[WushuPadawan001]

Should a fight be ugly or pretty?
(feel free to elaborate on ?pretty? and/or ?ugly?)

[nbotary]

Is this Benjamin?!?! You should know by now that everytime you and I spar and I kick your butt, it's pretty ugly!!!

Seriously, what are you looking for in your question? What it "should be" and what it "really is" are two different things. You should know by now that what we do in class is not how it looks in an actual situation. Therefore, I would say it's "ugly". However, you put two people together and they run a two person fighting set at full speed, it looks "pretty".

Ask yourself this question: out of all the kicks you know how to do, which ones would be the most practical to use in a real fight and which ones would you use if you had to? You and I both know how to do nei pai spinning into wei pai (inside to outside crescent or tornado kick). How often have you and I used that in a sparring situation? It looks "pretty" when it's being done by itself, but watch someone try and use it and the result is pretty "ugly". I would also say it's "ugly" due to the fact that in a real fight, unlike UFC or other sports, there are no rules and anything goes. UFC matches are about as close to "real" fighting as you're going to see and how "pretty" do they look? They're actually pretty sloppy. I'm not saying that they're not any good - just that they look sloppy for what it is they're supposed to know how to do. Other than the BJJ, wrestling and submission aspects of it, I have NEVER seen anyone use block and counter techniques in a UFC match. It always ends up in a straight out brawl where one opponent tries to dominate through pure strength in order to make things happen.

[roscoe]

Hey Wushupadawan

I think that 'pretty' techniques like flying side kicks aer all well and good in the movies, but out in the street it probably wont do you much good. In a real fight situation i'd go for 'ugly' everytime. For example, I know someone who practices xma. He can throw some fantastic looking kicks, but they can be seen coming from a mile away, and can be easily avoided. A snap kick to the groin may not look 'pretty' but its effective.

Stick what works for you, not what'll make you look good.

Cheers.

[BLACK PANTA]

a fight should only be two people flailing around like little girls.

[MrPeabody]

Originally Posted by BLACK PANTA

a fight should only be two people flailing around like little girls.

...

[Tease T Tickle]

A fight should be a fight. Prettiness or ugliness are irrelevant because you don't watch yourself fight, and no one watches fights for the same reason that people watch figure skating or gymnastics.

You should be doing what you need to do to win. You should not be worrying about how you look doing it.

[Enray]

A fight may not necessarily be pretty, but it can be graceful.

[Enray]

A fight may not necessarily be pretty, but it can be graceful.

[zefff]

no, no, NO!!!!!!

[Miau]

Fights aren't supposed to be pretty. And by saying that I mean there's a difference between matching yourself up against someone under a set of rules in a sport match and actually dumping all your anger on someone or fighting for your own life. In the first case, you have a display of technique, physical capacity, perseverance and strategy - high "pretty" factor. In the second case, you'll have two people trying to either hurt each other the most or get away alive - definitively pretty ugly.

Fights are mostly quick and simple (weak x weak, strong x weak) or too darn long and boring (coward x coward). Even when two strong guys fight, they're usually so angry (or just plain dumb) that all they'll produce will be a brutal bloodfest, like the UFC matches nbotary mentioned. No blocks or dodges, just trying to impose the most pain in the shortest time.

That said, it's not impossible... but only in very special and rare moments will you see a pretty *fight*. Once-in-a-lifetime fights. It's what happens when two skilled and resistant men meet each other in one-on-one, no rules battles. Like the one between Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man, in San Francisco. The moment when two men perfectly aware of each other's strenght, and of how easily they can kill or be killed by another man fight it out. They couldn't just go all-out like bulls, because every punch, grip and kick has the potential to kill or cripple; nor would "dirty" strategies result in a shorter fight, since those are also expected in a life or death situation. That's the only chance to see everything in the book, defense and offense-wise, put to use.

You can then understand why they're once-in-a-lifetime. There aren't so many of those men, and it takes a miracle for both, if any of them to be able to fight again (reason why sanshou championships had rule changes). Also, they don't get into life-threatning fights that easily. Well, Bruce Lee picked every fight he could, but there hardly was anyone that could last too long against him.

Anyway, if I had to pick one, I'd have to say fights are ugly. But that's the same as saying that boxing matches are all commercial - every now and then you see something to keep your hopes alive.

P.S.: Adress to the famous article about the Bruce Lee/Wong Jack Man fight. http://www.kungfu.net/brucelee.html