Is Technique Everything or Is Winning The Only Thing?

[hamzatu]

I am firm believer that winning is the most important objective in fighting. I don't believe in moral victories. I also believe that courage and conditioning are as important as technique, but technique is not to be neglected. I train my techniques hundreds of times, but I have seen fighters armed with only tenacity and mediocre training go through well trained fighters. Technique or winning, how do you feel about this?

[AJ Camacho]

Meh.

I don't do this to win or to beat people. It's more about what I am doing.. using another person's body as a medium for my actions. Sort of like skateboarding only my opponent's body is the board. I've never been a competitive person and I can't see myself becoming one. It's all about the meditation, losing all thought and reacting in the moment, enjoying what my body does on it's own.

[Jay Chow]

I'd much rather be known as the guy with stupidly good technique than the guy who runs through higher belts because of his spazzing out.

However, I do believe a guy with no technique is not going to win the black belt division. Technique vs Strength should always prevail

[Aab]

Han: It is not the art but the combat that you enjoy.
Williams: No, winning.
Han: We are all ready to win, just as we were born knowing only life. It is defeat that you mus learn to prepare for.
Williams: I don't waste my time with it. When it comes I won't even notice.
Han: O how so?
Williams: I'll be to busy looking gooooooood.

[Scott Elkin]

If you are not getting tapped out each class, you're limiting yourself. I will progressively put myself in worse and worse positions with new guys so that no matter who I roll with I could be tapped.

There is only true "winning" when you compete. "Winning" in class is about learning, drilling, and implementing techniques as correctly as you currently know how.

[Jared Gammel]

However, I do believe a guy with no technique is not going to win the black belt division.

Holy deciphering double-negatives.

[Jon Watkins]

"Just win baby!" -Al Davis I often put my self in bad and near inescapable positions to test myself, but I'm still searching to some degree for the win. Also, you'll see me tap quicker than anyone if I think my arm or leg or neck is caught, but just because you tapped me doesn't mean I won't tap you later on down the road. Everyone gets caught and you should accept that, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be competitive.

[Arnaud Arross]

It depends for me. Sometimes I allow myself to be the bug. To me, my partners progression is just as important as mine. I say first and foremost technique. Sometimes if people are always running through guys it may take the lower belt more time to fully understand the position.
Sometimes I'm the windshield. Sometimes I'll try to force the roll to end up in a certain position I want to get better at. I usualy wait for the competition classes, or the advanced classes to use technique and strength . At the end of the day we need partners to train with, so we need them to get better too. They get better = we get better.

[Randy Butler]

I would rather have my technique down and be able to flow from move to move. I think in the long run it will be better cause you might just be able to over power and maybe get lucky in the beggining but when you start moving up your luck will start running out. I also think it looks bad when you have two guys all over the place not accomplishing anything.

[Josh Passini]

Winning is a state of mind I lost to a 260 pounder and felt like I won because I made him bust his ass and even with that I didnt tapped. Winning in the gym only pads the ego. Winning at comp is the only winning that matters. I try crazy shit the gym to see what works. After a while of training in the gym youre there so much that you cant even remember who won last time