(Props: MarcosAlvaredo)
On last week’s Bum Rush epsiode, we ragged on Quinton Jackson for training with actor/stuntman/fighter Lance Gibson, whose 4-5 MMA career includes appearances in the UFC, SuperBrawl, and Shooto, and whose theatrical credits include "Bouncer," "Security Guard," and "Doorman." Of course, Jackson’s upcoming UFC 123 opponent is Lyoto Machida, a serious martial artist. That’s why, like Anderson Silva before him, Machida is taking aikido lessons from Steven Seagal. Nope, we see nothing worth mocking here whatsoever.
It’s hard to pick a favorite moment from this Brazilian TV segment, but the sequence from 1:22-1:28 when Seagal is bombing out on Machida with throat-strikes is simply too much to watch with a straight face. I also like the "whip-like" backhands at 2:34, and the upkick-catch-into-standing-heel-hook that begins at 3:37. Would any of that shit ever work in a real MMA fight? We’ll never know until Strikeforce signs the Lawman as Dave Bautista‘s first opponent. (Which is a legitimately good idea, by the way, even if Seagal would surely insist on competing in that all-black ninja getup, rather than take his shirt off.)
If you watch to the end, you’ll also learn that Seagal isn’t a huge fan of wrestling: "Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re wrestling with anyone. Ever. You’re cutting, with your punches, you’re cutting and you’re puncturing…you don’t want [clinches with Machida]…no want. Don’t waste your time. Get rid of him." And then he puts Machida in one more wrist-lock, because that’s what this man does.








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commentsI wish they had subtitled Seagal's sound effects. "Whump!" "Uhhh!"
I studied it for years, and while I love it as a philosophy and a useful tool for conflict resolution, I know that an aikido practitioner would not do well against a trained fighter (I think that's the main reason you don't see them in MMA). But the good ones will do fine against your average belligerent asshole.
Lyoto looks like he's waiting for somebody to pop out of a bush and say "haha! your on candid camera!"
Shortly after she pressed charges and he won the court battle too.
When was the last time you cut up a pair of rastifarrian drug-lord twins, or had a knife fight with Tommey Lee Jones or that white dude from 'Enter the Dragon'?
When was the last time you cut off Eric Begosian's fingers with a hellicopter door, or has a sweat-ass sword fight with Danny Trejo?
Steven Segal is an idiot. He's made a lot of bad movies - and, by the way he is also CONVINCED a plot by the FBI has made all his movies fail, when he himself is actually just a big tub of fail.
When was the last fight of any kind Segal had and how did he do?
In all seriousness; He is a white American who grew up in Japan and taught a Japanese martial art in country when they were still having black rain from what the Enola Gay left em.
Do you really think he is a pushover who has nothing to offer MMA fighters or a real life combat sittuation?
To quote Matt Sera, "He is an expert swimmer, that's never been in the water."
Segal is no joke my brethren. His claim to fame in the martial arts world IS making Aikido more aggressive, including strikes and kicks that were not common practice before. No you're wrong, the man is the real deal. Now I'm not sayin he could step in the cage and be "the man" there, but in a confrontation on the street, not many stand a chance. There is even variations of ground fighting in his style of Aikido.
Sure, an MMA guy's got to adapt it for the street but it's a hell of a lot easier to take somebody who already takes damage and dishes it out and show them how to eye gouge, ear slap, small joint manipulate, Monkey steals the peaches or only use take-downs to dump guys to damage them and then disengage to scan for other targets.
An MMA guy who has just a tiny bit of direction about how to be more effective on the street is 1000 times more dangerous than some Ninja or Pentjak-Silat guy whose never, or very rarely, actually exchanged 'let's kick the shit out of each other' energy with another guy.
As far as training police goes, don't make me laugh. The local Shotokan guy here teaches inner city police restraint techniques and the guy is about 40lbs overweight and would get hosed in a real fight, just like Seagal.
There is a reason you don't see Aikido "experts" training the military in combatives or competing in the world stage of MMA.
Seagal is a joke.
Example: You're a BJJ artist or wrestler who ends up on the ground fighting a would be mugger. You feel you're doing well and handling the situation until his cracked out friend walks up and shanks you in the gut or neck with a broken beer bottle. Case in point, your BJJ and wrestling actually got you killed in "real life". On the flip side, if you throw in a trained combat martial artist and told him he could only use 10-15% of his weapons or training, I'm sure he would get demolished in the Octagon by a well conditioned mma practioner.
There are combat martial arts out there that forbid their students from competing in sport arts because it gets the mind thinking from a standpoint of rules and that changes the mindset of a practioner all together. All I'm saying is that there are extreme differences in what we talk about and people need to understand that.
I love MMA and have been a fan since about 93' when you could only rent them on VHS 6 months after the PPV, but lets not get the arts twisted. NOW these guys are highly conditioned ATHLETES. Some of the best in the world. But it is THEIR cage and THEIR world they fight in.
-Segal, Lawman.
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