[Closed] Nicola Adams

Yep, top girl. That whole interview was a pleasure to watch. 😀

+1
Some other athletes would do well to be so smiley!

Million dollar smile.

Fantastic stuff.

i'm not a boxing fan,but fair play to the lady and good luck to her 😀

Yay!

She came across really well.

Bright, intelligent and an amazing smile. What's not to like?

Cracking lass. Came out looking like the Dark Destroyer in the first couple of rounds - Chinese girl couldn't live with her. Awesome stuff.

She was very impressive. Not a great fan of amateur boxing but that was good to watch.

Dynamite.

Great boxer and has a nice way about her.

How did all those Irish fans get tickets for the Katie Taylor fight? Looked like an unbelievable atmosphere for both fights!

I took to her straight away - just seemed to love every minute of it.

Not a boxing fan, but not bothered by women boxing, as some are, and I was thrilled to bits for her. To get a gold in the inaugural competition, in front of your home crowd, well, for any competitor, it really, really can't get better than that, and beating the current World Champion while you're at it? Just incredible! And she's such a delight, her joy and enthusiasm seems boundless.
Now, if they could harness that, and find a way of powering things, who needs fusion reactors. 😀

She has to be another on the SPOTY shortlist. First ever gold medal in an event and a fantastic attitude and personality.

I saw an interview with her after she won a place in the final and man she was happy and of course you would be. Imagine how she's feeling today.

Million Dollar Baby!

Look at her win in the ring, and then compare it to Jade Jones' win in the Taekwon Don't and it makes the latter look like the joke it is.

Congratulations to Nicola Adams for winning a gold medal in the Olympic Final of the women's fly weight.

She had to overcome years of sexisim and innuendo in the sport to get this far.

I, for one, was really looking forward to seeing her box.

😉

I was at the semi-finals and Nicola looked good but I thought the Chinese girl might beat her in the final. Glad I was wrong, she fought really well. As well supported as Nicola was it was so different went Katie Taylor made an appearance.

I was really there to see Katie, unreal support for her. To answer theotherjonv the reason for so many Irish supporters is she is our 'Jess Ennis' - the most likely winner of a gold medal. Everybody knew when she was fighting and lets face it, womens boxing was not going to be top of most peoples lists of things to see. Tickets relatively easy to get.

Shay Given was at the semi-finals and was being pestered by fans for autographs and photo's after the fight but he was in good humour. And the DLR was like the DART on the way back to central London.

compare it to Jade Jones' win in the Taekwon Don't and it makes the latter look like the joke it is.

Awesome, she brought a smile to my face, got a lovely way about her. 🙂

mastiles_fanylion - just what I was thinking. Eh?

Look at her win in the ring, and then compare it to Jade Jones' win in the Taekwon Don't and it makes the latter look like the joke it is.

❓ +1!

How did all those Irish fans get tickets for the Katie Taylor fight? Looked like an unbelievable atmosphere for both fights!

Read somewhere that they recorded the loudest crowd noise at the Olympics at one of her fights (113db i think?)

I heard the as well re the 113db, and a jumbo jet taking off is 110db it said. Fields of Athenry was being sung with gusto towards the end of the semi-final. Any excuse! And not a lot to sing about in Ireland in recent times.

❓ +1!

What is is that you don't understand?

...what your issue is with Taekwondo compared to boxing?

Both sports require a high degree of physical fitness and skill.

Well i watched the boxing, and I watched the TKD and I spent 15 years training myself in Goju Ryu and and reached the level of San Dan and trained with amateur boxers and the conclusion I reach from watching the TKD event is that it's pathetic.

I just can't see what the point of competitive TKD actually is other than it being a glorified game of tig and I'm taking an informed view on this.

In the context of the rules as they are established for TKD, sure it's a win and a gold medal and there would have been a lot of work before hand. But what Nicola Adams will have gone through before the bout and what she had to do in the bout, makes TKD look like a joke in terms of effort.

I spent 15 years training myself in Goju Ryu and and reached the level of San Dan and trained with amateur boxers and the conclusion I reach from watching the TKD event is that it's pathetic.

I just can't see what the point of competitive TKD actually is other than it being a glorified game of tig and I'm taking an informed view on this.

Oh, you wanted to big yourself up and do down a 19 year old Olympic champion? Go and get a gold medal yourself if it's so easy. 🙄

Oh, you wanted to big yourself up and do down a 19 year old Olympic champion? Go and get a gold medal yourself if it's so easy.

No, I'm saying that my opinion is informed, not that of an armchair commentator. My training days are well behind me; I doubt I could fight my way out of a wet paper bag these days. And I'm not putting down Jade or TKD, I'm saying the competition TKD is daft and not worthy of Olympic status.

Also Goju Ryu isn't a 'sport' and therefore wasn't open to Olympic competition, but since you bring it up, based on how much I was training and the effort I was putting in, had I had that option, I would have been going for it.

What is is that you don't understand?

Okay, so I didn't see your later reply. Still don't understand why you think it is a joke though. Is swimming funny? Do you laugh at archery?

my opinion is informed

Why not have a go yourself and win yourself a Gold if it is so easy.

Big man.

Also Goju Ryu isn't a 'sport' and therefore wasn't open to Olympic competition, but since you bring it up, based on how much I was training and the effort I was putting in, had I had that option, I would have been going for it.

lol, so you think you 'could have been a contender' if only you'd been allowed, and now you're bitter and looking to demean others' success. Nice.

Because the execution of technique and skill in the context of a competition, bears no resemblance to 'martial' aspect of the overall system.

Thinking about it logically, if you have a system of martial art, like boxing, karate, kung-fu etc, and what you want to do is see who is the best at it, then logically you would want the competitive environment to mirror the way the system works in the real world.

Aiming for that realism, means that you get to see who 'wins' in a mock fight; who has the best execution of skill and technique.

The problem with competition TKD is that the way the 'fights' are played out is nothing like how it would work in a real situation, unlike boxing. They aren't actually executing an effective technique and everything they do up to the point where they do score a point, is likely to end up with them out cold on the floor if they were to try that in a real fight.

Thus, the way the 'fights' are executed is just arbitrary; it's a false construct of something.

Boxing on the other hand is played out in the ring exactly as it would be played out in a real situation. If Nicola Adams connected one of the punches she threw in a ring with you on the street, you'd go down. And similarly, the way she would execute that in the real world is the same as she does in the ring. The sport reflects reality.

That's my point.

I've nothing against TKD as a martial arts system, just how they run their competitions.

GT I'd at while you're behind, don't think you'll find much support for your expert opinion.

So a 19 year old woman winning a Gold in the sport is 'a joke' because you don't agree with how they run the competitions because they aren't 'real' then?

Perhaps the shooting and archery and javelin and discus and (insert any other sport originally based on hunting/killing skills) should only be played against live targets too. You know, just to make it look 'real'.

Muppet.

lol, so you think you 'could have been a contender' if only you'd been allowed

No it's not really that - not bitter at all. I am very proud of what I achieved and where I got to. I had no interest in competing because what I trained in what not a sport, which is sort of the problem with making martial arts a 'sport'.

And I didn't teach myself anything. I was taught by someone else and spent many years training with many different people from various martial arts backgrounds including TKD.

Really, this is not an ego trip for me, it's my informed opinion which I am perfectly entitled to express, just like everyone else on here. I doubt you'll believe that statement, but hey ho.

Am I demeaning her success? No, I'm demeaning the competition.

I'm hastened to agree with gt72, it does seem to be a strange sport to include in the Olympics - just seems a bit simple - kick to the body, kick to the body, kick to the body, do a spin kick and miss, kick to the head.
Apparently it's the most practised martial art in the world.
My opinion is uninformed if that gives it any more validity.

Boxing on the other hand is played out in the ring exactly as it would be played out in a real situation. If Nicola Adams connected one of the punches she threw in a ring with you on the street, you'd go down. And similarly, the way she would execute that in the real world is the same as she does in the ring. The sport reflects reality

Except it doesn't because most fights don't actually involve people dancing round each other with their guard up occasionally throwing punches, moderated by a referee stopping them from getting in close. Most 'real' fights very quickly descend into grappling which is presumably why people who are good at that generally do well in MMA.

Look at her win in the ring, and then compare it to Jade Jones' win in the Taekwon Don't and it makes the latter look like the joke it is.

Nope, clearly not demeaning her win at all.

So in a 'real fight' people would stand face-to-face and fight to Queensberry Rules then!

Boxing is as much like real fighting as Taekwondo is - both are sanitised versions for competition.

If Nicola Adams connected one of the punches she threw in a ring with you on the street, you'd go down.

If you got a kick in the head from Jade Jones you'd also go down pretty sharpish.

also, my sister lived in South Korea (where the martial art has its origins) and did Taekwondo and the way she described it, it all seemed a bit more Zen and more about the skills involved than scoring points off people.

Very true Grum; boxing is not a close approximation of a real situation either.

We could consider including cage fighting as an Olympic sport but I would want to see different rounds, so one versus one, one versus many etc. Grappling based systems are great for one on one, but not so great against multiple opponents. The most effective systems teach all techniques, like Krav Maga for example.

The real issue I think is that most martial systems are not designed as sports and the application just doesn't translate into a sports arena. Boxing does it very well, but not perfectly.

Very true Grum; boxing is not a close approximation of a real situation either

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/adams-now-eighth-hardest-woman-in-leeds-2012081037811 ]http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/adams-now-eighth-hardest-woman-in-leeds-2012081037811[/url]

Agree with the comments about boxing being just as contrived if you fought in the street as above it wouldnt be Queensbury it would be a few wacks a headbutt and a quick knee to the groin

I used to sword fight for real and think fencing is for softies.

also, my sister lived in South Korea (where the martial art has its origins) and did Taekwondo and the way she described it, it all seemed a bit more Zen and more about the skills involved than scoring points off people.

I reached a high level in Judo (national medals) as a junior, and I trained more like this. Competition is very different at the highest levels (well beyond my capabilities), I barely recognised the sport in the finals - it becomes essentially a fight for a good grip on the judogi as people at that skill level will throw for ippon if they get that good a grip.

There can't be any debate though that winning Gold is a colossal achievement in any sport.

I think I'll wade in. As succinctly as possible:

The idea emerged in TKD practice that kicks are so awesome that they should be the main focus of your efforts in a fight (which has repeatedly been demonstrted to be totally untrue) and the rule set was designed to reflect this idea, rewarding kicks, particularly high kicks, and little else.

As a sport it's particular demands for point scoring could well be argued to provide a demanding and watchable challenge, but many martial artists cringe at how kicky-punchy combat ends up being "represented" at Olympic level by this not particularly practical art.

TKD medallers are still exceptionally springy, stretchy, fast-reactioned, fit, the best at winning in their rules, and will have worked very damn hard to be.

OK Klumpy nails what I was actually trying to say way better than I did.

...now if the TKD folks were fighting to ITF rules it would liven things up a bit!

Maybe the girls could fight with stilettos after a case of WKD ?

I'm sorry this has become a "dan waving" contest - especially as I'm not suitably endowed

... but I can't allow peterfile to go unnoticed for his spectacular Nicola Adams entry on p1. Well done that man.

Edric 64 - Member
Maybe the girls could fight with stilettos after a case of WKD ?

I've been staying away form the argy-bargy olympics threads, but have to comment here - that was brilliant! have an LOL from me! (and genuinely LOL from a boring meeting as well!)

😆

I think that you will find that [url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/adams-now-eighth-hardest-woman-in-leeds-2012081037811 ]The Daily Mash[/url] wants to be credited for that humour.

Sorry Edric.

😉

I just can't see what the point of competitive TKD actually is other than it being a glorified game of tig and I'm taking an informed view on this.

No you are not taking an informed opinion. TKD is a martial art that prides itself on the quality of kicking required to progress through the ranks. The fact that they choose to base the sporting side around this aspect does not invalidate it at all. I'll agree that it may not be the most enthralling of spectacles to the uninformed (with the exception of Muay Thai, not many traditional martial arts are!) but to dismiss is as glorified tig does not demonstrate an "informed view" but rather shows a "my style is better than yours" attitude which is immature at best, [b]un[/b]informed and disrespectful at worst.

Also Goju Ryu isn't a 'sport' and therefore wasn't open to Olympic competition

Most traditional martial arts aren't sports. They are combat systems but most do have a sporting element to them. I take it you never took part in kumite? There are certainly competitive Goju Ryu events.

geetee1972 has an opinion that is different from the rest of the keyboard warriors lol

I know where you are coming from. No disrespect to her or others but some sports will raise questions and lol

Horse riding? Water polo? Table tennis lol

I would have gold if table football was included...

Yes anyone can have an opinion, but to call the sport 'a joke' shows amazing disrespect to both the sport and the people who have dedicated their lives to being the best they can be as well as all their friends and family that have supported them.

I take it you never took part in kumite?

I did - I was good at the iri kumi never very good at ippon kumite, but I hated the idea of it outside of it being part of training or grading. Making it into a competition just felt silly.

but to call the sport 'a joke'

I didn't do that. I called the 'competition' a joke and I stand by that statement as I believe it is. Other people are free to hold different views and I respect those to a degree.

dedicated their lives to being the best they can be as well as all their friends and family that have supported them

wow! the needle on my cheeseometer just broke.

but to call the sport 'a joke'
I didn't do that. I called the 'competition' a joke

Splitting hairs and still demeaning her achievements.

OK whatever. It's friday, the sun is shining, team GB has still had an amazing run and Nicola Adams is amazing. What's to be argumentative about (either of us I mean).

Have a beer on me...

Invoice in the post 🙂

Thus, the way the 'fights' are executed is just arbitrary; it's a false construct of something.

All sport fighting is contrived to some extent, isn't it? As is most sport.

Clay pigeon shooting - should have real pigeons and the competitors should have no food for a few days beforehand

Archery - make the targets run at them up a hill shouting and trying to hack them to bits with swords

etc

Molgrips we already signed a cease fire. It's beer o'clock, the BMX is on and the sun is shining. Have a drink 😀

... but I can't allow peterfile to go unnoticed for his spectacular Nicola Adams entry on p1. Well done that man.

🙂

(glad someone got it)

It's an absolutely gorgeous day, I'm stuck inside doing my expenses sat next to a big window. To avoid boiling to death I've had to shut the curtains. Tonight I've arranged to go riding INSIDE.

WTF?

Nice one GT72, thank god someone has the sense to let it go!, I understand your point, it just SEEMED that you were having a bit of a dig at the competitors and not the competition. Peace out...

So just to confirm - if anyone was harbouring thoughts that geetee was actually TJ under a different username they were clearly mistaken.

😆