Why do you think Kung Fu has done so poorly in MMA and can it still serve as an effective self defence art?

Question

Well it seems the verdict is in. After many years of modern MMA tournaments Kung Fu ( to my knowledge in all its forms) has proved to be a no show, and when it has a no go. To my knowledge not a single victor of a major tournament has been a Kung Fu practitioner. But why is that? Watching the UFC it isn't as if they're using moves I don't know. It isn't as if Kung Fu people don't condition or work out. And even if we don't have the greatest repore for ground fighting surely people would have cross trained. I'm not sure I understand it, and that's where you guys can help me out. (I'm not looking for its too deadly for sport. Unless your telling me that not a single move is permissible in, say, the UFC Kung Fu folk should be able to have some showing.)

As a bonus question, given that it has failed so completely in MMA, do you think it can still serve as an effective street defense? Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

MMA and traditional martial arts are two way different things. You don't train Kung Fu and expect to enter an MMA fight and win. Modern MMA athletes are trained for sport/combat where as KF is artistc/self defense. Against the average street guy KF will work great! But realistically there are some monsters out there who with little or no training can still kick a well trained martial artists butt. There is no self defense against a sucker punch!! haha.. plus really check out this video on Youtube of the Gracies using BJJ against a Kung fu guy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=215Ai-2dF...

Answer 2

a traditional martial art has a whole different goal than a combat "art" or sport.

Sure kung fu is a good self-defense art... unless you run into one of the .001% of the population that is very good at MMA.

Answer 3

Cung Le is doing pretty well with San Shou (Kung Fu's version of kickboxing).

Also, check out this video of a wing chun kid schooling an mma wannabe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GsaFUHrI...

Answer 4

There's a vietnamese Sanda fighter that does well....I  think he's Cung Le.... not sure, anyways, many forms of Kung Fu aren't combat sports, many are killing arts, so, with the intention of many attacks being to break bones, hit pressure points, and really damage, it's not meant for subduing like Muay Thai or BJJ. Besides, there isn't any such thing as a superior martial art, just better artists, truthfully, many of those that are great at Kung Fu tend to avoid things like MMA, it's just a mentality thing....hmm....I still stick my hands into bags of rice and beans..... I do tend to receive odd looks when I tell people that but I think an Iron Palm fighter in MMA would definetely be effective.

Answer 5

Why do i think it has done so poorly? Traditional martial artists have nothing to prove. It's like inviting a nerd to a backyard kimbo fight. He isn't gonna accept most of the time. Same applies to Traditional martial artists in general joining an MMA bout.

Plus You haven't seen Cung Le have you? San Shou Kung Fu. He's doing great with it.

Mayhem Miller? He's done Kung Fu before and he dominates.

Just cuz you see kung fu differently in movies doesn't mean it's the same in real life, real kung fu isn't pretty. Don't believe it? Meet my Wing Chun instructor or search up Wing Chun in general, most people would call it patty cake because they're MMA trash wannabes. Hope you're not one of them.

Answer 6

4 words: San Shau kung fu.

Hybrid style of kickboxing and devastating takedowns. Watch cung le and tell me kung fu can't be used in mma.

Answer 7

Effectiveness in a competition does not prove effectiveness on the street where ther are no rules. Martial arts were made for self defense. Most original martial arts were made STRICTLY for self defense, where NO RULES APPLY. And another way to put it is Kung Fu fighter v untrained, "street fighter'' (so to speak). Kung Fu actually TRAINS in combat.

Answer 8

jason delucia did ok until he met royce gracie.... twice

Answer 9

I watched that 1st video and I dont know where they found that loser but I think the average aggressive green belt in any style would have kicked his butt.

And hoyce made an excellent point "most martial artists dont know how to handle the clinch ".

I feel this is a very important skill and the TMA have neglected it in favor of trying to maintain a kicking range distance or at least arms length.

Even some bjj schools are avoiding it starting all their training with both players already on the floor.By avoiding the clinch an important element is lost.

A well known kung fu master once stated that" kung fu is like trigonometry while karate was like basic math" unfortunately for kung fu most real fights are 1+1=2 nothing complicated or showy or involving "secrets" or "to deadly" for sport moves.

Answer 10

So we are to believe that you know so much about all of the hundreds of styles and variations of Kung Fu and have watched so many MMA bouts that you could easily determine if a move based in kung fu was used or used effectively?

Tell us, under what Sifus have you studied?

Answer 11

Kung fu isn't meant for display or competitions really. It's purpose is to protect you and train your mind and body, whereas the others train for tournaments. It's not that they're not good or anything, just that they have different objectives. As for effective street defense, if you know how to use it, any type of martial arts can be very effective-kung fu included. It's worked really well for hundreds of years already.

Well, hope this helps!

Answer 12

Many people have pointed out that traditional arts ar not like MMA. Most traditional practitioners I know do not feel the nedd to go and show off. traditional arts don't teach that. Another thing that you do not consider is it generally takes much longer to get good at say karate or kung fu then MMA. that is because it is designed this way, so that your instructor can gage your charicter before you get to a level where you get proficient. Most MMA schools can't say that.

Also as mentioned San Shou is an excellent style, and chinese san shou fighters regurly dominate Muay Thai fighters fom thailand.

It is also this question was only meant to insult traditional artists, and fan flames. Ignorent people like you are the reason that most true practitioners on here, of both traditional and Mixed martial arts, do not like your kind. You re-enforce the stereotype of the beer swiiling ignorent MMA fan, and I would like to thank you for living up to that reputation.

I generally find that people who make statements like you or ask questions like you don't even train, so remember this, the lowest belt in the biggest McDojo is better then you, because at least he doe not feel the need to tear others down.

You are ignorent of the way things truly are.

Answer 13

Kung Fu is not effective in mixed martial arts because that is not part of the discipline.  

When I was 19 I went from my Karate dojo where I was used to black eyes, knockouts, getting winded, and mat burns, as normal aspects of sparring night - to trying out a Kung Fu class, which was anything but street effective.   I thought calling the coach sifu was kind of cheesy, but I had two friends that trained there and they said it was really good, so I stayed.

As the instructors began giving us self defense moves to practice, I realized that we were executing 5+ moves to counter a single attack.  In one case we did a series of slaps and chops called "seven swords" to defend against a punch.

The reason this is not effective against a trained opponent is because when someone throws an attack, they typically will pull their hand, knee, foot, or whatever back and not just leave it hanging there in mid air.  Kung Fu's complexity is what makes it ineffective in mixed martial arts.  The simpler styles are generally the better on the feet for sport.

For the bonus:  While I think that a Shaolin monk would be an extremely effective fighter, most Kung Fu practitioner in America do not have the hour a day in their workout schedule for shoving their hands and feet into rice and doing the other callousing exercises necessary to make their short open handed techniques effective.  I think Kung Fu schools in America are good in that they have a place in teaching kids discipline and honoring an ancient tradition through choreograph and forms.  I do not see it as a realistic self defense style for the average Joe.      Edit: 7/30  Lot's  of  thumbs down.  I did not intend to hurt anyone's feelings or bash your style.  Most thugs on the street don't know the last thing about grappling, so certain aspects of kung fu training like lopso opso (the game where you keep your hands on top) would be great training.  I was saying it's just part of a fighter's arsenal, not a complete solution.  Kung Fu is like weightlifting in that it puts some tools out there for fighters, it's just not the end all be all.  A lot people have people have professional jobs where they can not show up to work wearing the evidence of full contact karate on thereselves.  Safer options like Americanized Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, an Akido make more sense for them.  No disrespect intended by my comments above.