Wing Chun Vs MMA .... Why So Serious?

[StormShadow]

It's definitely TKD mostly but at 58 secs you can see him try to come in to possibly grapple and takedown. The wing chun guy redirected his force and went around him.

 

[Argus]

I wasn't under the impression that TKD and Judo are very common in MMA - are they?

 

[Steve]

It's definitely TKD mostly but at 58 secs you can see him try to come in to possibly grapple and takedown. The wing chun guy redirected his force and went around him.

Okay. Let's be real here. I took another look and don't see anything I'd call even grappling. In fact, I think you subconsciously recognize that it's not anything really recognizable. It's, at best, "try[ing] to come in to possibly grapple." The most generous you or I can be is to say that it's trying to possibly grapple. Which isn't the same as grappling, and certainly isn't anything you could identify as Judo.

I wasn't under the impression that TKD and Judo are very common in MMA - are they?

They're there, but not prevalent.

Another thing to point out is that MMA is a sport. Combining two martial arts styles is not MMA. It might be mixing martial arts, but it's not Mixed Martial Arts. So, even were this a guy who was proficient in both judo and TKD (which is debatable), it would still not be MMA.

 

[Steve]

I thought I'd add just a little more detail to the grappling issue. My concern is that you guys mistake this for an actual attempt to grapple.

At :59 seconds into the video, we see this:



Notice that the "grappler" has not changed levels. He's bent over at the waist, his legs are straight and his head is down. Also note that there is no penetration as he attempts to close the gap. While, certainly, some of that is because the WC guy simply backed up, I don't think anyone will argue that the attempt was a little half assed.



In the wrestling image below, you can see a few keys. First, the aggressor is bending at the knees. When he changes levels, he is dropping with his back straight and his head is up. The power for his takedown is through his legs.



Couldn't find a good picture, but Judo without a gi is a little different. In Judo, one still doesn't bend over. The take downs from judo in nogi tend to be mostly upper body throws. Look at a Rhonda Rousey fight for some terrific examples of upper body control followed by a hip toss, a trip or possibly an ankle pick. This is because in judo, while wearing a gi, breaking the grips to change levels is a much different thing. But even so, the goal is to maintain a solid stance and avoid having your balance compromised. You will never see a judoka, in a gi or not, bend over and lunge at an opponent's waist like this.

I hope this helps.