New MA show/special?

[Cthulhu]

Discovery Channel has a show coming on Nov. 30 called Xtreme Martial Arts:

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/xma/video/video.html

Dunno if it'll be any good. Have to wait and see.

Cthulhu

 

[arnisador]

Weird pseudo-X-ray animation in those clips.

 

[Guro Harold]

Thanks Cthulhu,

Liked the chinese energy display of the "plumb blossom- five pedals" and double sinawali actions in this animation:

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/xma/video/video.html#

I might check it out.

 

[someguy]

How was it?
I don't have cable so I didn't watch it.

 

[zen_hydra]

I really didn't think this show was anything special. It had a lot of fluff, and didn't go into much detail about anything. I have a problem with their emphasis on flashy "wushu" techniques and "matter of fact" statements about martial arts in general. It also had a rather obvious commercial tie in to "The Last Samurai" film (soon to be released). I guess it might have been more targeted to a general audience rathen than martial art practitioners. The CG clips looked good though. I thought it interesting that the Mullens guy, that the show seemed to center around, would do these highly acrobatic, and physically demanding kata routines, but completely suck-*** at sparring. All his technical skill went right out the window when he had an opponent facing him. The punches he would throw, during the match, left him badly off-balance and over-extended. He also appeared to me to suffer from JCVD syndrome (he forgot how to block and parry). Any one else have any observations.

 

[tshadowchaser]

For those not in the martial arts, the show would have appeared good. For those that have been in the arts for a while, I think it would seem self promoteing(for the xma((or whatever it was)).
I don't like a lot of the fancy flips and show katas, personaly, and think most of them are for show with little application. If Mullens had a solid bases in a hard style, why is it he has to do showy kata? Why can he not place in traditional kata?
The super animation was intresting but seemed useless in many instances.
Like I said I think it was verry self promoteing
I would not recommend the show for viewing except for geneal intrest on a day you had nothing better to do

 

[arnisador]

This was bizarrely stupid. I ended up fast-forwarding through a lot of it.

Yes, perhaps for those not in the martial arts, the show would have appeared good. To me, it was almost painful to watch.

It was nice to see Fumio Demura and also the Plum Flower demo.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I'm no expert, but I couldn't believe the way that guy was punching, for the few moments I watched. That is, they weren't punching the way I understand punching should look. You know, anchor your elbows. I thought that guy might try to fly with all that flappin'

 

[OULobo]

I thought it was a little funny watching this guy talk about how he gets angry when someone punches him in the face and how the narrator described point sparring as "the real thing" and "putting a whoopin on somebody". Yeah, point sparring is "real fighting". I also found it hilarious when they revere the katana and the "ancient" samurai that weilded it so much, but they throw it in the air and twirl it about like a toy. I don't consider that display showing respect to either the weapon or the history of it's users. I liked watching some of the weapons work in slow mo and with the graphics, but there was a ton of self-promotion.

 

[arnisador]

Yes, they were heavily promoting this "XMA" idea.

The promos for The Last Samurai were the best part of it, I thought.

 

[lvwhitebir]

The show was very flimsy, especially when billed as more of a scientific, biomechanical look at the martial arts.

I just found an advertisement for purchasing the XMA program. It's only $4800 from Century. I think the show was just a 1-hour infomercial, without a lot of info.

WhiteBirch

 

[Karasu Tengu]

I was specifically impressed by the Katana kata...not!

Thier kiai's SUCKED!!!

Too much fluff and hype about Mullins's comeback to be 6 time Champion um-tee-squat. Geez the guy has only been in MA a little over a decade?

The animations were by far the best part.

Check out XMA's clothing line. Sorry I don't have a link.

 

[TonyM.]

I'll second on painfull to watch. I was almost screaming for the announcer to shut up.

 

[arnisador]

Yeah, the announcer's dialogue was particularly inane.

See also:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11833