Gleaned from Reddit …
UFC
Posts
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UFC Fighter Donald Cerrone on Fear
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It’s Spring Again
I have been busy, forgive me for once again wandering from this blog. I recently moved back to the US and although I have found that being away from China has definitely impacted my ability to write about certain aspects of martial arts – personalities and real time events and trends for example – being away allows me to explore other parts.
I am still writing for Fightland, and I recently “completed” a series on kung fu history and culture. BY completed I mean to say I have reached a climax and can now move on to other elements within the same thread, with perhaps a bit more nuance. That’s how it feels with writing sometimes, you put together a string of essays and suddenly a long form opus pops out and it suddenly gives you a chance to breathe and re-group. Here are those essays, from most recent to the first one:
To Topple a Dynasty: Kung Fu Rebels and the Cycle of History
Razing the Temple: Shaolin Versus the State
Shuai Jiao: China’s Indigenous Wrestling Style
Shaolin Warrior Monks and the Japanese “Wokou” Pirates
“The Practical Isn’t Pretty”: General Qi Jiguang on Martial Arts for Soldiers
Flying Kicks: The Roots of Taekwondo and the Future of Martial Arts
Meridians, Death Strikes, and Secrets of the Shaolin Fist
Karate’s Sacred Tome: The Bubishi and the Evolution of Martial Arts
The New Masters Documentary is trucking along as well. I am in the US, so I am a bit removed from the day to day operations. But the crew is digging deeper into the MMA scene and establishing a strong relationship to the fighters and the community. It’s a long road, and 2015 is a grinding year.
I am very interested in the UFC’s upcoming Aldo vs. McGregor fight … I have been watching the embedded series they have going on, and it is really hard to maintain respect for Conor’s skill set as a martial artist when he so routinely disrespects both his opponent and the sport on a constant basis. I truly hope Also destroys him. In my experience the team I root for usually goes down, but I did have the satisfaction of watching the Mavs beat the Heat back in 2010 … so perhaps the Lord will smile down upon me and grant the better man (in my opinion) the victory. It’s worth a look if you are into the showmanship and the brash personalities behind some of the fights.
I for one dislike Conor more and more with each episode. And I think that’s the point right?
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Martial Artist and Prize Fighter
Conor McGregor is the new hot thing in the MMA world, an incredibly confident Irishman who swallowed the Blarney Stone and has so far made all of his opponents in the ring look terribly over-matched. He’s so much fun to listen too, and fun to watch in the ring as well. There are a host of videos about him out there, and here are a few that will give you an idea of what he is like:
I wasn’t sure what to think of Conor, as he was talking his way into his most recent victory over #5 ranked Dustin Poirier, but in his post fight interview he said something that I found to be very insightful. It’s a comment that I think goes to the heart of what martial arts and fighting are all about, and also the core of who Conor is as a person:
“Prize fighting is short. Get in, get rich, get out. But martial arts is a way of life.”
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New Masters Documentary
This is a teaser for a documentary film I am involved with, featuring Ning Guangyou, a fighter in the UFC.
