*Machida vindicates TMA (Karate)*

[Seiryoku Zenyo]

I still remember those days when people used to make jokes about traditional martial arts, or how useless they were in real fights. In the same line, BJJ, muay thai, boxing and wrestling were said to be the way to become a successful mixed martial artist.

Time has shown those concepts were wrong. There are a lot of relevant examples on the MMA to prove it:

Judo: Akiyama, Parysian, DHK, Lombard, etc.
Kung Fu: Cung Le

and

Karate: Lyoto Machida.

Machida is the best example as karate might be one of the most criticized TMA. From his stance, his footwork, his punches and his kicks, "The Dragon" shows how effective it could be if learned and applied correctly.

His KO kick against Mu

 

[deltapapa]

Absolutely, and so does Pettis by the way.

 

[KoreanZawmbie]

Pettis is another one that says his base in TKD.

TMA is just as relevant as the other disciplines in MMA.

 

[Concrete]

I think it was/is more about the way those TMAs are brought to the masses, rather than writing TMAs off entirely. The number of practitioners who never properly spar, let alone fight..

 

[Shaddows]

IMO it is good to have basis on a TMA before moving to MMA.

but you cannot discount any of them.

For now, most people who are successful in MMA came from a TMA.

But there are great fighters who are now climbing up to the top that begun their training straight into MMA. And I believe it is a matter of time when most will make the switch.

But yeah, I love the "purist" feeling

WAR DRAGON!!!

OSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[DrPerry]

why would people make jokes about tma? everyone has to do at least 1 tma to be somehow a decent mma fighter.

my trainer told me that bjj for example is a tma everyone learns and every gym has a bjj instructor.

also we learn a lot of basics taekwondo tricks, most are kicks and some selfdefence, ur stance, the bounce etc.

 

[Kinku]

What I heard, his sumo base is also a big factor in why he could defend TD or toss people around.

 

[MysticNinjaJay]

Yeah it's really about how you train. To be successful at MMA you need full-contact sparring and experience. A lot of techniques from Traditional Martial Arts work but of course you can't limit yourself to a style that only focuses on one range of combat.

 

[Aza]

IMO the reason TMA gets little highlight on MMA isnt because of the techniques, but rather the training and practicing style.
A lot of TMA focus A LOT on practicing pre-made moves and situations aswell as philosophy rather than actual sparring and fight conditioning.

I trained 7 years of Shotokan Karate, and though it did teach me a lot, I had very little time sparring, almost none to be honest.

Still, Karate is amazing. It teaches great movement and distance control and its a well balanced fight, seeing Machida fight nowadays makes me want to get back to training...

 

[Seiryoku Zenyo]

What I heard, his sumo base is also a big factor in why he could defend TD or toss people around.

Indeed. He`s able to keep the fight standing due to his sumo TDD.

 

[Aza]

Indeed. He`s able to keep the fight standing due to his sumo TDD.

Defnetly.
I think that how elusive his style is also haves a doing on that. I feel like people have a hard time finding the "timing" and distance to throw TD attempts.
Machida just keeps moving and he sprints in and out so fast!

 

[godexile]

all martial arts are effective, it just depends how you use it

 

[JustinvR]

i remember when pettis and Cerrone fought that alot of people were saying that TKD is worthless against MT and after the fight, the first thing they say is that Pettis doesnt rlly use TKD since he also trains muay thai.

 

[mmashotokan]

Yeah it's really about how you train. To be successful at MMA you need full-contact sparring and experience.

This is the key point. Think back to the early days of UFC, and think which traditional/classical martial arts were the most effective. They were the ones that most often incorporated full contact sparring into traditional training. These were:
- Jiu Jitsu
- Wrestling
- Muay Thai

In contrast, TMAs like shotokan karate (machida karate) and tae kwon do relied mainly on practicing techniques against the air, and point-fighting. Practitioners of these arts were new to full-contact fighting, and were no match for the Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, and Muay Thai practitioners who practiced full or heavy contact sparring all the time.

But things are changing as more TMAs are being practiced in a full contact context. We're seeing kicks popularized in Tae Kwon Do used more and more (e.g., spinning heel kick). We're seeing the traditional karate front kick used effectively only in the last couple years, and resulting in some spectacular KOs.

In short, the more TMA techniques are practiced in full or high contact settings, the more they will be adapted to MMA and the more we will see them used effectively in the cage. At the same time, to the extent TMAs are practiced by punching and kicking the air and in point-fighting contexts, they won't translate into MMA.

 

[Seiryoku Zenyo]

And Machida`s KO kick against Couture is another karate basic kick called "mae geri" (front kick):

 

[Spidermine]

I've understood the terminology of "traditional" martial arts. Muay thai, boxing and wrestling are ancient. Even BJJ is just a derivative of an ancient style. The only things that seems modern are the nutrition and training.

 

[Stoners**]

1 successful kick in a UFC fight does not vindicate millenniums of bunk, hong-kong-phooey TMA.

You could also argue that the kick was 90 percent MT 10 percent Machida.

 

[JustinvR]

1 successful kick in a UFC fight does not vindicate millenniums of bunk, hong-kong-phooey TMA.

You could also argue that the kick was 90 percent MT 10 percent Machida.

by one kick you mean a front kick(mae geri) KO to an undefeated Rich franklin, crane kick to couture(mae geri with a jumping feint) and high kick(mawashi geri) to munoz amirite?

 

[Human Bass]

It is funny how Rogan with TKD does a much better spinning kick than GSP importing top Muay Thai guys and doing crazt gymnastics training.

 

[Nights1515]

I still remember those days when people used to make jokes about traditional martial arts, or how useless they were in real fights. In the same line, BJJ, muay thai, boxing and wrestling were said to be the way to become a successful mixed martial artist.

Time has shown those concepts were wrong. There are a lot of relevant examples on the MMA to prove it:

Judo: Akiyama, Parysian, DHK, Lombard, etc.
Kung Fu: Cung Le

and

Karate: Lyoto Machida.

Machida is the best example as karate might be one of the most criticized TMA. From his stance, his footwork, his punches and his kicks, "The Dragon" shows how effective it could be if learned and applied correctly.

His KO kick against Mu