"You could knee a downed opponent" - Fighter-turned-soldier Tim Kennedy details how the UFC has changed the rules of MMA
Tim Kennedy is a former professional MMA fighter and current U.S. Special Forces soldier. Kennedy fought 24 times in his career, stretching from 2001 to 2016, when he fought Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 206.
Having been in the MMA world for such a long time, the former fighter would have witnessed the evolution of the sport from its early days to where it stands today.
Recently, Kennedy recounted how various rules have changed over time when he appeared on Paddy Pimblett's podcast, Chattin Pony. The former fighter looked back on the dark ages of MMA and said this:
"During the Pancrase era, we weren't in rings. We weren't in cages. We were just on a big wrestling mat. And it was a blast... you could knee a downed opponent, kick a downed opponent, you could soccer kick a downed opponent. You could do 12-to-6 elbows to anywhere."
Watch the video below from 31:35:
Tim Kennedy has wins over the likes of Michael Bisping and Robbie Lawler and is no slouch when it comes to mixed martial arts. However, it appears that he prefers the less stringent ruleset of early MMA.
Tim Kennedy and Joe Rogan discuss the flaws of sport jiu-jitsu vs. combat jiu-jitsu
Tim Kennedy is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Paulo Brandao and knows a thing or two about 'the gentle art'.
He recently appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), where he and Joe Rogan compared sport jiu-jitsu to combat jiu-jitsu.
Sport jiu-jitsu is the form of jiu-jitsu used in competitions, where slams and strikes are generally not allowed. Combat jiu-jitsu, on the other hand, allows open-hand strikes.
Combat jiu-jitsu was founded by jiu-jitsu savant Eddie Bravo. He invented it because he felt that the traditional discipline had become unrealistic in terms of self-defense. This is what Tim Kennedy and Joe Rogan discussed on JRE.
Kennedy is the founder of Sheepdog Response, a company that specializes in training ordinary citizens to deal with combat situations. While speaking to Rogan, he explained how ineffective Brazilian jiu-jitsu can be when facing an armed attacker, by using an example from Sheepdog Response:
"I was teaching a Sheepdog Response course, there were a few [BJJ] black belts in the course. We're fighting for guns and knives, and I'm in half guard. He had the weapon in his waistband... and I pulled it out the back. So I have his gun, and he dives underneath for a leglock... I'm tapping his forehead with the gun and he still hadn't processed it."
Watch the video below from 2:20: