Peter Ralston interview by Leo Gura.

[Leo Gura]

@bambi Look man, you're really talking to the wrong people about this. If you're serious, go talk to Ralston. But this online pissing contest is not productive.

Edited June 9 by Leo Gura

[Davino]

19 minutes ago, bambi said:

Do you honestly, genuinely think if he went to rio in the 70s and fought some of the Gracies, that he would have won? Do you honestly think this?

His style of mma works with a few principles also very well known to Judo and Jiu-jitsu, the former being an evolution of the latter, the current arrive at Brazil and made BJJ

[bambi]

Just now, Leo Gura said:

@bambi Look man, you're really talking to the wrong people about this. If you're serious, go talk to Ralston.

Do you know the histoy of the UFC/MMA, vale tudo and brazillian jujitsu since the 1900s? How it is connected and originated etc? 

Ralstons whole style of martial arts and everyone like him was consistently and conclusive proven completely ineffectual in the final hour. Thai boxing, western boxing combined with BJJ have been utterly and conclusively proved to be the superior fighting systems

[Leo Gura]

1 minute ago, bambi said:

Do you know the histoy of the UFC/MMA, vale tudo and brazillian jujitsu since the 1900s? How it is connected and originated etc? 

Ralstons whole style of martial arts and everyone like him was consistently and conclusive proven completely ineffectual in the final hour. Thai boxing, western boxing combined with BJJ have been utterly and conclusively proved to be the superior fighting systems

I know that is the conventional thinking in the field.

[Ishanga]

Been involved with Martial Arts since late 80's, read all the magazines, seen so many videos on all sorts of styles/systems, participated in forums all over, never heard of Ralston until I came here, so what can I say lol... Even in Bruce Lees era, everyone always says he was the best, yes he was very very good and effective, but there were probably other guys at his level, maybe with different attributes and such, but I would say there were probably 10-20 other like him, different weight classes, and such, even my own 1st sifu was top level, trained like a bastard for years back in the 70's, so it not like today were everything is on the internet, there's greatness in all fields everywhere that are hidden, in Spirituality too!!!

[bambi]

2 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I know that is the conventional thinking in the field.

 

The Rise of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) with a Perspective on Peter Ralston’s Influence

Early 1900s: The Roots of BJJ

1. Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie Family

Mitsuyo Maeda: A Japanese judoka and member of the Kodokan, Maeda traveled to Brazil in 1914 and began teaching judo and Japanese jiu-jitsu techniques.

Carlos Gracie: In 1917, Carlos Gracie, the eldest son of Gastão Gracie, started training under Maeda. He learned the principles and techniques of judo and jiu-jitsu.

Helio Gracie: Carlos’ younger brother, Helio, adapted these techniques to suit his smaller stature, focusing on leverage, position, and technique over brute strength. This adaptation became the foundation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

Mid 1900s: Development and Promotion

2. Gracie Academy and Challenges

First Academy: In 1925, Carlos Gracie opened the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Rio de Janeiro, teaching the techniques he and Helio developed.

Gracie Challenges: The Gracie family promoted BJJ through public challenge matches, inviting practitioners of other martial arts to fight against them. These "Gracie Challenges" helped demonstrate the effectiveness of BJJ.

3. Helio Gracie’s Contributions

Technical Refinements: Helio focused on developing techniques that allowed smaller individuals to defend themselves against larger opponents. His innovations included a wide array of ground fighting and submission techniques.

Notable Fights: Helio gained fame through his matches against other martial artists, such as his bout with Masahiko Kimura, a judo champion. Although Helio lost, the match showcased the durability and effectiveness of BJJ techniques.

Late 1900s: Global Expansion

4. The Next Generation: Gracie Children

Carlos Gracie Jr.: Founded the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) to organize and promote BJJ competitions worldwide.

Rickson, Royce, Rorion Gracie: These sons of Helio played significant roles in spreading BJJ globally. Rickson became known as one of the greatest BJJ fighters, while Royce and Rorion had a profound impact on the rise of MMA.

5. Rise of MMA

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC): In 1993, Rorion Gracie co-founded the UFC to showcase BJJ. Royce Gracie, representing BJJ, won several early UFC tournaments, defeating opponents from various martial arts backgrounds and demonstrating the effectiveness of BJJ in real combat situations.

Influence on MMA: The success of Royce Gracie in the UFC highlighted the importance of ground fighting and submissions, leading many fighters to incorporate BJJ into their training.

Influences and Integration of Other Styles

6. Other Martial Arts and Influences

Judo and Sambo: Fighters like Kazushi Sakuraba (known as the "Gracie Hunter") integrated judo and sambo, challenging BJJ practitioners and showcasing the importance of a well-rounded skill set.

Muay Thai and Boxing: Striking arts were integrated into MMA as fighters realized the need for a balanced approach to stand-up and ground fighting.

7. Peter Ralston’s Influence

Cheng Hsin: Peter Ralston founded Cheng Hsin, a martial art and philosophy that emphasizes effortless power, internal principles, and practical application. While not directly involved in BJJ’s development, Ralston's teachings on internal principles, relaxation, and efficient movement have influenced martial artists who seek to incorporate these concepts into their training.

1978 Full Contact World Championship: Ralston's victory in this competition showcased the effectiveness of blending different martial arts principles, highlighting the value of internal awareness and efficient movement. This influenced some fighters to adopt a more holistic approach to martial arts training.

2000s and Beyond: Mainstream Acceptance and Evolution

8. Modern MMA and BJJ

Global Popularity: BJJ has become a fundamental component of MMA training. Almost all professional MMA fighters train in BJJ to some extent.

Sport BJJ: The sport aspect of BJJ has grown, with competitions like the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship attracting thousands of competitors.

Continued Innovation: BJJ continues to evolve, with practitioners constantly developing new techniques and strategies to stay competitive.

Perspective on Ralston’s Influence

While Peter Ralston's Cheng Hsin martial art and his teachings on internal principles have made significant contributions to the broader martial arts community, his influence on BJJ and MMA is more indirect compared to the direct contributions of the Gracie family. Ralston's focus on internal awareness, relaxation, and efficiency offers valuable insights that complement the physical and technical aspects of BJJ and MMA. His victory in the 1978 Full Contact World Championship demonstrated the effectiveness of internal principles and a holistic approach to martial arts, encouraging some fighters to incorporate these concepts into their training.

However, the core development and global rise of BJJ and MMA are predominantly attributed to the innovations and efforts of the Gracie family. The Gracie Challenges, the establishment of the UFC, and the continuous refinement of techniques have cemented BJJ as a dominant fighting style in modern combat sports. Ralston's teachings add depth and perspective to martial arts training, emphasizing the importance of internal principles alongside physical techniques.

Conclusion

The rise of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts from the early 1900s to the present day is a story of innovation, adaptation, and relentless promotion by the Gracie family. Starting with Mitsuyo Maeda’s teachings, Helio Gracie and his descendants refined and popularized BJJ through challenge matches, the establishment of the UFC, and continuous evolution in techniques. While Peter Ralston’s Cheng Hsin and internal principles offer valuable insights, the core influence on BJJ and MMA remains rooted in the Gracie family's legacy.

[Anon212]

You guys are yapping, I asked Ralston about this. He said MMA is most effective and he trained it before it was a thing.

He said he would have won. Here is the proof. 

[Anon212]

My question for above

Hey Peter,

 

Quick questions about martial arts. I saw you saying that most martial arts are not good.

 

What are your thoughts on those martial arts such as Judo, Jiujitsu, Muay Thai, etc... those that are practiced in the UFC?

 

 

What do you think of UFC fighters? These guys, well at least they seem to be the best fighters in the world and eastern martial arts look silly next to them.

 

Do you think you could beat these guys in combat. I mean top guys like khabib etc.. 

This is is just a question to quench my curiosity. 

 

Thanks,

[Davino]

@Anon212 Lmao... to good to be true

Literally we have Peter's answer to the debate we were having ahahah

Guess who's right?

Let's see if we understood last episode

 

Edited June 9 by Davino

[Anon212]

Ralston is a freak of nature, he would have been world champ and turned the Gracies inside out. I think you guys fail to appreciate the astonishing level of intelligence. The guy mastered Judo in less than 18 months ffs, it's insanity !!

[Ishanga]

Just now, Davino said:

@Anon212 Lmao... to good to be true

Literally we have Peter's answer to the debate we were having ahahah

Guess who's right?

 

LOL, of course he is going to say he would win using it, lol, what else is a person like him going to say, he has a Huge Huge Ego, like many around here

..Looking at it objectively if he had learned the MMA methods, then for sure it would have made him more effective, but against who? If others are doing the same process as him, then it levels it all out, so it comes down to more personal attributes that are variables that know one can determine, it just comes out.. Ali was more than a graceful fighter than could slip punches and be fast as a heavyweight, he was tough as nails and had huge heart, he fought guys that hit like steam engines and still got up, had his jaw broken in 3rd round and went 15 rounds, so this is a variable for someone, it can't be taught, you either have it or don't...

[Davino]

6 minutes ago, Anon212 said:

The guy mastered Judo in less than 18 months ffs, it's insanity !!

Getting a Judo Black Belt usually takes more than 7 years+ and Ralston did in just 18months. As far as I know it's the fastest Judo black belt ever granted, there was a lot of suprise in the gym and the community at the time. The other closest records that I know of are 2years+ for mastership over Judo (Black Belt or higher dan)

Ralston is a genius. That's why Leo also respects him

Edited June 9 by Davino

[bambi]

6 minutes ago, Davino said:

@Anon212 Lmao... to good to be true

Literally we have Peter's answer to the debate we were having ahahah

Guess who's right?

Let's see if we understood last episode

 

Yes exactly you were completey wrong, but have probably never fought in your life

Ralston can make claims all he wants. He didnt practice mma, and if he tried his Cheng Hsin against the gracies in the 70s or 80s, he would have got mauled and choked in about 120 seconds. 

[Ishanga]

11 minutes ago, Anon212 said:

Ralston is a freak of nature, he would have been world champ and turned the Gracies inside out. I think you guys fail to appreciate the astonishing level of intelligence. The guy mastered Judo in less than 18 months ffs, it's insanity !!

this is baloney  lol... he would have done no such thing, trust me, if he could then he would have,,,Ron Van Clief a top level marital artist fought Royce Gracie at 47yrs old, got his ass wipped...just saying because ppl of age and status in martial arts where trying to represent and it failed, the gracies just had something unique that no one of that era could defend, now they can...

Edited June 9 by Ishanga

[Scholar]

I feel like you guys are gullable. Why do you even believe this?

There is no demonstration that this is even true, just the tournament that might have been won because he simply is a good fighter.

[Ishanga]

1 minute ago, Scholar said:

I feel like you guys are gullable. Why do you even believe this?

There is no demonstration that this is even true, just the tournament that might have been won because he simply is a good fighter.

They believe it because they think they know but they don't, its delusional in way, and it happens all the time in all sorts of areas of life, they want to believe it because it serves a purpose, more than likely an egoic purpose...

[Leo Gura]

18 minutes ago, bambi said:

While Peter Ralston’s Cheng Hsin and internal principles offer valuable insights, the core influence on BJJ and MMA remains rooted in the Gracie family's legacy.

I never claimed otherwise. I said nothing about the history of MMA. That is a matter for historians and is irrelevant to what I said.

Edited June 9 by Leo Gura

[bambi]

5 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I never claimed otherwise. I said nothing about the history of MMA. That is a matter for historians and is irrelevant to what I said.

Basically most martial arts systems in the world (traditional martial arts) had evolved to nothing more then perfunctory bullshit, with rituals, perfomance and rigid rules, moves and engagements. They all self deluded thought that all their perfunctory bullshit had merit in the real world.

In the 1900s, the Gracies developed their system and instead of the blind postulating, they said no we are going to have  a proper fucking fight with no rules and see who wins. And they systemetically destroyed everyone, until western boxing and thai boxing was intergated to form what is modern MMA. Modern MMA destroys with ease every tradtiional martial arts rendering them completely obsulete. Ralston was fucking around in traditional martial arts, not real fighting

[Leo Gura]

2 minutes ago, bambi said:

Basically most martial arts systems in the world (traditional martial arts) had evolved to nothing more then perfunctory bullshit, with rituals, perfomance and rigid rules, moves and engagements. They all self deluded thought that all their perfunctory bullshit had merit in the real world.

I know all that and Ralston knows all that.

Ralston's work is not based on any human rules. It is based on insanely deep insights into the physics and psychology of combat.

Edited June 9 by Leo Gura

[Scholar]

8 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I know all that and Ralston knows all that.

Ralston's work is not based on any human rules. It is based on insanely deep insights into the physics and psychology of combat.

But that's an assumption, based merely on what he says about it himself. Why do you believe him?