Archive for April, 2010

Which Martial Art is Best? Part 7: TAEKWONDO

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

The great debate continues. Next up in our discipline-by-discipline comparison is Taekwondo. Because we don’t see much of it in MMA, it’s become somewhat of an afterthought in mainstream media. That’s ironic considering that more people practise Taekwondo than they do any other martial art on Earth.

Taekwondo is South Korea’s national sport and has a fascinating history. There are conflicting reports on its origins. Is it a mutation of Karate? A South Korean art? The most interesting theory is that it emerged from the mountains in Northern Korea thousands of years ago. Legend has it the Goguryo Kingdom warriors had huge, strong legs developed from living and walking on rough, sloped terrain and incorporated their body type into their combat.

Hey – the theory certainly makes sense, as Taekwondo uses the legs as much as any striking martial art. Taekwondo practitioners have heavy, powerful kicks that are especially effective in wearing down opponents’ legs.

More than most standup martial arts, Taekwondo really prepares its fighters for self-defense. The legs are used to keep opponents as far away as possible and fighters’ blocking skills are highly developed. Taekwondo fighters use the occasional leg sweep and joint lock but, compared to grappling arts like BJJ or Judo, they’re arguably less skilled in that regard on average.

Famous Taekwondo practitioners: Dan Hardy, Steven Lopez

Some MMA superstars like Anderson Silva, Mirko Filipovic and Mauricio Rua all studied Taekwondo as they developed as fighters but Dan Hardy is perhaps the most prominent mainstream fighter with a true base in Taekwondo.

For pure Taekwondo proficiency, however, Steven Lopez is the standard. The former Olympic champion is the only person to win five straight World Championships.

So how does Taekwondo stack up against other martial arts? It’s certainly a strong defensive art; through blocks, use of the legs and constant movement, Taekwondo fighters are hard to hit or take down. However, you can’t win a fight without inflicting damage. While Taekwondo kicks can wear opponents down, their linear paths limit their range and the open-handed striking style doesn’t lend well to powerful punching.

Taekwondo has its merits, but I wouldn’t rank it among the elite martial arts.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

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Which Martial Art is Best? Part 6: BOXING

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Unlike the other martial arts I’ve covered during this hypothetical debate about which style is best, boxing needs no introduction. It’s the most common, heavily publicized and, according to some, the most basic form of bodily combat. But just because boxing is so popular doesn’t mean we can’t learn something about it. Let’s try!

How about a little history? Essentially, as long as fighting has existed, boxing has existed. Dating back to ancient Roman battles, it was a last resort for disarmed warriors. It was done for sport in Greece and eventually became an “entertainment” event when English prizefighting developed in the 1700s.

Believe it or not, the current rules we see today in boxing, from low-blows to rabbit punches to standing eight-counts, are as old as Canada. The “Marquess of Queensberry” rules originated way back in 1867.

Famous boxers: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

We don’t need to detail the careers of these famous athletes, do we? Instead, let’s cut to the chase. It’s actually a question many MMA fans have asked over the last few years: Can a skilled boxer succeed against other martial artists?

The answer may be “yes and no.” Through the jab, boxers do a great job keeping opponents at bay; while any boxer who gets taken down may lose quickly, the opponent still has to reach the boxer to shoot – and that’s no easy task. Also, through repetition and development of powerful striking via turning the hips in training, boxers arguably hit harder than any other martial artists if you judge the strikes’ effectiveness on pure knockout power.

As a discipline, however, I don’t rank boxing particularly high. Ironically, the Marquess of Queensberry set boxers back in terms of their real-world effectiveness. Boxers are engineered to thrive in “ideal” conditions – against other boxers, with no kicking or takedowns. Most other martial artists are equipped to survive in any situation. Since boxing doesn’t prepare a fighter for ground battles, I don’t rank it high. Even a master takedown evader can’t stuff every attempt.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Boxing Gym North York,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Which Martial Art is Best? Part 5: BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Our quest to find the world’s best martial art continues with an extremely popular and effective form of grappling: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

You can’t mention BJJ without almost immediately thinking of the legendary Gracie family. Several generations back, the Gracies learned about Judo from famous student Mitsuyo Maeda and eventually developed their own form of ground fighting – which eventually became BJJ.

Like Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on understanding an opponent’s body mechanics and using leverage to gain an upper hand. And, like judokas, BJJ practitioners can successfully engage opponents much larger or “stronger” than they are.

But BJJ differs from Judo in that it focuses more on submissions via chokes and joint locks and less on throws and takedowns. The best BJJ fighters in the world are masters of exploiting exposed limbs for submissions and using their hips to pass opponents’ guards on the ground; they can also mount offensive attacks even while pinned on their back – something fighters in few if any other disciplines can do.

Famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners: Royce Gracie, BJ Penn, Demian Maia

Royce Gracie is living proof that BJJ can defeat almost any individual fighting style on its own, as he regularly tapped out men 50-100 pounds heavier than him, including wrestlers, boxers and countless other fighters, during the early days of Ultimate Fighting. Demian Maia is the closest thing today to a modern Gracie, as he almost exclusively uses the grappling game to defeat opponents.

In the era of the modern martial artist – the mixed martial artist – the game is changing. Now that fighters can combine various standup and ground styles, BJJ can’t dominate and confuse opponents on its own the way it used to. Famous BJJ practitioner BJ Penn uses his flexibility to set up countless submissions but he also uses boxing to launch powerful standing attacks. It’s thus no coincidence that Maia is working on his striking to prepare for a UFC title match against Anderson Silva.

There’s no question that BJJ is among the best martial arts in the world today. But is it the best base for a fighter? I’m not so sure anymore. It doesn’t develop fighters’ striking ability at all, nor does it focus on fitness and endurance the way a grappling style like wrestling does.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

BJJ Club Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Which Martial Art is Best? Part 4: MUAY THAI

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

After a short hiatus, it’s time to continue our discipline-by-discipline analysis of which martial art is best. Next up is one of the more popular and exciting forms of striking today: Muay Thai.

Muay Thai’s true origin is unknown but most sources claim the art dates back 2,000 years and that ancient Siamese warriors used it when disarmed in battle. We know undoubtedly that Muay Thai also evolved from Muay Boran – ancient boxing – and that nations like Thailand and Cambodia spread the art throughout Asia.

Dubbed “The Art of Eight Limbs,” Muay Thai uses perhaps more body parts as weapons than any other form of striking, including knees, elbows, feet and hands. As a result, Muay Thai practitioners can explode on opponents with deadly combinations.

Another key component of Muay Thai – arguably one that places it above other forms of striking – is clinch work. Some of the most potent Muay Thai strikes come from tying opponents up in a clinch by grabbing their neck, then delivering devastating knees to their jaw or midsection.

Famous Muay Thai practitioners: Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Rua

It’s hardly a coincidence that so many MMA fighters incorporate Muay Thai into their gameplan, as it allows them to launch offensive attacks from anywhere, be it several steps away (flying knees) or inches away (clinching). Brazilians like Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua have enjoyed immense international success using Muay Thai, scoring countless knockouts and thrilling fans in the process.

As I’ve stated before, everyone has a unique opinion on which martial art is best, but I’ll put myself on the line and say that Muay Thai is, in my opinion, the most effective form of striking in practice today. Whereas boxers or Karate fighters aim to score points from a distance and must keep strong grapplers or wrestlers at bay, Muay Thai fighters can engage any type of fighter because of their clinch game. At least when standing up, Muay Thai is perhaps the most versatile form of striking used in MMA.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Muay Thai Training in North York,  Toronto, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Strikeforce: Nashville Preview

Friday, April 16th, 2010

After no particularly big fight cards for several months, Strikeforce is finally back and ready to reassume its position as the UFC’s main competitor in mixed martial arts promotions. Sure, the UFC still has most of the top fighters, but Strikeforce will showcase some high-end talent this weekend. Here are my picks for the big fights.

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Jake Shields (24-4) vs Dan Henderson (25-7)

After feeling slighted by the UFC, Dan Henderson defected to Strikeforce and was immediately rewarded with a title shot against highly regarded middleweight champ Jake Shields. Both fighters are ground guys first and foremost, with Shields relying on his BJJ and Henderson using his Greco-Roman wrestling background.

The pick: Dan Henderson. Remember, Shields fought most of his career at welterweight and Henderson fought most of his career at light heavyweight; that’s a 35-pound weight difference. Henderson should have the strength advantage in grappling and has a clear edge in the standup thanks to his extremely heavy hands. He’s just a tough matchup for Shields altogether. Though Shields’ record is impressive, I would argue Henderson, even at his advanced age, is the toughest man he’s ever faced. I’m just not convinced he can hurt Henderson or even submit him.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) vs Muhammed Lawal (6-0)

This should be very interesting. The mouthy Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal will put his undefeated record on the line in an effort to steal the light heavyweight belt from Gegard Mousasi, who has looked positively untouchable of late.

The pick: Gegard Mousasi. Whom has Lawal beaten? Mousasi is a world-class fighter, a non-stop finisher who can beat guys with his blazing hands in the striking game or submit them on the ground. While he’s beaten more solid “B” fighters than “A” guys, he’s still far more experienced than Lawal. Even though Lawal is a powerhouse wrestler, I don’t think he’ll scare Mousasi. The champ is a cerebral fighter who is comfortable in virtually any situation. I think he’ll pick Lawal apart.

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Gilbert Melendez (17-2) vs Shinya Aoki (23-4, 1 NC)

After watching Takanori Gomi get embarrassed against Kenny Florian’s boxing in the UFC a few weeks back, Shinya Aoki, ranked as the No. 2 lightweight in the world by most publications, has a lot to prove. Can he finally shake the notion that the Japanese fighters’ skills don’t translate across the pond?

The pick: Gilbert Melendez. I’m not sure what it is that gets lost in translation for Japanese fighters. Is it a hostile crowd atmosphere? Maybe the conversion to the confining cage after years of fighting in rings? Whatever the cause is, I’ve lost confidence in Japanese imports. Instead of backing Aoki based on his name recognition, I’d like to see him earn the win again the tough, gritty Melendez.

By Matt Larkin
Guest MMA Writer

MMA Gym North York,  Toronto, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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UFC 112 Preview

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

It’s great for mixed martial arts that the world-class fighters and, just as importantly, the title belts have come out of the woodwork. While it’s true that UFC 112’s title matchups look lopsided, I’m seeing the glass as half-full. Let’s just enjoy the fact that we can watch Anderson Silva and BJ Penn in action. Here are my picks for the fights.

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Anderson Silva (25-4) vs Demian Maia (12-1)

Dana White had to get creative and go with “Plan C” as Anderson Silva’s opponent after Vitor Belfort got injured and Chael Sonnen’s political obligations sidetracked him. As a result, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu virtuoso Demian Maia gets the middleweight title shot before he’s actually ready.

The pick: Anderson Silva. Sadly, I could see this fight ending inside the first minute. While it’s true that The Spider has been strangely tentative in at least two of his last three fights, Demian Maia’ s striking is so remedial that there’s absolutely no threat to Silva in the standup (very different from, say, fighting Patrick Cote). Silva’s lightning-fast and accurate Muay Thai strikes should overwhelm Maia quickly. Even though Maia’s BJJ is unbelievable, Silva is still a black belt himself. Maia’s BJJ was neutralized in his last fight when he battled a fellow BJJ black belt in Dan Miller. So Maia won’t have much of an edge on the ground and is horrifically overmatched on his feet. Yep, this should be a slaughter.

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: BJ Penn (15-5-1) vs Frankie Edgar (11-1)

Like the middleweight and welterweight divisions, the lightweight division has plenty of talented fighters in its second tier but a huge gap between the champion and everyone else. Frankie Edgar is just the latest underdog to challenge BJ “the Prodigy” Penn, who has successfully reinvented himself as a dominant force now that he’s committed to staying in shape.

The pick: BJ Penn.  We can at least expect a closer fight here, however. Frankie Edgar is among the most underrated and cerebral fighters in his division, as he’s very capable on the ground with his wrestling base and decent BJJ and he’s also very technical and accurate in his boxing, capable of picking opponents apart. The problem is that Penn has the same strengths as Edgar but his skills are even more advanced. Penn’s BJJ is unmatched, his boxing is superb and he has a solid size advantage over Edgar, who is one of the smallest lightweights around. Edgar should give a better effort than Diego Sanchez based on intellect alone, but we shouldn’t expect more than that.

Matt Hughes (43-7) vs Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)

This was a long time coming. Finally, legendary Renzo Gracie makes his UFC debut at age 43. Unlike Royce Gracie, Renzo doesn’t have to face Matt Hughes in his prime. But can Renzo have a chance given his age and the fact that he hasn’t fought for over three years?

The pick: Matt Hughes. We’ve seen this movie before. When Royce lost to Hughes, the message was clear: MMA had grown up and a pure BJJ artist could no longer trump a bigger man easily. While Renzo has more modernized striking than Royce did, he’s still the older and physically weaker fighter. I think even a past-his-prime Hughes will have his way with Gracie.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

MMA Gym North York,  Toronto, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Hats off to Boxing’s Manny Pacquiao

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I have only good things to say about boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao right now – and not simply because he made it look so easy against Joshua Clottey a few weeks back.

Sure, he ran circles around Clottey, virtually pitching a shutout, but that was expected. After all, Clottey had already lost to Miguel Cotto, a man Pacquiao pummelled. He was an obvious mismatch.

What impressed me most about Pacquiao was his comment after the fight when asked about MMA. Instead of taking the well-traveled boxer route and bashing the sport, claiming he could crush any mixed martial artist, a-la James Toney and Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao honoured the sport.

He claimed that MMA, while too violent for him, is “a sport that should be recognized” and “a great sport.” He may be off about the “too violent” part; I argue that MMA is safer than boxing, as the referees do more to protect the fighters and combatants take far fewer head shots. But I’m thrilled to see Pacquiao give MMA some love.

It’s too bad that we won’t ever see Pacquiao in the cage. Considering that he’s won boxing titles in a zillion different weight classes, it’s only natural to wonder what kind of damage he could do if he learned some grappling and forayed into MMA.

For now, we’ll have to hold out hope for the other legends. Toney is taking the plunge, Roy Jones Jr. has hinted repeatedly that he wants to battle Anderson Silva (in boxing) and, of course, there’s Mayweather. I’ll settle for him and Pacquiao finally putting aside their differences and meeting in the ring, but it sure would be a treat to put Floyd in the Octagon. He’d be dangerous as can be on the feet and impossible to hit – not to mention a good heel for the crowd.

It’s all food for thought. But I think Manny Pacquiao is taking a step in the right direction by implying that boxing and MMA can co-exist.

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Boxing Gym Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Is it time for the UFC re-open talks with M-1 Global?

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

We wait.

And wait.

And Wait.

We wait to see Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest heavyweight in the history of mixed martial arts, show us what he has. After years of watching him devastate opponents in PRIDE with his Judo, Sambo and heavy hands, we’ve had several frustrating years of waiting seemingly forever only to see Fedor pummel second-rate competition.

His latest opponent was boxing standout Brett Rogers at Strikeforce in November. Rogers was undefeated, yes, but clearly not ready for Fedor. Fight fans shook their heads as they watched, wishing Fedor could battle the superior competition in the UFC instead.

That, of course, wasn’t possible since Fedor’s promoter, M-1 Global, couldn’t reach an agreement with Dana White. The reason: M-1 isn’t an “agent.”  It views itself as a legit fight promotion, equivalent to the UFC itself, and wanted co-promoter billing with the UFC. White scoffed at the idea, as the UFC was in the position of power. Strikeforce, on the other hand, pounced at the chance to co-promote. Anything to land Fedor (and Gegard Mousasi, another world-class fighter under M-1) and compete with the UFC, right?

Well, now I wonder if Dana White has a chance for a do-over. Fedor won’t be fighting any time soon, not because M-1 Global is upset with Strikeforce per se, but because it’s upset with CBS, now a primary Strikeforce broadcaster. The network didn’t give proper acknowledgement to M-1 Global in November as a co-promoter in M-1’s mind.

If I’m Mr. White, I pounce. Right now. Strikeforce has done a legitimate job establishing itself as the No. 2 competitor to the UFC; herding Fedor and Mousasi would be wrestling that reputation away. Sure, the UFC would have to swallow its pride, but if it agreed to co-promote only for Fedor and Mousasi fights, it would cripple Strikeforce’s credibility. The UFC would also make tremendous gains in pay-per-view buys.

To me, the only downside of co-promoting with M-1 Global in the short-term is a wounded ego for the UFC. If only Dana White wasn’t so stubborn.

MMA Training Toronto,  North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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