The Ultimate Fighter

[Xandalf]

Did anyone catch The Ultimate Fighter finale on April 9th?

I personally watched the show religiously and the finale was absolutly incredible. The Bonner-Griffin fight was, without question, the most incredible display I've ever seen. I can admit I was up on my feet shadow boxing with my gloves on. (Hey! I was pumped!) The other two fights were severly one sided, but still showcased excellent skills.

Am I the only one who appreciates the incredible skills that these guys have? Having competed in both boxing and martial arts myself, I loved this series and I hope it gets more people interested in martial arts.

[Back]

Roman mentality.

[SpunGirl]

My husband actually hand row A tickets to that event. He and his buddy went and had a great time.

-K

[Jahira]

Who won? And is it being reshown anytime? I watched here and there. Loved it when I did watch.

They need to take the Roman menality further. I want swords, lions, and Russel Crow killing shit (because the movie Gladiator is OBVIOUSLY actual footage from the era)

- Arkans

[Azul]

I watched the marathon and it was decent. The finale was great but I was disapointed that Shamrock got beat in under 2 min. Guess that means it's time to hang it up and coach.

[Xandalf]

Regarding who won, there were three televised matches, won by Diego Sanchez, Forest Griffen, and Rich Franklin. Diego and Forest both won the contest and contracts, and Stephen Bonner (Forest's opponent) also got a contract because of the absolutly incredible fight those two had.

There were also other "dark" matches. Those results can be read at http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=2646 .

As for Shamrock, I actually expected him to lose. Rogan was building him up way too much, talking about how this Shamrock could beat the Shamrock of 12 years ago.

First of all, that's just blatantly not true. Second of all, the level of well trained opponents has risen dramatically. Years ago, it was men who specialized in a certain system trying to prove the superiority of their system. Now, it is men who are expertly trained in many different systems. Rich Franklin was stronger, quicker, and better trained.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I thought Shamrock slipped on the slick flooring? That's what someone here told me anyway. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

[Xandalf]

Originally posted by Suppa Hobbit Mage
I thought Shamrock slipped on the slick flooring? That's what someone here told me anyway. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

Yes he slipped. He slipped not once, but twice in less than two minutes. Both times he allowed Franklin to pounce on him, and the second time he didn't even fight back or even attempt to defend himself.

[pennywise]

He didnt fight back or defend himself well because franklin was very fast on top of him, and clocked his ass. Shamrock looked good except for the slips. A little slow perhaps, but good anyways.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Xandalf
7I can admit I was up on my feet shadow boxing with my gloves on.

Am I the only one who appreciates the incredible skills that these guys have?

I don't think you were the only one that appreciates the show.. but perhaps the only one at home who was wearing his gloves, shadow boxing to it.

[Xandalf]

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by Xandalf
7I can admit I was up on my feet shadow boxing with my gloves on.

Am I the only one who appreciates the incredible skills that these guys have?

I don't think you were the only one that appreciates the show.. but perhaps the only one at home who was wearing his gloves, shadow boxing to it.

That's ok. It's better than the alternative....

A friend of mine actually went out and started a real fight after watching the show.

[GSTamral]

Actually, many of the fighters in these sports are specialized to one degree or another. They are just aware of other fighting styles, and have enough training to get a better understanding of their own of the other styles of fighting. There are also matchup problems as well.

Any kind of striking art usually is at a disadvantage against someone specialized in jui-jitsui or judo, in much the same way that someone specialized in jui-jitsui will have a world of problems against a wrestler, in much the same way that a wrestler isn't worth piddly shit against someone strong at close combat, such as muy thai or kenpo, in much the same way that someone specialized in muy thai will be in for a world of hurt against someone who specializes in luto livre. Not that it is that simple, but I did train in a bastardized american version of jui-jistui, and most of the frustrations you deal with are against people who know how to manuever on the ground out of a mount, side mount, or rear mount.

Royler and Renzo Gracie are still among the best in the world into their late 30's and they aren't really capable of knocking anyone out in one punch. That doesn't mean they don't know what to expect, or have no training in striking.

For a streetfight, the simplest method to win is to try and take your opponent down to the ground. Most people haven't the faintest clue how to fight from the ground. They try and brawl, not realizing that the punches are much slower, and expend about 3 times as much energy per punch. Then consider that most people are severely winded after throwing 10-12 punches in succession, and what you end up with is a tired hunkering mound of garbage that is only going to get more and more desperate, and likely to try and lift up and wind up a big punch. That's when the arm and neck can open for a triangle, or even a push-out.

Although I've only once actually applied it in competition, I've got to say the heel lock is probably the most exhilarating technique to apply. You can get the biggest, strongest person in the world, and they'll cry like a little girl within 3-5 seconds, depending on how far into your armpit the toes are and what angle their body is relative to you.

[Xandalf]

Originally posted by GSTamral
Actually, many of the fighters in these sports are specialized to one degree or another. They are just aware of other fighting styles, and have enough training to get a better understanding of their own of the other styles of fighting. There are also matchup problems as well.

Any kind of striking art usually is at a disadvantage against someone specialized in jui-jitsui or judo, in much the same way that someone specialized in jui-jitsui will have a world of problems against a wrestler, in much the same way that a wrestler isn't worth piddly shit against someone strong at close combat, such as muy thai or kenpo, in much the same way that someone specialized in muy thai will be in for a world of hurt against someone who specializes in luto livre. Not that it is that simple, but I did train in a bastardized american version of jui-jistui, and most of the frustrations you deal with are against people who know how to manuever on the ground out of a mount, side mount, or rear mount.

Royler and Renzo Gracie are still among the best in the world into their late 30's and they aren't really capable of knocking anyone out in one punch. That doesn't mean they don't know what to expect, or have no training in striking.

For a streetfight, the simplest method to win is to try and take your opponent down to the ground. Most people haven't the faintest clue how to fight from the ground. They try and brawl, not realizing that the punches are much slower, and expend about 3 times as much energy per punch. Then consider that most people are severely winded after throwing 10-12 punches in succession, and what you end up with is a tired hunkering mound of garbage that is only going to get more and more desperate, and likely to try and lift up and wind up a big punch. That's when the arm and neck can open for a triangle, or even a push-out.

Although I've only once actually applied it in competition, I've got to say the heel lock is probably the most exhilarating technique to apply. You can get the biggest, strongest person in the world, and they'll cry like a little girl within 3-5 seconds, depending on how far into your armpit the toes are and what angle their body is relative to you.

Having trained in Brazilian Ju Jitsu personally, I can say its ground techniques are devastating. However, I would never limit myself to that art alone.

Of course each of the competitors "specializes" in a specific art. Usually it is whatever art they took as a child, whether it's boxing, wrestling, ju jitsu, or (heaven forbid) tae-kwon-do, or one of the dozens of other martial arts out there. My point was that all of the MMA fighters these days are highly skilled in multiple forms, not one form as was often the case in Ken Shamrock's heyday.

As for my favorite grappling technique? It's got to be when you've got someone on you, in your guard. They think they have control, and then a second later they're tapping because you have them standing up in an arm bar from the ground. It's especially fun against wrestlers, which many of my buddies are.

Where do you train BJJ? Do you train anything else?

[GSTamral]

I never trained in Brazilian Jui-Jitsui. I trained in an americanized jui-jitsui, which is somewhere in between jui-jitsui and judo. We cross studied some muy thai techniques to defend against low kicks and short hooks, and we trained against wrestlers as well, but most of our groundfighting was based on pure submissions, unlike BJJ, which also teaches you how to strike from the half mount, guard, and full mount.

As for the standing arm bar, that only works when the person on top has no clue what they are doing and leaves themselves completely open. It's much easier to get a triangle, because you only need isolate one arm, rather than the arm AND the neck. Heel locks are equally impractical, because you have to not know what you're doing to get yourself caught in one.

Most all of the submissions I actually ended up using in a more practical format were rear naked chokes, side chokes, folded guillotines, and mounted arm chokes, with an occasional keylock into a back suplex, which almost always ends a fight with the opponent being either knocked silly or unconscious.