Boxing.

I used to think the UFC was senseless violence, but the minute you learn just a little of what's going on, it becomes a giant, fast-paced chess game. I really like learning to fight. It feels like something I should have learned a lot earlier in life.

More on this later... gotta run... to something I don't even really want to go to. Later, MK.

 

[Motokid]

Watching my kids, along with so many others every week take Kempo Karate I am really getting an appreciation for the martial arts. The skill and attention required to defend oneself is really fascinating.

The UFC is really amazing to watch. I'm not sure if it's senseless or not, but I'd rather have these guys fighting in the octagon with ref's and some control verses having them out in the bars or on the streets doing the same thing....

Glad you spoke up RK....and glad to see you back at TBF a bit more....you've been absent a bit these last few months...

 

[Twilite]

I watched it a little while ago but got bored rather quickly. The men spend most of the time just holding onto each other with the occassional jab to the ribs with a fist or a knee, then lots more grappling.
I thought the drunks I see fighting outside the nightclubs or in the school halls would be more effective; pummelling and scrapping as fast and furiously as possible?

Or did I just see a boring fight?

 

[RitalinKid]

90% of all fights end up on the ground. Grappling is essential to fighting. You can go back and watch the first UFC events, and the guys that didn't know how to grapple got beat. You have to know grappling and submission holds. Yeah, sure, it's not the most exciting thing to watch sometimes, but it's essential. After you learn a little bit about fighting, the two drunk guys outside the tavern start to get boring because you can tell they're ignorant when it comes to fighting.

What I really like about UFC and learning to fight is it feels like connecting with something from the past. At one time, fighting was absolutely essential to human existence. We know from observing people that have been cut off from the rest of the world that if you came across someone you didn't know or weren't related to then you fought to the death. Self defense is one of the most basic skills; in our relatively peaceful modern society, we sometimes forget that you should have some clue as to how to defend yourself.

Google some stuff about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the Gracie family. Very interesting stuff.

 

[SFG75]

Absolute proof that evolution is moving backwards. Watching two thuggish-brain stems duke it out isn't my cup of tea.

 

[Twilite]

We flicked straight from UFC to WWF wresting, it was amusing how childish wresting looks anyway after not having watched it for a good few years, but after watching a guy actually get punched in the face, it had a whole new light to it!

 

[RitalinKid]

Absolute proof that evolution is moving backwards. Watching two thuggish-brain stems duke it out isn't my cup of tea.

There is an art to defending yourself or in subduing a man in a matter of seconds. Some of the best fights aren't even that violent. The best ones usually begin with a quick kick or punch and quickly move into a lightning fast flurry of grappling holds with the best man forcing the other to submit. Occasionally, you'll get a fight with one man bashing another man's head in, but please, it's not thuggish. You don't have to give it a negative label just because you don't like it. For instance, rich or high-class people partake in fencing. Is fighting more barbaric than competing in the art of stabbing someone? No. Yet, fencing probably doesn't suffer the same negative perceptions.

As a side note, Karate means "empty hand" because it was developed as a peasant (people sans weapons) response to the Samurai class (who had weapons). However, I think Jiu Jitsu is a much better (read as "more practical and more effective") hand to hand style.

 

[Motokid]

Great posts RK. Very nice analogy with fencing.

If you saw a boring UFC fight I'd have to question which one it was. Was it part of the "reality" show on Spike? They had a really bad one on two weeks ago. The one that just aired this past Monday was pretty intense.

Tomorrow (Oct. 3rd) at 9:00pm east coast time Spike TV will air another fight. I'd ask you to watch this special as I'm sure it'll have some intensity...

 

[Motokid]

ok..I saw the first two fights and had to tape the rest for viewing later today. The first two fights were pretty damn good. I also just happened to catch Spike's pre-show "Best UFC Knock-outs" show....wow....some real intense action....modern day gladiators to be sure....

Did you catch any of it RitalinKid?

 

[Aardvark]

I do some kickboxing and have just started sparing. I know kick is not the same as UFC fights but having sparred and been punched in the face a couple of times (must keep guard up and remember to move more) it does give you a greater appreciation of fighting and what’s involved.

I agree with the grappling thing, it’s an important part of UFC style fights. If you have an opponent who’s got the strength and stamina to keep raining punches on you round after round you’ve either got to punch back just as hard and see who lasts longest or grapple with them to overpower them and get your submission.

Well it sounds good in theory but for now I’ll stick to my relatively soft kickbox sparing sessions and leave UFC to the pro’s

 

[RitalinKid]

ok..I saw the first two fights and had to tape the rest for viewing later today. The first two fights were pretty damn good. I also just happened to catch Spike's pre-show "Best UFC Knock-outs" show....wow....some real intense action....modern day gladiators to be sure....

Did you catch any of it RitalinKid?

I got the fights on DVR. There were some really good ones. Griffin had a textbook fight. Once he took that Canuck to the ground, you could've used his fight for a primer.

I really liked that new heavy weight guy, the guy from Texas. He had some really quick hands.

That Russian Sambo fighter was really good too.

 

[Libre]

...I used to think the UFC was senseless violence, but the minute you learn just a little of what's going on, it becomes a giant, fast-paced chess game.

I play chess. In chess, choking is most definitely against the rules.
I guess I'm falling into the category of people that think that there are better ways of spending one's time than either watching or especially participting in this.

 

[Motokid]

It is certainly not a sport for everyone, and I was expecting to find very few at this forum who would admit to watching it.

I was really expecting a debate on why this type of thing is even allowed to exist.

 

[ruby]

It is certainly not a sport for everyone, and I was expecting to find very few at this forum who would admit to watching it.

I was really expecting a debate on why this type of thing is even allowed to exist.

I dont watch it!
Not my type of sport at all!
Its a horrible sport but each to there own!

 

[Motokid]

Is it any more horrible than boxing....which is, and has been an Olympic sport for at least as long as I've been alive?

 

[ruby]

Is it any more horrible than boxing....which is, and has been an Olympic sport for at least as long as I've been alive?

I dont like boxing either!
Two grown men knocking shit out of each other!
To me thats not sport!
Give me a game of football any day!

 

[Motokid]

Give me a game of football any day!

At least in boxing, and UFC, the athletes are beating the shit out of each other, and not the stadiums full of drunkin' fans......

 

[Kookamoor]

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.

 

[Motokid]

I knew this thread was probably a stinker in/at this forum...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). There's a place within walking distance of where I live. I might check into Kung-Fu (my preferance) but I think the distance I would have to travel for Kung-fu will make my mind up for me.

I too find boxing boring as shit....always have....but UFC is a whole different beast...it's awesome to watch and try to think about what you would do in fight situation like that. One thing I learned Monday night was how vicious an elbow can be.