I remember about ten years ago, I was fresh out of college. And by fresh out of college I mean I had flunked out after spending a year wrestling, drinking and learning to play bass. I was a man without a country, a fighter without anywhere to fight. Sure I studied Kenpo, but it wasn't fighting. Tournaments were a mix of rhythic gymnastics and a high speed tag game. Coming from a place where I was dropping 300lb. men on their heads, it wasn't cutting it.
Then I started watching this program called the Ultimate Fighting Championships. And from there,I started learning about mixed martial arts, or MMA in the modern vernacular. I started watching Pancrase and Pride and Rings and Bushido!...and I fell in love. I knew who all the fighters were; I was like most people are with baseball. I started studying and learning Ju Jutsu and Kickboxing. I trained, I watched, I fought and I learned. I was a sponge for this new sport and it was so raw and awesome and no one really knew about it.
Fast forward a decade. With the advent of The Ultimate Fighter and the popularity of the sport, every steroid and hairgel infused guido thinks they know about the sport. I had a friend out at the club and some dick in the complete douchebag starter kit(Blowout hair cut, fake tan and of course, the gold foil lettering affliction shirt for , you know, street cred) starts hitting on his girl. When My friend politely informs him that the girl is spoken for, said mongoloid says "What man, you wanna fight? Don't make me UFC you!" Or a kid at my gym claimed he was a fan from way back and we started talking old school Pride fights and I started talking about Sakuraba. He said "Who's that?" Who's that? WHO'S THAT?! It's motherfucking SAKURABA!!!
*sigh, just another case of popularity of something turning it into crap...
Then I started watching this program called the Ultimate Fighting Championships. And from there,I started learning about mixed martial arts, or MMA in the modern vernacular. I started watching Pancrase and Pride and Rings and Bushido!...and I fell in love. I knew who all the fighters were; I was like most people are with baseball. I started studying and learning Ju Jutsu and Kickboxing. I trained, I watched, I fought and I learned. I was a sponge for this new sport and it was so raw and awesome and no one really knew about it.
Fast forward a decade. With the advent of The Ultimate Fighter and the popularity of the sport, every steroid and hairgel infused guido thinks they know about the sport. I had a friend out at the club and some dick in the complete douchebag starter kit(Blowout hair cut, fake tan and of course, the gold foil lettering affliction shirt for , you know, street cred) starts hitting on his girl. When My friend politely informs him that the girl is spoken for, said mongoloid says "What man, you wanna fight? Don't make me UFC you!" Or a kid at my gym claimed he was a fan from way back and we started talking old school Pride fights and I started talking about Sakuraba. He said "Who's that?" Who's that? WHO'S THAT?! It's motherfucking SAKURABA!!!
*sigh, just another case of popularity of something turning it into crap...