Matt Wallis
New member
Well, after being cable TV-less for most of my life and never getting to see much UFC, I was lent a tape of highlight fights from the first 3 years of UFC competition. That's right, I watched 6 hours of UFC in two days!
First, here are my biases in evaluating UFC... I have a first dan in traditional (i.e. no point competition sparring, ITF style) Taekwondo. I am currently studying medieval European MA consisting of longsword, dagger and grappling/wrestling from 14th and 15th century German manuals (in translation). I have never fought or sparred full contact (I know, I know... It's a problem I want to remedy) or really done any competition sparring.
So what did I think? Well, the first year was the best season and after that it seemed to go downhill. It was only in the first competition or two that I thought we really got to see what striking and grappling arts could do. It had the most look of being like a real life "Bloodsport" and seemed the most "no holds barred."
Here's my thoughs on grappling. In the first year, Gracie dominated, using his BJJ. In the years after the grappling tended to suck. Here's why, IMHO. Gracie used his BJJ as a martial art. He had trained it as his way of attacking and defeating his opponents. After that it seemed that people gappled for only one of two reasons. Either it was to defend against someone bear-hugging or tackling them, or they would simply go to a clinch/grapple to keep from getting hit. Once there, they would continue to "wrestle" even when they could pull back and strike. I saw times when one guy was clinging to the wire mesh fence with his back to his opponent. The other guy (often someone who was supposed to be a power hitter) would simply hold on to the first guy in a bear hug or clinch. Why not, if you're such a power hitter, step back and pummel the guy in the kidneys or side of the head while his back was turned? Ridiculous!
Which brings me to the striking. Despite the fact that Gracie dominated in the first couple of competitions, some decent martial artists showed how effective good striking could be. I saw one guy take out a much larger sumo type guy with an overhead knifehand to the face. It floored the bigger opponent. Literally sat him on his @$$. And I saw very effective kicks. Low roundhouses to the leg which "chopped down" bigger opponents. And I even saw an effective high kick used twice (in different matches). It was a front kick to the chest. Both times it lifted the opponent off his feet and threw him backwards. Both times it was a very quick kick that left little openings. You're telling me if that fight was in a bar where the guy was going to crash into a bunch of stools and tables and come down on a tile floor that wouldn't be an effective technique? Don't you believe it. Elbows also seemed very effective, though in later matches I thought they had become over-rated.
Overall, this is what I took away from it. You have to know how to grapple. Because when people don't want to get hit (which they don't ) they will instinctivly go to the clinch, or tackle you. But you only wrestle so that you can get out of a clinch! You need power hitting to take someone out.
Well, what do you folks think?
Regards,
Matt Wallis
First, here are my biases in evaluating UFC... I have a first dan in traditional (i.e. no point competition sparring, ITF style) Taekwondo. I am currently studying medieval European MA consisting of longsword, dagger and grappling/wrestling from 14th and 15th century German manuals (in translation). I have never fought or sparred full contact (I know, I know... It's a problem I want to remedy) or really done any competition sparring.
So what did I think? Well, the first year was the best season and after that it seemed to go downhill. It was only in the first competition or two that I thought we really got to see what striking and grappling arts could do. It had the most look of being like a real life "Bloodsport" and seemed the most "no holds barred."
Here's my thoughs on grappling. In the first year, Gracie dominated, using his BJJ. In the years after the grappling tended to suck. Here's why, IMHO. Gracie used his BJJ as a martial art. He had trained it as his way of attacking and defeating his opponents. After that it seemed that people gappled for only one of two reasons. Either it was to defend against someone bear-hugging or tackling them, or they would simply go to a clinch/grapple to keep from getting hit. Once there, they would continue to "wrestle" even when they could pull back and strike. I saw times when one guy was clinging to the wire mesh fence with his back to his opponent. The other guy (often someone who was supposed to be a power hitter) would simply hold on to the first guy in a bear hug or clinch. Why not, if you're such a power hitter, step back and pummel the guy in the kidneys or side of the head while his back was turned? Ridiculous!
Which brings me to the striking. Despite the fact that Gracie dominated in the first couple of competitions, some decent martial artists showed how effective good striking could be. I saw one guy take out a much larger sumo type guy with an overhead knifehand to the face. It floored the bigger opponent. Literally sat him on his @$$. And I saw very effective kicks. Low roundhouses to the leg which "chopped down" bigger opponents. And I even saw an effective high kick used twice (in different matches). It was a front kick to the chest. Both times it lifted the opponent off his feet and threw him backwards. Both times it was a very quick kick that left little openings. You're telling me if that fight was in a bar where the guy was going to crash into a bunch of stools and tables and come down on a tile floor that wouldn't be an effective technique? Don't you believe it. Elbows also seemed very effective, though in later matches I thought they had become over-rated.
Overall, this is what I took away from it. You have to know how to grapple. Because when people don't want to get hit (which they don't ) they will instinctivly go to the clinch, or tackle you. But you only wrestle so that you can get out of a clinch! You need power hitting to take someone out.
Well, what do you folks think?
Regards,
Matt Wallis