Gracie Challenge

[gzregorz]

Obviously they're going to choose the best bits for their marketing purposes, but I still got a kick out of these. I've seen others but not these.

[Andy_S]

Good for the Gracies.

Crivens, but they shook up the combative world in the early 1990s, in a way that we have not seen since the widespread dissemination of kuhrotty in the western world in the 1960s. I'd consider them the most influential stylists of modern MA.

RE: The videos
On the stand-up front, they used to make nice use of the low side kick...not as as a leg breaker or fight finisher, but as an entry. And you have to admire their cool, calm and collected approach to combat: Very strategic, very smart.

They would not have it so easy today, of course...but even so, you have to doff hats to them. The fact that so many people now have a ground game is almost entirely down to them.

Does anyone have a link to the footage of Rickson versus "Zulu Warrior?" That was an epic fight, IIRC.

[Adam S]

without meaning to take anything away from the Gracies who have had a profound affect and really helped people understand you need a good 'all round game'

thats some pretty crap 'kungfu' by the guy in black

[emptycloud]

....interesting from a sport angle, but we are highly unlikely to be attacked by martial arts experts in the street. I'm not ruling it out though, my local ninjistsu class might turn to the darkside, or some satanic taekwando cult take over the local community centre, it is possible, in which case who ya gonna call, Gracie & son..

[middleway]

never noticed how many 'slaps' they used when hitting the back of the head. Cool!

thanks

[emptycloud]

i have just had a eureka moment whilst doing some housewifely. If you we're to re-stage the challenge matches, but strip the lads naked, rub them all down with some goose grease and tiger balm, jack-em' up on Viagra, then you would have a very valuable niche market commodity..just a thought.. hi ho back to a little light dusting before the missus gets in...

[Wanderingdragon]

As a promoter, I could see the niche market, not really understanding the necessity of viagra , but that's your thing, I'd be interested in what the missus has to say

[chud]

The Gracies are very good at what they do, which is BJJ, and marketing their family name.

While they are very good and have accomplished a lot, they are not the invincible gods that they make themselves out to be; they used to dodge Mark Kerr back in the day when he was in his prime, and of course Kazushi "the gracie killer" Sakuraba dismantled several members of the family.

thats some pretty crap 'kungfu' by the guy in black

Yes, the Gracies are VERY good at selecting opponents like that, that they know they will be able to beat.

without meaning to take anything away from the Gracies who have had a profound affect and really helped people understand you need a good 'all round game'

+1

[Wanderingdragon]

The challengers were all SO VERY SMART Duhhh lets always stay right in front of him so he can have a straight line of attack

[GrahamB]

It's kind of hard to stand behind somebody you're about to attack. They have this habit of, you know, turning to face you...

[Wanderingdragon]

Yeah, you're right. Guess it wouldn't make since to turn a corner or step to their weak side, something that might change their mind or take their focus away from their original strategy, it's just smartest to stand in front of them and wait for them to cahrge in so you can try to out muscle them. I guess that's what you do if you like the "Gracie game".

[gzregorz]

to me what these video show is what happens when you get stuck with a certain set of rules and never go beyond them.

[chud]

to me what these video show is what happens when you get stuck with a certain set of rules and never go beyond them.

Well said.

[jonathan.bluestein]

"...the Hapkido instructor is deprived of his main requirement - the distance (needed) to strike". It is a strategic weakness on behalf of all grapplers, assuming that all strikers need a lot of distance to generate power. There is a reason for them to believe this, and needless to say, it is not easy to issue power from a short distance when a pro grappler is closing his distance. However, I find this sort of typical arrogance by the Gracies to be their possible downfall - they underestimate opponents and assume that "all strikers are this/that".

There were two main issues which prevented the strikers in this video from getting the upper hand while still in standup:

1. Being unable to strike from close and very close ranges.

2. Being unable to generate knockout power with strikes in general.

Not all strikers have these problems.

I have also noticed that all of them went directly at the Gracies, or have retreated in a straight line backwards. This is exactly what the Gracies wanted them to do. It led them right into their arms and hugs. It wouldn't have been that easy if their footwork had been more dynamic. One should remember that, just as the strikers don't work on ground-fighting, the Gracies weren't versed in serious standup footwork or poweful striking. These things should have balanced the fights more, had they existed.

to me what these video show is what happens when you get stuck with a certain set of rules and never go beyond them.

Well stated. A grappler could have used 100% of his martial arsenal in that situation. A striker is much more limited.

[northern_mantis]

For all their faults it's still impressive that they can provide evidence for what IMA so often promises and so rarely delivers. That is being able to beat an opponent with minimal effort and minimal aggression/damage.