UFC 129 toronto GSP-Shields

[SPX]

[MMA_scientist]

Video down already... that was quick.

[SPX]

What the fuck? How the fuck did the UFC have any copyright claim to that shit?

[SPX]

ok... i guess since a few guys have made karate basd styles work, that means anything is possible. I could make the same argument about chi balls or hadukens or disappearing and levitating ninjas or something. We will never see a wrist lock throw in mma, because it is bullshit... it doesn't work even on untrained people. Its not elitism, it is plain truth. There may be some elements or philosophies that can help someone who is already trained though... I think that is true of most martial arts. So it may be that Segal really did provide some sort of "be like water" type of philosophy that helps these guys but for actuall finer points of a technique or timing... no. Aikido is not even really a martial art, it is like tai chi or yoga to most of the practioners.

That said, I support Steven Segal and hope he continues to train fighters and get credit.

I typed up a long response to this yesterday, but it got wiped out by one of those goddamned database errors that frequently plagues this place. So let me try again.

As far as Aikido goes, I agree that a lot of it seems impractical. But I will also say that my knowledge of Aikido is pretty surface-level so I'd need to take some time to really see what all there is to it to know what might work and what won't. Don't cops use a lot of Aikido-esque stuff to control suspects?

The point about karate is the truth. Just a few years ago EVERYONE in the MMA community shit on karate and pretty much any other traditional martial art. Then along came Machida who used it to go all the way to the UFC championship. There's also Ryan Jimmo, who is now the MFC champ. And now Makdessi is on the scene. And that's not even to count GSP, who can train with Phil Nurse all he wants, but when you watch him fight it's obvious his striking base is something other than MT. But Kyokushin has always been looked at differently than Shotokan or similar variants.

Judo is similar. Before Karo you didn't really hear anyone talk about Judo in MMA. Then he came along, and then a few others, and now Judo is talked about frequently as a useful skill in the sport.

So what's next? I mean, I doubt we'll ever see an Aikido stylist who uses Aikido to go far in the UFC. Or tai chi or monkey kung fu or any other impractical style. But I could possibly see someone figuring out how to adapt wing chun for MMA. Or how about Hapkido? I could see one of these guys deciding to do MMA and cross-training accordingly:

[Svino]

Was anyone ever really crapping on Judo? Let's face it, the BJJ moves are all in the Judo library, they just train with a different emphasis. Also, Sambo isn't really that different from Judo, and there's Fedor.

[SPX]

I don't think anyone really shit on Judo, but there just wasn't much talk about it. And the Judo stylists who entered in the early UFCs didn't do that hot. But today I hear quite a bit about Judo on forums and shit. One thing I've noticed is that it only takes one or two guys who use a style successfully in MMA for that style to suddenly be respected in the fan community. "He's a 3rd degree Shotokan blackbelt" either would go unmentioned as any sort of legitimate credential for MMA a few years ago, or it would be said derisively. I think there's still a good bit of that, but the situation is certainly different now than it used to be.

[SPX]

They reunited most of the Karate Kid cast for this one:

This was pretty cool. Thanks for posting. The tournament scene at the end was bad ass.

Those guys really don't look much older than they did 25 years ago.

[Svino]

Those guys really don't look much older than they did 25 years ago.

Yeah, Ralph Macchio in particular. Dude is in his mid-late 40s and I could have easily confused him for a guy in his 20s there.

[Ludo]

Yeah, Ralph Macchio in particular. Dude is in his mid-late 40s and I could have easily confused him for a guy in his 20s there.

Emanuelle Lewis looks about the same too.

[Svino]

Emanuelle Lewis looks about the same too.

LOL. Fun fact: Emanuelle Lewis is a 1st degree black-belt in TKD under Billy Blanks.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_15_100/ai_78790434/

[Ludo]

LOL. Fun fact: Emanuelle Lewis is a 1st degree black-belt in TKD under Billy Blanks.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...0/ai_78790434/

I didn't know they gave out belts in Tae Bo.

[MMA_scientist]

I don't think anyone really shit on Judo, but there just wasn't much talk about it. And the Judo stylists who entered in the early UFCs didn't do that hot. But today I hear quite a bit about Judo on forums and shit. One thing I've noticed is that it only takes one or two guys who use a style successfully in MMA for that style to suddenly be respected in the fan community. "He's a 3rd degree Shotokan blackbelt" either would go unmentioned as any sort of legitimate credential for MMA a few years ago, or it would be said derisively. I think there's still a good bit of that, but the situation is certainly different now than it used to be.

I don't know, I always saw judo as viable. I think the difference is that "judo black belt" or 1st dan or whatever they call it, really doesn't mean much or earn the respect the way a bjj bb does. I think that is fair though, as you can get a judo blackbelt in a couple of years of regular training, whereas a bjj bb would GENERALLY require 8-12 years of regular training. I mean a lot of these bjj guys from brazil are also judo blackbelts (little known fact, Judo is actually more popular in Brazil than BJJ). But when someone comes in with actual judo cred (not just rank) it is talked about.

As for tai chi and aikido... I think they can be successful in the same way capoeira has some practitioners. It gives you balance and coordination. If you also know what you are doing for real and not just Aikido, you can start to add in some crazy techniques like Anderson Silva does. But as for an actual base style that is functional, I really do not see that happening. There are some things that just are not viable, and Aikido is one of those things. It can help in the same way yoga or ballet or gymnastics helps. They don't even train resistance... so I dont' see how it can be effective. It is like saying cardio kickboxing or tae bo is effective, minus the cardio.

I never saw karate as the same type of thing. To me, there are core arts that you know are effective: Wrestling, BJJ, Judo, Sambo, Muy Thai, kickboxing, Boxing. Then there are arts you think could work if trained properly, in that category I put Karate, Savate, Kung Fu, TKD, Japanese Jujitsu, and a few other things. Then there is stuff that is just bullshit, like ninjitsu, Aikido and anything decribed as "too deadly for mma."

I guess I am just jaded from seeing so many of these clowns steal money from thier minions and teach them nothing while lying to them. About 6 times a year someone with a TMA background will wander into the gym any just be shocked that they are totally helpless... I generally think that most TMA people are scam artists. Many of these guys prey upon the type of people who seek that stuff out and then fill their heads with nonsense. It sia cult mentality, and when I see these Aikido guys flying across the room because of the master's touch, it irritates me.

[MMA_scientist]

Just read the comments in this video... that pretty much sums up everything you need to know about Aikido

:

[Svino]

Just read the comments in this video... that pretty much sums up everything you need to know about Aikido

Reading comments like that always makes me long for the old-school days of style vs. style UFC events. It also makes me frustrated that we can't get more of these people involved in MMA betting.

I have a friend who has been into Aikido for a decade or so. I have to suppress my eye-rolls around him, although they do some actual sparring. He clearly does have some skill in what I would call "Judo", but I'm sure he's picked it up at a far far slower rate than if he were training it properly.

[zY|]

I looked up Emmanuel Lewis and I still have no idea who he is.