That a Martial Arts Tattoo could indicate who would win an MMA match is nothing short of surprising. Yet, it seems to be the fact. To be sure, this is a quite unscientific survey, yet the results seem to be fairly predictable.
The project first began a couple of weeks ago, when this martial artist/writer was spending an exciting night perched in front of the tube. Exciting, because it was man to man contests of pure savagery: the mayhem and mania of grown men pounding one another to bloody pulps. At some point during these fights the question was born: do martial artists with tattoos adorning their bodies win more, or lose more?
A balance sheet was kept, results were tallied, and the results gave a decided advantage to the uninked ones being more victorious. Mind you, there was some confusion to be sorted out. After all, the bodies being tallied had to be compared for tattoos.
Two fighters had designs swirling across their torsos. Which one used more ink? Which artwork covered more flesh?
Regardless of proportions of ink and flesh, the martial arts fighters with less ink won more times than their inkier brethren. Actual statistics were between 70 and 80 per cent. These statistics held true for later tabulations, actually leaning even more in favor of the unmarked Mixed Martial Artists.
One factor that was of interest, but proved too difficult to keep track of was whether the type of tattoo had any effect on the proportions. The speed of the matches, the motion of the fighters, it was difficult to tell whether the contestants had a Karate tattoo, or a Bruce Lee Tattoo. The only specific tat noticed by this author was in conjunction with a victory by a Latin fighter with Heysoos emblazoned across his body.
Comes the question: why would a tattoo make a difference in a fight? Various theories were considered, theories having to do with the amount of ink having an adverse effect on the ‘breathing’ of the body. Or whether ink could have an effect on the musculature under the skin.
In the end, no theory held for all the facts, one could only reach the conclusion that fighters who cared more about image were not as concerned with punching power. That fighters who cared about how they looked, were not as serious about building the unique fighting willpower that is crucial to the successful gladiator. That a Martial Arts tattoo could very well weaken the fighting spirit of a man.