From the Inside Out

Jay Are:
The reason you don’t find it graceful is because you don’t understand it. It is open to interpretation. Myself, being a person who has studied martial arts for most of my life, finds it very graceful, whereas I find the repeated striking in the head of boxing totally archaic and barbaric. I would ask that you give it a true chance before you cast judgment.

Robert Smith:
As I stated above, I have been in martial arts for most of my life, and am a historian of martial/pugilistic ways. There is no validity in your view of martial arts. Hollywood would like us to think that martial arts is purely for self-defense, character building, fitness, etc., especially from Karate Kid type movies, but the truth is, martial arts were developed for one purpose, combat. To take your opponent out quickly with the least resistance. From the pugilistic and martial part of the indigenes of the Ga state, to modern Navy Seals. From Samurai to Canadian forces.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all those parts of martial systems, but don’t kid yourself. Martial arts are about fighting. A great defense is a strong offence.

I have no bigger love or pleasure in my life than martial arts. But the UFC goes against everything that the essence of martial arts stands for. Martial arts is to be used for self-defence, fitness and character building, not to feed Roman style blood-lust.
The growing fan base of this so-called sport is a symptom of the growing lack of civility in the 21st century.
Violent sports and violence in sports should disappear altogether. Humanity is suppose to evolve.

It is athletic. But, it is certainly not graceful. How anyone could find beauty or charm in it, I'll never know.

It is also typical.
It is a male-dominated "sport" and controlled by male-dominated commercial enterprise.

If the masses are kept engrossed with sports that encourage physical brutality without critical observation, they are less likely to question the political and economic system.

It is profitable and it is advantageous for the corporate and government elites.

I applaud you bringing this debate up Robin Brown (although I doubt this message will make it to the website).

A very good introduction to MMA and the ongoing development of the UFC comes from an academic journal:

Downey, G. (2007). Producing pain: Techniques and technologies in no-holds-barred fighting. Social Studies of Science, 27(2), 201-226.

For me, Downey put to rest the notion that the UFC is simply un-disciplined brawling. His analysis also reveals why MMA has developed the way it has: nobody likes brawling. It's bad for the athletes, bad for spectators, and--ultimately--bad for advertising revenue. If you're looking for a resource that has been peer-reviewed in a very respectable journal, this article is probably your best bet.

I have recently become a fan of this sport.
I listened to the May 4th broadcast.
Robin, you've started a real fire here. Well done.
Now I am looking forward to your having GSP on the program, the sooner the better.

Ms. Brown,

In your own words, why do you feel MMA shouldn't be sanctioned?

I would be curious how this stacks against Football, Hockey, Boxing,... all of which are violent and have more injuries associated with it.

Maybe you could also try watching some training videos of GSP, etc. I am sure you could find them on youtube.

Interesting discussion. I am a long-time fan of combative sports and also a student of several martial arts over the last 30 years. However, for some reason, I can't seem to get terribly excited about MMA. I like the concept of mixing grappling with striking and testing the combination in a ring but I find most matches boring. I have seen some very good matches but they are few and far between.
When I watched the first few UFC shows I was appalled at the level of violence and I am very glad that the sport has developed past that phase. The current version of the sport presents a much more palatable spectacle for mainstream viewers than in the "old days". The level of conditioning of the athletes is impressive and the suite of skills that they require to succeed is as well.
However, I still find myself mostly bored by MMA. The fights that I find enjoyable are the ones that surprise me by not following the usual formula: a few strikes, go to the ground, play cat and mouse on the ground until the end of the round and then do it again the next round until it is over.
Frankly, I don't know what the fuss is all about.

Final someone from CBC is acknowledging that the "sport" of MMA exists. I would like to thank Ms. Brown for this revelation. I have been attempting to write CBC for months if not for more then a year trying to find out why there are not any reports from CBC writers about MMA or UFC. If it were not for the Canadian Press: Neil Davidson, there would be no mention what so ever about the UFC or MMA on the CBC website. Well, now we would have to add Robin Brown to the mix.

Yet, how do you find any UFC or MMA articles on the CBC website? You have to use the search function…hiding somewhere in the bowels of the website are the current 59 articles (when “UFC” was searched) or 43 (when searching “MMA”). Interestingly enough a cursory review of the search results show a lot of comments relating the UFC to Chris Simon, the NHLs whipping boy his barbarism. The only problem for that comparison is that no UFC fight has ever allowed stick-swinging.

Two weekends ago Canada finally held the first UFC promotion of MMA; Headlined by one of Canada’s most under-appreciated athletes, George St. Pierre. This event was watched live by more then 21,000 adoring fans and watched around the world by millions.

Did I mention: Headlined by a Canadian at the top of his sport? And where was the CBC? Where was the Canadian Coverage by the CBC???

That is the question that Ms. Brown should be asking…!

I'm not gonna beat a dead horse here because everyone has already written some good things defending MMA.
It is really the ultimate sport, there is no other sport that tests overall physical conditioning than MMA. Every competitor in the sport has to be trained in several different martial arts and be able to incorporate them all in their fights. No one condemns martial arts, they've been around for ages, so why then can you condemn MMA, which is a combination of several? I've been watching it religiously for the last few years and everytime I get blown away by the conditioning of these athletes. MMA really is the ultimate in conditioning: cardio, strength, endurance and intelligence. I'm not taking anything away from any other sports, each one requires skill in their own way, but no other sport requires someone to display so much at once. Alot of people will say that there is no intelligence required, that is absolutely wrong, you have to think your movements through and nowhere is this more apparent than when it goes to the ground for some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ is so technically demanding, it gets referred to as a game of chess, where you have to think every move through or get caught in a submission. Anyway I guess I did end up beating a dead horse but whatever, I'm pretty passionate about it so why not. lol :-p

Ms. Brown,
First of all, I am sure that if you started your post with you question of how you didn’t understand MMA, rather than your arrogant rant, people would be a little bit more understanding.

To put it simply, this is a sport that one man trains to his full potential. The amount of time and energy that it takes to do this is phenomenal. Then you put him in a ring with another man that has done the same. Yes, it might be a little bloody; however, it is one great machine of a man vs. another. It is a sport where you do have to out think your opponent, one wrong movement, by your foot, or hip, and he has the best of you. (Please do a little bit more research to understand.)

So then, why would you be sorry is my question to you? Do you feel sorry for the fans, the fans understand the sport, they know that there takes a lot of training, a lot of concentration, and a lot of work. Do you feel sorry for the fighters, they are good at what they do, and like any other sport they make money off of it. There is nothing wrong with either.
I would also like to say, that if you don’t like the sport, don’t watch, leave it to people like me that understand...and love it.

Scott - to answer your question, no the interview with Jeremy Keehn will not be on The Inside Track this Sunday. Right now, we have it pencilled in for next Sunday, May 4th. Thanks for asking.

Dear Ms. Brown,

I fully understand your initial repulsion to the violence inherent in MMA – it was the same visceral reaction I originally had to the UFC. As I have made an effort to understand the sport and its athletes, I have come to see MMA (at the highest levels) as the best sport in the world, for several reasons:

It is the most pure sport I have ever seen, with no reliance on balls, teams, or external apparatus to compete. The fighters craft their individual skills, athleticism, technique, and willpower to best their opponent within strict but non-constricting rules using nothing but their bodies.

The athletes show respect and honour far beyond most traditional sports. It is very rare for fighters not to shake hands, hug, or even lift their opponent on their shoulders after a fight. These are humans competing in a sport to test their abilities and make a living. There is generally tremendous respect for any opponent willing to compete.

They are incredible athletes, dedicated to martial arts in a way unfathomable to most people. For example, Georges St. Pierre is a Karate Black Belt, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt, as well as a very advanced practitioner of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), Traditional Boxing, and Wrestling. Each discipline takes years of practice and dedication. The technical nature of grappling is not easy to understand, but if you spend some time learning about BJJ in particular, you begin to understand the incredible chess match of move-counter move where a slight hip angle or leg position makes the difference between winning or losing.

In short, MMA is certainly not for everyone – the violence is a barrier that many will never get past – but it should be recognized as a legitimate sport, not a barbaric display or glorified street fight as you suggest. Your article came across as disrespectful to the many men (and even women) who train seriously in martial arts and wish to measure themselves in a professional capacity.

Robin,
I'm glad you are working to educating yourself on Mixed Martial Arts. Hopefully you get a chance to interview GSP, as he is an incredible ambassador for the sport (not to mention a Canadian World Champ in his weight class). In terms of your comment that at this point you still don't think MMA should be sanctioned, can you tell me if you have the same thoughts regarding boxing? MMA has a much better safety record than the sweet science (no deaths, much less head trauma, with most matches lasting a maximum of 15 minutes), so I guess I'm curious as to exactly why you feel MMA should not be sanctioned? Additionally, with the increasing evidence of the long term physical effects of playing professional football on retired football players (primarily due to the repeated head trauma suffered over a career), have your thoughts on that sport changed, and should they?
Thank you for your interest in MMA Robin, and for doing this investigating. I hope that with your "education" you can help to dispel some of the myths about Mixed Martial Arts.
When will you be airing your piece on CBC Radio? This Sunday?

I appreciate the feedback. As many of you have suggested, I should learn more about MMA, which is exactly why I wrote this blog. Of course I have preconceptions, we all do about things that are new to us. I have seen some MMA matches but admittedly not a lot. I intend to view more to see what it is you are all talking about. After my interview with Jeremey Keehn and reading your comments, I can tell you I am being educated. I still don't approve of this as a sanctioned sport, at least not yet.

I think it is an exercise in ignorance to claim to understand a sport merely from "reading up a little bit". Like any sport, there is a great deal of competitiveness, strategy, preparation and athleticism that goes into any match.
Granted, a certain portion of the fans of MMA are likely drawn to the sport by what you call "bloodlust", but the same can be argued about the more mainstream contact sports such as boxing,football and even hockey. In fact, NHL officials have stated repeatedly that fighting in the sport attracts fans. That being said, true connaisseurs of the sport appreciate the strategy and sportsmanship involved, and see the violence only as an extension of it.
Far be it for me to chastise you for the article, but as a journalist you are no doubt aware of the hypocrisy of posting such a debasing article on something that you clearly do not understand.

I am a fan of mixed mma and would like to see this sport get better coverage from the media. Most of the people that are against this sport have very little knowledge of it. I am french and of course watched GSP last Saturday winn back the belt. However, french CBC "radio canada" and RDI "24 hour infor channel" did not mentioned any thing about in all of the news coverage the next day. Only one local french "radio Canada" radio station mentioned it at 730am on Sunday. I complained to a lot of people within Radio Canada and basically was told that they did not mentioned the result on any news broadcast because they believed it had no interest within there viewers. I call that sensorship. I escalated the matter to the ombudsmen and got a reply that she is unable to persue this matter due to fredomm of press. I dont know about any of you, but should a plubic broadcaster have that kind of power to dictate what we can and cannot watch.

michel

I agree with Scott. I find it amusing there is even a discussion at all about this. MMA practitioners are professional fighters.

They are very skilled at submitting others, or knowing when to give up, and how to avoid getting seriously hurt.

Robin, you should probably do some research next time.

Mark W. = Troll?

Mark, you obviously don't know what you are talking about. All fighters are drug tested in the UFC and in all of the major MMA promotions (for steroids and for other illicit drugs). Modern MMA, as Dana White puts it runs towards regulation not away from it. Sanctioning means rules (and there are many despite what the sport's detractors say), and drug and medical tests after each fight to ensure fighters are clean and healthy moving forward. Again, I ask those with such strong, and completely uninformed, opinions to read up on the sport and watch a UFC event. If you don't like it, move on. Although you may be surprised at your reaction to seeing a live MMA event. I don't question the manhood (or womanhood) of those that dislike MMA, so maybe you shouldn't insult those that do, and focus on a sport that you do enjoy.

Mark W, you’re right. It’s a good thing the youth have role models like those clean guys in Baseball and Football. Not to mention ear biting boxing.

Again, someone else who has no idea what they are talking about.

At least you still have rhythmic gymnastics to watch, and curling. Although… those curlers are looking pretty intense these days… I demand drug testing!

LOL

Ultimate fighting is not a sport. It is nothing more than dog-fighting but with men pumped full of steroids and it is just as offensive as any other blood sport. Anyone who watches this sickening garbage needs to question their lust for pointless violence.

Is this a joke to stir up controversy? You call yourself a journalist and then offer your own personal opinion, obviously without doing any research?

No athleticism?! Canadian Georges St. Pierre has been training since childhood, including for the Canadian Olympic Wrestling team! He is probably in the top five most athletic people in Canada. He is incredibly talented, smooth and poetic to watch.

A lot of people, like yourself, think of it as barbaric, dangerous and dirty fighting, but in comparison to boxing, it really is a lot less hazardous, and there is no “dirty fighting”. A boxer is repeatedly beaten in the head round after round, for up to 12 rounds in an evening. Not to mention the hours of sparring sessions to prepare for their fights. Most of us have seen the result of the fighter who has become “punch drunk”.

The mma contest is based upon pure skill, like human chess. The competitor has to be very well versed in all areas of fighting: stand-up fighting, including karate & boxing and submission grappling & wrestling. A fight usually ends when an opponent is put into a position they know they are unable to get out of, so they verbally submit, or tap out (taps hand, ie. gives up). There are occasions when there is a “knock out”, but is usually the result of one key punch.

Another major difference with boxing is the gloves. Boxers gloves are warn to protect their hands, nothing more. People tend to believe they protect the person being struck. This is absolutely false!

Contrary to many myths like you protray, MMA does have divisions and rules.

MMA may seem like a very brutal and barbaric sport, but the emotional element needs to be removed and only the evidence and facts observed.

There are many who believe MMA is unsafe, but when you compare to most major sports like hockey or football, there is no comparison. Even a sport such as skiing, in 1998, there were more than 16,000 head injuries associated with skiing and snowboarding.

Fighting in ice hockey is way more dangerous and violent. I don't see the point in Ontario banning MMA while allowing teenagers to fight on the ice. I don't see any logic there.

If you don't see athleticism in MMA, I suggest that you go take a few classes of kick/thaiboxing and judo/wrestling/brazilian jj. I can guarantee you'll have a different point of view afterwards...

Interesting to see a "Canadian" reaction unfold in the comments section of an article like this. Good on my fellow Canadian MMA fans. Politely educating the author on the details of our beloved sport. Reactions to similarly naive American articles have not been as friendly. As always, this type of "article" is written by someone that has not actually watched a single match and has some obvious biases coming in. I mean, to say that the Mixed Martial Arts is not athletic is ridiculously laughable. I'm with another commenter below, in that I believe GSP is likely the best athlete in Canada today and I wish he would get that type of respect from the main stream media. In fact, I have an idea for the author of this blog, please interview George for your piece! He will turn you around.

Not athletic? Come on Robin, are you serious? I can only assume you're trying to start a fire between boxing fans and MMA fans. You mentioned you read a bit about MMA, I think you should read a bit more and try to look beyond the blood. With an impartial eye you'll see boxing and MMA (and any form of martial art for that matter) are really one in the same. MMA has more moves, more ways to win but at the end of the day the ends are the same, inflict enough damage on your opponent to win. Both can be brutal contests of will and endurance, both can be slug-fests with plenty of blood and gore. In all cases the athletes at the professional level are elite, well trained, super conditioned and most importantly super committed. If you gid a little deeper you’ll find the vast majority of MMA athletes were fighting in the ring long before Dana White was handing out million dollar contracts.

Instead of making inflammatory (and frankly idiotic) statements about MMA why not ask your question and reserve your comments until you have some understanding of what you are supposedly reporting on. I can guarantee you would find far less people on this blog calling you an idiot and far more people willing to enlighten you prior to interviewing Mr. Keehn.

All you’ve really done with your e-post is invite personal attacks, which ironically, is the first thing they teach you to avoid in MMA. Sado-masocistic? Please, when was the last time an MMA athlete bit off a guys ear?

Finally, for the record, MMA already is mainstream, just because you’ve had your head in the sand for the past 5 years doesn’t mean everyone else has.

Dear Nigel from Winnipeg:

It would appear to me that you have even less of an understanding of MMA than Mr. Brown does. To start off with no one has EVER even been permanently injured in the UFC, much less died. Second, there are actually 5 weight classes and the biggest weight difference in todays UFC fights is minimal. Finally, your claim that a death will lead to the demise of MMA seems a bit hypocritical. How many participants of your beloved boxing have died, suffered massive brain damage, or been permanently injured in their line of work? I will give you the fact that the early UFCs were much like a car accident. But based on your statements you probably haven't watched a UFC pay-per-view in the last 10 or 11 years. If you want your voice to be heard I suggest that you watch the next UFC and get back to us. Thanks.

nigel in winnapeg has to do sum research. if you would watch the ufc to date or any MMA promoition you will see,: light weight,welter weight,middle weight,lightheavy weight,heavy weight. according to my calculations thats more than three, also ufc 8 was not promoted under zuffa ltd and then the fighting was being branded as human cock fighting by the promoters, if you would respect what dana white,frank and lorenzo fratetta have done you would see how they have got the sport sanctioned by the N.A.C also just to point out the move in which your are talkin about named the "crucifix" is no longer a legal move.

I understand that this is a blog, but some of these opinions shouldn't be heard on a CBC forum just for the sake of some journalistic standards:

"In MMA, I see no grace. I see no athleticism. What I see is brutality. It is a street fight made palatable by the presence of referees in the ring and doctors standing by."

This is very much akin to me saying,

"In rhythmic gymnastics, I see no power. I see no athleticism. What I see is fluttery dance moves. It is a dance show made palatable by a couple of flips and some judges at ringside."

However, I know better. While never having gone to rhythmic gymnastic training session, it is evident to me that they are athletic and powerful. It is a sport that I personally don't enjoy, but I don't deny their skill and ability. Give me a break Robin, do some research.

No athleticism? Your short-sightedness and lack of research is laughable. Boxing is graceful and MMA isn't? Again..laughable, even if you disregard the shambles that the UBC, WBC and the rest are in right now. This is not anything like what you would expect and you need to actually sit down and watch a match (or several) to appreciate the immense quality and QUANTITY of skills these guys possess. The "blood lust" you choose to see overshadows the great amount of sportsmanship and dedication that dominates almost every match. My wife saw me watching MMA one night and thought the exact same as you but after watching one episode of the reality show Ultimate Fighter and connecting with the personalities, she is more addicted to watching MMA than I am.
Please, if you are going to portray yourself as a columnist, enlighten yourself enough to at least pretend to be a little bit balanced. John McCain once called it "human cock-fighting" but he couldn't have been more wrong. There have been no deaths, or debilitating injuries EVER sustained in the UFC. Can we say that about other "graceful" sports?

MMA no longer interests me very much. At first it had the fascination of a train wreck or a car accident. Now, I somehow manage to look away.

I remember early UFC mismatches, either in skill level or in body size. Some of those people died or were permanently injured. It was kind of disgusting to see one fighter continue to hit another even AFTER the latter was unconscious. [Take a look at the fight of Gary Goodrich in UFC 8. His opponent was unconscious and Goodrich kept giving him elbow smashes to the temple. Disgusting.] That ain't no sport. A sport is a contest between equals.

Even now, there are only - what - 3 weight classes? No, I expect MMA, or the UFC version of it, to come to a thudding halt when a high profile fight ends in a death in the ring. I'd rather that did not happen in Canada.

Boxing and other similar sports have evolved over many years. There are still problems there, however. Poor officiating in a fight that is a mismatch can, and does, lead to permanent head injury, etc. But the most skilled boxers, well refereed, are a treat to watch.

Call me old fashioned. And yes, I'm well aware that MMA, or the UFC version of it, has evolved. That's great. There would be a lot more dead fighters if that wasn't the case. And, I expect there to be more dead anyway.

Enjoy it while you can guys. Once there's a high profile death in the ring it will be frowned upon even more than it currently is. And you'll be scurrying like rats leaving a sinking ship pretending that you didn't support MMA by forking over bagfuls of cash.

It's as PT Barnum said. There's a sucker born every minute. Ha ha.

You really dont have a clue at all. I cant believe that you were allowed to write on something that you have no understanding of. Saying that you cant see the grace in the sport. These athletes must master many different arts and styles to be sucessful therefore it is a true art and challenging to become great.

I understand the view you present. I don't share it. But I get the misunderstanding. Once you learn about MMA, you get to see how complex, how intricate it is. The split second decisions involved, the feats of skill that incorporate eastern and western martial arts. Oh, and blood is just that: blood. I know it makes many quiver, but for others, it's no big deal. We're not severing arteries here. There's a difference.
Think of this Robin: I once said the same type of disparaging remarks about synchronized swimming. I ridiculed it and belittled it: this until I met a woman who explained how complex and rigorous it is. I realised that I was acting inappropriately by criticizing what I didn't understand. Such behaviour is at the root of all conclusions arrived at in haste and arrogance.

Your first paragraph may well have been describing boxing, which you defend a short time later. Let me ask you: Would you rather be pounded in the head, repeatedly by your opponent over ten rounds or fight for three rounds using and defending against a myriad of techniques, not all of which were simply meant to give you brain damage like the former? How can you call and accept boxing as a "sport" yet disparage MMA? Seriously. After I finished reading your piece I immediately thought, "This has got to be a joke. She is simply writing this to create a stir." Oh, and by the way, there are no sanctioned boxing matches these days without "presence of referees in the ring and doctors standing by" either.

if you cant see the athleticism in defending a takedown from a world class wrestler and being able to do spinning kicks and punches. plus have the endurance to last in most matches. then you dont understand the woed.

I'm done explaining MMA to those who don't understand it. I won't defend MMA to those who are outraged by it. It's the essence of sport. Where you see brutality, I see heart and endurance. Where you see violence, I see strategy and grace. Where you see savages, I see gentleman of honor and respect.

Just note, it wasn't MMA fans who rioted like a mob of thugs in Montréal after GSP won the welterweight title this weekend.

mma started with the age old questions...who would win a fight between a boxer & karate black belt? Who would win a fight between a judo practitioner vs kung fu?

it's now evolved to a sport which eclipses boxing as a sweet science. watch an well rounded mixed martial artist like Georges St-Pierre and tell me he's not an athlete.

it's the most exciting sport on the planet. anything can happen at any time. we love it for a variety of reasons. we also know it's not for everyone. just don't call it barbarism. these are pure athletes who train their whole lives to be the best.

I don't understand how you can ask the question and then make such disparaging comments about something you clearly state you don't understand.

Ask why Boxing as been popular for over a hundred years? Fighting as a sport has always been popular, for thousands of years. Personally a sport where you spend 10 to 15 3-minute rounds punching each other in the head and body should be questioned FAR BEFORE a thinking mans gladiator fighting game with 3 rounds and much more skills and techinique than just the back and forth of the arm.

Ask how many Pro MMA fighters have college degrees verse pro Boxers. A Boston Newspaper did a great article highlighting just that fact while focusing on Kenny Florian.

Get in a gym, go through a few workouts, talk to a dozen trainers and fighters before you start typing again.

Robin

Your quotes around the word "sport", while probably intentded to bait sports fans, point to your obvious ignorance of what a sport is. Fighting is the essence of sport. The ability to overcome an opponent, head to head. All sports are based on the element of fighting or warcraft. Whether it be hockey, football, or soccer, sports are based on head to head battles. Events that aren't based on head to head competition, that rely on judging, such as figure skating, or gymnastics, while athletic, are really just displays or theatre. It is your inability to see beyond your revulsion of blood and violence that doesn't allow you too see the beauty of mixed martial arts. Those of us that don't share your delicate disposition are able to see the beauty of the sport.

Since the dominance of the Gracie family Brazilian jiu-jitsu has become one of the staples of mixed martial arts. Jiu-jistsu is an off shoot of Judo a word meaning "the gentle way". They are methods of subdueing an opponent without causing unnecessary harm.

If you spent more time watching and learning about mma and understanding the athleticism, knowledge and strategy that a highly trained fighter uses during a bout you might learn to see beyond your knee jerk reaction.

A great place to start is to watch all of Royce Gracies' and George St Pierre's fights. They both have all the qualities of the great mma champions.

Clearly Brown has not taken a close look at MMA and what it takes to compete at the top level in this sport. There is no question early MMA fights were brutal; fighters being savagely beaten long after they lapsed into unconsciousness, but those days are gone and the controls placed on fighters have curtailed most of the intense physical violence. Weight divisions have been added. Allowable equipment and dress have been standardized. Referees are now more experienced and have been given much more control of the action. All improvements.

It is ironic that some MMA fanatics are crying about how the sport is now too tame while some columnists are saying it is too brutal.

"I see no athleticism."

That statement alone discredits your opinion.

By stating that all that you see is brutality and no grace nor athleticism then I can only assume that A) you've watched very little or B) have never taken the time to understand what you are watching. MMA is exactly what its name implies, a mixture of several different forms of martial arts combined into one. It incorporates boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, judo and jiu-jitsu. I would suggest that it would be beneficial to take a moment to learn what is involved. It will open your eyes. Once you understand the complexities you will see the sport for what it is, a form of physical chess with its own brand of "sweet science."

Although it looks brutal, MMA is not as painful as it seems. These guys are very strong and conditioned to take hard hits. With all the new rules added, MMA is probably more safe than boxing is. In MMA if you get nailed with a good shot, chances are the ref is stopping it. In boxing, a fighter takes a lot more punches because of the gloves. You also have to realize that a lot of these fans of MMA are former hardcore video-gamers so the prospect of a "champion/warrior" is very attractive to them.

In boxing, the object of the sport is to hit/hurt your opponent, as is the case in any combat sport. MMA is no different.

No athleticism? Tell that to Olympic medalists Matt Lindland, Hidehiko Yoshida or Naoya Ogawa.

No grace? There's lots to appreciate in a well-executed a judo throw, elevator sweep or gogoplata.

Of course, it's mixed in with the brutality of real fighting, but that's why fans like it.

Fact is, it's clearly not for everyone, but it's statistically safer than boxing and it takes a high-level athlete to compete in the big shows. MMA is a sport, whether you're a fan or not.