ROBBERY?

It may not have been the fireworks we expected. It may have been more strategy than action. But it was definitely the contrast in styles that many experts knew it would be. Unfortunately, those supposed experts also gave away the UFC light heavyweight title. Lyoto Machida versus Mauricio Rua. Karate versus Muay Thai. The first round was like a chess match as the two took eachother's measure. They were careful and evasive, and when the round was over Shogun looked like the winner. He landed more strikes than Machida while avoiding any significant damage. In fact, every round seemed to go the same way. Devastating kicks snapped and popped as Shogun signed his name on the Dragon's legs and body. By the third round, Machida's "elusiveness" seemed more like retreat. Shogun had found the answer to one of the best counter punchers in MMA. His patient aggression neutralized the unorthodox style that the Dragon had used to mystify and decimate past opponents. Mauricio Rua's fight strategy was extremely effective. But it wasn't enough. The judges gave the decision to Machida. To a chorus of boos and, with faces of disbelief, both fighters made short statements and spoke about a rematch. Yet, there is an underlying theme to this fight that Muai Thai purists can rejoice in. In a battle of technique, their's has proven to be the more dominant striking style and shown why every mixed martial artist trains in it. But technique does not beat fight politics. Most people believe that the wrong hand was raised tonight. Too bad for Shogun, none of us are judges.

Talk is Cheap

Tonight's episode of The Ultimate Fighter was another one-sided victory for Team Rashad. The ability to pick the best fighters seems to be more than just luck. Rampage continues to reveal himself as a poor coach while Rashad and his team have the sound technical knowledge to not only recognize their fighters' potential, but also to pick the right match-ups. Darril Schoonover has put on the best all around performance to date against Zak Jensen, who was a game opponent, but clearly outclassed. Schoonover landed crisp, straight-punch combinations and good knees in the clinch. When Jensen managed to take the fight to the ground, Schoonover responded with a triangle choke that squeezed the fight out of Jensen and the desperate desperate hammer fists he served up as a defense.
Rampage and Rashad are more than just a contrast in coaching. Their personalities and fighting styles are as diametrically opposed as two fighters can be. While Ramage talks, Rashad strategizes. Rampage is a scrapper and Rashad is a student of the fight game. Who would win in the cage, is a question that fight fans can only drool over for the time being. Schoonover v. Jensen, like all the fights this season, is just filler.

Pain is Pleasure

My toes are bleeding. The top of my foot is scraped raw from mat burn. My arm hurts in three different places because I jerked it free from an arm bar attempt. There always comes a point in training when you just can't breathe and your body is screaming to quit. Just for a second. There is no shame in it. But you know that the endorphin rush when it's over is worth all this and more. The people on the 6 train don't know it, though. To them you are just a sweaty stranger. They don't know your secret. First rule of fight club.....

Transitions

Today we learned to transition from Wing Chun trapping to Muay Thai clinches into Jui Jitsu submissions. My head is still spinning from trying to internalize it all. I'm enjoying some much needed down time as the advanced Thai class is snapping kicks and pads are popping like gunshots. I've got a half hour until my next class. I'm dehydrated and bruised. And I'm happy.

Can You Say Arm Triangle?

Last week was an anaconda choke, tonight an arm triangle. These are two of the easiest moves to avoid or get out of. Wes Sims should be ashamed of himself. This has to be the worst crop of fat bastards ever. Team Rampage is disgusting. Coaching is definitely a factor. Why can't I stop watching this show!

Is This Tool Academy?

I'm watching TUF 10 and wondering where they find these tools. Rampage's team sucks, point blank, but Zak is just ridiculous. He can't even hip escape! I mean we do 100 hip escapes every class. Before submissions! By the way Anderson's Martial Arts Academy in New York City is the best MMA training in the tri-state area. Check it out at www.andersonsmartialarts.com. Anyway, I hope this episode is about more than dumping loads in the shower.

Anticlimax

This can't be the best the UFC can do. It can't be. The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale on December 5th will, because of the retirement of Rampage Jackson, not be the Clash of the Titans fans anticipated. However, are we to accept that Jon Jones v. Mark Hamil and Kurt Pellegrino v. Frankie Edgar will be a reasonable facsimile? "Sugar" Rashad Evans v. Quentin "Rampage" Jackson was gonna be the fight. We love them both and they hate eachother! Two big names for the biggest season of TUF to date. No disrespect to Hamil and company but let Rashad fight someone else in the same division. He is still a draw by himself. There is no sense in waiting for Rampage to shave his mohawk and stop playing at A-team. Is Anderson Silva busy?

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Dana White Hype

I can't help but be disappointed with this season of The Utimate Fighter. So far the Kimbo Slice hype has been just that. Hype! His first fight was terrible and now we are supposed to be enticed by the prospect of him returning to the octagon? Kimbo needs at least a year of groundskill training before he can even contemplate a serious career in this sport. Still, Dana White should be commended for his aggressive marketing of the most overrated fighter in MMA history. The man could not even bridge enough to get Roy Nelson off of his face. Let's not forget the Elite XC fight where he got knocked out with a light jab to the jaw. Stay down Kimbo, stay down.

HAVING NO WAY AS WAY

"Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system." Bruce Lee said that and it is the fundamental philosophy of mixed martial arts. For weeks I practiced parrying the jab, cross, and hook and, in sparring sessions with my instructors, succeeded in getting my head snapped back like a rock 'em sock 'em robot. I was stiff. I was thinking too much. I was quite simply, stuck in the form. Only when they taught me to strike from any position, to parry going forward, and jab while retreating, did I realize the wonderful enigma of Sifu Lee's thinking. You learn the form to internalize motion; and then you make your own.

Sideshow

Can a 47 year old ex NFL football player compete in mixed martial arts? Absolutely not! Aging running back Hershel Walker has announced his intentions to become a fighter. Is he serious?Does he think MMA is less physically demanding than pro football? There was a reason he retired from the NFL and those same reasons apply now more than then. Alas, this is the inevitable fallout of the Brock Lesnar era. Nothing a good knee in the clinch won't fix.

A Chosen Few

Your lungs are burning from Muay Thai ladder drills and the Sifu keeps yelling, " sprawl!", and, "shoot!", and you are trying to remember the Gable choke you just learned today and the lactic acid in your muscles feels like lava. Hook, cross, lead kick, rear kick, "shoot!". You want to die. You are dying. Then your opponent drops his head for a micro-second and all those drills finally pay off as you wrap the neck, pull him into your guard and squeeze the carotid artery. Squeeze... When he taps, the release is sublime until you realize that you are only halfway through a five minute round and a quarter of the way through a three hour training day that leaves you feeling like the fifth car in a ten car pile up. And you are gonna do it all again tomorrow. Because you love it.