The Brutal Kind of Sport
November 12th, 2009 | 
Author: If you are looking to play a game that is fun and relaxing, there is plenty out there for you. More and more, however, it seems like people 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 good time, there are others who enjoy hitting others around an octagon. If you’re in a pool room, you’ll find some interesting game room furniture around, but placing such items within the ring of any mixed martial art game would probably cause serious injury and a lot of damaged goods. Why has this new kind of sport gained such a large following in such a small period of time? In this article, we are going to take a look at a few possible answers.
UFC only started 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 somewhat similar to kick-boxing, except there are fewer rules involved. The gloves being used are quite small, so achieving a knock out can be easy if a blow is landed correctly, and take downs can be made so that the opponents will wrestle it out on the floor. Here it is possible to set the opponent up in a hold that will cause them extreme pain, requiring them to “tap-out” in order to prevent further injury.
Obviously, the brutal nature of this sport has caused a whole host of serious injuries to those who choose to go in the ring. Yet that does not stop the increasing number of those who wish to take part in this violent game.
A number of years ago, the former WWF star, also a legend of UFC, Ken Shamrock was put in a match against the person who was the dominating fighter of the time, Tito Ortiz. The match itself was brutal, with Tito able to easily grapple the older Shamrock and land a huge number of blows onto him. What such a beating does to a person can barely be imagined, and it is a wonder that Shamrock did not choose 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 something to do with the distance we have come from our own primal natures, when we were forced to fight animals and each other just to stay alive. It might be that since we are no longer in a situation where we are put in a life or death scenario, we look for vicarious thrills from other places to replicate this thing that is lacking in our lives.
Whatever the reason, it is doubtful that mixed martial arts will decrease in popularity any time soon. With tours around the world constantly occurring, and pay per views rating exceedingly well, we will have this kind of game around for a long time to come.
| Connor Sullivan recently looked into purchasing a game room furniture for a basement he just finished. He purchased billiard balls online for an old pool table he inherited from a family member. |
Posted in Recreation and Sports | 
Tags: billiard balls, Connor Sullivan, game, game room furniture, Ken Shamrock, mixed martial art, number, pool, sport, time, Tito, Tito Ortiz