A "non-sporting" technique is one that is intended to, and has the capability of, causing permanent injury or worse.

Thats likely true, though do we train only the things that are taught in the Gym/Dojo?

I remember the first UFC's when the only things against the rules were biting and eye gouging. Ah, the good ol' days.

Many sparring techniques (especially in MMA) would fit that description.

honestly, any technique can cause good harm out there. Of course exercise some caution when engaging in something like sparring. And even more caution if you're going for like an eye gouge or a punch to the throat.

Ways to look at martial arts training:

For sport
For fitness
For fun
For combatives
For self defense (different than combatives)
For culture study

Why go at it just one way? If you embrace all six of these views on MA training, you'll never run out of reasons to keep learning and sweating. I think that's the pinnacle of what MMA should mean. Like it's already been said, the methodology is different than the prescribed 'system'.

Shikata

I agree, though I don't train for sport I do essentially train for all the other reasons you listed. It makes training that much more enjoyable and enlightening. Thats why I enjoy training in just about all martial arts, because theres always something to learn. Whether its the application & fighting aspects of the art or the culture! Its the educational experience I get that makes martial arts fun for me. If I had all the time and money in the world, I'd go and train in every single martial art out there....i'll just keep dreaming

idk how old this thread is but i would like to add my opinion, traditional kung fu as mentioned earlier in the thread wont always be applicable in modern day life threatening situations.
Remember Kung Fu was orignated in a time where people ran around with swords and bows and arrows, long staffs etc, those were normal back then, but obviously not today.

A lot of the kung fu tactics were meant to deal with those type of weaponry and fighting styles, where MMA isnt. MMA in my opinion is merely for entertainment, imagine this, if youre attacked by a bunch of thugs, would you want to get one of them in a foot lock or would you rather fight them off with a style like Wing Chun and get out alive?

I do strongly believe that MMA is the wrong name for the brute like brawl happening in the cage, Kung Fu, Aikido, Karate etc are martial ARTS, there is a more delicate artistic side to it as well, which you dont see in MMA.

FWIW I don't think ANY unarmed Martial Art is going to be overly useful against multiple opponents. Equation may change if the defender has a weapon and knows how to use it, but having drilled multilple atttacker situations many many times in Aikido were the attackers could do what they wanted (grappling, some striking).

The Aikido instructor encouraged the people defending to try whatever they thought might work against multiple attackers. No one ever faired well, even people who studied other systems like Wado Ryu, TKD and MMA. They were good martial artists who had years (some had decades) of experience, but they just couldn't do much against multiple attackers. Even using pure Aikido, at best all we could do was avoid the attackers for so long.

So from the point of view defending against multiples, I don't think it makes much difference whether you study Traditional unarmed fighting or modern MMA. Just my opinion.

Neither, I would run away.


MMA isn't a martial art, it's a rule-set.

And, "art" as it's used in "martial art" refers to skills, techniques and principles of combat, just as the "art" of "art of war" refers to the strategies, tactics and principles of warfare. It has nothing to do with aesthetics or a "delicate artistic side," as you put it.

MMA doesn't teach only ground fighting, has a very good standing fighting and clinch work. And if you get the rules out of MMA i assure you that it would be a very brutal and deadly fighting system. What if you studied Wing Chun and you are attacked by a thug by surprise and he takes you to the ground and mounts you, what do you do then if you didn't trained in ground fighting?