As far as my comparisons of climbers to MMA athletes I personally see some commonalities between the two.
I think it comes down to this:
Is climbing a sport or an activity/hobby or both?
I think we all would agree that UFC/MMA is a sport.
Sport by definition implies competition.
I personally believe climbing for most if not all of us includes competition. Sure... not the same more formalized type that we see in the more standardized sports but climbing IMO includes competition.
I believe almost all of us compete with ourselves... how hard can I climb? do I have the skills to climb route x? can I climb that route in a day? etc etc etc
And for a smaller population of the climbing community you see the more standardized external type of competition: climber(s) vs climber(s).
Look at the race for the FA of the Eigerwand, the race for the first 8000 m peak, the first to climb all 14 8000 m peaks, the FFA of the nose... competition has always been a part of climbing IMO. I think the best example was the FA of the Matterhorn... the FA party trundled rocks on the other party they had beaten to the summit to ensure everyone knew they were first.
And absolutely yes... their are some people out there that climb only to have fun... but they are few and far between.
I think for almost all of us climbing is both: hobby and sport. The majority of my trips are to have fun and not per say compete with myself or others... and that would make it a hobby or activity on those trips. On the other hand some of my trips I push to see what can I do... I compete with myself. Sport.
So... I think if climbers trained more like MMA athletes they would be more successful at succeeding at their goals... whatever they may be.
I guess what I was thinking of when I wrote that was a few years ago Sports Illustrated had an article where they interviewed a lot of famous athletes and asked them the question "Is climbing a sport"... the consensus was no. Is my climbing happiness based on other people's opinions? No at all. Does it matter what the public thinks? Not usually.
So yeah... sport or hobby or both? If sport then I think you/all would agree training can only help and climbers interested in training (maybe you... maybe not?) should check out how MMA athletes train.
Nice pic BTW
i'd be willing to bet that top level climbers (such as yuji, etc.) train every bit as hard as top level mma...your points are pointless...top level anything (ping pong, climbing, boxing, biking, etc.) requires high levels of dedication, specifically because it is "top level"...
Now, dru's stance on mma being gay is in and of itself gay...those guys are hardly "gay"...many have world level wrestling backgrounds or jujitsu backgrounds, etc.
is climbing a sport? well, it can be...or it can be an activity...is running a sport? well, if you are in head to head competition, yes...if you are just jogging to stay in shape no...is skiing a sport? hmmmm world cup skiiers are pretty bad ass...but then again, a couple of goofballs getting shitfaced and sliding around at the pass hardly seem "athletic"...
this whole thread is retarded...
