What is your opinon on Mixed Martial Arts and Ulitimate Fighting (UFC)?
Posted by admin on Apr 8, 2008 in Martial Arts |
bstnredsox3312 asked:
I have to do a project on violence in sports and I was wondering what everybody’s opinon stands on UFC and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). I want to know if you think it is immoral and wrong or not. Details would be nice if you could.
Cartoons
I have to do a project on violence in sports and I was wondering what everybody’s opinon stands on UFC and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). I want to know if you think it is immoral and wrong or not. Details would be nice if you could.
Cartoons
a ridiculous, testosterone-driven, pathetic excuse of martial arts portrayal. it kind of demeans the whole purpose and idealogy of the martial arts.
but hey, who cares about ancient systems and timeless values created by masters that these UFC weenies couldn’t even touch?
just saying.
I dont think that MMA is anymore imoral than boxing. And most of the guys in there love to fight. Look at them hug each other after a fight. There good sports. They are athletes that enjoy fighting and train to become better fighters.
The MMA fighters are there for us in the same vain as the Gladiators were there for the Romans. The main difference, of course, is that there is no thumbs down. I wouldnt call it immoral but quite the oppositte. It allows the viewer to be able to do sort of a venting of their own adrenaline and in this release there is a satisfaction that is similar to way one feels after watching a good football game. So as long as they keep the same precautions that they have now it is a moral thing.
If you’re doing a paper on it you should really look into John McCain’s stance on the UFC. He virtually shut them down for quite a few years, forcing them underground because of Pay Per View restriction because of the violence of the sport. To appease the congress the UFC implemented weight classes, rounds (before matches were untimed), and certain saftey rules (ie no kicking a fighter on the ground). I’m sure researching this issue of the UFC’s past will help you with your paper.
personally I love the sport of it.
I really don’t think MMA is that violent. It is a form of competition that pits one man against another in a test of skills, not violence. The winner is ultimately the one who has the superior training and skills. Most of the time MMA fighters cause their opponents to submit, that is, to tap out as a sign that he gives up. Knockouts do happen, just not as often and decision wins are rare.
The fights in MMA competition are very much controlled. The referee is in charge of the action and he keeps both fighters on the up and up throughout the fight. The referees are experienced and vigilant to keep a very close eye on the action and to jump into the middle of it and stop the fight the moment one fighter is unable to adequately defend himself. This is an area that boxing, for instance, is lacking in. In boxing, referees will stop the action when a fighter is hurt and give him a standing eight count to allow him to continue, if possible. This practice has resulted many times in the deaths of boxers who took way too much punishment than they should have been allowed to. No one has ever, to my knowledge, died as a result of competing in MMA competition.
There is a saying in MMA circles: The more you tap, the more you learn. It is really true. We sometimes learn the greatest lessons from our mistakes and it is often the mistakes a fighter makes during competition that cause him to have to tap out. The smart fighter learns from his mistakes and becomes a better fighter in the process.
There is nothing immoral about competition. It’s just a sport. Some may like it, others may not like it, but to call it immoral is just plain ignorant.
I don’t think it is immoral at all. The safety of the fighters is the top priority and they show sportsmanlike behavior most of the time. I think the ability of a man to fight with skill while the adrenaline is going and show respect when it’s done is a sign of civilization.
I wouldn’t take a little girls oppinion of MMA, in rockr, or whatever her name is. But to answer your question: I believe that I have been watching UFC since 2000, and that Chuck Liddel is going to ICE Rampage Jackson on Saturday.
Hell no its not violent! UFC is the best! Ya they still have rules and it can be deadly but thats like any sport, racing or anything! Its not immoral either! These athletes train for years since like their high school years! Like Diego Sanchez who won the ultimate fighter challenge season one. He won for state in his division for his high school! So many people may say its immoral but when they have been traing since they were seven in matrial arts of course it should be a sport. It takes talent and training! Not anyone can do it!
Morality has nothing to do with Mixed Martial Arts and competitions like the UFC. It is not as though these are battles between good and evil, with black-hearted competitors out to do nothing but permanently injure or kill their opponents.
MMA and UFC are nothing more than entertainment in the way that professional wrestling is and the gladiators of Rome were. Brute strength and brawling are trademarks and pretty much anything goes.
When UFC first started, competitors from all martial arts were invited to participate. You could see competitors in gis and doboks going up against fighters in trunks and wrestling singlets. It became quickly evident that the striking arts (karate, tae kwon do, kung fu) didn’t do as well in the ring (pr cage) as the grappling arts (judo, ju jutsu, etc.). The crowd preferred the fighters to get down to the mat and wrestle and pin and lock versus seeing a skilled martial artist await an opening, aim a well-placed kick, and then bounce back to await another opening.
Senator John McCain tried to close the whole UFC down for its brutality, and understandably so. These days, competitors are pretty much in trunks, bare chested, and expected to grapple and pummel each other. There is no finesse, no technique. The crowd loves it, though, so it will keep going. But traditional martial arts schools and practitioners just view UFC and MMA as a bunch of well-paid thugs muscling in front of the audience and cameras for sponsorship money.
So I will give my answer as a response to first poster.
a ridiculous, testosterone-driven, pathetic excuse of martial arts portrayal. it kind of demeans the whole purpose and idealogy of the martial arts.
Dear Asianophile mystic chi ball lover,
You are aware of the purpose of martial arts correct? The whole Martial meaning war, or pertaining to war? For ten seconds remove yourself from what Sensei Friendly has taught you children about Martial Arts being about respect, and fighting is wrong etc. That isn’t really the true ideaology behind Martial Arts. The truest ideology (aside from a few styles of Shaolin Kung Fu) of Martial Arts was to defeat your opponent in battle. Period.
All these way of the water, and inner balance, occurred after a certain period of time, or was tied to those who practiced arts that were not meant for combat but for self actualization through physical exercise (most of Shaolin Kung Fu is based on these principles, or was derived from that).
Most other forms of Kung Fu, Karate, etc, were all at their core developed from means of hand to hand FIGHTING. Not hand to hand handholding. Don’t spend your time thinking that people trained themselves in how to hurt people simply for the betterment of mankind. The whole purpose of Martial Arts and ideaology behind them was that you would win, when it came to combat against another person.
but hey, who cares about ancient systems and timeless values created by masters that these UFC weenies couldn’t even touch?
Touch in what way? Spiritual enlightenment? Yes, many so called masters are definately more spiritual enlightened. (however I am betting these UFC weenies are in 100 times better shape than your own Sensei, and would pound him into the dust)
These values you speak of are mostly American values. Despite what Mr. Miagi may have taught you in Karate kid, most of the styles were frequently fighting against each other in their countries of origin. Many Kung Fu stylists constantly were fighting each other to prove whose Kung Fu was better. Despite what you may have been taught, very few masters created arts simply to bestow wisdom and tolerance amongst all. Most Japanese arts do try to hold on to traditions associated with honor, etc. (Honor in battle) and would avoid needless battle. (though many, if not most of them all tested themselves constantly against each other to be ready for battle.)
Martial Art ideaologies aren’t always what they have been Americanized into being. (these moral building Martial Art places were generally wanting to turn that direction because it equals bringing in kids, which equals money).
Don’t get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with those values, (not using your art to be a bully, honor, discipline, self worth), I teach them myself to my children and my students. However I don’t fool myself into thinking that is what Martial Arts are all about.
I don’t see any immorality in MMA, as I do in boxing, football, basketball, or any other sporting competetion. It is as one above poster put it, simply a matter of someone testing their skills. These aren’t people with hate or animosity, these are sportsmen and athletes. Who I might add make a whole lot less than boxers or football players, and are twice as honorable, and not even a fraction as egomaniacal.
In fact it stems more closer to the long tradition of most Martial Arts, than what anyone realizes. It’s main detractors are people who don’t understand it. Or think that somehow their Martial Art in which they never hit another person (which somehow makes it superior for the street) is above such things. Not even realizing the foundation of their art was at one time a means of combat, and was tested time and time again against other people to try to be the best fighting style it could be.
Martial Arts, are meant for fighting. Which can be violent, but that is the nature of the world. The Lion doesn’t walk up to the gazelle and say excuse me, you mind if a cut a steak off of you? And a criminal or someone who wishes to do you harm isn’t going to back down if you give them a hug.
There isn’t anything immoral about wrestling, boxing, BJJ, Judo, or kickboxing. MMA is simply all of those combined.
3 of those are Olympic Sports. Done for as a test of skill and a sign of worldly togetherness and peace.
While some yellow belt in Friendly Fu, may think these guys are testerone based animals, they are cheering on their favorite football team whose star is repeatedly arrested for DUI, doing drugs, or demanding that his 12 million dollar contract isn’t enough money. Then again, Friendly Fu yellow belt probably thinks football players are animals too, and that the only truly civilized people are people who do moves in the air (moves that were intended to hurt or injure other people), and think that the ancient way in Japan or China was people simply doing Tai Chi learning spiritual oneness and all getting along, instead of the war torned, ego filled combat fests it actually was.
MMA and UFC is a sport, in which highly trained athletes compete at to test their skill. Don;t get your information from a study John McCain did 10 years ago. Learn about it now, fully sanctioned by most sanctioning authorites and athleteic commissions, simply kickboxing with wrestling and submissions thrown in.
In a sense much safer than boxing and kickboxing. As you aren’t taking repeated shots to the head, and the referee can step in at any time to stop the match if he feels you are not intelligently defending yourself. There is not the latitude given in boxing where a dude is unconscious on his feet taking repeated shots, until he falls down. There are so many more ways to win, and there is so much more strategy and tactics involved.
If you are going to get informed, get informed about the sport today. Not the sport 10 years ago under different management. There hasn’t been a single death or serious injury in the UFC. That is something boxing, wrestling and kickboxing cannot say.
Anyone that is my book for today.
Morality has no part in any sport that pits two knowledgeable and reasonably matched willing persons against each other. Anymore MMA is a contest of skills. The two best fighters in the world, Chuck Liddell and Fedor Emelianenko, are both very good grapplers (wrestling for Liddell, judo sambo for Fedor) who use knowledge of takedowns and submissions to keep their fights standing. The vast majority of the time their respective opponents are able to stand in the middle of the ring for the official announcment at the conclusion of the match. As has been previously stated virtually all martial arts (including tai chi, which used a blade similar to a butcher knife attatched to a long pole) were at one point a form of combat. So at the base it is violent, but so is American football, and most other sports.
i’m a huge fan of the UFC, and have been training in BJJ for about a year now. i dont think it is immoral in any way, and boxing is much for dangerous. Plus there has to be a reason why a version of MMA is what the Army teaches. and that’s because it’s very effect.
actually he has been proven safer then boxing and if you liek stats football ahd nearly twicew as many injuries has MMA (equal number games to fights)
When I first watched a UFC fight on TV, I thought it was barbaric and now still I see some fights and think it is barbaric. But now and then you get the competitors who have skill, know how to manipulate the oppponents body and obviously show signs of having skill and taken the time to learn an art. They don’t depend on the ground and pound tactic. They go for the locks, the submissions and the knockouts. Karo Parisian is one such competitor who demonstrates his skills and you can see he has spent more time training in judo compared to those who say they have a MMA background… 4 weeks training in 2-5 different arts does not qualify I’m afraid!
Listen to some of these people. Wow, making fun of ‘ground and pound’ and talking about how there is no technique. The real motivation behind their ranting is that their precious ‘martial arts’ don’t work against people who won’t play along.
Seriously, if all your martial arts training can’t prepare you for someone who wants nothing more than to put you on the ground and hit you, then WHAT GOOD IS IT?
Oh, you get pretty belts and pyjamas. Enjoy that.
If you want to see what happens when you put a bunch of single-art martial artists into a ring with no time limits and almost no rules, and see how a 180 pound guy beats them all, watch the first 4 UFCs. Royce Gracie might not be perfect, but he proved that if you can’t grapple, you aren’t really fighting. Now all MMA fighters learn to grapple AND punch, because it WORKS. And ground and pound is a good strategy again, because it worked, not because someone made up a cool asian-sounding name for a silly two-person dance.
MMA is way less violent than boxing, and I don’t even see where morals need to come into it, unless you believe that contact sports are immoral. At least THAT is a defensible argument, if your morals say people shouldn’t be allowed to contact each other. Of course, that mean football is MUCH more immoral…
Research, definitely check out McCain, and rent the first couple of UFCs and maybe one or two from the current era, and you will see a marked difference. It’s still AWESOME to watch little Royce beat the guy with 10 black belts and the ‘boxer’, and so on and so forth.
Masters, Black Belts, Ladies/Gentlemen:
I think that the question on this topic should be: Is MMA amoral?
(the absence of morality)
Many martial arts do have some type of religious and/or ethics or
value systems in them. This is often evidenced, among other ways, by bowing, respectful etiquette, and humble attitudes of its practitioners as well as by some of the patterns of the forms in them. If this is present in the UFC/MMA, which system(s)?
While there are many in this world who claim to know what martial
arts and its traditional values are, I think we would be remissed in not acknowledging the fact that all our preconceived notions are based on oral traditions, folklore, and what others state they are. The fact of the matter is none of us can claim to have lived and trained during ancient times. In addition, there is a lack of reliable written evidence, documentation (at least in the English language), and scholarship in this area. For obvious reasons, video and digital technology would have been helpful. It is unfortunate
that, while sometimes martial arts are offered as part of a physical education program in schools, just as mere sport, it is not studied as a serious academic discipline like history, economics, or philosophy. (then, again, there are also redeeming qualities about sports too)
As a master, referee, teacher, and practitioner, I choose to subscribe to that which I believe martial arts values really are about (or if not, what they should be about) . . . irrespective of and yes–even at the risk of going against what some claim, the martial arts *traditionally* has been.
To me, it is about positive values and virtues–excellence, discipline, leadership, respect, humility, righteousness, dignity, endurance, and control. What is your answer? By what authority, do you claim to know? Even if we, in the martial arts community,
disagree with the definition of the original intent of the martial arts (assuming there really is only just one answer), isn’t the important question: what is its relevance and application today?
For myself, I acknowledge my responsbility and duty as a black belt and master to strive to be exemplary to others and those in the larger community. I also strive to bring out the best in myself and those around me. Is it wise to dismiss such values as simply juvenile and just for kids?
I challenge each martial artist to think seriously about why he/she trains. What purpose(s)? What end(s)?
In MMA, the question is: are there any value systems? Is the goal life survival to prepare for a purposeful military engagement or life and death situation? or just simply to get the base satisfaction of wailing on someone? (does this not really just serve to cheapen the endeavor of martial arts?) Is the goal to find out which art is most effective in a combat or life and death situation? Each has their advantages and disadvantages; some are more effective than others.
I call your attention to an often overlooked word, ART. This implies finesse . . .intentional control and skill, not unbridled savagery. We, in the martial arts community, are all better than that, are we not? Does the organization really just sensationalize, market, and reduce martial arts to just raw entertainment like the WWF?
The whole notion of a no-holds-barred competition may be attractive, especially to those male practitioners in our audience, but to what meaningful purpose or end?
I would argue that, despite what may be marketed to you, it is just another achievement and, perhaps, therein lies its redeeming value.
Of course, there is value in competition. It is the means by which we improve ourselves. It would be wise, honest, and sobering to consider, there is no such thing as an ultimate fighting champion. There will ALWAYS be someone in the world who is better than you. And so it continues–it is the human condition for man to strive for perfection . . . and, after all, is that not also what art is all about?
Irrespective of what martial arts may or may not have been, historically, in fact, please consider that YOU, for better OR for worse, are its future leaders, YOUR ways, its traditions NOW.
Don’t blow it.
Let’s make the world a better place.
Respectfully, Master Thinker