Atheist Meditations

While I should have sat down and compiled my thoughts about the horrorshow that be 'Jesus Camp', I decided to dwell on the positive in the world and drink some Newcastles and watch UFC on pay-per-view. Somehow I thought watching the best thing in modern bloodsport was a better use of my time than sitting here typing 'fucking evags' over and over.

Technical difficulties precluded my catching the first three fights, and that's too bad cuz I heard one of the guys from season two was scrap'n, but I was well lubricated by the time Jeff 'The Snowman' Monson went up for his chance against the Champ, Tim Sylvia. Let me just say a few things about Jeff Monson. If you wiki 'anarchists' the short list of modorn advocates of said philosophy includes UFC fighter Jeff 'the Snowman' Monson. He's got a real blog, not one of the rather lame ones that are supported on the UFC website, and a master's degree from the Minnesota university system in psychology. His body is covered with anarchist and socialist tatoos. I got total respect for a man who stands up for his political ideals and uses his celebrity to promote it. I don't claim to have a fantastic insight into the nature of his anarchism, but I'm guessing it's along the vein Dielo Trouda - a rather pragmatic approach towards economic change that hates the concentration of state power in the hands of a few, extreamly wealthy capitalists - and I'm guess'n he's an atheist.

So when he walked out to the Octogon with the music of John Lennon's 'Imagine' (which was on the banned list of songs after 9/11) most of the folks watching must have been wondering what the fuck was going on. Not exactly the metal and rap that most fighter pump themselves up for, but he had a national audience, and damn it more people need to listen to the words of John Lennon. The UFC commentator summed it all up with, 'Jeff, he's a political, socio-economic dude.'

They say Bruce Lee used to spar with Kareem Abdul Jabar to investigate the advantages of reach in combat. If you've seen the weigh-in shot between Sylvia and Monson, you know what I mean. The smugly smiling Syvia has the musclebound Monson at the end of a long striking arm. There is eleven inches between the men, quite a disproportionate fight. The Snowman showed great heart and even some surprising standup, but in the end he was just plain out leveraged. Ground game included, everyone watching learned some valuable lessons in how a much taller man can use his long arms and legs to effectively leverage his weight and overcome Monson's vise-like grip.

In my humble opinion Mr. Monson has gone as far as he can in his quest for the title, it's a matter of physics that a short man cannot overcome. If he could cut down to the next weight class, I'm sure he'd be a killa. When someone eventually comes around to taking the Champs belt; I predict he'll be another fucking big man.

As for the second title fight, Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughs, that one went exactly as I hoped. Personality-wise, I like St. Pierre more than Hughs, so I was in his cornor. GSP's a marvelous fucking fighter to watch, yet Matt Hughs went into that fight a champ and a proven winner. I would not have put a dime on that fight beforehand, I just couldn't get over the notion that betting 'gainst Matt Hughs was fucking throwing money away.

The results of this battle show us the new direction that Mixed Martial Arts be heading. I declare we are seeing the ascendancy of the high leg kick. It's not glamorous like a uppercut, but the technique is dangerous to defend against (drop the hands below the waist, not a good Idea) and when there is power behind it like Georges St. Pierre can produce - he literally kicked Matt Hughs legs out from under him multiple times. Your stand-up don't mean shit if you can't fucking stand up.

Congrats to all the fighters and Georges St. Pierre in particular. What a great fucking night. Peace out.