Re-post: Wild West UFC

** I thought it would be good to re-post this, on the heels of the story about Abraham Lincoln defeating Jack Armstrong in a well remembered wrestling match. The match was rough, but nothing like some of the old frontieer fights. Below is what I believe to be one of the most brutal made-for-tv fight scenes I have ever seen, and thanks to Scott from "Weakness With A Twist" for a piece of narrative he provided--
D.R.


In a follow-up to my previous post on the UFC I thought it somewhat appropriate to run this video from HBO's excellent show "Deadwood". The background is a long-awaited fight between the enforcers for compeating intrests in the rapidly growing gold town of Deadwood, South Dakota. In this scene, Swearingen's man Dan Fights Hurst's man "The Captain", and it ain't pretty. If people can get beyond the murder, mayhem and non-stop swearing in this series, I highly reccomend it- it's available through netflicks.
The point of all this is this is how a real fight took place in the old days. My suggestion to all those UFC fans is that the UFC has rules because it is a sport. There can be no finger-locking, vital point or pressure point striking. There is a referee that can stop the fight.
Take a look at this post from Scott at "Weakness With A Twist". It describes a nearly similar fight that took place. Here's an excerpt:

The…sport of bragging and fighting was also introduced to the American backcountry, where it came to be called “rough and tumble.” ….it was a savage combat between two or more males (occasionally females), which sometimes left the contestants permanently blinded or maimed. A graphic description of “rough and tumble” came from the Irish traveler Thomas Ashe, who described a fight between a West Virginian and a Kentuckian. A croud gathered and arranged itself into an impromptu ring. The contestants were asked if they wished to “fight fair” or “rough and tumble.” When the chose “rough and tumble,” a roar of approval rose from the multitude. the two men entered the ring, and a few ordinary blows were exchanged in a tentative manner. Then suddenly the Virginian “contracted his whole form, drew his arms to his face,” and “pitched himself into the bosom of his opponent,” sinking his sharpened fingernails into the Kentuckian’s head. “The Virinain,” we are told, “never lost his hold…fixing his clows in his hair and his thumbs on his eyes, [he] have them a start from the sockets. The sufferer roared aloud, but uttered no complaint.” Even after the eyes were gouged out, the struggle continued. The Virginian fastened his teeth on the Kentuckian’s nose and bit it in two pieces. Then he tore off the Kentuckian’s ears. At last, the “Kentuckian, deprived or eyes, ears, and nose, gave in.” The victor, himself maimed and bleeding, was “chaired round the grounds,” to the cheers of the crowd.(p. 737)

So, for those that think UFC is the only way to test your fighting skills, there are a lot of techniques you are not training for...