I love it.
I made a run to the store to pick up some stuff and I spy a magazine on the rack. Though I forget the magazine’s name its focus is on MMA and the title of one of the articles has the word “Samurai” in it. The article talks about Lyoto Machida. Apparently Mr. Machida has a traditional Shotokan Karate background.
Lyoto Carvalho Machida (born May 30, 1978 in Salvador, Brazil) is a Japanese-Brazilian professional mixed martial arts fighter. Son of a Japanese-Brazilian Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida…
Machida is noted for his semi-orthodox fighting style. As a karate practitioner, Machida uses an unorthodox (or southpaw) stance.
The article discusses how the Machidas have adapted traditional Shotokan Karate philosophies and techniques to the MMA ring.
With a wide, low, and unorthodox stance, the karate black belt incorporates throws, shoves, and trips into his fighting style. It is flashy yet it works. It makes him elusive, dangerous, and undefeated. As one of the few successful karate practitioners competing in MMA, he debunks lessons learned from the inaugural UFC event when the discipline was deemed impractical for MMA.
So have we come full circle from the days of Royce Gracie mopping the floors with traditional karateka? I guess only time will tell. Still, given that Tae Kwon Do is Shotokan’s divorced wife, I have to admit that I’m pleased.
Is it a matter of whose art is better? Or is it simply the fact that everyone gets used to a certain dominant style until someone throws the players a curve ball? The Gracies did study karate fighters and exploit their weaknesses to promote their own brand of judo. Perhaps this is what the Machidas are now doing with MMA and it’s heavy reliance on boxing, Mui Thai, and jujitsu? Perhaps MMA is now vapor locking over how to deal with some traditional techniques?
Perhaps…
Anyhow if you are in a store over the weekend look through the MMA magazines. The article is worth a quick read. In the meantime let’s close with some videos of the undefeated Machida.
First from his Shotokan days:
And now from his MMA days:
I recognize a few habits from Shotokan/Taekwondo:
- Reverse side kick
- Round house (high and low)
- Front snap kick
- Knee strikes
- Elbow strikes
- Sweeps/trips
- Lower stance
Though it’s rare that I watch MMA I’ll have to keep my eye on this guy.
-BCP
I’m a jujitsuka, though not of the Gracie persuasion. I don’t think style matters all that much, not as much as the specifics of the fighter and the training that fighter has had.
I would be very surprised if Machida hasn’t prepped some ground work and grappling. Not exactly Shotokan.
Finally, never underestimate the advantage you get when you take something that “shouldn’t work” and make it work.
According to the article he does train in Brazilian jujitsu. He also will look at boxing and Mua Thai long enough to figure out how to foil it.
So he’s certainly not pure Shotokan in the ring. However many of the articles I saw including the one on the rack quote him or his father as saying Shotokan is his foundation.
At 7:34 of the MMA clip, it’s Heian Yondan bunkai all the way!
One has to be mixed and not pure in MMA. Once ppl figure your pure art its a rap. The gracie dominated for so long till ppl understood their art by taking it or studying it to foil it. Now, machida is using a mixed version of shotokan to adapt well for MMA. Till ppl figure that out, his system will be king.
Xavier –
Yeah I agree. I’d like to see someone adapt a few more styles to mma.
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Traditional_Karateka (“TK”) re “Lyoto Machida’s MMA_Comeback Trail–The Path Leads Straight Through Rampage Jackson.”
Amidst the wide-ranging commentary about Lyoto Machida’s MMA fighting-style, TK assesses this: Machida’s trademark MMA strategy is the very good use of the Shotokan kumite point-fighting style. Lyoto Machida did very, very well with this approach, until stopped cold by Shogun Rua & his Muay Thai.
Next Article Suggesstion: How is Lyoto Machida preparing for his future success in MMA? How, what methods, should he be training in light of the devastating loss (losses) to Shogun Rua?
The immediate dimension of the ‘comeback’ question is, “Who will prevail @ the upcoming UFC 123: Jackson or Machida?” Some have framed the contest as technical excellence & style (Machida) over natural strength & power (Jackson).
For those of us trying to fathom the ‘martial arts puzzle,’ shouldn’t this upcoming UFC bout be an excellent test of martial arts in real-life fighting, at least as full-contact fighting goes? Lyoto Machida’s rise has kind-of made him the karate ‘ambassador’ to MMA.
The Natural Athlete versus the Traditional Karate Fighter. The fight is right-around-the-corner. TK thinks everyone should be watching!
Traditional_Karateka
I definatley believe its the artist, not the art, there is no eye gouging or biting allowed in MMA, how many fights would have ended different if there were no rules applied?
I’m an avid MMA fan and a big Lyoto supporter.
He crosstrains in MT/Boxing to counter against it. He has done sumo since childhood, which makes him extremely difficult to take to the floor. Machida also holds a blackbelt in BJJ.. and trains with the likes of Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva (two of the best fighters around today) and the Nog twins (very accomplished BJJ fighters who are considered legends in MMA).
Patrick,
Concerning Machida I think we both can agree.