What is MMA'S Impact on Kung-Fu Should MMA be its' on Art Now?

[FightingGorilla]

How has MMA changed or impacted Kung-Fu? There is no denying the impact UFC has had on the Martial Arts World. More and more schools offer multiple styles. I know you will have traditionalists and revisionists argue these points, but MMA has its place in the Martial Arts world, for now anyway. Does it have staying power? Should it now be its own Art? Your thoughts?

Well, before I read any of the other folk's posts, I would like to enter my own observations about the UFC and the new MMA that seems to be a result of the UFC.

I think they have certain concepts that can be learned from, but for me, I wouldn't forsake traditional teachings to join the brand new MMA camp. Part of the reason I am interested in Kung Fu isn't about fighting at all, but includes studies of the Chinese culture, history, religion, I find all of these aspects interesting. I also take note at the fact that someone somewhere has got to remember the traditions and the history. UFC/MMA fighters do not seem to want anything much to do with the (what I have heard pro-MMA folks call) "baggage" of the traditional arts.

There is another aspect to the words "martial arts" and that aspect is contained in the the second half of the expression, that aspect is "the arts." Also known as humanities if any of you went to college, etc... The study of the civilization, culture, history, religion, even the architecture, and many other intricate things that can be found by studying traditional martial arts.

If it was just about fighting and creating a nice blood and guts brawl in an Octagon for ticket money, well then I guess I don't find very much depth in the UFC/MMA. It's sort of a "quick fix" that (to me) is rather boring intellectually. It would be good for a "jock" type, who only wants to grunt and fight, but I am interested in martial arts for more than just those things, Kung Fu is and can be a very deep and philosophical thing, and it seems like the UFC/MMA folks don't really want much to do with philosophy, religion, culture, or Asian civilization. They acknowledge a few of those aspects, but overall, are found bragging that they do what they do by shunning most of the traditional values. I think this propaganda gets them a certain amount of media attention as well. It's a sensational boast, and the media is always there to pick up on a sensational story. Whether it is real or not, it's sensational, and that's what makes headlines and publicity. And publicity draws the final result, ... ticket sales...

I think any athlete that trains to the point these folks do should be respected, but I am not one to jump on their late-1900 - early-2000's bandwagon. I am not about to forsake traditional ancient Kung Fu for this new and modern cage grappling art. To me, it has no intellectual depth, so it doesn't interest me very much at all. In fact, I believe the fights themselves (IMHO) are only a novelty that will one day soon fall out of the limelight of sensational media attention; the after-math will be a return to history, philosophy, religion, and deeper things. Men’s emotions can be stirred by watching a blood and guts fight, but the mind is more powerful than the emotions, and it will want to be fed after the emotional glimmer and glitz wears off. When the fad and trend ceases to entertain and exist, people will find themselves returning to the study of traditions and cultures and religions. That’s just what people do…

I don’t think the concept of MMA has really reinvented the wheel or anything. The Chinese art of joint locking and “seizing and control” called Chin Na was around for hundreds of years before there were submission contests in the Octagon. Grappling is nothing new, the Greeks did it, the Romans did it, and so did the Chinese. Unarmed combat is nothing new, in 1700B.C. the Greeks were doing it in sports festivals held in Crete and the Aegean islands.

What is new is that the battle can be seen live and in your living room for a few dollars on your VISA card or added to your next cable bill. The media has changed, but the fights are still the same. One man pitted against another man, in a test of wills and abilities. It’s actually been part of man’s approach to life I suppose as long as there has been a man on Earth.

What gets me, I guess, is that a certain crowd of folks will view this stuff and claim “hey looky what I found, this new and improved way of fighting.” Wrong…. It’s not new at all, in fact it’s as old as life it’s self.

Which is one more reason to study traditional history, philosophy, religion and culture….