Sting #5

Two of the biggest letdowns in my "martial arts life" were 1) watching the "first world martial arts full contact championships" on television back in the seventies (featuring Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Jeff Smith, and Isuena Duenas versus a collection of international "stiffs"-September, 1974), and 2) seeing Benny "The Jet" Urquidez fighting some kung fu poseur from New York City in a World Series of Martial Arts competition here in the midwest. Both were really big letdowns because they were so dull, boring, and, overall, lacking in the type of "kickboxing" that I had grown to enjoy and love while in the major Bangkok arenas. I recall asking myself why I was wasting my time watching what amounted to little more than "sport" karate with cheap hand and foot padding on the participants.

Now, over three decades later, I am still having to put up with less than satisfying martial arts kickboxing "fights"(???) that are now called international kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and no-holds-barred competitions. Todays shows are not as boring as those two big martial arts letdowns mentioned above, but outside from having one or two outstanding fighters in the mix, it is still not that much more entertaining than the stuff I saw back in the seventies and eighties in so-called kickboxing and full-contact karate matches. A decent amateur golden Gloves, Olympic, or professional boxing match is more compelling and interesting. And if one is observing one is observing a Muay Thai match at Lumpini Stadium or Rajadamnern Stadium...ah, that is the top of the crop, baby.

It si strange indeed that the Dutch were the first to have the guts to jump into the fray and learn real kickboxing in Thailand, and develop at least a handful of fighters who could compete toe to toe with Thai champs in matches under full or slightly modified (no elbows) Muay Thai matches. The americans would have nothing to do with the Thais' in western rings unless the matches were under american kickboxing rules, and the Thai fighter were always required to put on more protective. padding than an entire NFL offensive line wears.

Check out the old Kietsongrit versus Rick Roufus debacle to see how much the fighters, the cornermen, the crowd, and the promoters despised even the addition of Thai kicks to the leg. It appeared that Mr. Roufus had never studied how to defend against, or counter, roundhouse kicks to the legs. Roufus got the butt whipping he deserved for not taking the time and effort to how his opponent fought. That is as stupid as a martial artist getting in the ring with a semi-pro boxer and assuming that his flashy martial arts blocks, traps, snappy backfists, reverse punches, and intricate martial arts footwork will allow him to cope with "real deal" hooks, uppercuts, and straight punches that will rock him from head to toe every time one lands.

You know, it is downright ludicrous that most martial arts trainees around the world still believe that fighting invisible opponents, spending 90% of training time doing "controlled" kicks and punches (i.e. "pulling" punches and kicks), and "avoidance" of actually getting in a ring to do some real banging on occasion with someone who will hit back, is the path to fighting and self-defense arts perfection. If you think I'm kidding just check out some of those absurd clips on YOUTUBE.COM that show, for example, Wing Chun versus Kickboxer dude, or Muay Thai versus Kung Fu. Preposterous! I am so incensed with the thought of that garbage right now that I am going to stop right here, and continue my thoughts on this subject tomorrow. I have to clear my brain right now.

Black Scorpion 47