A guy like Petrosyan seems to have one of the best technical, angling, distance mastering games in KB.
I remember some really, really tough guys in K-1 who did karate. I think even Bas got his bb in a form of karate he continued to speak highly of. Also, Chuck, GSP & Machida all have a karate base. It can be good, if adapted.
I just started training with a guy who was a good wrestler in HS, knows a little BJJ (fought as a pro in mma once.) He is completely clueless when it comes to boxing or any of what I consider realistic stand up, but he has some awesome kicks from his original base of TKD. When he learns a good base of boxing/kickboxing, those kicks will be a great tool that most guys haven't seen before.
yeah, buddie, exactly on the kicks that could make that guy stand out if he learns some good fundamental boxing/kb.
regarding K1 though, there are a lot of guys in it and the intl KB scene who come from karate but they are mostly Kyokushin and spin off styles like Seido, etc. Full contact styles. Bas and also Crocop i think started in karate. Chuck is Kenpo but a bit of a diff case since Hackleman was already adapting it to MMA? GSP was kyokushin but Machida has been the only traditional karate guy so far in MMA. Wonder Boy Thomson and Horiguchi are some others coming up. Also, Gunnar Nelson has some traditional karate too, you can tell in his stance.
Come to think of it, both Wonderboy and Gunnar may be training with Weidman for Machida would would probably help quite a bit...although they dont fight exactly the same as Machida should still help.
The one revelation to me of late was finding out that modern Kickboxing was founded not just on MT and western boxing but from Kyokushin as well. The Dutch KB founders all trained in Japan in Kyokushin if im not mistaken and as well as Japanese KB which was a mix of Kyokushin and MT?
Japanese Shootboxing was also founded on Japanese KB i think. Mach Sakurai was one of the best strikers in early MMA and he is a SHootboxer.
Yuki Kondo was a decent stand up guy, he looked to have some traditonal karate background from his style?
Wasa-B - yeah, buddie, exactly on the kicks that could make that guy stand out if he learns some good fundamental boxing/kb.
regarding K1 though, there are a lot of guys in it and the intl KB scene who come from karate but they are mostly Kyokushin and spin off styles like Seido, etc. Full contact styles. Bas and also Crocop i think started in karate. Chuck is Kenpo but a bit of a diff case since Hackleman was already adapting it to MMA? GSP was kyokushin but Machida has been the only traditional karate guy so far in MMA. Wonder Boy Thomson and Horiguchi are some others coming up. Also, Gunnar Nelson has some traditional karate too, you can tell in his stance.
Come to think of it, both Wonderboy and Gunnar may be training with Weidman for Machida would would probably help quite a bit...although they dont fight exactly the same as Machida should still help.
I won't argue about the value of contact. I have to agree, the karate guys I remember that did well were generally from full contact (Sam Grecko, Any Hug, etc.) There is nothing wrong with TKD and/or point KB, I actually think it is kind of fun to watch in an oddball way. But there is something about being punched in the face. If you don't go through it, you don't really know how to deal with it. What is the old adage about a BB losing a belt level every time he gets smashed in the face? There is much truth to the concept that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Yeah, for sure, its kind of a shame that all those Kyokushin/etc style guys have to go thru such a transition to head punching in KB/MMA, whatever. They are prob used to getting hit full clip but i would agree im sure its something else to get clocked in the dome.
Im only a grappler (from younger days) and i get bad enough headaches to get punched in the head. ;)
The 2 finalists from the Glory FW tournament at Glory 8 in Tokyo were Yuta Kubo and Masaaki Noiri.
Their wikis say that Kubo started in TKD (not sure how many TKD guys there are in Japan) and Noiri in a modified Kyokushin style that has gloves and punching to the face.
You guys ever see this?
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpl_7w8-jTE
Yes, did see that thread last week i think from the UG's own Kenshin. thanks OI.
He's 2-1 in Glory he's TKD blackbelts and a American sport karate fighter.
i once read in some karate forum and they were trashing Machida,saying he's barely shotokan
EKPOGI - i once read in some karate forum and they were trashing Machida,saying he's barely shotokan
Gotta love the internets.