Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

srmeaney · 2005-05-05 21:20:02

If an industry will bet on anything, Will they pay to send two compeditors and an Umpire to a space station to fight it out? Are there profits to be had?

Cobra Commander · 2005-05-06 06:11:07

If we accept the premise that "Ultimate Space Fighting" Pay-per-View could have any sort of future it begs another question.

What kind of fighting styles would evolve to deal with zero-G? On occasion I've given some thought to how various martial arts could be adapted to low or zero gravity conditions and in most cases fundamental techniques require major if not total revision. Suddenly your only point of leverage becomes your opponent at the point of contact, in a sense it could be called a "purer" form and all sorts of new techniques become possible, but it would definately require a great deal of work to become proficient in.

For example, aikido on Earth and aikido on the Moon would be very different things in practice, though the underlying principles would be essentially the same. Zero gravity would in all likelihood require its own specialized arts.

Low-g-jutsu?

Need a few billion dollars, lots of time and a space-station large enough to put a dojo in.

MarsDog · 2005-05-06 12:19:38

A basic concept in martial arts is being "rooted", connected to the ground. Once you have "uprooted" the opponent, you have options. (you have option to push from the ground)
High kicks in kickboxing are countered by strenghtening the arms to block and leg sweeps. The high kick looses connection with the ground and is slow compared to the strong arm. I saw a very impressive leg sweep counter to a high karate kick.

============

Instead kicking and poking at vital points,
I would like to see Olympic style wrestling in low or zero G.
(once the opponents drift away from each other, how do you get them together ? Maybe air jets blowing towards the center, as in a jet tub.)

Better still, instead of Sex in the City, Sex in Zero G ?
(Where the 2 parties do not want to loose the connection)

Cobra Commander · 2005-05-06 12:49:58

A basic concept in martial arts is being "rooted", connected to the ground. Once you have "uprooted" the opponent, you have options. (you have option to push from the ground)

Exactly. Take that away and all you have consistently are "roots" at the point of contact with your opponent. In all likelihood the result would be a grapple-intensive method, though the potential for self-leveraged throws can't be ruled out either. Between that and 360 degrees spherical of movement it could get real interesting what develops.

Better still, instead of Sex in the City, Sex in Zero G ?
(Where the 2 parties do not want to loose the connection)

Well, that almost goes without saying doesn't it.

Though somehow I suspect it's one of those things that look better on paper than in execution.

MarsDog · 2005-05-06 14:00:48

In all likelihood the result would be a grapple-intensive method, though the potential for self-leveraged throws can't be ruled out either

Grappling is tricky.
The grapper has commited, and the grapped has options to counter. The harder the grab, the greater the commitment. With similar skills, it would be a soft standoff ?

BWhite · 2005-05-06 14:11:34

Better still, instead of Sex in the City, Sex in Zero G ?
(Where the 2 parties do not want to loose the connection)
Well, that almost goes without saying doesn't it.
Though somehow I suspect it's one of those things that look better on paper than in execution.

<Scratches head> On paper? What exactly might Cobra and Mrs. Cobra do, on paper?

= = =

Actually, I have heard that without gravity a couple might have trouble staying . . . well . . . docked.

Like MarsDog said, grappling is tricky

Grappling is tricky.
The grapper has commited, and the grapped has options to counter. The harder the grab, the greater the commitment. With similar skills, it would be a soft standoff ?

Is it happy hour yet?

Edited By BWhite on 1115410419

srmeaney · 2005-05-07 09:04:41

Considering all you need for a tournament arena in space is a Transhab inflatable habitat and a smaller broadcast centre.
1. A dedicated broadcast centre for Satellite TV (something the industry has been talking about but avoiding).
2. An inflated habitat where the internal frames hug the walls rather than run the central access core. (basicly something with a spherical shell of padding and a 3-D pinhole camera network to catch the action).

Tag it to rest of the ISS and you have the first real commitment to Commercial Space. The question remains. Does the profit of a unique sport (such as zero-G kickboxing) have the profitability to pay for the expense of two Modules and the occasional visit by fighters and Umpire.

Say we decided that the Communication module was identical to the Russian ISS building block that was first orbited, That and a specially designed Transhab were all you needed. What would be the cost?

Rxke · 2005-05-07 10:26:16

Larf!

*Me imagining the look on the faces of the Japanese scientists, when their centrifuge goes haywire, only to discover it is because of them weird kimono-wearing Westerners on block C having a ball....*

Trebuchet · 2005-05-07 23:13:50

I wonder how much money you'd get from this sort of thing from pay-per-view. It's probably one of those commercially-viable space industries that could exist if only the price tag for orbit were lower.

Speaking of rare events, shouldn't it be possible to develop a Trans-hab type module which can be restowed and redeployed at need? I'm imagining an inflatable unit which gets sealed off and then deflated, pulled in, and covered by a lid when not in use. Why waste air, power, and the like on parts of a space station only occasionally needed?

srmeaney · 2005-05-09 09:36:02

Speaking of rare events, shouldn't it be possible to develop a Trans-hab type module which can be restowed and redeployed at need? I'm imagining an inflatable unit which gets sealed off and then deflated, pulled in, and covered by a lid when not in use. Why waste air, power, and the like on parts of a space station only occasionally needed?

Why would you assume that just because the Sports guys were done for the season, that an arena space on a space station was no longer used. for Psychological reasons long term Astronauts will want to use it to "do a bit of bouncing off the walls" themselves. Space is somewhere people can go to relax. A padded arena would offer somwhere you might spend a few hours "conducting systems maintenance checks".

Especially so if the MC (mission commander) is hogging the observation dome while he goes through his Han Solo on the Millenium Falcon Phase.

clark · 2005-05-09 16:48:10

A padded arena? Oh sure, I've been there. They usually give me a jacket.

Ooo, pudding for dessert!

John Creighton · 2005-05-12 10:35:23

How about a spherical ring where all the walls are like a trampoline. It could be an elastic spherical elastic canvas supported every so many steraidian by bungee cords. On the other side of the canvas could be a magnetic material and they could have magnetic boots so they could leap from the floor so to say and land on the ceiling. Actually you might be able to simulate it somewhat on earth. Instead of using a sphere use a cylinder with an axis perpendicular to the ground and blow enough air though it to support the contestants sideways. Perhaps the magnetic boots would help to deal with the inconsistent air currents.

I wonder how save this kind of fighting will be. Flying through space and possibly having a shot at the back of someone’s neck or the spine or the back of there head. If some is able to grab you legs the could possibly break them but I think as long as you can get them in a bent position you are save from that.

Fledi · 2005-05-13 08:18:12

You're a genius! That's one of the things where a round is short enough to make it possible on a suborbital flight. Maybe we will actually see some kinds of new sports disciplines developing when all the new suborbital vehicles become aviable.
Training could be done on those turbines already used for levitating people that simply blast air upward.

BWhite · 2005-05-13 21:38:11

What about building an Orson Scott Card theme park in LEO? Simulate Ender's Game.

clark · 2005-05-16 10:36:22

You mean where kids exterminate an entire alien species?

SpaceNut · 2005-12-09 14:34:56

While boxing or ultimate fighting may never catch on other sports just may.

[url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10396560/]Zero-gravity sports are close to reality
Weightless flights will give amateurs and pros a new way to play[/url]

051209_spaceballs_hmed.h2.jpg

An artist's conception shows zero-gravity players tossing around a ball as part of space-themed sport.

Free-floating space travelers look to be having way too much fun frolicking in microgravity.
In his research on space sports, Collins and colleagues have speculated about water sports where space tourists can dive through large blobs of water. And why not zero-G versions of existing terrestrial sports, such as table tennis, badminton, tennis, and even basketball?
Collins speculates that once orbital accommodations for the space tourist blossoms, more exotic facilities will assuredly follow — namely, a zero-G sports center that could accommodate everything from ballet and gymnastics to football.
And why not future Olympic games, Collins concluded, held in an orbiting zero-gravity stadium?

SpaceNut · 2006-02-15 12:19:23

Then you have the other extreme of NASA & Olympic Athletes Plan Lunar Games

With the help of several Olympic athletes, students can get a physics lesson from NASA about potential winter sports on the most extreme venue around -- the moon.
The educational segments are available for public use. They air on NASA TV starting today.

Gee I wonder just how much this has cost....

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#1 2005-05-05 21:20:02

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#2 2005-05-06 06:11:07

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#3 2005-05-06 12:19:38

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#4 2005-05-06 12:49:58

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#5 2005-05-06 14:00:48

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#6 2005-05-06 14:11:34

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#7 2005-05-07 09:04:41

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#8 2005-05-07 10:26:16

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#9 2005-05-07 23:13:50

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#10 2005-05-09 09:36:02

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#11 2005-05-09 16:48:10

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#12 2005-05-12 10:35:23

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#13 2005-05-13 08:18:12

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#14 2005-05-13 21:38:11

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#15 2005-05-16 10:36:22

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#16 2005-12-09 14:34:56

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

#17 2006-02-15 12:19:23

Re: Zero G Kick boxing: Bets Please - Does Gambling/sport have a space future?

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