Controversy
The show has received a negative response from a number of those involved in the martial arts community. Although some were simply happy to see their art gain exposure on TV, others viewed the challenges as trivial and the sparring matches as less than professional. A number of competitors have displayed an unfamiliarity with point sparring. This has ranged from having trouble properly taking hits to paying little or no attention to defense, instead going for as many body punches as possible. Although this strategy is common in sporting matches, it is frowned upon by many traditional martial artists. The sparring has also been targeteted for not allowing clinch fighting, ground fighting, or head strikes, which alienates a sizable group of traditional martial artists.
The show has also been criticized for having a very imbalanced roster. There are several practitioners of Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and variants of Karate and Kempo, but many other popular styles such as Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Sanshou/Sanda are not represented at all. The representation of styles are as follows:
Tae Kwon Do (16), Tang Soo Do (10), Capoeira (10), Shorei-ryu (5), Red Dragon Karate (6), Shotokan (2), Karate (1), Okinawan Karate (1), Sho Dan Karate (1), Isshin Ryu (2), Moo Duk Kwan (1), Hung Gar (1), American Karate System (2), Kickboxing (1), Kempo (1), Wushu (1), Moo Yea Do (1), Soo Bahk Do (1), Kōga-ryū Ninjitsu Do (1)
Others have taken issue with the fact that while the show declares that its contestants are "30 of the world's best", they seem to be very unevenly matched. Many of the competitors are only first degree blackbelts while a number are third degree and others such as Brian and Jabari are world class champions, however all contestants are amateurs. The show also strives to match fighters of equal skill in the sparring portions through power matching. (i.e., Those in first and second place square off against each other, etc.)
Although the show is not without its criticism it has managed to find a solid audience in its key demographic. The show has scored consistently strong ratings for MTV and especially MTV2. However, no plans for a second season have yet been announced.
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