Suggested rules for a combat sport

[Cornfed]

If one were to design a new martial art, one way to go about it would be to design a combat sport where the rules rewarded the skills you wanted. For this sport I would recommend rules somewhat similar to the original UFC. Fights would be one twelve minute round. Everything would be allowed except for eye gouging and biting and attacks designed to immediately break joints. (This might have to be modified). Winning would be by submission, ko, tko or points. Points would be awarded for major strikes, throws, takedowns and holds. If a competitor goes to ground, the ref with stop and restart the fight within 10 seconds unless an effective submission hold has been applied. Competitors will wear something like cotton leggings, long sleeved t-shirts and some form of athletic shoes. No gloves or wraps.

The most radical change, which seems obvious to me in a lot of sports, would be to abolish weight classes. Matches would be one on one challenges acceptable to the conveners. If competitors needed to be classified by size then the classification would be based on skeletal proportions, say height + shoulder width + arm span + hip width. This would mean people would not suffer adverse health effects from making weight and could fight at the ideal weight for them personally.

[MrMan]

If one were to design a new martial art, one way to go about it would be to design a combat sport where the rules rewarded the skills you wanted. For this sport I would recommend rules somewhat similar to the original UFC. Fights would be one twelve minute round. Everything would be allowed except for eye gouging and biting and attacks designed to immediately break joints. (This might have to be modified). Winning would be by submission, ko, tko or points. Points would be awarded for major strikes, throws, takedowns and holds. If a competitor goes to ground, the ref with stop and restart the fight within 10 seconds unless an effective submission hold has been applied. Competitors will wear something like cotton leggings, long sleeved t-shirts and some form of athletic shoes. No gloves or wraps.

The most radical change, which seems obvious to me in a lot of sports, would be to abolish weight classes. Matches would be one on one challenges acceptable to the conveners. If competitors needed to be classified by size then the classification would be based on skeletal proportions, say height + shoulder width + arm span + hip width. This would mean people would not suffer adverse health effects from making weight and could fight at the ideal weight for them personally.

Do you want to fight or just watch?

[Cornfed]

Do you want to fight or just watch?

I'm probably too old to fight competitively. I would like to learn and contribute.

[Lucas88]

If one were to design a new martial art, one way to go about it would be to design a combat sport where the rules rewarded the skills you wanted. For this sport I would recommend rules somewhat similar to the original UFC. Fights would be one twelve minute round. Everything would be allowed except for eye gouging and biting and attacks designed to immediately break joints. (This might have to be modified). Winning would be by submission, ko, tko or points. Points would be awarded for major strikes, throws, takedowns and holds. If a competitor goes to ground, the ref with stop and restart the fight within 10 seconds unless an effective submission hold has been applied. Competitors will wear something like cotton leggings, long sleeved t-shirts and some form of athletic shoes. No gloves or wraps.

The most radical change, which seems obvious to me in a lot of sports, would be to abolish weight classes. Matches would be one on one challenges acceptable to the conveners. If competitors needed to be classified by size then the classification would be based on skeletal proportions, say height + shoulder width + arm span + hip width. This would mean people would not suffer adverse health effects from making weight and could fight at the ideal weight for them personally.

The particular ruleset which you have specified would most likely promote powerful throws (since these score points), leg kicks and clinchwork with knees and elbows (since wild punches to the head would be less common in the absence of gloves and wraps), and quick leglocks on the ground (since most other submissions would be difficult to set up due to lack of time permitted for ground fighting). In my view it would resemble a cross between combat sambo and Muay Thai (or Lethwei even more so). Is this what you are aiming for?

Lethwei, in case you didn't know, is a Burmese striking art similar to Muay Thai except no gloves are worn (only wraps) and headbutts are allowed in addition to punches, kicks, elbows and knees. It is known as "art of nine limbs".

The adverse health effects of weight cutting could be reduced by mandating same-day weigh-ins as opposed to the previous-day weigh-ins of current MMA. It is impossible to cut large quantities of weight without a full day to rehydrate. Same-day weigh-ins would force competitors to fight at a weight much closer to their natural weigh.

[Cornfed]

The particular ruleset which you have specified would most likely promote powerful throws (since these score points), leg kicks and clinchwork with knees and elbows (since wild punches to the head would be less common in the absence of gloves and wraps), and quick leglocks on the ground (since most other submissions would be difficult to set up due to lack of time permitted for ground fighting). In my view it would resemble a cross between combat sambo and Muay Thai (or Lethwei even more so). Is this what you are aiming for?

Yes, something like that, although maybe you would want to give less points for the leg kicks. This would more properly duplicate regular fighting conditions. For example, strong throws IRL would often end the fight.

The adverse health effects of weight cutting could be reduced by mandating same-day weigh-ins as opposed to the previous-day weigh-ins of current MMA. It is impossible to cut large quantities of weight without a full day to rehydrate. Same-day weigh-ins would force competitors to fight at a weight much closer to their natural weigh.

That might help, but why force people to be overly lean in the first place? The goal should be to be the best fighter they can, and this generally means heavier rather than lighter. A size category rather than a weight category would be better.

[Lucas88]

Yes, something like that, although maybe you would want to give less points for the leg kicks. This would more properly duplicate regular fighting conditions. For example, strong throws IRL would often end the fight.

For the purpose of realism, it would probably be better to award more points for effective strikes that land flush and cause visible damage, trips and throws that successfully down an opponent (since such techniques would usually put him in a significantly disadvantageous position in a real fight), and maybe also submission attempts. A leg kick which is simply absorbed shouldn't score high but one that takes out an opponent's leg and results in a knock-down should rack up more points. Same thing with punches. Those that visibly rock and wobble an opponent should score high while little rabbit punches that do little or no damage should be seen as negligible.

That might help, but why force people to be overly lean in the first place? The goal should be to be the best fighter they can, and this generally means heavier rather than lighter. A size category rather than a weight category would be better.

Combat sport athletes don't cut weight in order to be lean; they get to a lower weight so that they can compete in a lighter weight class and then blow up again through rehydration after the weigh-in in order to have a size advantage. In modern MMA some fighters cut a tremendous amount of weight and unfortunately this can have serious adverse effects on their health. People have even died attempting to cut too much weight. Same-day weigh-ins would force athletes to compete at a more natural weight. Fewer weight classes like in the early UFC would also encourage more athletes to bulk up rather than cut weight.

[Cornfed]

Combat sport athletes don't cut weight in order to be lean; they get to a lower weight so that they can compete in a lighter weight class and then blow up again through rehydration after the weigh-in in order to have a size advantage. In modern MMA some fighters cut a tremendous amount of weight and unfortunately this can have serious adverse effects on their health. People have even died attempting to cut too much weight. Same-day weigh-ins would force athletes to compete at a more natural weight. Fewer weight classes like in the early UFC would also encourage more athletes to bulk up rather than cut weight.

The goal would be to encourage fighters to be the best fighters they could be, which would indeed involve bulking up in most cases, but not so much they became sluggish and unfit. Hence, why not just abolish weight classes entirely and have size classes. That would solve the whole problem, not just the dehydration problem.

[galii]

Combat sport athletes don't cut weight in order to be lean; they get to a lower weight so that they can compete in a lighter weight class and then blow up again through rehydration after the weigh-in in order to have a size advantage. In modern MMA some fighters cut a tremendous amount of weight and unfortunately this can have serious adverse effects on their health. People have even died attempting to cut too much weight. Same-day weigh-ins would force athletes to compete at a more natural weight. Fewer weight classes like in the early UFC would also encourage more athletes to bulk up rather than cut weight.

The goal would be to encourage fighters to be the best fighters they could be, which would indeed involve bulking up in most cases, but not so much they became sluggish and unfit. Hence, why not just abolish weight classes entirely and have size classes. That would solve the whole problem, not just the dehydration problem.

Damned you are stupid Cornfeld

[Cornfed]

Damned you are stupid Cornfeld

Is there anything specifically wrong with the size category vs weight category idea?

[galii]

Damned you are stupid Cornfeld

Is there anything specifically wrong with the size category vs weight category idea?

Try to think a bit. It would be a shitshow. Lucas might be nice and explain it to you

[Cornfed]

Damned you are stupid Cornfeld

Is there anything specifically wrong with the size category vs weight category idea?

Try to think a bit. It would be a shitshow. Lucas might be nice and explain it to you

I'd be happy to be corrected.