Perhaps an Argument for Chiropractors

It seems like everyone has to know a little bit about jiu jitsu and also have a sort of a major/minor skill. Guys who's "major" is boxing or kickboxing need to have enough wrestling skills to fight off takedowns so they can stay standing and do what they do best and they have to have enough jiu jitsu to avoid being submitted if they end up on the ground (Chuck Liddel is like that). Guys who major in wrestling need to have enough boxing/elbows and forearms to actually do some damage once they control a guy in the clinch or take him down (Randy Couture is like that). You don't see much karate or tae kwon do in MMA, I think because those skills are covered and I guess bested by boxing/kickboxing/muay thai, but guys who know karate or tae kwon do are going to learn those boxing/kickboxing/muay thai skills quickly. There are some guys who adapted Judo moves to work without the gi and use their Judo skills very effectively (Karo Parisian is like that). The brawlers like Tank Abbott who used to do really well in MMA are losing ground because the submission game has improved among most fighters significantly. I'm amazed at how interesting MMA is because it's constantly evolving, yet is about as elemental idea as exists anywhere. Fighting and running are about the most important physical skills and basis for competition that there are.

 

I have not followed it that closely in the last few years. I used to watch it early on when Royce Gracie was winning and when Dan Severn and Marco Ruas were competing.

I think the bottom line is something that all martial artists should have always known. The best figther is the one who is the most rounded and balanced. It is not enough to be good at one thing you need to learn it all.

One important point though is that in the UFC anyway there are certain rules that limit strikers. You are not allowed to kick while your opponent is down and you can not strike directly for joints. I think in a real fight going to the ground and grappling is not something you want to do anyway. Who knows if they have a friend around.

 

Definitely certain fight organizations' rules favor certain styles more than others. Pride is I guess UFC's nearest competitor. In UFC you can kick to the body when your opponent is down, but not the head, in Pride you can kick to the head when he's down. It's confusing for the fighters who fight in both organizations and I've seen guys get disqualified for forgetting the rules and going off on somebody's head.

In a real fight, it totally depends on the particular situation. A lot of people know a little about striking, but not many people know how to break someone's arm in an armbar or understand what's happening when it's coming. Like you said, being well rounded is the best way to put the fight where you need it to be.

 

go visit dr mike duffy at greenapple sports medicine. tell duffy that Bill the toothmaker sent you. they are not quacks.

 

Even though the fighters were not as good early on the first few UFCs were really cool. There were almost no rules. I still remember when that kenpo karate guy landed a ridge hand on the temple of that sumo wrestler. A 600 pound man went down like a light. I think that was UFC 3.