Ultimate violence may escape on to street

nfc90210 · Feb 20, 2010

I knew we'd get some pieces like this due to the UFC going to Australia for the first time. This one is something special though.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/polit...treet-20100218-oiqj.html?comments=36#comments

Ultimate violence may escape on to street

MALCOLM BROWN

February 19, 2010

There is to be no eye-gouging, no spitting, no pulling hair, no ''putting a finger into any orifice or any cut or laceration of an opponent''. No kicking the head of a grounded opponent.

But mixed martial arts lets just about anything else go, combining tactics from combat sports including punching, elbowing, kneeing, kicking, wrestling, choking and grappling.

It is taking off worldwide and comes to Sydney for the first time on Sunday, with the arrival of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Tickets for the event at the Acer Arena sold out within hours in December - all 16,500 of them - the second-fastest sale since UCF started in 1993. Antonio Rodrigo ''Minotauro'' Nogueira and Cain Velasquez will fight it out. Wanderlei Silva will feature in a long-awaited showdown with Michael ''The Count'' Bisping.

Those watching on television will see blood flowing and clearly distressed combatants dropping to the canvas, and then having blows rained onto their heads. The fighters are in a cage, almost dehumanising them. It seems to be a regression to the true blood sports, the gladiatorial contests in the Colosseum.

By contrast, boxing is properly controlled. The possibility of brain damage through concussion is well recognised and referees intervene at the first sign of genuine distress. Opponents are not to be hit when they are down and must always be allowed to get up again.

In my own time in the ring, as an amateur, journeymen boxers told me they were there to entertain, not belt the stuffing out of each other. Going for a title was different, but what they could do to their opponent was always limited.

Professional wrestling such as the World Wrestling Federation events have been seen by the public for what they are - enjoyable showmanship in which combatants look after each other. They pull their punches, and exaggerate their reactions.

But the spectacle of mixed martial arts, with blood flowing, is horrible, even if combatants are not allowed into the cages unless they are properly fit, even if referees jump in when it appears the opponent is quite helpless, and even if there are some rules - 32 to be exact. Piledriving an opponent into the canvas is out. There is also a ban on being timid.

Elvis Sinosic fought in Australia's first Mixed Martial Arts event and won the first Australian title, the Australian Vale Tudo Heavyweight Champion. Coached by the Sydneysider Anthony Lange, he has had a career of, at last count, eight wins against 12 losses and two draws, and all but walked away with the World Light Heavyweight Championship.

He's not alone in Australia. Sydney has a string of martial arts gymnasiums. Lange says most of his clients are men but there are some women, mainly going to classes to get fit and learn to defend themselves.

Bruno Panno, who runs the Gracie Sydney Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy, based at Coogee with a training cage in Chatswood, said MMA was becoming more popular among women. ''But normally they don't do cage fighting,'' he said.

Penny Gulliver, who teaches kickboxing at Erskineville Town Hall, said she watched the televised MMA contests and adopted some holds in her classes. ''Sometimes a person wins a contest by getting his opponent on the canvas and punching the crap out of him. But I have adopted a few locks which will work on the street because basically the choke-out is an effective way of ending a fight.

''You can learn a lot from MMA. It is brutal but that is life on the streets. I use my power for good, not evil. I teach my students how to defend themselves. You must remember that this ultimate fighting is not really ultimate fighting. It is a lot safer than on the street. You cannot pick someone's eyes out or rip out their scrotum. You can choke them but not rip their throat out. Ultimate fighting is really a fight to the death.''

People tend to take up martial arts to defend themselves, and to get fit. But once this virtually unrestrained violence enters the popular culture, people, especially the young, will want to ape it in their hostile interactions with their fellows.

Fighting in the Queensberry Rules tradition had been encouraged by countless fathers - like my own - as a way for boys to demonstrate manliness. But what if there are no more Queensberry Rules?

Malcolm Brown is a Herald journalist.
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nfc90210 · Feb 20, 2010

Not surprisingly the author Malcolm Brown is old; he's sixty-two.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Brown_(Australian_journalist)

rosewaterwrx · Feb 20, 2010

Clearly there are idiots that do take this to the streets. When I was in High School every time a Rocky movie was played on a weekend you could bet there would be a schoolyard punchup. There are idiots floating around that feed and love violence and as much as I appreciate and love boxing/ufc it does in some way contribute and glorify violence.....Anyone who denies this is not being honest....sorry.

Chris85 · Feb 20, 2010

rosewaterwrx said: ↑

Clearly there are idiots that do take this to the streets. When I was in High School every time a Rocky movie was played on a weekend you could bet there would be a schoolyard punchup. There are idiots floating around that feed and love violence and as much as I appreciate and love boxing/ufc it does in some way contribute and glorify violence.....Anyone who denies this is not being honest....sorry.
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I remember this girl used to beat up all the little kids in the school with her bruce lee stuff. She even make that move and the funny noise.

She had mental problem and was booted out eventually.

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