Who else thinks that there is a growing number of mma wannabes who makes martial arts look bad?

Question

mma is quickly becoming mainstream, what with brock lesnar coming into the ufc, that never back down movie, growing pay per view figures, mma clothing brands now being sold in mainstream shops, it really concerns me that mma wannabes who think they can learn mma in 5 minutes, put on a tapout hat sideways, walk down the street, and act all tough, this really pisses me off as it downgrades the discipline and honour of martial arts, and makes lifelong mixed martial artist like myself look bad. r people like me a dying breed?

Answer 1

Welcome to my world. I use to train at a Kempo/BJJ dojo and went to kick boxing school for fitness. One day i saw a Wooden Dummy in the kick boxing/MMA school and i asked "why don't you ever use this?" and one of the instructors are like "well to tell you the truth, TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS SUCK! and we're trying to redo it into the new MMA" and that offended me like h**l because I'm a Traditional Martial Artist, so i left that school. Eventually about 2 weeks later, my kempo school closed due to economic problems. So i was alone for a couple months until i joined Wing Chun which primarily uses the "wooden dummy". I been doing this for about a month and a half and my neighbor just came up to me like 5 days ago and said "you back from Kung Fu?" and i said "yes" and he's like "Why don't you do MMA? Kung Fu is some p***y ****" i was like ".............................." He started telling me "you see that neighbor, imma **** that kid up, that's why i do MMA, cuz i want to **** people up" and i just listened to what he said like blah blah blah w.e

Also around my school people are all starting to want to do MMA and they wanna do it for the wrong reasons. They are the wannabes. I know 1 true MMA fighter who is very disciplined and a awesome person. The wannabes make it bad, i totally agree with you. And the belt factories **** up the traditional styles to. It's all money and business. That's martial arts. Trying to change it back to normal is like trying to get rid of global warming and industrialization. You can't, there's so much already that there's no turning back.I think us, as a whole, whether you do MMA, Street Defense, or MA, should stick to what we got and be happy for what we have. We shouldn't worry about the wannabes and posers. They are just like thugs, if they get in your way, then put them in their place. They aren't worth squat. Life goes on.

Answer 2

Sorry to say it but you are experiencing what karate and TKD people have been going through for a while. People got there belts from belt factories and immedietly set out into the world and fell flat on their faces, whether it was in MMA fights, street fights, etc. As a whole it makes all karate and TKD schools look bad, and makes people think that the Black Belt I earned after 5 years of blood, sweat, and tears is nothing. How do you think it makes us feel when people who have been training MMA for a year or less put us down, or worse yet, somebody who has never trained, and all they know is what they see on the UFC.

Worse yet is they spout mis informed answers on here, to people who know no better.

I can definetly sympithyze with you and it makes you want to pull your hair out, either that or grab them and rip their hair out. Another thing that doesn't help you out is the Ultimate fighter. I realize it is edited to be as entertaining as possible, but seeing the way some of the yahoo's act is really degenerating you guys that train. All I can tell you is to let it go, that is what I am trying to do, otherwise it will drive you crazy.

I have a lot of respect for people who train MMA seriously, because it does take a lot of commitment and dedication, as well as discipline, but us "traditional" people have had to bear that cross much longer then you have, and it can be done.

Answer 3

whatever, i mean i know what i know and i am not letting other people ruin my fun

Answer 4

Actually, you are quite right.  For example, it's always the wannabes that go around telling everyone they train in MMA just because they learned how to execute a rear naked choke off youtube and wear Tapout and Affliction shirts.  They think it's so cool to walk around picking fights and having backyard brawls, and having that idiot Kimbo turn pro doesn't help this subject at all.  I met a guy at work that trained for a month at a crappy local MMA facility and then quit but would tell any person he met that he's a "UFC fighter" (even though he didn't have a single fight to his name, pro or amatuer).  After that, he would go pick fights on the streets or at bars and say that is how he currently trains...what a terrible image guys like those provide for a sport that requires hours and hours of professional training.  But don't worry because it's the real fighters that make it and truly pursue it while the wannabes go try it for a month, get their a-s-s-e-s kicked because they don't like the technique and hard work so they quit after a month (they only stay a whole month because they had to pay for a whole month of training and barely had enough drug money to pay for it).  We get the wannabes come in at my training center the week after every UFC event.  I'm sure it happens at your place as well.  You can tell when they're the wannabes cause they walk in with this tough guy attitude looking all mad and starring every one down while the news guys that really want to train come in wanting information all shy or friendly.  You'll also notice after any major MMA show or pay per view, we'll see this question on yahoo answers multiple times, "How do I get into the UFC" or "How can I become a UFC fighter" and don't forget this one, "How much money do they make"  LOL...I bet anyone reading this is realizing how true it is...d**n those wannabes!

Answer 5

Katana made a good point. Those of us that have been in traditional martial arts for a long time(over 41 years myself) have been experiencing the frustration that you are feeling now. Only thing is for serious mma students it is only just beginning. TMA practicioners have had to put up with one fad after another . Every few years another martial art becomes really popular. When it happens every wannabe jumps on the band wagon. The interest then results in many schools for this MA springing up like weeds in a garden. While some are legitimate most are simply not qualified.  It takes years to become a knowledgeable/qualified instructor of any serious MA. Yet shortly after a new one becomes the fad there are thousands of guys opening schools and claiming to be qualified.

Personally I see there being several problems with the martial arts both TMA and MMA.

1) The public is ignorant and does not know how to tell the real from the fakes.

2) Americans and many others don't have the patience to spend the time to really learn the MA, so schools have watered down the training. This is because many people simply would not train if they don't get promoted often, or the classes are not fun.

3) The ignorance and the greedy open MA schools and will compromise the training so that they can make money. That is why in the 1960's you did not see young children in the MA.

4) The MA have become a joke to many because they see so many 5 and 6 year olds with black belts. Not to mention the 15 to 18 year olds that are 2nd and 3rd degree black blets and teaching classes.

To sum things up, the problem is greed, the desire for instant results(promotions), underhanded business practices, and an increasingly ignorent general public.

It really frost my ........ when I meet an adult and as soon as they know that I'm a long time martial artist, they say something like, "Oh my 6 years old just got his black belt".

80% of the students in the martial arts in the U.S.A. are children.  So what is wrong with this picture? The public views the MA as a children's activity, not a serious method of self-defense.  Sad but true.

Answer 6

There are these types of people in all walks of life. You just have to learn patience and the ability to care less. I have been offended by the "child blackbelt allstar" in the past, but now really just don't care. The same goes for the "McDojo belt factories", and now the MMA, JJ, MT wannabees. There are serious trainees in the world and I have great respect for those honorable types, and ultimately wouldn't p**s on the A*****s to put out a fire.

Just be you and don't let the ignorant run your life. If you do you will never be happy.

Answer 7

its just to make money make people interested in the television program but yes i agree with you

Answer 8

anytime a sport experiences a surge in popularity, there is a sudden influx of new people wanting to try their hand at it.  unfortunately, a lot of these people don't really understand the sacrifices that people before them had to make, in order for the sport to become so popular in the first place

this is a good thing and a bad thing.  the more people that participate, the better chances there are of finding more talented fighters, but at the same time, it also increases (and probably at a higher rate) the number of posers and wannabees.

but i think, instead of worrying about all the wannabees. who would probably get weeded out pretty quickly anyways, just think about how your hard work in establishing mma, might have inspired some kid to really train hard, and take the sport seriously, but might have otherwise never even considered mma as viable option as far as athletic competition goes.

Answer 9

i agree with pretty much everything you are saying...and to add to your argument...of the 4 major sports you see a lot of bandwagon jumping(my biggest pet peeve)...

for example...(this will relate to mma i promise)

in 2000-2001 i watched 82 basketball games of my lifelong favorite team, the philadelphia 76ers...allen iverson went animal all year long...and everyday when i talked about it nobody cared...well ill give you 2 guesses what happened when they made the finals......some of the worst bandwagon jumping i have ever seen...and people who knew nothing talking like they know the sport...

outside of teams and championships, the bandwagon in mma is the same thing...but the difference is people are dressing and acting the part of a bad*** when in actuality they may have no experience or knowledge of martial arts in general.....how many times does the cameraman pan around the crowd in a ufc event and you see the typical creatine jock blowout fade wannbe tight shirt tatooed biff??? (in a italian colored tapout shirt)

it happens every event!! and im not saying that they dont know anything about martial arts or the ufc, but how many of these faces are actually devoting their lives to training and appreciate why mma is where it is and how it got to be...

myself i skip the stage of dressing like a wannabe and just train instead and be myself...

so maybe that was an insignificant rant compared to your question, but i agree with you and its a just question to ask...especially while the sport grows and the wagon jumpers are gonna come out of the woodwork...!

Answer 10

i agree with every thing u say...its true...there are alot of wanabees...but deep down inside...they know they look stupid....but it's how companys make money(so u cant blame them for makeing money)....but like for me and u...ive been training for mma for 5 years...i know deep down inside...its people like us who make this sport what it is today. and im not about to give up all my blood, sweat, and tears for a couple of wanabees. just ignore them...and move on (and keep training)....dont give up what u(and i) love for a couple of pozers.