By Nicholas Lai
EchoNicholas@gmail.com
Come the 14th and 15th of May this year, Singapore will be hosting a series of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events called "Martial Combat".
Organised by ESPN Star Sports (ESS), Martial Combat will consist of 12 events over the next three years and will be held at the S$6.59 billion Resort World Sentosa. The event will also be broadcasted to over 24 countries across Asia on the channel, Star Sports.
Unlike your typical martial art, MMA matches do not get halted even if one of the fighters falls to the ground. Punches and kicks to the head are also allowed and it is due to this “no holds barred” approach that 2008 US Presidential Candidate, Senator John McCain, once branded MMA as “human cockfighting”.
In response to such criticisms, MMA organisers like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) began rebranding itself as a sport than a spectacle. It also increased its cooperation with numerous Athletic Commissions and redesigned various rules to ensure the athletes get better protection.
Aerial Shot of UFC 108. Photo Courtesy of www.UFC.tv
Such a strategy was welcomed by many and MMA is generally accepted as a sport today.
However, there are those like housewife, Mrs Clarissa Lim, 48, who beg to differ.
“MMA is so dangerous and violent. I have a son who takes up Taekwondo and they have head gear and body padding to protect their bodies during competitions. The only protection MMA competitors wear are gloves and I really think that’s not enough,” Mrs Lim explained.
“It shouldn’t even be considered a sport!” Mrs Lim added.
A photo Mrs Lim provided of her son (in blue protector) taking part in a local Taekwondo competition
Businessman Mr Leong Jun Wei, 42, who watched a fighter won his UFC match via knocking out his opponent before, felt that such an event should not be broadcasted in Singapore.
“Showing such an event on national TV would surely encourage violence. Children might also get a shock if they were to witness a fighter being knocked out,” said Mr Leong.
Mr Leong also felt that Martial Combat should not be held in Singapore.
“Holding such an event here in Singapore will only end up promoting violence,” he said.
When told about such criticisms, director of Singapore’s biggest MMA academy Evolve MMA, Chatri Sitodyong had this to say.
“MMA is a relatively new sport in Singapore. Such comments about MMA were also passed when it first started back in the US but over time, people started understanding more about it and how safe it was,” Chatri explained.
“This (violent accusations) is the greatest misconception about the sport of MMA,” Chatri added.
“If it this was such a violent, dangerous sport, the safety record should be worst than boxing, skydiving or any of these adrenaline sports. Yet it is safer.”
A quick check on the Journal of Combative Sports showed that boxing sees more than 10 per year worldwide. MMA on the other hand has seen only a total of four deaths since it first started 17 years ago.
However putting aside all negative comments regarding MMA, there is no doubt that MMA is rising rapidly in popularity here in Singapore.
“When Evolve first came to Singapore in November 2008, MMA was not popular like it is now. However over the last year, I have seen many students joining our gym to learn MMA and we had to launch a third gym to cater to such an increase. We blew through our three year financial goals in three months,” Chatri explained.
Students of Evolve training their "ground game" during Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu classes
Evolve MMA presently has three gyms: One in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and two in Singapore.
“Besides if there were such strong protests and negative response about MMA here in Singapore, I’m sure Martial Combat would be held at another country no?” Chatri said confidently.
Media
EchoNicholas@gmail.com
Come the 14th and 15th of May this year, Singapore will be hosting a series of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events called "Martial Combat".
Organised by ESPN Star Sports (ESS), Martial Combat will consist of 12 events over the next three years and will be held at the S$6.59 billion Resort World Sentosa. The event will also be broadcasted to over 24 countries across Asia on the channel, Star Sports.
Unlike your typical martial art, MMA matches do not get halted even if one of the fighters falls to the ground. Punches and kicks to the head are also allowed and it is due to this “no holds barred” approach that 2008 US Presidential Candidate, Senator John McCain, once branded MMA as “human cockfighting”.
In response to such criticisms, MMA organisers like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) began rebranding itself as a sport than a spectacle. It also increased its cooperation with numerous Athletic Commissions and redesigned various rules to ensure the athletes get better protection.
Aerial Shot of UFC 108. Photo Courtesy of www.UFC.tvSuch a strategy was welcomed by many and MMA is generally accepted as a sport today.
However, there are those like housewife, Mrs Clarissa Lim, 48, who beg to differ.
“MMA is so dangerous and violent. I have a son who takes up Taekwondo and they have head gear and body padding to protect their bodies during competitions. The only protection MMA competitors wear are gloves and I really think that’s not enough,” Mrs Lim explained.
“It shouldn’t even be considered a sport!” Mrs Lim added.
A photo Mrs Lim provided of her son (in blue protector) taking part in a local Taekwondo competitionBusinessman Mr Leong Jun Wei, 42, who watched a fighter won his UFC match via knocking out his opponent before, felt that such an event should not be broadcasted in Singapore.
“Showing such an event on national TV would surely encourage violence. Children might also get a shock if they were to witness a fighter being knocked out,” said Mr Leong.
Mr Leong also felt that Martial Combat should not be held in Singapore.
“Holding such an event here in Singapore will only end up promoting violence,” he said.
When told about such criticisms, director of Singapore’s biggest MMA academy Evolve MMA, Chatri Sitodyong had this to say.
“MMA is a relatively new sport in Singapore. Such comments about MMA were also passed when it first started back in the US but over time, people started understanding more about it and how safe it was,” Chatri explained.
“This (violent accusations) is the greatest misconception about the sport of MMA,” Chatri added.
“If it this was such a violent, dangerous sport, the safety record should be worst than boxing, skydiving or any of these adrenaline sports. Yet it is safer.”
A quick check on the Journal of Combative Sports showed that boxing sees more than 10 per year worldwide. MMA on the other hand has seen only a total of four deaths since it first started 17 years ago.
However putting aside all negative comments regarding MMA, there is no doubt that MMA is rising rapidly in popularity here in Singapore.
“When Evolve first came to Singapore in November 2008, MMA was not popular like it is now. However over the last year, I have seen many students joining our gym to learn MMA and we had to launch a third gym to cater to such an increase. We blew through our three year financial goals in three months,” Chatri explained.
Students of Evolve training their "ground game" during Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu classes“Besides if there were such strong protests and negative response about MMA here in Singapore, I’m sure Martial Combat would be held at another country no?” Chatri said confidently.
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testing Said,
testetste
Posted on January 20, 2010 at 3:58 AM
The Echo Said,
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Posted on January 20, 2010 at 3:58 AM