Ancient Light #5 Mixed Martial Arts vs Ancient Combat Sports #MMA

Ancient Light Episode #5 Mixed Martial Arts vs Ancient Combat Sports

Episode five is Ancient Light's first long-form show. Host and historian, Steve Dotson presents a comparison of systems making up modern MMA and Systems which make up Ancient Pankration.

:33 Highlight of Modern MMA landscape
1:43 Evolution in modern MMA; "Rise of the kickers" Steve "Wonderboy" Thompson
3:20 Traditional martial arts (not ancient) & MMA
5:57 Main Argument; systems comparison
8:11 Modern boxing & heavy hands
10:00 Modern kicking systems: Muay Thai, TKD, Karate, Tournament style karate, kickboxing; Bill "Superfoot" Wallace; Steve "Wonderboy" Thompson
12:32 Modern Wrestling Systems
14:27 Submission systems
18:25 Specific systems: Muay Thai, Judo, modern athleticism, Chemical enhancement
26:45 Ancient unarmed combat systems; Boxing; Wrestling; Unmentioned Systems, [I will dedicate an entire episode to Prankration]; Athleticism: strength, unique training methods, lactic acid tolerance training example, chemical enhancement in the ancient world.

Topics mentioned in the show: MMA, UFC, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, Conor McGregor, Rhonda Rousey, Muay Thai, Judo, Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian & Japanese), kickboxing, tae kwon do, karate, tournament fighting, submissions, boxing, wrestling, Greece, Roman-Greco, gladiators, combat, sports, olympic lifting, scientific training & conditioning, lactic acid tolerance, explosive strength, steroids, performance enhancing drugs, take-downs, athleticism, ancient Greek pottery, rear naked choke (hadaka jime), juji gatame (cross-body arm bar) (I call it a scissor arm lock in the show, but that is not the conventional term for it. Many commentators simply call it an arm bar).

Sports You Might Like - Sports to Consider

Tricking

The Tricktionary: A dictionary of tricking moves: Click Here You can click on each term and get a video clip of each move.

Subsystems: Tae Kwon Do, Gymnastics, Breakdancing

Breakdance Battles

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Tournaments

Subsystems: Japanese Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, Judo ni-waza

Strongman

World's Strongest Man 2015 finals

Subsystems: Strength Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Scottish-Highland Games

Parkour & Freerunning

Subsystems: Gymnastics, Track, Obstacle Course Training

American Ninja Warrior/Ninja Warrior

Isaac Caldiero's Epic Ascent of Mt. Midoriyama | American Ninja Warrior

Subsystems: Rock Climbing, Parkour/Free Running, obstacle courses,

Bar Competition

      KING OF THE BAR 2016 - Calisthenics Battle Showdown

Subsystems: Resistance training, gymnastics, callisthenics 

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson - TOP 5 Performances

Subsystems: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, Catch Fighting,

This sport did not start off on the right foot. It did not start as a mature sport, but a combat free-for-all. Once the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) made some changes they began to create a regulated sport by becoming more like boxing, with weight classes and a growing collection of rules. From the very beginning the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners  showed the world the importance of ground fighting, it changed the martial art community. Recently, those who are good at striking, using distance, and preventing takedowns are beginning to make a splash onto the scene. Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson is a good example of an elite kickboxer/karate tournament fighter who has found success in the UFC. Watch the above video to check out Wonderboy in action. This sport will one day rule all sports.

I talk more about the impact of MMA in this hour long show. Click here.

Poppin' & Lockin'/Liquid Dance

Kollaboration 2001

A hybrid. Yo Yo Ma & Lil' Buck. 'The Swan.' Beijing

Subsystems: Breakdance (actually these are a subcategory of Breakdance), dance, rave/electronic dance culture, strobing, ticking.