The early UFCs helped martial artists gain a clearer picture of how different disciplines fare in a free-fight situation. It was a game-changer for martial arts as an industry. Many karate dojos have been repurposed to appeal to MMA students ever since.
Generally fighters who train in Judo, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu or other disciplines popular in MMA, are at least knowledgeable on other fighting styles.
It tends to be the martial artists from rather obscure, or sometimes nonsensical fighting disciplines that will focus solely on one martial art these days. When those martial artists go up against well-rounded MMA fighters, the results tend to be hilarious.
Here are six times traditional martial artists challenged MMA fighters:
6. MMA vs. Wing Chun
Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art which dates back to the late 1800s. The discipline focuses on strikes at close range.
There are 5 key philosophies which guide this particular martial art:
1. One who excels as a warrior does not appear formidable
2. One who excels in fighting is never aroused in anger
3. One who excels in defeating their enemy does not join issues
4. One who excels in employing others humbles themself before them
5. This is the virtue of non-contention and matching the sublimity of heaven
There is an emphasis on keeping the body free from tension, as this will reduce the body’s ability to strike with precision and force.
Evidently this particular discipline has not yet developed a strategy for defending dudes from taking you down and pummelling you, as evidenced below:
When it comes to fighting in a one-on-one challenge match situation, MMA is hard to beat. The way MMA fighters tend to synthesize very successful striking arts (boxing, muai Thai) and very successful grappling arts (wrestling, BJJ) prepares them well for both stand up fighting and ground fighting.
It’s arguably the best system for fighting in a ring match, though that’s not the same as being the best martial art. In a fight with weapons, a kenjitsuka, escrima fighter, or HEMA practitioner is likely to beat an MMA fighter. In a self-defense situation, a krav maga fighter is likely to do better against an armed assailant or multiple opponents. For a fight on a pitched rooftop or a balance beam, etc. and a style like shaolin kung fu or ninjitsu that places lots of emphasis on balance will probably do better.
Different martial arts are good for different things and none is best for all situations. If you like sporting matches, as most martial arts students do, MMA is an excellent choice. If you’re from a different style and want to challenge a MMA fighter, don’t try going head-to-head in a ring. Find a kind of match that your style is adapted to and his is not.
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