Does MMA fighting create arrogance?

**Phrost** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 2:48pm

I think it's been established dozens of times over the years here that PTMA (pseudo, as real Traditional Martial Artists beat the hell out of each other) choads are much more arrogant than people who actually train.

Humility comes from a realistic understanding of your abilities and how much you actually suck. Arrogance comes from an unrealistic grasp of how much you actually suck due to a lack (usually intentional) of testing yourself to establish your skill level.

**Chizilds** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 2:49pm

This is actually something I have seen a lot of lately. Not so much in my gym, how ever we have so many guys that I am sure there are some that would break the mold. In my old TMA school, I went to visit them and see what things have changed. After all, I left because it was tappy tap dance sparring, unrealistic one step, and all this bull **** about chi and kia's making you hit harder. (LOL is that arrogance?)

A few things I saw...

1. I think you guys were right in that the more you get punched, and continuously pushed in a fight situation, the more respect you are FORCED to have. I can remember being humbled MANY times when I started at my new gym. Thinking that one style or one way of thinkin was all you really needed. having your bell rung from the ground, or subbed in some weird ass way that can only be described as karmasutra.... you learn to respect things. At my old school, they still didn't do full contact. And yet, each one thought that their leg kicks were teh d34dly if they REALLY wanted to throw them. I decided to spar with a few of them, and they saw that not only did their kicks not effect me as much as they thought, but when I grabbed the kicking leg or shot.... their eyes lit up. I guess its the old idea of theory vs actual.

2. The master still to this day has a God complex about him. Not so much that he comes right out and says he is, but that if you offer an alternative to a technique he kind of looks at you with amazement and disgust.... all at the same time. Like you could POSSIBLY give a better technique! When we looked at how to defend someone who is attempting a take down (I'm sure from the guys talking about UFC constantly), we practiced retarded elbow to the back of the head moves, and NEVER sprawl because a) you shouldn't have to and b) it throws off your balance.

When I proved some of these techniques incorrect, or rather, that there were better ideas out there... It was perceived as arrogance. He even explained to the students that I had left the school to start up at a brawling gym..... apparently mixed martial arts and BJJ is now considered brawling....

Now I know this is one case of a TMA being retarded, but I know I am not alone here.... It just seems that if you ever give someone information that goes against their beloved Chi and harmony martial art.... that you are full of **** and arrogant.... not free thinking.....

**seriousmantid** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 3:23pm

I have not had the opportunity to train at a MMA school or Bjj for that matter. I have only trained at my mantis class and can say there is not any arrogance in the whole class thank god. Truthfully the only arrogant MAists I have found were right here on this web sight. Although the TD I attended was full of some great guys with no attitude. I truly believe that people find something they like and they just want you to see it like they do. They don't mean to be arrogant they're just so passionate about what they believe that it comes out that way. Now don't get me wrong there are some people who just think they are the ****. The majority of the people that I have met with this "I'm the **** " attitude have been MMAists. I just think that UFC brings this about because of the publicity it gets. Boxers used to get the same recognition back when it first became popular. with the "watch out he's a golden gloves boxer" Now it's " watch out hes a submission grappler". It is only fact that if you are out to prove something now days you join the MMA class in your town and find out how much you need to prove. So it is only customary to see more attitude in something that is popular and attracting that kind of publicity. I truly believe that the more you know what you can do the less you need to stroke your own ego.

**Kokujin** · Posted On: 10/07/2007 8:48am

I for once think that you can find arrogant people on both sides of the fence! I've met a lot of martial artists over the years suffering from God Complexes to "I'm so deadly fever" and I also met bjj/muay thai who were total pricks in the sense that they thought they knew it all. I have this theory of mine that martial artists(traditional and modern) usually come from people that have some huge chip on their shoulders, some sort of low self estime and when given certain tools, try to exerce a certain control over others as a form of payback. Maybe I'll get into that on a thread with examples.

But yes, I find both TMA guys and MMA/BJJ guys to be arrogant sometimes, altough the TMA exist in a higher percentage!

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 10/07/2007 9:34am

In my experience, BJJ attracts a disproportionate number of arrogant egotripping cocks who believe the Gracie hype that went out of date around the turn of the century. I've encountered a much higher rate of dickness from BJJ practitioners than from other styles, save the WC crowd who're naturally destastable. The cult of BJJ and WC are, in fact, pretty similar in many ways, except that one style is massively gay and the other involves wrestling sweaty men on the ground.

MMA people suffer from the BJJ complex as well, but to a lesser degree, most likely because they're not as caught up in the Cult of Grapple propaganda as many BJJers are.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 10/07/2007 9:41am

Originally Posted by Shawarma

In my experience, BJJ attracts a disproportionate number of arrogant egotripping cocks who believe the Gracie hype that went out of date around the turn of the century. I've encountered a much higher rate of dickness from BJJ practitioners than from other styles, save the WC crowd who're naturally destastable. The cult of BJJ and WC are, in fact, pretty similar in many ways, except that one style is massively gay and the other involves wrestling sweaty men on the ground.

MMA people suffer from the BJJ complex as well, but to a lesser degree, most likely because they're not as caught up in the Cult of Grapple propaganda as many BJJers are.

You missed Aikido they fit right in that range with Chun, GJJ, and Tai Chi fairies. Hell, I've seen the same cockiness from boxers when it was popular. I saw the same arrogance with Kickboxers.

It depends on the time period. Each art had arrogant fucks.

**kwoww** · Posted On: 10/07/2007 10:31am

Originally Posted by It is Fake

You missed Aikido they fit right in that range with Chun, GJJ, and Tai Chi fairies. Hell, I've seen the same cockiness from boxers when it was popular. I saw the same arrogance with Kickboxers.

It depends on the time period. Each art had arrogant fucks.

Had? HAS.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 10/07/2007 11:56am

Originally Posted by kwoww

Had? HAS.

In relation to their popularity. Minus MMA/BJJ all those others don't rememebr how arrogant they were. They now bitch and moan about MMA/BJJ because it is on top.

**seriousmantid** · Posted On: 10/07/2007 12:59pm

Originally Posted by It is Fake

In relation to their popularity. Minus MMA/BJJ all those others don't rememebr how arrogant they were. They now bitch and moan about MMA/BJJ because it is on top.

I'm on the same page with you on this one. I also believe that what ever is popular is going to attract the bigger number of arrogance.