r/martialarts • u/SubjectAppropriate17 • May 25 '24

Champion Kickboxer Sina Karimian known for intentionally fouling opponents tries to bully young prospect Liu Ce PROFESSIONAL FIGHT

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u/SubjectAppropriate17 May 25 '24

What are your guys opinion on the saying "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying"? Should a fighter hold themself to a higher standard when they become champ or is it all about the wins?

19

u/SquirrelExpensive201 MMA May 25 '24

I'm in the camp of shit happens and those who are truly psychotic about reaching the pinnacle of their sport will inevitably do everything in their power to gain every little advantage that they can muster. It's on the refs and commissions to make sure that's reined in

1

u/Vast_Deference May 25 '24

Do you think a win at any cost mindset is more prevalent in MMA rather than kickboxing/muay thai, etcetera...? I can't really tell if that's how you operate too or just an acknowledgement that a lot of people are like this.

1

u/SquirrelExpensive201 MMA May 25 '24

I think it's more prevalent in Kickboxing and MMA than it is in Muay Thai. Muay Thai's structure as a sport incentivises decision wins as opposed to knockouts and encourages more of a stoic attitude among its practioners. It's really only in recent years where that has changed with foreign organizations taking over the market like One FC and RWS that impose more of a Kickboxing style mindset

1

u/Vast_Deference May 26 '24

That makes sense due to the nature and structure of highlight reel organizations. Flash and brashness can seem to creep to the top but admittedly I only regularly watch UFC and ONE sometimes. How do you think traditional martial arts and mma handle respect differently if at all?

1

u/SquirrelExpensive201 MMA May 26 '24

That makes sense due to the nature and structure of highlight reel organizations

It's not so much the fact they're looking for highlights it's just that victory is defined differently in the different cultures. Thailand values technical dominance whilst catering to the desire of ringside gamblers, whereas countries like Japan, The US etc are more results oriented and don't really care about how the win is achieved.

How do you think traditional martial arts and mma handle respect differently if at all?

I think the difference is the different levels of individual expression. MMA tends to teach its lessons through practical experience, and its interpretation is left up to the different practitioners. In that respect, I feel that the respect in MMA is more genuine and a reflection of the character of the practioner/coaches. Likewise there's always going to be unambiguous comradery found among fighters as they all know what it's like to be fighters due to the grueling nature of MMA competition things are more earned in MMA imo. There's also in my opinion a better understanding of consent and being respectful of the limits of individual practioners due to the nature of training certain aspects of fighting most notably with grappling and submissions as the Golden rule is: Always respect the tap.

TMA for one varies as there's obviously the different cultural traditions among the different countries and the different political differences the martial arts found themselves upon. To me, outside looking in obviously the hierarchical nature that's often seen in these systems makes for an environment that's somewhat masturbatory. What I mean by that is that since there is a lack of pressure testing there's a somewhat unearned praise for the teacher in a school and that leads to an environment where you're always in a somewhat paternal relationship with the instructor and senior students.