Sports, anyone?

[Martin S]

Just curious what Shorinjikempo practitioners think of fight sports in general. How many posters here watch events like western boxing, K-1, Muay Thai or MMA, occasionally or on a regular basis? Interesting to hear now that the popularity of K-1 seems to be growing in Europe, much thanks to Eurosport. It's already huge in Japan.

[David Dunn]

Hi Martin,
I quite enjoy watching a bit of boxing, but sometimes baulk at the potential damage that (particularly) heavyweights can do to each other. I quite enjoyed the judo at the Olympics, and thought the TKD awful. I confess to not having seen much of K1 and the other 'ultimate fighting', but have been a bit bored by that which I have seen. It seems a bit 'pantomime' to me.

None of the above I go out of my way to watch. I follow other sports, football and cricket, avidly.

[Martin S]

What do you mean by pantomime?
You're right about TKD, watching people bounce around and occasionally slap each other with their feet doesn't really appeal to me. Olympic boxing had some quality moments however, that brittish youngster was amazing.

[David Dunn]

Martin,
hard to explain what I mean by that. Almost like WWF or old fashioned British Wrestling, but not quite. More entertainment than sport. I might be doing it a diservice.

[Ewok]

I tend to watch it and drive anyone else in hearing range batty by adding comments like "ooo kushinzuki would have been perfect right about then, uchiuke! uchiuke! bah...."

[erikboman]

I watch events like UFC and Pride occasionally, and try to visit a few shootfighting, grappling or more budo-oriented live events every now and then as well.

[luar]

Olympic or university level boxing or judo works for me but not the No-Hold-Bars or Don King nonsense.

[satsukikorin]

I rarely watch fight sports. I might watch if I stumble across something on TV, but I wouldn't mark my calendar or pay extra money for it. I'm not sure, but I think what bothers me about it is the idea of people being entertained?\amused?\by combat. On the other hand, I can appreciate it on an athletic, technical level just as with any other sport. Seeing people like the Gracies work their magic can't help but make an impression.

I've got another sports-related question which may or may not have a place in this thread: what NON-combative sport(s) do you think would confer the most crossover benefits to martial arts skill? I'll advance basketball as a strong contender: it provides good training in happomaku, in maai (since it's a close-quarters, arm's-length kind of game) and in footwork. Football (aka socccer) obviously provides benefits to kicking even though the basic kicks in soccer versus martial arts are quite different.

[Martin S]

Originally posted by satsukikorin
I've got another sports-related question which may or may not have a place in this thread: what NON-combative sport(s) do you think would confer the most crossover benefits to martial arts skill?
Rugby!!! :)

I was about to say greco-roman/freestyle wrestling, but that's a martial art.

[erikboman]

Swimming, maybe, for overall strength developement. And maybe climbing too; I've practised with a few climbers and they had wickedly strong grips.