Youtube links to "Fight Science"?

Question

So it's obvious that we have opinions on this show, but what did you like about it? What did you hate about it? Do you think the technology could have been more advanced? Less? What's your overall perception of the show?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyoxUCmer0w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNlMA4akcBU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn-ditZn6DI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJx7MQwBVos&mode=related&search=

This is only a small section of it. The weapons are missing, and the balance part is missing.

Arts displayed:
Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, BJJ, and Bujinkan.

Answer 1

1- I think the experiments were inherently flawed and the show favored the "ninja" guy in this respect. The martial artists are going to give different results and drastically different results based on thier size.

2- while obviously what ended up bieng the most powerfull "kick" was kind of skirting the philosophy of the show (for the same reason that the ninja guy was able to get a high score on his dim mak- the MT fighter was able to get such a high score- except that the results of his were not arguable as the error in equality I see is that he was allowed to perform the technique- not that the equipment was set up to produce a false result like it was for the ninja).

a- the MT knee- by far the strongest unarmed technique shown, was skirting the rules by allowing him to stabalize the dummy and reduce its "give"- a real technique, but is a knee a kick?

b- the ninjer- delivers a hammer fist (what they refer to as the "dim mak") to a dummy that is not designed to produce give like it was in any of the other tests.

3- the boxer of course delivered the strongest punch, but he was also probably the largest guy on the show. I have no doubt he still would have if all were equal size, as boxing and MT generally teach you proper punching technique while TKD generally does not- maybe this guy was different but from his "katana" fiasco- i doubt it.

4- same goes for speed, the freaking tiny *** CMA guy is going to be the quickest (his size is also why he is the weakest, and the fact he was using a freaking ONE INCH PUNCH to try to hit with- can't complain too much, this is actually, sadly representative of what average cma is today).

5- why the hell was rickson even on the show?
I mean, obviously for advertising, the show would have had 2 viewers watching without him and they probably would have been too stoned to change the channel.
They should have had a judo guy, and some locks by the others. In short, yes, everyone knows rickson's locks will probably be more damaging and get higher numbers- but they could have put scores by others as well.

6- what I liked about it, at least they made a step in the right direction to attempt to set up a controlled environment to track the power of different MA moves and techniques. It was an interesting watch, depite its gross flaws (won't even get into weapons which should have included non asian weapons and practitioners). and why the hell did they have a cutting champion on the show who didn't cut?
isn't that a bit like having a car without an engine?
Cut through all the false advertising, junk science and marketing gimmicks and you have your foot pointed in the right direction to make the first step.

hope they take it and improve it.

Answer 2

they said it on the show, "Size does matter". And it showed. I was, actually, amazed the little wushu fighter produced such high numbers with the technique he chose. And I was also amazed they let the Thai fighter use a knee to record a "kick" strength test. While I do know that knees and elbows are devastating, as everyone above me said, that was a mistake. That stole the credibility of a "scientific" experiment right out.

They should have shown the same kick, as interpreted by each artform, delivered by different competitors of roughly the same size. Thy could have easily found world class martial artists from those arts, all at the 165-185 weight area, to conduct this test, then asked them all to deliver a roundhouse and then a straight or push kick and compared those two sets of numbers per technique and style. That would have been interesting to see. Muay Thai roundhouse using shin versus Tae Kwon Do and Karate roundhouses using insteps. Muay Thai teep using heel of foot versus Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Ninpo pushkicks with toes. I would hazard a bet that I know the outcomes, but still, science could have put some myths to rest.

As for the Dim Mak, no one has ever disputed that there are specific ways and places to strike to kill a person. A severe enough head trauma (think roundhouse kick to the skull) can cause paralyzing and even fatal damage. Why doesn't it happen all the time? Because no fighter EVER stands still and let's someone go full force at those targets. Sure, you can hammerfist someone in the same spot you do CPR at to stop the heart, but unless you're punching a guy who's already out cold, I don't think he'll hold still long enough for you to do it. It's nice to know it's possible, if not plausible.

Answer 3

I hate how all the fighters have an obvious weight difference, the whole show isnt really scientific its just entertainment, but it was interesting to watch, but c'mon the boxer is twice the size of the chinese bloke ofcource he is going to have a stronger punch!

Answer 4

Wow, Bluto seems to have all my criticisms covered. The only other suggestion would be to make them all fight, but I guess that would just be UFC 1-5 all over again.