Jackie Chan Speaks on MMA

**nightowl** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 6:20pm

Reported on Sherdog

“I don’t like to see Ultimate Fighting.....As a martial artist, I find it too violent putting them in a cage. At the end, it’s not fighting anymore. That’s not the martial arts. Martial arts is about respect. When somebody is knocked down, stop. I really respect Sugar Ray Leonard. Come on, [when a guy is down] stop. Don’t fight. That’s not the spirit. When you’re down, I’ll grab you up. Are you okay? Should we continue? That’s the martial arts spirit. That’s what I want.”

There is no ground and pound in Drunken Boxing.

**Demon Eyes** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 6:31pm

It's just the classic honorable ideals of fighting. Can't really hold it against him. It's those opinions I can respect. All a matter of taste when speaking about competition. It could've been worse. Can you imagine if Jackie said something along the "Too D3adly" argument?

**Hooded Justice** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 6:49pm

Originally Posted by Demon Eyes

It's just the classic honorable ideals of fighting. Can't really hold it against him. It's those opinions I can respect. All a matter of taste when speaking about competition. It could've been worse. Can you imagine if Jackie said something along the "Too D3adly" argument?

Sounds like Jackie Chan saying he prefers Sanda/Sanshou/Kickboxing to MMA. Yeah could have been a lot worse he could have mentioned chi.

**OiScout** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 6:58pm

Originally Posted by Hooded Justice

Sounds like Jackie Chan saying he prefers Sanda/Sanshou/Kickboxing to MMA. Yeah could have been a lot worse he could have mentioned chi.

Hell, he's not a young guy either, so he might have that certain mindset. If you ask people of an older generation, they'd probably say the same thing, and that anything aside from punching is dirty.

**G-Off** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 7:14pm

Not too surprising.

The massive irony, of course, is that in forcing a fighter to defend themselves immediately after being knocked down, more fights are likely to be stopped more quickly in MMA, thus protecting fighters better. If you have 10 free seconds to recover yourself and stand back up, you can survive much harder shots and stand up to take even more full powered strikes again.

After watching MMA for years, certain boxing matches just look fucking brutal. A man too badly rocked to adequately defend himself but with just enough balance to stay upright while the other guy tees off on his face, and the referee won't stop it...screaming "double leg! double leg!" at the TV isn't always for irony's sake.

**thatrugbyguy** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 7:17pm

Theater performer thinks he is more in tune with what martial arts is about than MMA fighters...right.
You're cool and all Jackie, but you really need to STFU.

**honest_truth** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 7:31pm

YouTube- Jackie Chan Stuntmaster Interview (Funny Game)

Watch this from 2:23 onwards, and you will understand his viewpoints, yes, this is the bonus interview from jackie chan stunt master when you finish the game, and a really amazing game at it actually.

This generation of videogames needs more beat-em-ups and jackies strikes the perfect balance between 3d and sidescroller.

Back on topic though, he probably views actual MMA as too violent because it looks violent, eventhough as pointed out already, it is safer than boxing.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 7:43pm

It sounds like he's reacting to GnP, in particular, from an ethical point of view. Yes, it's effective; yes, it's also more associated with schoolyard bullying and drunken carpark brawls than with sport. If MMA was restricted to kickboxing + submission wrestling I doubt that Chan (or too many others) would have a serious ethical problem with it.

**G-Off** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 7:47pm

Originally Posted by honest_truth

he probably views actual MMA as too violent because it looks violent

This, this, this, this, this. Again, not surprising.

**karma2343** · Posted On: 1/20/2010 8:13pm

Originally Posted by honest_truth

Back on topic though, he probably views actual MMA as too violent because it looks violent, eventhough as pointed out already, it is safer than boxing.

I think part of it is in the way the sport is portrayed. The cage, the imagery on the apparel, the tough guy audience often found by UFC, etc really contribute to an image more violent than the sport actually is.