Why doesnt the athletic commission let fighters wear wrestling shoes?

Didn't you just balance it? Cut your opponents easier but be more susceptible to certain leg locks.

that's a pro and a con but I don't know if it's balanced.
Now if you allowed kicks to the head of a downed opponent, then we might have a good balance.

Leg locking me w my fancy shoes? Face Kick!
 
I think it makes sense if everyone is wearing the same or similar equipment. Either everyone wears shoes or no one wears shoes
 
Question:

I just did a BJJ and Muay Thai class today. It’s amazing how slippery it gets on a mat covered with sweat and when you have sweaty feet. It makes being mobile and using good striking technique and throwing power so much more difficult and at times just impossible.

If guys could wear wrestling shoes in the ufc to avoid the slippery issue then fights would be more exciting.

Answer:

I think it’s just tradition. Asian martial arts are barefoot because they’re like hundreds to like a thousand years old. Kickboxing stems from that. Mma stems from those martial arts and kickboxing.

Tradition is sometimes wrong. Look at savate. They make shoes work.

Thanks TS!

But let's extend the answer a bit. First off, AC's are slow moving beaurocracies. There has really only been 3 or 4 sets of Unified Rules in 20+ years. Before the first set, there were rules like "you can wear shoes if you don't kick", but as you said, there were technological and non-TMA ways to get around this. It was just easier to not look for them.

And at this point it's not just a TMA tradition; now it's an MMA tradition. I doubt it ever changes at this point. Even if it's the best idea for a rule change this year.
 
I just did a BJJ and Muay Thai class today. It’s amazing how slippery it gets on a mat covered with sweat and when you have sweaty feet. It makes being mobile and using good striking technique and throwing power so much more difficult and at times just impossible.

If guys could wear wrestling shoes in the ufc to avoid the slippery issue then fights would be more exciting.
My takeaway from this, is that you wanted us all to know that you did a Muay Thai and bjj class.

Good job, buddeh
 
I think you are just humble bragging that you taught a class

Those who can... do. Those who can’t... teach.
 
Wrestling shoes don’t effect head kicks anymore than wrapping your foot in a bath cloth would.

Also savate has shoes
It does the same thing that gloves do. Allow harder strikes without worrying about breaking something.

So yes, it does potentially increase striking power.
 
that's a pro and a con but I don't know if it's balanced.
Now if you allowed kicks to the head of a downed opponent, then we might have a good balance.

Leg locking me w my fancy shoes? Face Kick!
Side convo.

I've noticed how the Danaher death squad has been terrorizing the no gi game for a while now with their leg lock game. Eddie Bravo has straight up said he recruited Vinny Malgalenos to the 10th planet team because they had to have someone to be an answer to Craig Jones and Gordon Ryan.

Eddie Bravo also coined combat bjj where open hand strikes are allowed in a bjj contest.

I'm a full believer that if you allow strikes in a bjj contest whether it be kicks to a downed opponent or open hand strikes they effectiveness of leg locks would go down drastically and traditional Gracie jj would gain more spotlight.
 
Side convo.

I've noticed how the Danaher death squad has been terrorizing the no gi game for a while now with their leg lock game. Eddie Bravo has straight up said he recruited Vinny Malgalenos to the 10th planet team because they had to have someone to be an answer to Craig Jones and Gordon Ryan.

Eddie Bravo also coined combat bjj where open hand strikes are allowed in a bjj contest.

I'm a full believer that if you allow strikes in a bjj contest whether it be kicks to a downed opponent or open hand strikes they effectiveness of leg locks would go down drastically and traditional Gracie jj would gain more spotlight.

Agreed. Leg kicks are buffed under the current rule set.
 
It does the same thing that gloves do. Allow harder strikes without worrying about breaking something.

So yes, it does potentially increase striking power.
No no no.

Gloves are specifically made to protect the hand so that an increase in the volume and power of punches.

Wrestling shoes are meant to grip the floor. They are ultra soft.

Basketball shoes in a fight is a better comparison to gloves than wrestling shoes.
 
No no no.

Gloves are specifically made to protect the hand so that an increase in the volume and power of punches.

Wrestling shoes are meant to grip the floor. They are ultra soft.
Yes yes yes.

Kicking barefoot hurts more than kicking with shoes, therefore a kicker can kick harder without worrying about their toes (front kicks) or top of the foot when they are kicking in shoes.

The power isn't increased, per say, but they are more likely to kick at their own full power more often if they feel secure in their foot safety.

The intent is different than gloves, but the effect on ability to throw power without injury is similar. Lesser of an effect, since shoes are thin and unpadded, but the it is still there.

If you had to go kick a rough barked tree with your foot right now, would you prefer shoes, or no shoes?

Exactly.
 
Yes yes yes.

Kicking barefoot hurts more than kicking with shoes, therefore a kicker can kick harder without worrying about their toes (front kicks) or top of the foot when they are kicking in shoes.

The power isn't increased, per say, but they are more likely to kick at their own full power more often if they feel secure in their foot safety.

The intent is different than gloves, but the effect on ability to throw power without injury is similar. Lesser of an effect, since shoes are thin and unpadded, but the it is still there.

If you had to go kick a rough barked tree with your foot right now, would you prefer shoes, or no shoes?

Exactly.
In wrestling shoes i might not the cuts and scraps but even with wrestling shoes on you're still breaking your foot.
 
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