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The Brutal Kind Of Sport
By Hikerpro | February 9, 2010
If you’re wanting to play a game that’s fun and relaxing, there’s plenty out there for you. More and more often, however, it seems like individuals are becoming interested in sports that are increasingly violent. While hitting billiard balls around a pool table can be some people’s idea of a fun time, there are others who enjoy hitting others around an octagon. If you’re in a pool room, you’ll see some nice game room furniture around, but placing such items within the ring of any mixed martial art fight would probably cause serious harm and a lot of damaged goods. Why has this new type of sport gained such a huge following in such a small period of time? In this article, we’re going to take a look at some possible answers.
UFC only began around a decade ago, with small crowds and only a cult following. Gradually, however, more and more people have been attracted to the brutal nature of the sport.
The game itself is in some way similar to kickboxing, except there are not as many rules involved. The gloves being used are quite small, so getting a knock-out can be simple if a blow is landed correctly, and take-downs can be achieved so that the opponents will wrestle it out on the ground. Here it’s possible to set the competitor up in a hold that will cause them extreme pain, requiring them to “tap-out” in order to prevent further injury.
Obviously, the harsh nature of this sport has caused a whole host of serious injuries to those who decide to go in the ring. Yet that doesn’t stop the increasing numbers of those who wish to take part in this brutal game.
A number of years ago, the old WWF star, also a veteran of UFC, Ken Shamrock, was put in a match against the person who was the dominating fighter of the era, Tito Ortiz. The match itself was brutal, with Tito able to simply grapple the older Shamrock and land a massive number of blows onto him. What such an attack does to a person can barely be understood, and it’s a wonder that Shamrock did not decide to end the match sooner.
What are the psychological reasons for people wanting to play this game and for us to watch and enjoy it? Perhaps it has a bit to do with the way we’ve come from our own primal natures, when we were forced to fight animals and each other in order to stay alive. It might be that since we’re no longer in a situation where we are put in a life-or-death place, we look for vicarious enjoyment from other places to replicate this thing that’s lacking in our lives.
Whatever the reason, it’s unlikely that mixed martial arts will decrease in popularity any time soon. With touring companies around the world constantly occurring, and pay-per-views earning exceedingly well, we’ll have this type of game around for a long time to come.
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