It has been a big couple of weeks for MMA. We'd like to start by opening with the CMA's decision to attempt to ban MMA. They previously tried this with boxing with no success. Take a look at the interview below:
CTV British Columbia - Mixed martial arts ban 'would take sport underground' - CTV News
We agree with Dr. Shelby Karpman that if MMA were to be banned that it would just go underground. As for the reporter, it seems that she would like to make sure we are careful of all those 'choke-outs' in MMA. So be careful out there guys and girls and don't get a 'choke out', as they are 'proven' to cause brain damage. I am so glad that such an educated reported decided to take on this issue.
We wont be the ones to say that there couldn't be a few changes in the safety regulations of MMA, as with every new sport there are always rules and regulations changes along the way. Below is a detailed article by Joseph Burtner, an MMA enthusiast and lifelong martial artist that gives a few different scenarios that could be put in place in an effort to mature the rules of MMA.
....Change the judges: MMA is a new sport, and undoubtedly it’s going to take a little time for the officials to catch up to the action. Judges who have never competed or trained in MMA may not have the proper understanding of all facets of MMA. It’s been noted that a fair amount of MMA judges come from boxing or kickboxing backgrounds, and therefore have no first-hand experience with the grappling side of the game. Through online searches, I found many organizations offering seminars on MMA officiating, but was unable to find the qualifications for judges for the athletic commissions I looked into (Nevada, California, British Columbia). This leads me to believe that while the problem with MMA scoring is recognized, there’s little or no vetting process within the athletic commissions. If that’s the case, then first thing’s first: educate the judges. Make them go to MMA school. When Cecil Peoples is heard saying things like “Leg kicks don’t end fights” when I, as a fan, can rattle off a handful of fights where that very thing occurred, I can only conclude that there are many fans with more education about MMA than even high-profile judges.
Change the scoring system: This is yet another option. Things like “Effective Striking” and “Effective Grappling” are very subjective. How much does a takedown count? Is a near-submission as valuable as a knockdown? Are pitty-patty counter-punches as effective as wild sledgehammer shots that land infrequently? There are very few sports that use the ten-point “must” system. Amateur boxing, point-stop karate, Olympic Taekwondo, light-contact Savate, and San Shou rules all judge individual, clean stand-up strikes for a cumulative score. BJJ, submission grappling, and amateur wrestling contests give points for takedowns, positions, escapes, pin attempts, submission attempts, and riding time for a cumulative score. Surely MMA could adopt some of these scoring systems for use in MMA. A knockdown is worth X points, a “clean” strike is worth Y points, getting the opponent’s back is with Z points, and so on. Or, the ten-point “must” system could be changed. Nelson “Doc” Hamilton has suggested a “.5” system, where a round could be judged as 10-9.5, for example. He’s also suggested using a “table judge” using a similar cumulative point system to declare a winner in the event of a draw, as well as having the referee alert the judges in the event of a near-submission. The problem with all of these is that the judges will have to probably be more educated than they are now....
On a lighter note, BC's own "Ragin" Kajan Johnson (17 - 11 - 1) has released his highlight reel. Check out some of the big moments from his fighting career. BCMMAA.COM is always happy to support the local guys, if you have put together something similar about yourself or one of your fighters feel free to send it our way.
Kajan will be the Head MMA Coach at RAW Academy on Kingsway in Vancouver. With 29 Pro MMA fights and 2 Pro boxing matches under his belt he is the right guy for the job. Check out below our interview with the other head coaches of RAW Academy.
Also check out Jimie Griffiths's Bad Boy MMA Promo video.
The shows are slowing down a bit for September but Extreme MMA BC Championships will be a great event to check out. Go to our up-coming events page for all the details. Thanks for checking in and have a great long weekend!!!!
CTV British Columbia - Mixed martial arts ban 'would take sport underground' - CTV News
We agree with Dr. Shelby Karpman that if MMA were to be banned that it would just go underground. As for the reporter, it seems that she would like to make sure we are careful of all those 'choke-outs' in MMA. So be careful out there guys and girls and don't get a 'choke out', as they are 'proven' to cause brain damage. I am so glad that such an educated reported decided to take on this issue.
We wont be the ones to say that there couldn't be a few changes in the safety regulations of MMA, as with every new sport there are always rules and regulations changes along the way. Below is a detailed article by Joseph Burtner, an MMA enthusiast and lifelong martial artist that gives a few different scenarios that could be put in place in an effort to mature the rules of MMA.
....Change the judges: MMA is a new sport, and undoubtedly it’s going to take a little time for the officials to catch up to the action. Judges who have never competed or trained in MMA may not have the proper understanding of all facets of MMA. It’s been noted that a fair amount of MMA judges come from boxing or kickboxing backgrounds, and therefore have no first-hand experience with the grappling side of the game. Through online searches, I found many organizations offering seminars on MMA officiating, but was unable to find the qualifications for judges for the athletic commissions I looked into (Nevada, California, British Columbia). This leads me to believe that while the problem with MMA scoring is recognized, there’s little or no vetting process within the athletic commissions. If that’s the case, then first thing’s first: educate the judges. Make them go to MMA school. When Cecil Peoples is heard saying things like “Leg kicks don’t end fights” when I, as a fan, can rattle off a handful of fights where that very thing occurred, I can only conclude that there are many fans with more education about MMA than even high-profile judges.
Change the scoring system: This is yet another option. Things like “Effective Striking” and “Effective Grappling” are very subjective. How much does a takedown count? Is a near-submission as valuable as a knockdown? Are pitty-patty counter-punches as effective as wild sledgehammer shots that land infrequently? There are very few sports that use the ten-point “must” system. Amateur boxing, point-stop karate, Olympic Taekwondo, light-contact Savate, and San Shou rules all judge individual, clean stand-up strikes for a cumulative score. BJJ, submission grappling, and amateur wrestling contests give points for takedowns, positions, escapes, pin attempts, submission attempts, and riding time for a cumulative score. Surely MMA could adopt some of these scoring systems for use in MMA. A knockdown is worth X points, a “clean” strike is worth Y points, getting the opponent’s back is with Z points, and so on. Or, the ten-point “must” system could be changed. Nelson “Doc” Hamilton has suggested a “.5” system, where a round could be judged as 10-9.5, for example. He’s also suggested using a “table judge” using a similar cumulative point system to declare a winner in the event of a draw, as well as having the referee alert the judges in the event of a near-submission. The problem with all of these is that the judges will have to probably be more educated than they are now....
On a lighter note, BC's own "Ragin" Kajan Johnson (17 - 11 - 1) has released his highlight reel. Check out some of the big moments from his fighting career. BCMMAA.COM is always happy to support the local guys, if you have put together something similar about yourself or one of your fighters feel free to send it our way.
Kajan will be the Head MMA Coach at RAW Academy on Kingsway in Vancouver. With 29 Pro MMA fights and 2 Pro boxing matches under his belt he is the right guy for the job. Check out below our interview with the other head coaches of RAW Academy.
Also check out Jimie Griffiths's Bad Boy MMA Promo video.
The shows are slowing down a bit for September but Extreme MMA BC Championships will be a great event to check out. Go to our up-coming events page for all the details. Thanks for checking in and have a great long weekend!!!!