Originally Posted by
Ray Pina
Those styles are all represented in MMA. MMA is not a style, it's a sport. A set of rules for a combat sport.
I agree and disagree with you here.
I think MMA slightly favors grapplers, not because the ground can go on and on, but because if someone fails a shoot, you can't clobber the back of their head.... in that instance the risk/reward ratio isn't fair.
I appreciate long drown out ground games. It's each person's responsibility to improve their position.... that's regardless of where you find yourself (circling, against the cage, on your back). Negating that element is like telling a kick boxer not to use his hands..... people have developed entire games based around their ground game, or just the fear of it.
As for San Shou, I like it, but I don't like the headgear and the big gloves combined with quick breakage.... also usually combined with small rings. It often becomes sloppy and frantic..... MMA more accurately depicts the flow and tempo of a real fight.
If I would change anything, it would be to a single 20 min round format. If in 20 mins no one is KOed or tapped it's a draw.
MMA is going more towards becoming a "style" itself with the emergence of gyms which teach MMA or freestyle, basically focusing on striking, clinch, and groundwork. Honestyly it is semantics to argue style anyway, one's own method of fighting can be considered a style.
It's all about situational training man. A San Shou guy may or may not do well in MMA, it depends on him, the guy he is fighting, and how well his takedown defense is. But again there are those, myself included, who are not interested in competing in MMA and would rather do San Shou, it's all in preference man. Remember, a San Shou guy with no training in submissions would most likely not fare well in a BJJ tournament, however, a BJJ guy with only BJJ would likely not fare well in a San Shou tournament.
As for the issue of street fighting, no matter what you want to do you still could likely end up on the ground. Personally I would rather clinch, get head control, reign some knees, and dump the f**ucker on his head and move on to his buddy if it is multiple opponents, but that's just me. Fighting multiple opponents is always a losing battle, better to get out of that situation by all means if possible.
"The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero projects his fear onto his opponent while the coward runs. 'Fear'. It's the same thing, but it's what you do with it that matters". -Cus D'Amato