MIxed styles, whats the Hype?

Question

Another question I have is what is the huge hype with mixed styles lately? It has never been about the style as much as it is the individual that knows how to fight. The person makes the style effective or not, so I do not see the big hype with MMA. Its no better or worst than traditional, in fact many traditonal schools today recommend after your sandan that you go to another style and join and obtain rank but we never lost tradition, and its not MMA.

Whats the big deal with it? I am not against it, just wondering why others think it is so much better than traditional? i do not think it is better or worst.

Answer 1

well for some reason some people think that the concept and idea of MMA is new or something and it is NOT.

Blending fighting arts has been around as long as humans beings have been fighting. We always learned to adapt and defend and counter attack and such. These are all in a way forms of MA for their defensive natures.

Even modern Masters such as funokoshi blended Goju Ryu into Shotokan. Bruce Lee formed Jeet Kune Do, My personal teacher formed his own style and he is a grandmaster 68 years old, teaches Shotokan, Goju, Tai Chi, Ju Jitsu, Iado, and Kempo in his art though all the Kata are Shotokan tradition. the fighting techniques for Ippon or Kumite is mixed, we use both linear and circular movements and adapt and try to confuse our opponents by being versataille with both sides of your body and be in on your feet or on the floor. It all is covered.

SO MMA have actually been around for along time already it is just many NOOBS don't know the history of MA well enough and think this is some new movement. It is not.
'Does that answer you well?

Answer 2

ok, MIXED styles is the only way to go.

Technically EVERY martial artist should be an MMAist.

The thing is that you take what is usefull and what works, don't poo poo something because it is not "your style".

No style is perfect or they would have decided that long ago and did away with everything else.

the reason one needs to stick with a style to attain some level of mastery is becuase one should learn enough to be able to judge well enough what would work for them when they see a technique from somewhere else.

If your teacher tells you that your style is the "be all end all" martial art, then he has something to hide and is likely afraid to match his up with another for fear that it will expose the ineffectiveness of his teachings. Unless of course your style involves the use of tactical nukes.

MMA bieng something "new" or special beyond simply someone taking different techniques from different styles is really just a marketing tool for the UFC, pride and teachers who teach MMA as a "system" of combat.

Realistically MMA goes as far back AT LEAST as ancient greece and rome. I'm sure it goes back further, but I'm not a historian.

Dana white's statement about bruce lee bieng the father of MMA, is great marketing. You have one part bruce lee, a marketing juggernaught, and one part stating you have something "new" and "better".

The problem is that too many TMAists get bogged down in traditions that really serve no martial purpose, or even aid to training in the context of training in the modern world.

Answer 3

MMA is not a style it is a way of looking at martial arts as a whole. There isn't a set mma style so there are unlimited mixtures that can form and create mma styles. Of course traditional martial arts wouldn't promote mma. Tradition is not for real combat, mma is. Why show students that your style could not compete against a real combat specialist. It isn't better or worst it is up to who is training and for what reason(s). I, personally, know that for me mma is the only way and tradition is for the birds. That dosen't make it so for everyone. If I ever had to face someone on the street I'd much rather have it be someone who is in a traditional martial art rather than a mma style. I'd rather face a "master" at tradition than an average mma fighter. I know that I'd have a better chance with the so called "master".
Of course if I wanted to learn kata or learn how to play tag, I wouldn't want to go to an mma school, but that is what traditional martial arts are for.

Answer 4

The attraction I think is partly the violence and grander sensation of seeing someone physically defeated by submission or choke and not just knock out like in boxing.

Secondly it teaches some of the more serious or deadly type techniques to people who are largely raw beginners minus the respect, character and confidence building, and rank promotion aspects that traditional martial arts develops over years of training before a student is taught such techniques.

I don't think it is better and I think it is only a matter of time before some young teenager chokes some kid out in school to the point of seriously injuring or even killing him with a technique that would normally not be taught to a person till they had shown and proven that they had the proper temperament, character and responsibility to learn.

It does expose the weaknesses of the one dimensional stand-up fighter to some extent forcing them to take a look at their own skills, and knowledge. Especially now If they have never considered what their skills and abilities are on the ground and how they can best be utilized.

Answer 5

I am of two minds on this. I like the idea of mixing martial arts. However, I have my hands full with perfecting the Isshinryu system, with it's flaws and good points. I understand it's a style, and there are some things that aren't emphasized as much as they would be in another style. Perhaps if I were a professional fighter, I would find the time to mix styles, but as a professional public school teacher, musician and someone who enjoys doing karate and exploring Isshinryu karate, I stick with one style.
Hopefully it's true what they say, and to master a style is to gain an understanding of all. To know one thing well, is to know all things. (This is a Buddhist concept)

Answer 6

Basically MMA is all about taking the best of a bunch of different styles of fighting and blending them together so that you are strong in punching, kicking, grappling, etc. Some of the different Martial Arts have different aspects of them, Kung Fu has a huge balance factor, which can play in when mixed with, say, Brazilian Jujitsu, which is a gappling type martial art.

Answer 7

Cheerleader Melissa does so many wrestling holds and wrestling moves that Taisha Saeed doesn't do it isn't funny. Cheerleader Melissa is a devastating wrestler. Alissa Flash has shown me great wrestling holds and wrestling moves in every match I have sen her in for TNA. This feud she has ignited with Hamada is going to be fantastic. I can't wait to see them wrestle at TNA House Shows, TNA Impact and TNA Pay Per Views. This is going to be a very physical smashmouth rivalry. I think I am going to enjoy every minute of this.

Answer 8

Well mixed styles or MMA is popular now because of it's effectiveness.

They train with fundamentally sound and proven techniques, and just fight and fight until they get better at utilize these techniques against a resisting opponent.

The fact that they encompass every range of unnarmed combat.

You can kick, punch, knee, elbow, grapple, fight on the ground, apply joint locks, apply chokes. The fact is you have to be a well rounded fighter with an ability to fight (or at least defend) at every aspect of unnarmed fighting.

So if the fight goes to the ground, you need to know how to fight from the ground, or at least how to escape and get back on your feet while defending yourself from chokes, joint locks, and strikes.

A lot of has to do with very sound training principles of "Alive training"

http://www.straightblastgym.com/aliveness101.html

Instead of spending countless hours doing forms, these fighters learn the techniques, use it through progressive resistance, then try it in actual combat against another human being.

It is really closer to traditional arts than most people realize. As this was the way styles were invented, by testing them against others in combat and keeping what worked and tossing what didn't.

I think it is better than many traditional arts, that do very little to no actual application of technique against a fully resisting individual looking to do you harm. It is applicable, functional technique that gives you your own style and manner in making the techniques work for you.

I could show you 4 different punches, 4 different kicks, have you drill them over and over tweaking it until you had maximum power and maximum speed. But without actually fighting someone, you will not know when to hit, when the opening in his defense is that allows you to hit. What to hit when, how to counter a persons punch or kick, nor what it feels like to get hit yourself.

Those are things learned from sparring and hard contact.

Is it better than traditional? I think so, as it incorporates what works, and combines it. Many arts are one dimensional, they focus on standing, or grappling, rarely both. The hybrid arts that attempt to combine them combine such a limited portion of each, that it is just a watered down version.

I firmly believe in studying one or two arts at a time, acheiving rank in them, and learning other styles.

My goal is to be profecient no matter where the fight goes. If I trip over a rock and some guy jumps on top of me, I want to know how to win, if I got a guy with better grappling ability than me, I want to know how to stand back up if he does take me down, and how to keep him at bay. If I am standing up trading blows I want to know how to defend myself and inflict maximum damage.

The problem is many traditional styles have not evolved period. Combat has changed, but these styles are still adhering to very old traditions and training methods that are antiquated.

So I do respect your opinion and completely understand your point. But if you study say boxing, and wrestling. You realize that there are certain mistakes in boxing that would get your eaten alive by a wrestler, and certain mistakes in wrestling that would get you eaten alive by a boxer.

You are able to combine what works and what doesn't, but that is specifically for you. Maybe you have a solid jab, and a great shot. So obviously you style will be you working with your jab to set up a shot.

The deal with it is, the more tools you have in your belt, and the more well rounded you are, the more complete a fighter you will become.

Answer 9

People have been doing it since there have been seperate styles. Now its just got a real "catchy" name.