MMA in future Olympics?

SavageMan

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I know it's been awhile but I'm back to stir up the pot on a dish called controversy! I'm sure this will get a few hits so here goes. With all the popularity of the UFC and other European and Japanese mixed martial arts federations how long do you think it will be before MMA or some variation is brought into the Olympics? And before I get a hundred hits from traditional martial artist on this one I'd like to point out that in the first original Olympics one of the main events was Pankration which dates all the way back to at least to the 648 BC Olympics. A form using a mix of boxing, wrestling, kicks, and locks. Sound familiar? As we all know with Judo and Tae Kwon Do it was the international popularity along with a competitive points scoring system that opened the door for those two sports / martial arts. The only thing I can see as a draw back on this one is determining a set of rules governing such a wide variety of arts. It's a sure bet that countries such as Russia would be sending in Sambo experts, Brazil with BJJ, and a multitude of other countries and arts into the mix. Judo, Jiu Jitsu, TKD, Karate, Muay Thia, Freestyle wrestling the list is endless of where the talent and competition would come from. So here is the question. Do you think it could be properly governed through something like the Olympic committee? If so could it ever come to pass? Let the games begin!
 
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ACJ

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If ever there was a MMA style competition in the Olympics, they wouldn't send in their Sambo, Bjj, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, TKD, Karate, Muay Thai or Freestyle Wrestling experts. They would send in their MMA experts. Similar to what the UFC is, the ones that do well in it are the ones who are expert in that style of competition. While this may generate competent, well-rounded fighters, they would still largely be dominated in other forms of competition by experts in those forms.

Besides a general disagreement with the image of the Olympics, the other problem is that I don't think the Olympics could ever be seen as the epitome of the sports and that would definitely hamper the inclusion in the Olympics. I could only imagine a point MMA being in the Olympics and that idea disagrees with me greatly.

Pretty straight forwards, wouldn't call this topic that controversial and maybe even a bit bland.
 

Tez3

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It's academic (and bland I agree) as it can't be in the Olympics as it has no worldwide governing body, in most countries it doesn't have a governing body at all so it won't be chosen.
 

Gentle Fist

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Sport Jujutsu, is very close to MMA in content minus the fact it has a point system and heavier gloves. Sport Jujutsu is currently a World Games sport, which is one step below the Olympic level. If anything, that (Sport Jujutsu) will find it's way into the Olympics as a replacement of one of the other MA's currently being hosted.

[video=youtube_share;P7XqMkDEgSk]http://youtu.be/P7XqMkDEgSk[/video]
 

ACJ

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Sport Jujutsu, is very close to MMA in content minus the fact it has a point system and heavier gloves. Sport Jujutsu is currently a World Games sport, which is one step below the Olympic level. If anything, that (Sport Jujutsu) will find it's way into the Olympics as a replacement of one of the other MA's currently being hosted.


Okay, yeah, I just did a little bit of reading of the rules of Sport Jujutsu, and the content isn't really similar at all. Targets are limited to torso and kicks to the head. Striking surfaces are limited to hands and feet. Contact levels are limited in certain situations. Time limits on certain positions. Striking number limits. The idea of an MMA ruleset, isn't just to include all distances with striking and grappling, but to try and incorporate as much variety as is safely possible, so that the majority of arts can be expressed within the ruleset. Consider Muay thai or Boxing, both relatively popular component arts of many UFC style MMA athletes, what techniques and tactics are viable under this ruleset?

Add in that this, to me at least, was quite boring to watch, I don't consider this a good champion for MMA style competition. It would make a good addition to the Olympics, like a lot of sports would, but I won't watch it, and the majority of enthusiasts wouldn't consider it MMA.
 

Gentle Fist

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I guess I misguided that post with "very close". I agree it is very limited verses the open range that comes with MMA. My original point was that there was a sport component already in place which mixed a few arts together, that was already coming down the pipe and that is already gaining popularity. It is a far cry from the hard hitting impact of MMA though...
 

Steve

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So, here's my guess. MMA is a no go, as are BJJ, Sambo or anything along those lines, and all for the reasons previously stated. These sports have no international governing body, nor are there national governing bodies in most countries. There isn't a deep enough pool of athletes within the sports to support international competition at the Olympics.

MMA has an increasing fan base, which would help, but it's still very polarizing.

If anything, I see submission wrestling sneaking in, as it could easily be incorporated into the existing wrestling infrastructure, is faster paced than grappling styles involving gi, and is dynamic and explosive to watch as a spectator. It's like freestyle wrestling on steroids. If we're going to see a combat sport in the Olympics within the next 20 years, I believe it will be no-gi submission wrestling.,
 

ACJ

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So, here's my guess. MMA is a no go, as are BJJ, Sambo or anything along those lines, and all for the reasons previously stated. These sports have no international governing body, nor are there national governing bodies in most countries. There isn't a deep enough pool of athletes within the sports to support international competition at the Olympics.

MMA has an increasing fan base, which would help, but it's still very polarizing.

If anything, I see submission wrestling sneaking in, as it could easily be incorporated into the existing wrestling infrastructure, is faster paced than grappling styles involving gi, and is dynamic and explosive to watch as a spectator. It's like freestyle wrestling on steroids. If we're going to see a combat sport in the Olympics within the next 20 years, I believe it will be no-gi submission wrestling.,

The thing holding submission wrestling back would be the already included two styles of wrestling, it doesn't seem likely to add yet another thing called wrestling, haha. Though the conclusion you've drawn seems sound.
 

Steve

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The thing holding submission wrestling back would be the already included two styles of wrestling, it doesn't seem likely to add yet another thing called wrestling, haha. Though the conclusion you've drawn seems sound.
That's true, although the Olympics have been paring down the Greco Roman events steadily over the last several years. Fewer weight classes and such.

But, ultimately, three different types of wrestling isn't THAT big a deal. Look at diving: high platform, low platform, springboard plus synchronized events in all three. Or swimming: multiple distances in several strokes (freestyle, breast, butterfly, backstroke), plus relays and individual medleys. Swimming alone had 34 distinct events. Cycling had multiple events within four distinct styles of cycling: road, track, bmx and mountain bike.

Submission Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling and Greco Roman Wrestling... that's not too much to ask for. Is it?

Also, one thing i didn't mention is that submission wrestling (actually, called Catch As Catch Can or Lancashire style Wrestling at the time) was actually in the olympics back in the early 1900s.
 
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SavageMan

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I'm a bit surprised at the response on this one considering that just about every time any type of subject on mixed martial arts as a legitimate style or form comes up the traditionalist come out of the wood work to criticize it. And seeing it in the Olympics or World Games would definitely give it some much needed martial arts community validity. As I said in my original post I think the biggest problem would be setting down the rules and point system. Partially because there are so many different fractions and parts to the sport. When Pankration was brought before the Olympic committee in the modern era they shot it down. As for BJJ, Free style Wrestling and Sambo artist not being interested I have to agree to disagree on this one since a lot of major fighters in the MMA community got their start in those arts. But since it seems the majority here doesn't see interest in the subject I'll go with it.
 

Black Belt Jedi

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I think it will be a great idea bring MMA into the Olympics, as long as there are no professionals in it, just amateurs that never competed in UFC, PrideFC, Bellator Fighter etc. That's just my humble opinion.
 

Grenadier

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The Olympic committee would probably not approve.

There are already a fair number of combative sports, such as Judo, Tae Kwon Do, fencing, wrestling, boxing, etc., to the point where even Karate didn't make it to the list. Considering that Karate has the WKF, along with many nations' governing bodies, the lobbyists for MMA in the olympics don't have enough of a punch.
 

Buka

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I don't see MMA in the Olympics, as much as I'd enjoy the hell out of it. I'll bet some form of Jiu-jitsu makes it's début in the next twenty-thirty years, though.
 

Gentle Fist

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I don't see MMA in the Olympics, as much as I'd enjoy the hell out of it. I'll bet some form of Jiu-jitsu makes it's début in the next twenty-thirty years, though.

um.. Judo? :wink:
 

Steve

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I'm a bit surprised at the response on this one considering that just about every time any type of subject on mixed martial arts as a legitimate style or form comes up the traditionalist come out of the wood work to criticize it. And seeing it in the Olympics or World Games would definitely give it some much needed martial arts community validity. As I said in my original post I think the biggest problem would be setting down the rules and point system. Partially because there are so many different fractions and parts to the sport. When Pankration was brought before the Olympic committee in the modern era they shot it down. As for BJJ, Free style Wrestling and Sambo artist not being interested I have to agree to disagree on this one since a lot of major fighters in the MMA community got their start in those arts. But since it seems the majority here doesn't see interest in the subject I'll go with it.
Hey, just saw this response. Want to clarify that I'd love to see both MMA and BJJ in the Olympics. I just don't think it's going to happen for the reasons I said.
 

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