Weekly Impact - 3/12/2026
Sometimes, the past really does have the sauce.
Hello again, kids.
While we focus primarily on combat sports and martial arts of the non-MMA variety, we’re gonna start the ride today with a look at some of the earliest examples of what would later become what we now recognize as MMA.
Our guy Jerry over at Fight Commentary Breakdowns goes all the way back to 1990 for this one, a Shooto event that puts some modern MMA to shame. A lot of the action is contested on the ground, but the versatility and athleticism here is very impressive.
And not to get too negative here, but this one kind of upset me in a way. Yes, MMA has evolved in various ways to make the fighter of today more well-rounded in some ways. But these guys looked so great, well-trained and well-adjusted that it saddened me to think of today’s atmosphere. There’s still great MMA today, and it’s comforting to see guys that could easily hang with a lot of modern era fighters.
Iranian Grappling
Here’s something I wanted to delve into about two years ago and never got a chance to. YouTuber Chadi managed to put together a video detailing traditional grappling from Iran as well as comparisons to Japanese Judo.
Look, I don’t have to tell you that things are tough. Given the current conflict in Iran and the surrounding region, I’m glad this came out now to give us a glimpse of the elements of culture. They’re people, just like us. It’s good to see some of what makes up the tapestry of human life in one way or another, especially in times like these.
Pushing Hands
This isn’t my usual cup of tea, but it’s got my curiousity for a few reasons. The Shoreline Tai Chi YouTube channel shared this event in which the competitors were doing “pushing hands”. It’s… something. Can’t quite put my finger on why I found this so compelling, but I figured I’d share.
Ippon!
Once again, Judo Highlights brings the goods with highlights from the Tashkent Grand Slam in Uzbekistan. Lots of great action and some surprising twists in this one.
Bear Killer
“Bear Killer” Willie Williams was a Kyokushin Karate innovator and one of the toughest martial artists to walk this earth. The man trained under Mas Oyama himself, dedicated himself to rigorous training and had a reputation for absolutely crushing his opponents.
He’s even canonically referenced in the Tekken franchise as the childhood idol of series favorite Paul Phoenix. And Sports ForEver on YouTube has a lovely little tribute to the man and really puts his saga into perspective. An American in Japan training to the absolute limit in a time where there was little fame or glory to be gained managed to overcome and become a legend.
A legit tough guy in an era with a lot of point fighters, Williams went hard in the paint to earn the kind of legacy that can’t be replicated.
Invincible, indeed
We’ll end the week with a look at the Kung Fu classic The Invicible Eight. I confess I never finished watching the whole thing, but this trailer is full of whimsy and the kind of charm and flavor that only 70s Kung-Fu set in imperial eras can carry.
That’s it for this week, kids. Be good, be kind.