I've been watching a lot of UFC tourneys and I noticed that none of the fights ever take place in the 2nd gate territory. Here's a quick definition of what I mean. The 1st gate is your fists, the 2nd gate is the elbow distance, and the 3rd gate is the shoulders. It's just another way of explaining the layers of defense (gates) before you get to the body.
That being said, why do all the fights skip the 2nd gate entirely? Is it because we're not allowed to pin the opponent's arms? It seems to me that after a few strikes, they move in for the grapple, or their comfort zone. And if they miss, they back up and reset. Why? Why not move in and eat up the opponents space? Or is it because they lacked hand technique to fight in that area? Most of the fighters only train at striking and grappling distances, and nothing in between. I don't know if it's just me, but I see a lot of missed opportunities in the fights and I feel the fighters can become better if they cover all bases, especially the 2nd gate distance which is Wing Chun territory.
I'm not saying that WC is better than other arts by any means, but it's a good tool to have if you want to dominate the 2nd gate distances.
2 comments:
oh god
im you fan!
a big fan from brazil! :*
Hey John,
Checked out your work. Great stuff!
Big fan of MMA too. As far as elbows go - or midrange techniques - I think when someone's transitioning from long range/to takedown, the opponent is more concerned about defending the takedown then dropping an elbow(though it's been done). Sometimes they'll throw a knee as his opponent comes in, but then they'll just grab ur leg.
It's partly a lack of technique and partly because in the heat of the moment, it's safer to avoid takedowns, which will cost you points on a judges scorecard.
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