Martial Arts That Simply Don’t Work in MMA
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People often see MMA as street fighting with rules in place and an ideal proving ground for various fighting styles. Although we still don’t know which style is the best, MMA sport has given us many valuable answers thus far.
One of those answers is the list of martial arts styles that simply don’t work in MMA or even in real life. In fact, the list of martial arts that actually work inside the cage is very, very short.
Over the last three decades, only the four martial arts styles have emerged as the most used ones. A modern MMA fighter must be good at the following styles:
- Boxing
- Muay Thai
- Wrestling
- BJJ
So, out of hundreds of combat styles humans have created, we have only a few you can fully apply in MMA fighting. Have you ever wondered why? What separates styles that work in MMA from the ones that don’t?
What martial arts don’t work in MMA and why?
Over the years, many fighting styles proved ineffective in MMA. Some of them got even exposed as totally fake along with their fake masters. The sport includes only the best techniques and the ones you can apply in real fighting scenarios. You can’t “fake it ‘till you make it” in MMA.
The sport is evolving at a high rate and both coaches and fighters have realized what works and what doesn’t. To understand why some styles are good for MMA and others are not, we must spin the argument around. Let’s look at what makes boxing or BJJ great for MMA:
- First, these arts provide you with the real fighting experience in which you can get hurt or hurt others. As close to the real fighting, the better it is for MMA.
- Second, they embrace a hard method of training and endless sparring sessions. If they want, both students can use 100% of their power and abilities to sparr and simulate a real fight.
- Also, these combat styles include an official international competition. Competition is crucial for any sport as it helps martial art to evolve and athletes to become better.
The ones that are not good for MMA, however, usually don’t include sparring or competition. What’s more, some of their students never got punched in the face or know how it feels like to be in a real fight. How you can believe something would work in MMA if you have never applied it in sparring or competition?
To be honest, the arts we have listed below can enhance your game in some way. Training in these arts can make you stronger, faster, or help improve balance. But the real question is: Is it worth the time?
We assume there are certain elements these martial arts include that you can apply in MMA. But, is it better for MMA beginners to spend two hours training Tai Chi or Muay Thai?
Aikido
A few martial arts topics have triggered more debates than the ones about the effectiveness of Aikido. We need to be honest here. Aikido has its own pros and cons, which people manipulate to prove their side is right. But for the sake of our argument, Aikido is useless in MMA simply since you can’t apply its techniques inside the cage.
I mean you can, but it will fail in a very painful way. For instance, imagine an Aikido fighter trying to catch the punches instead of blocking them. It would end, really, really bad.
Aikido is a great form of exercise for rising the awareness you have of your own body. It also helps you to improve balance or relax the mind from stress. To be honest, some joint-locking techniques may work if someone attacks you. And, it may give you a sense of how hand to hand combat looks like, but not much.
Overall, Aikido is not something you can rely on in MMA or a street fight. This is mainly because the art doesn’t consist of real sparring sessions or competitions. In fact, some of their moves don’t work in real life at all. And let’s not forget its philosophy is much different and that it was never meant to be a part of MMA.
“To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.” ― Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace
But, why people still think Aikido works in MMA? Some people believe Aikido is good for MMA because they saw Steven Seagal famously “teaching” Anderson Silva (UFC champ) how to execute a front kick. Yet, they forget Silva was a Taekwondo black belt long before he met Seagal. I mean, Silva knew how to throw this kick since he was a little boy.
Capoeira
To be honest, there have been many MMA fighters with a background in Capoeira. The most famous one is, of course, the UFC champ Conor McGregor. But these fighters also trained in other arts and they never used Capoeira that much in MMA.
What’s the issue with Capoeira? First of all, it doesn’t include punches at all. It does consist of legit kicking moves which, at first, may look useful in MMA. But in reality, few fighters use them since there is a huge risk behind throwing them in an MMA match.
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Skilled wrestlers could easily take you down, or you can eat a punching combo in return. Don’t forget, Capoeira teaches you how to kick without worrying about being punched in return. That makes a lot of difference.
Capoeira is a beautiful and very exciting art. It is an art that puts a lot of emphasis on acrobatics, dancing, and flashy techniques. Its kicks are usually meant for demonstration, and playing around. Some skilled fighters may use them inside the cage but that’s very rare.
Yet, there are some good things about Capoeira. The movement is fluid and it will teach you how to fight from both stances, which is great for MMA. Also, you can use this type of movement to confuse the rival or set up traps or entries. Being unorthodox and even awkward can bring you a lot of success in MMA now and then.
Training provides a ton of fun and can improve your timing, agility, and speed which is good for MMA.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a famous Chinese martial art that simply doesn’t work in MMA at all. There are many videos showing MMA fighters destroying Tai Chi fighters. Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiao Dong has a couple of painful to watch wins over Tai Chi fighters.
We are not going into the argument whether Tai Chi is good for self-defense or not. For sure it teaches some valuable stuff and is good for your health. But it’s simply impossible for the one to apply Tai Chi skills in MMA and here is why.
Tai Chi fighters usually stand in a tall stance with their hands in front. This is the total opposite from MMA or most other striking styles where fighters hold their hands in the guard position. In the videos where Tai Chi fighters fought Muay Thai fighters, for instance, we can see how bad their defense is, even if it's just a cursory example.
In some way, the Tai Chi stance leaves you open for any type of punches and kicks. Crossing over to MMA with this set of striking skills would be suicidal. It is the total opposite of all you learn in boxing or Muay Thai.
So, it’s not a surprise that you can’t apply these skills in MMA as the rivals would smoke you in the opening seconds. And thanks to Xu Xiao Dong, there is plenty of evidence that supports our claim.
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