DragonzRage
01-24-2003, 01:15 AM
I was shopping for a birthday gift for my roommate at Suncoast and came across a Gladiator Challenge tape in the sports section. Compared to UFC or Pride, GC is a b-level event more along the lines of King of the Cage. However, many up and coming fighters compete in such events and many solid fight teams are represented. The tape was only 11 bucks and included a fight with Duane Ludwig, who i am a fan of. So I bought it. I was surprised to see that there were two kung fu fighters in the mix. This event happened in 2001, but that is still pretty up to date in terms of fighting standards for current MMA. I hadn't seen any kung fu guys in a serious MMA event since the old UFC days. So it was a surprise and I also looked forward to the added variety.
Unfortunately neither of the two kung fu guys was too impressive. One guy was a Wing Chun guy who also seemed to have some basic grappling knowledge. He fought Duane Ludwig, who is an up and coming MMA fighter known for his fierce Muay Thai skills. Ludwig is a skilled kickboxer with K-1 experience. I give the wing chun guy credit for fighting spirit and being able to put up at least somewhat of a fight, but Ludwig spanked him pretty hard. He managed to land one or two sidekicks and made a couple failed attempts to blitz Ludwig with straight punches. I think he tried to set up some techniques in close range, but Ludwig would just put him in clinch and manhandle him. Ludwig showcased some very nice Muay Thai combos at his opponent's expense. The ref stopped the fight onceit seemed obvious that Ludwig was pummeling the guy with no response. If they let it go longer he probably would've maimed the poor *******.
The other guy was some dude they billed as having studied kung fu and kempo all his life. I don't think they mentioned what specific style of kung fu tho. This guy was more pathetic than Ludwig's opponent. Altho Ludwig's opponent was easily outclassed in his match, he at least seemed somewhat competent and prepared for a fight. This dude just didn't have a clue. As soon as the bell rang he runs across the mat and jumps at his opponent with a flying sidekick. The other guy (who was a submission wrestler) simply caught him in mid air, slammed him down to the mat, took his back and choked him out. It lasted less than ten seconds.
In any case, it was interesting to see a couple kung fu dudes fighting in a more current MMA setting. Once Sanda guys start learning submissions, I think they'll make definite waves for the Chinese arts.
Unfortunately neither of the two kung fu guys was too impressive. One guy was a Wing Chun guy who also seemed to have some basic grappling knowledge. He fought Duane Ludwig, who is an up and coming MMA fighter known for his fierce Muay Thai skills. Ludwig is a skilled kickboxer with K-1 experience. I give the wing chun guy credit for fighting spirit and being able to put up at least somewhat of a fight, but Ludwig spanked him pretty hard. He managed to land one or two sidekicks and made a couple failed attempts to blitz Ludwig with straight punches. I think he tried to set up some techniques in close range, but Ludwig would just put him in clinch and manhandle him. Ludwig showcased some very nice Muay Thai combos at his opponent's expense. The ref stopped the fight onceit seemed obvious that Ludwig was pummeling the guy with no response. If they let it go longer he probably would've maimed the poor *******.
The other guy was some dude they billed as having studied kung fu and kempo all his life. I don't think they mentioned what specific style of kung fu tho. This guy was more pathetic than Ludwig's opponent. Altho Ludwig's opponent was easily outclassed in his match, he at least seemed somewhat competent and prepared for a fight. This dude just didn't have a clue. As soon as the bell rang he runs across the mat and jumps at his opponent with a flying sidekick. The other guy (who was a submission wrestler) simply caught him in mid air, slammed him down to the mat, took his back and choked him out. It lasted less than ten seconds.
In any case, it was interesting to see a couple kung fu dudes fighting in a more current MMA setting. Once Sanda guys start learning submissions, I think they'll make definite waves for the Chinese arts.