Kali, imo.
"I disagree - the ULTIMATE form of martial art contains weapons."
AirSeaLandBattle-fu
"I feel sorry for the people who think that MMA can't instill the same values that traditional martial arts offer."
they can, but they can also choose not to. What is the case in contemporary MMA?
my experience with MMA was very positive in this respect. Building my confidence and my respect for myself and others.
"2. Only a few major styles have proven to be relevant outside of BJJ, and those are boxing, wrestling and boxing/Thai boxing."
and judo, sambo, san shou, savate, etc.
really, if it's alive it's worthwhile. otherwise, not.
Kalitudo! War, Dog Brothers.
'People NEED to STOP calling MMA a "martial art".... it's NOT a martial art... it's very far FROM a martial art in fact...'
The Correct term is 'Chop socky'
Tony Ja will usher in a new generation of MA fans. Henceforth, I guess you can call it a Mauy Tai boom.
It is a ART.....
Guys like jermey horn are genius's, how can you not say he is artist.
To be able to apply the right technique at the right time, to execute the fine details of a move in combat, to create your oen way of fighting that plays to your strengths, to have total mental focus and perform under intense situations man that takes more than just skill.
MMA is as close to a pure matial art as you can have because it has been proven to be the most effective way to fight and because there are so many levels of fighter than a raw beginner gets out thought and out skilled rather easily by a average professional.
There are so many techiniques to learn, and new ones and ways to aplly them. You will only see guys get better, this sport is popular because the best are sometimes guys with only some talent but a near mastery of the art of fighting makes them world class.
It takes someone who at least has trained for awhile to get this I think, and when you train with world class guys you can be in awe sometimes of just how much they know.
Damn! Everyone else has beaten me to the argument of MMA being a martial art.
To reiterate what they said: EVERY combat form can be considered a martial art. MMA simply puts ALL those combat forms together. I have said it over and over - Bruce Lee would have been a HUGE fan and advocate of MMA.
As far as the future of 'the next big thing'? ...
Weapons, baby! Yeah!
Turkish wrestling will be the next big thing
UFC Iran!
"MMA has NOT got an 'artistic' side to it in the slightest way"
After taking a few lessons in English you might consider watching an MMA fight. You will find it to be a very artistic sport.
Next Boom?????
Caber tossing.
What are you gonna do when someone throws a tree at you brotha!!!!!!!
When Matty Mo opens his own school.
MMF #2
Once the UFC totally monopolizes the MMA scene and keeps the rules unified all MMA fighters will begin to blur into one type of boring 'play the rules' oriented style. Every fighter knowing basically the same thing at about the same level. They will pretty much cancel each other out and MMA will have a lull.
Thats were there will be a resurgence of Vale Tudo and it will expose that MMA has really gone far off the path of what a real fighting is like
All this is already happening IMO
Matty Mo #068!
Matty Mo Patient Zero here, chiming in on the MMA frenzy around the free world ...
This just in: The late breaking scene of Matty Mo, aka the 'White Ninja', has just come in and it appears that Matty Mo is hanging off the Empire State Building in much the same manner as he previously did to a Muay Thai bag in an earlier video. Unfortunately, he fell off the Empire State in much the same manner ... more news on this devastating real life 'Kong' event later ...
"Thats were there will be a resurgence of Vale Tudo and it will expose that MMA has really gone far off the path of what a real fighting is like"
Agreed!!
"i'm wondering why Tae Kwon Do schools are still thriving.... ???"
its called great marketing towards kids...and the olympic aspect...
You'll eventually get a host of schools like various watered down Kenpo/Kempo and Kaijukempo schools that claim to teach "mma" but remove most of the contact from the ciriculum so people feel safer. Hard sparring and serious training will get replaced with "light contact" sparring and easy drills so non-athletes will be able to play.
Most people want the trappings of martial arts without ever really training. TMA at one time were viable and effective fighting arts. Somewhere along the lines people wanted to play dress up warrior and the fighting aspects were compromised. Same will happen with MMA.
You'll still have fighting gyms the same way you can find boxing gyms, koykushin dojos, and some old school hardcore TMA. But for the most part you'll find strip mall martial arts.