Upcoming
Events
Do you want to list an
event on Onzuka.com?
Contact Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2006
November
Aloha State Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
August
Hawaiian Open of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/26-27/06
International Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
3/25/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
March ?
Hawaiian Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Venue TBA)
2/26/06
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
***Tentative***
2/11/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kick it Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom, Honolulu)
UFC 57:
Liddell vs. Couture 3
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/27/06
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
1/20/06
ROTR 9
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/16/06
UFC Fight Night on Spike TV
Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/14/06
Punishment In Paradise: East vs. West II
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park, Honolulu)
1/7-9/05
Pan American BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California)
1/7/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
***Tentative***
|
|
January 2006 News
Part 1
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 9:30PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Quote
of the Day
"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough
problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you
had last year."
John Foster Dulles, 1888-1959, American Statesman who served
as Secretary of State
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 36 Tonight!
Episode 36
- Rumble On The Rock Highlights
- David "Tank" Abbott vs Wes "Cabbage" Correira
(with interview with Tank)
- Highlights from X-1 Battlegrounds at the O-Lounge
- Interview with event promoter, Curt Tsuneyoshi
Technique of the week:
- Bruce Kawano teaches the Cuban slip and punch
questions,
comments, suggestions?
email us at: fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
If you have
not checked out the Fighters' Club TV website, check
it out.
The show is still on every Tuesday night at 9:30PM on Channel
52 and on Akaku in Maui.
|
PART
2: BOXING VS MMA GATES
Yesterday, the MMAWeekly staff compiled numbers comparing boxing
vs the UFC over the years as far as the live gate is concerned.
We had so much interest in Part I yesterday about the live gates
for UFC vs Boxing that we decided to give you a Part II that
we weren't planning on doing originally.
These
were the typical emails we received from readers. "I really
enjoyed reading the 2005 numbers between Boxing and MMA. Can
you do a follow up comparison between Boxing and MMA live gates
over the years?" Mark Gordocky - Tampa, Florida.
No
problem. What we will focus on in this article is not only comparing
the MMA salaries over the years, but boxing as well.
We
will first start when Zuffa purchased the UFC starting with their
first show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first show that Zuffa did
in Las Vegas was of course UFC 33. It may have been one of the
best jobs of matchmaking by Joe Silva as the card was stacked
from top to bottom, but the fights? That was a completely different
story. MMAWeekly's Ryan Bennett who worked for the company on
the broadcast team explained...
"The
UFC will openly tell you that this was the worst pay per view
the company has ever done, because every single fight went to
decision. The fighters were so nervous to lose, that they didn't
fight to win in my opinion. While that was rough, what made it
worse was the main event was only seen by those in attendance
if you wanted to watch all five rounds. Those watching on the
pay per view never saw the end of the fight.
Tito
Ortiz and Vladimir Matuyshenko were squaring off in the last
fight of the evening. The UFC bought a three hour block of programming
for the pay per view as they wanted to show all eight fights
on the card. The thing they didn't anticipate as we mentioned
was that every fight would go to a decision, which caused the
pay per view to run over the three hour allotted time. It was
the third round between Ortiz vs Matyushenko and all of a sudden
everyone's pay per view went to black. That's right, the pay
per view companies pulled the plug on the UFC during the third
round because the three hour time limit had come and gone. It
was an interesting way to put an end to a bizarre night for an
uneventful evening. I felt bad for the UFC," Bennett said.
It's
not an accident that UFC 33 has never been available on VHS or
DVD. UFC President Dana White commented in many interviews after
UFC 33, that those fights wouldn't be available for future video
rentals. As bad as the pay per view went and as badly as the
UFC felt, the bottom line was people came to see Tito Ortiz vs
Vladimir Matyushenko. That fight went down as the top gate for
MMA fights in 2001. It outdrew Randy Couture vs Pedro Rizzo that
year in Las Vegas.
Here
are the UFC gate numbers and note you may see more attendance
on certain shows, but the biggest gates money wise were ranked
first to last on both lists. Here are the biggest gates in UFC
History in Nevada.
MMA
LIVE GATES IN LAS VEGAS Attendance Gross Sales
1. Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture - 12,643 Attendance, $2,575,450
Gross Sales
2. Chuck Liddell vs Jeremy Horn - 11,634 Attendance, $2,336,550
3. Rich Franklin vs Nate Quarry - 9,995 Attendance, $1,986,600
4. Tito Ortiz vs Ken Shamrock - 13,055 Attendance, $1,540,340
5. Tito Ortiz vs Vitor Belfort - 9,268 Attendance, $1,493,555
6. Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz - 9,129 Attendance, $1,444,020
7. Vitor Belfort vs Randy Couture - 8,831 Attendance, $1,377,620
8. Randy Couture vs Vitor Belfort - 8,597 Attendance, $1,293,035
9. Randy Couture vs Tito Ortiz - 7,593 Attendance $1,129,985
10. Ken Shamrock vs Kimo Leopoldo - 6,528 Attendance, $901,655
11. Josh Barnett vs Randy Couture 7,663 Attendance, $898,850
12. Tito Ortiz vs Vladimir Matyushenko 7,238 Attendance $816,660
13. Randy Couture vs Pedro Rizzo 4,295 Attendance $502,550
MMA
is starting it's 11th year in existence. Boxing has been around
for over 100 years. The numbers clearly show that boxing is in
a different league than MMA as far as live gate numbers go; however,
MMA has had bigger attendance figures in many fights in 2004
and 2005 than boxing. Here are the Top 30 pay per views in boxing
history.
TOP
30 BOXING PAY PER VIEWS Attendance Gross Sales
1. Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield - 17,078 $16,860,300
2. Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson 2 - 16,279 $14,277,200
3. Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson 1 - 16,103 $14,150,700
4. Mike Tyson vs Peter McNeeley -16,113 $13,965,600
5. Felix Trinidad vs Oscar De La Hoya -11,184 $12,949,500
6. Bernard Hopkins vs De La Hoya - 15,672 $12,782,650
7. Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno II - 16,143 $10,673,700
8. Shane Mosley vs De La Hoya - 16.074 $9,840,000
9 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs. FERNANDO VARGAS 10,984 $8,871,300.00
10 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs. JULIO C. CHAVEZ I 14,738 - $7,579,100.00
11 LENNOX LEWIS vs HASIM RAHMAN 9,830 - $7,537,400.00
12 FELIX TRINIDAD vs FERNANDO VARGAS - 9,309 - $7,486,400.00
13 FELIX TRINIDAD vs DAVID REID - 9,584 - $7,329,500.00
14 MIKE TYSON vs FRANCOIS BOTHA -10,221 - $7,055,800.00
15 EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs JAMES DOUGLAS - 10,117 - $6,546,441.00
16 ROY JONES JR vs JOHN RUIZ -11,490 - $6,526,350.00
17 LENNOX LEWIS vs DAVID TUA -10,809 - $6,508,500.00
18 RAY LEONARD vs THOMAS HEARNS II -12,064 - $6,468,600.00
19 RAY LEONARD vs ROBERTO DURAN - 11,904 - $6,448,700.00
20.RONALD "WINKY" WRIGHT vs FELIX TRINIDAD - 13,590
- $6,433,500.00
21 MIKE TYSON vs BRUCE SELDON - 9,511 - $6,305,900.00
22 LARRY HOLMES vs GERRY COONEY 29,214 highest attendance $6,239,050.00
23 RAY LEONARD vs MARVIN HAGLER - 12,379 - $6,215,400.00
24 MIKE TYSON vs DONOVAN RUDDOCK II - 13,047 - $6,200,276.50
25 EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs RIDDICK BOWE II -10,923 - $5,792,838.50
26 LARRY HOLMES vs MUHAMMAD ALI - 24,570 - $5,766,125.00
27 EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs MICHAEL MOORER - 9,395 - $5,566,700.00
28 MIKE TYSON vs DONOVAN RUDDOCK I - 12,563 - $5,454,918.50
29 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs PERNEL WHITAKER 11,764 - $5,143,000.00
30 OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs JULIO C CHAVEZ II - 13,384 $5,070,100.00
Source: MMA Weekly |
CAN
MANHOEF KO VITOR?
Does Melvin Manhoef have better striking skills then Vitor Belfort?
We are about to find out as Cage Rage promoter, Dave O’Donnell
has signed the phenom Vitor Belfort to face KO artist Melvin
Manhoef at their Cage Rage Adrenalin Rush show on February 4th
at the Wembley Conference Centre in London.
Vitor
won his last fight in Cage Rage by KO'ing Anthony Rea. Many thought
Manhoef would be heading to the K1 promotion, but instead he
will fight for the Belfort. Cage Rage also announced that fighter
Alex Reid will not compete on the card because of an injury.
CAGE
RAGE ADRENALIN FIGHT CARD
-
Vitor Belfort vs Melvin Manhoef
- Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos vs Jason Delucia
- Dave Legeno vs Ikuhisa Minowa
- Jean Silva vs Paul Daley
- Sol Gilbert vs. Sami Berik
- Tengiz Tedoradze vs Robert Berry
- Mark Epstein vs Daren Little
- Brad Pickett vs Robbie Olivier
- Brian Adams vs Ryan Robinson
- Zelg Galesic vs Michael Holmes
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Dr.
Peter Goldman - Healer to the MMA Stars!
Dr.
Pete (as most people call him), practices a form of healing called
Zone Healing. Some of his patients include BJ Penn, Bas Rutten, Rigan Machado, Eddie
Bravo, Sumo
Champ Akebono,
Hidehiko Yoshida, and many more. MaXfighting was contacted about
this revolutionary medicine man and his techniques that sooth
the savage injuries that MMA's top stars endure...
What
is Zone Healing?
Zone
Healing is the most powerful system of healing that I am aware
of. It is capable of balancing every cell in a person's body.
It breaks the body down into its 6 main systems (glandular, eliminative,
nervous, digestive, muscular, and circulatory), finds out which
systems or zones need work, and helps to balance the systems
that do. Every cell in the body is included in these 6 systems,
so when they are clear, the body is able to heal.
How
can people benefit from Zone Healing?
Anyone
who is breathing can benefit, because having a balanced/healthy
body can help anyone.
Is
Zone Healing for everyone?
Anyone!
Where
are you located?
Los
Angeles.
Are
there any limits to what Zone Healing can do?
When
the energy channels of the body are open and the body's energy
is flowing freely anything is possible because the same Power
that is flowing through the body is the same Power that created
the whole universe. Zone Healing opens up these energy centers
so that this incredible Power is
completely able to go to work.
How
long does it take?
A
Zone Healing session takes about 2 minutes. But I will tell you
that more healing takes place in those 2 minutes than can take
place in an hour with any other healing method because Zone Healing
literally puts the body on 24 hour healing auto pilot.
Do
you need an appointment?
Call
310-595-4501 for an appointment.
We
highly recommend all of ours readers check out Dr. Pete’s
website at www.drpetergoldman.com. The guy is nothing
short of a miracle worker. I also recommend our readers checking
the “Patient Experiences” and “Pro Athletes”
section on his site. To good health!
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential
to give something back."
Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961-1997, First Wife of Charles, Prince
of Wales, and Pioneer for Charity Work
|
TRIGG
VS JHUN: MMAWEEKLY RADIO
You never know what's going to happen anytime Frank Trigg has
one of his opponents on the radio with at the same time. We've
seen fire works with Dennis Hallman, Charuto Verissimo, Georges
St.Pierre and of course the guy he hasn't fight, but fireworks
none the less, BJ Penn. Today welcome his next opponent on the
air with Trigg.
Today
Ronald
"Machine Gun" Jhun will square off against Frank Trigg on MMAWeekly
Radio. Jhun has had a great career in MMA, fighting on the big
stages of the UFC, Rumble on the Rock, King of the Cage and many
other organizations.
Frank
Trigg of course is a WFA Champion, not to mention has fought
for titles in the UFC and competed overseas in Pride. Trigg is
known for his outspoken personality and today should be no different
as he gets a chance to speak to his opponent before he fights
him in the first round of the Rumble on the Rock Tournament.
Join
host Ryan Bennett at 9am Pacific/12 Noon eastern to see if he
can restore order for the hour that the two fighter will be on
the program together. Once again the show is absolutely free
when you listen live at www.mmaweeklyradio.com and if you can listen
live, then catch the radio archive any day, any time, any where,
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We
have a jammed packed week of guests as today the guys will also
bring in WEC Champion Scott Smith who is getting ready to defend
his title against challenger Justin Levens in WEC this Friday
night. It's a good week to catch the show as we will have two
guests a day all week long as we kick off our 16 fighters in
16 days getting you caught up to date with the WEC Friday Night,
UFC next Monday Night and Rumble on the Rock on January 20th
exclusively on MMAWeekly Radio.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CONVERSATIONAL
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
Brazilian Portuguese
(Brazil) Sat 06/11 - 07/23 21
8:30-11:30 a.m.
$21
Room U202
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience
with yourself. Do not lose courage in CONVERSATIONAL BRAZILIAN
PORTUGUESE
NUTSHELL
COURSE DESCRIPTION
With concentration on everyday, modern Brazilian usage, special
attention is paid to quickly gain understanding of polite, informal
and colloquial language, verb conjugations, past & present
tenses, masculine-feminine nouns & adjectives (big obstacles
in Romance language-learning) with goals of attaining native
pronunciation and fluency of speech. Brazilian regional variations
in pronunciation and vocabulary are recognized.
This
class is ideal for:
1) Those interested in travel to Brazil
2) English speakers with Brazilian friends/spouses/partners
3) Practitioners of Brazilian martial arts (Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu)
4) Speakers/students of other Latin-derived languages.
ABOUT
THE INSTRUCTOR:
Sandy
Tsukiyama de Oliveira, a Honolulu native, was drawn to the musical
culture of Brazil while studying for her BA in Ethnomusicology
at UH Manoa in the 1970s.
Portuguese language studies were at UH-Manoa with Dr. Stefan
Baciu, and at Windward Commnunity School for Adults with Cecy
de Souza Browne. Sandy worked as a Spanish & Portuguese-speaking
tour escort for over 10 years, receiving hands-on experience
in the language locally while promoting the Hawaii visitor industry.
She
lived in Rio de Janeiro, from 1980-83; spending the first year
at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Escola de Música
on Rotary International Post-Graduate Fellowship for International
Understanding, afterward working as a vocalist in upscale restaurant/bars
and teaching English.
Performing
in Brazilian music groups (The Rio Trio, Mistura, Banda Carioca)
after her return to Hawaii, Sandy maintained her contact with
Brazilian culture in the community while pursuing education in
simultaneous conference interpretation at UH Manoa Center for
Interpretation and Translation Studies. She then continued in
the field of Secondary Education, receiving certification for
Spanish and Special Education.
Sandy
has worked freelance as an English/Spanish/Portuguese interpreter/translator,
as well as in Federal and State courts, for the Honolulu Police
Dept., US Immigration and Naturalization Service, various international
conferences, is on staff for the Bilingual Access Line of Helping
Hands Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii Interpreters and Translators
Assn.
Currently a Special Education teacher at Roosevelt High School,
she has been teaching Portuguese at FCSA for the past four years.
TEXTBOOK:
Fala Brazil! Português Para Estrangeiros
by Pierre Coudry & Elizabeth Fontão (Pontes Editores)
Accompanying cassettes/CD available
RECOMMENDED
SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS:
501
Portuguese verbs
by John J. Nitti & Michael J. Ferreira (Barron's)
Portuguese
Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
by Sue Tyson-Ward (Passport Books)
For
information on registration, location, dates, fees & class
times, please visit the Farrington Community School for Adults
website:
http://fcsa.k12.hi.us
or call: (808)832-3595
|
Ken
Shamrock Says, "Heavyweights Wanted"
For
the big guys who ever wanted to cross over to the mixed martial
arts world read on. Learn the tricks of the trade from the UFC
Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock who has competed in the in your face
fighting for over twelve years battling it out in some of the
most unforgettable throw downs known to man. “The World’s
most Dangerous Man” is looking for heavyweight boxers to
tryout for the Lion’s Den.
Are
you what Ken is looking for?
Calling
all heavyweights, you think you have what it takes to be a Lion’s
Den combatant, are you tough enough to make the cut, can you
handle the pressure? The road to glory isn’t easy, training
is horrendous, the pain tries to over take your passion, your
mind and body is strained beyond belief, but in the end if you
are still standing you will be stronger than ever and carry the
title of…No Holds Barred Fighter, even more so you will
be an honored member of the Lion’s Den family.
It
isn’t a cakewalk but the rewards are great and will last
a lifetime, and if you succeed you will be in a class of its
own with teammates such as Guy Mezger, Vernon White, and you
will have world class training from the best in the business,
Ken Shamrock.
So
if you are a heavyweight and you feel you have what it takes
to make it as a Lion’s Den fighter and want to try out to
do so in the near future please contact BigDogMedia7@aol.com for more information.
But please, only apply if you are serious!
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience
with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections
but instantly set about remedying them-- every day begin the
task anew."
St. Francis of Sales, 17th Century Bishop of Geneva
|
Ninja
and Shogun Rua in Hawaii!
Also, Leo Viera Coming in January!
The Rua brothers who have been ripping it up on the Pride Fighting
Championship circuit are scheduled to do a seminar here in Hawaii.
The
seminar will be on:
Saturday,
January 21 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The cost of the seminar will be $120 for both days. The seminar
will take place at Seminar Central, HMC.
Also coming
is Leo Viera in January 23rd (Monday) at
Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu. The time will be announced soon. Leo
is a wizard and is one of the most inventive technicians in Jiu-Jitsu.
Contact
Kevin at HMC
or Wyman (216-4852) to sign
up and save your spot. The seminar will be limited to only 30
people for the Rua brothers seminar so don't wait and sign up
today.
|
Rumble
on the Rock 8 Update!
January
20, 2006
Blaisdell Arena
We will be offering Rumble 8 on the Internet for the whole world
too see.
Here is the website www.rumbleworld.tv.
ROTR Welterweight GP:
Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami
Frank Trigg vs. Ronald Jhun
Dave Menne vs. Jake Shields
Renato 'Charuto' Verissimo vs. Carlos Condit
Single
matchups:
Wes 'Cabbage' Correira vs. TBA
Eric 'Butterbean' Esch vs. TBA
Scott Junk vs. TBA
Ross Ibanez vs. Jason von Flue
Mike Malone vs. Kengo Ura
Source: Rumble on the Rock |
Open
Mat in Hawaii Kai every Sunday
We are still training every Sunday in Hawaii Kai at 1311 Lunalilo
Home Road from 11am-2pm. As few as two and as many as 10 people
have shown up. All levels welcome.
Source: T. Jay Thompson |
Thoughts
on the UFC 57 Card
By Sean McClure
Chuck
Liddell Vs. Randy Couture
Quick
thought : Chuck vs. Randy 3, ‘nuff said. This one is the
tie breaker.
Frank
Mir Vs. Marcio Cruz
Quick
thought : Mir’s first fight in over a year. Cruz is a jiu-jitsu
specialist so this should be a good one.
Renato
Sobral Vs. Mike Van Arsdale
Quick
thought : Sobral is on a roll and Van Arsdale is coming off of
a loss to Randy Couture. Don’t count Mike out here, he has
a shot to win this... but Babalu has a better all around game.
Alessio
Sakara Vs. Elvis Sinosic
Quick
thought : Sakara’s last fight was well in hand until Ron
Faircloth kicked him in the groin so hard he started throwing
up. Sinosic is tough but Sakara will probably pull this one out.
Brandon
Vera Vs. Justin Eilers
Quick
thought : Vera is really untested and Eilers is coming off of
two losses, one ending with a fairly serious knee injury.
Paul
Buentello Vs. Gilbert Aldana
Quick
thought : Buentello got knocked out hard in his fight with Arlovski
very quickly. He needs to put this one away and that loss to
Arlovski behind him. Aldana is 5-0 with all of his fights taking
place in the Rage in the Cage organization. Buentello should
take this one probably via decision.
Jeff
Monson Vs. Branden Lee Hinkle
Quick
thought : Monson is a beast and so is Hinkle. Hinkle needs to
win this one if he plans on staying around in the UFC’s
heavyweight division. Monson does have a really good chance to
pull this one off if he stays on his feet.
Nick
Diaz Vs. Joe Riggs
Quick
thought : Both of these fighters need this very badly. Riggs
had an embarrassing loss to Matt Hughes and Diaz lost a high
profile fight to Diego Sanchez. Look for this one to stay standing
for much of the first round and then for Diaz to take it to the
ground.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Jorge
Gurgel to fight in the UFC!
It is now official. The charismatic and outspoken breakout star
of the Ultimate Fighter Season 2, Jorge Gurgel, has signed a
contract with the UFC and it looks like he will step into the
octagonfor them in April. This will make a lot of season 2 fans
happy as well as those who thought his fight with Jason Von Flue
didn’t represent his full potential. Sources close to Jorge
say that he has wanted this for a long time and is extremely
happy about the development. The question now is, at what weight
will he fight? Jorge is a juggernaut in the lightweight division
but capable of fighting as a welterweight. Only time will tell
and MaXfighting will keep you updated as more information on
this becomes available. We wish Jorge all the best and congratulations
on this monumental achievement.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Surreal
Life to Feature MMA
Beauty From the Tapout Crew
VH1
has announced the cast of The Surreal Life's sixth season which
will include a few rockers, a former TV star and a Playboy model.
And that Playboy Model is TapouT's very own Andrea Lowell.
Check
out Andrea throughout the TapouT website and see her pictoral
spread in the Girl's Tanks section. Andrea also holds down the
Cover of TapouT's 2005 Mail Catalog.
Big
props to Andrea on the TV opportunity!
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them."
Alfred North Whitehead, 1861-1947, British Philosopher and Mathematician
|
Fallen
Heros
In typical
humble Chris Slaven fashion, Chris sent us this note with this
attachment above...
Although each of these have been released individually, they
have not
appeared in print together so we did it...
18
of America's finest and all members of the 29th Brigade Combat
Team.
When
we notified SGT Cariaga's mom, she was quick to respond - she
told us that she was proud of her son and his service and she
told us to focus on our jobs and watch out for each other so
we would come home safely. We were all humbled by her strength
and her unselfishness.
Corporal
Corniel was the last American soldier killed in Iraq of 2005.
He was manning a traffic control point when they were hit with
a 120mm mortar.
Major
Chris Slavens
God Bless and protect our troops! |
Kickin
It Returns Tonight!
Saturday,
January 7, 2006
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Doors open at 6 pm
MAIN EVENT
2004 K.I. SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMP 2005 K.I. SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT
CHAMP
CHAD PAVAO 140-145 EDMUND LI
HSD HMC
DUE TO A LAST MINUTE PULL OUT, THE MAIN EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED.
BUT IT IS GUARANTEED THAT THIS MAIN EVENT WILL BE JUST AS EXCITING
AS THE JUSTLY VS KAI MATCH. FOR IT WILL FEATURE 2 KICKIN IT CHAMPIONS
GOING HEAD TO HEAD. BOTH FIGHTERS HAVE VERY AGGRESIVE STYLES
AND LITTLE DEFENSE. PAVAO (17) HAS NOT BEEN INTRODUCED TO DEFEAT
IN 6 FIGHTS BUT HAS BEEN INACTIVE FROM JAN. 2005 TO SEP. 2005.
WHICH ON THE OTHER HAND, LI HAS BEEN FIGHTING CONSISTENTLY AND
IS IMPROVING RAPIDLY. CHAMP VS CHAMP.
SEMI MAIN
SAM PALOSAMI SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT JOE MOLINA
TEAM DEVASTATION HSD
BRYSEN BRIGHT 75-80# JON SMITH
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE
BINO 140-145 JUSTIN WONG
TEAM MIXBREED HMC
FERDINAND RAMIREZ 135-140 NATHAN NAKI
ANIMAL HOUSE HSD
ANTHONY 145-150 SADHU BOTT
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER HMC
NUI WHEELER 135-140 KEO DOANE
TEAM SOLJAH ANIMAL HOUSE
MARTIN KOAMA 155-160 KAWENA POMAIHELEA
ANIMAL HOUSE TEAM SUBMIT
KAWIKA KALANI 180-`85 NYE DELASANTOS
TEAM DEVASTATION TEAM SOLJAH
NICK - O 165-170 SUNSEA FERGUSON
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER TEAM DEVASTATION
KAEO CANDENERO 70-75 KILEY ROMERO
HSD HMC
DAVIN KIM 120-125 ROYCE POAHA
EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB TEAM DEVASTATION
DYLAN BRIGHT 10 YR OLD 2005 75# CHAMPIONSHIP JORDAN
HSD EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB
TRISTON KAMAKA 55-65 JESUS SANTOS
808 FIGHT FACTORY HMC
DEVIN DAMO 120-125 BRANDON HAHN
ANIMAL HOUSE FIGHTERS UNION
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
COULD YOU POST THIS ON YOUR WEBSITE
|
Torres
Out, Neer in for Ultimate Fight Night 3 on January 16th
By Thomas Gerbasi
Due to a torn ligament in his knee, Anthony Torres has been forced
to withdraw from his January 16th welterweight bout with Melvin
Guillard on Spike TV's Ultimate Fight Night 3 card at the Hard
Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Replacing Torres in the bout
against 'The Young Assassin' will be up and coming 170-pound
prospect Josh Neer.
"It doesn't matter who it is I am fighting, I come to fight,"
said Guillard when informed of the change of opponents. "I'll
fight whoever the UFC puts in front of me. I'm ready to do it."
Neer, 22, is known as 'The Dentist' for his tendency to rearrange
his opponent's teeth. With almost three years in the pro game
under his belt, the Iowa native is eager to make his move in
the welterweight division in 2006, and that road begins against
Guillard on January 16th.
Tim Sylvia Vs. Assuerio Silva
Stephan Bonnar Vs. James Irvin
Spencer Fisher Vs. Aaron Riley
Drew Fickett Vs. Josh Burkman
Chris Leben Vs. Jorge Rivera
Alex Karalexis Vs. Jason Von Flue
Jonathan Goulet Vs. Duane Ludwig
Melvin Guillard Vs. Josh Neer
Source:
UFC.tv
|
THE
TRIPLE CROWN OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
The
2006 Triple Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu begins with the Hawaiian
Championship in March. Competitors will be awarded points from
each of the three events which will be totaled at the final event
in November. A championship belt and other prizes will be awarded
to the winners. All three events will take place at the Saint
Louis Schools Gymnasium.
HAWAIIAN
CHAMPIONSHIP OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
MARCH, 2006
----------------------------
HAWAIIAN OPEN OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
AUGUST, 2006
----------------------------
ALOHA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
NOVEMBER, 2006
---------------------------
|
Quote
of the Day
"Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just
one thing well, you're needed by someone."
Martina Navratilova, Czech-born American Tennis Player
|
Tuesday,
January 3, 2006
Soldier
awarded Bronze Star
Associated Press
Casca Grossa student,
our best recruiter, and very good friend Chris Slavens was awarded
the Bronze Star which is a huge honor. Chris is a very tough
guy and even more intelligent. If I had to go to war, I would
want to be lead by Chris Slavens. Congratulations to Chris because
we both know that he deserves all the recognition that he gets.
A Hawai'i Army National Guard member has received the Bronze
Star for inventing a way to add armor to the underside of Humvees
to protect them from roadside bombs.
Maj.
Chris Slavens, a Castle High and University of Hawai'i-Manoa
graduate, received the award Dec. 10.
Slavens,
who is with the 29th Brigade stationed at Logistics Support Area
Anaconda near Balad, Iraq, said the credit belongs to "all
the welders and mechanics who figured out how to make an idea
work. Otherwise, it would just be an idea."
Armor
has been attached to the sides and undercarriage of 130 of the
Humvees in Slavens' brigade. He said that while the Army does
have armored Humvees, it lacks additional armoring kits to further
protect vulnerable areas of the combat vehicle.
Slavens'
family was happy to hear about his award.
The
holidays have been a struggle to get through with him so far
away from his wife, Kerri, and two children, ages 7 and 4. His
parents even canceled their annual Christmas brunch, which traditionally
features Slavens as an omelet maker for his 30 or so friends
and family members.
Slavens
is set to return home sometime this month after a year in Iraq.
Source:
Honolulu Advertiser |
Kickin
It Returns Tomorrow Night!
Saturday,
January 7, 2006
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Doors open at 6 pm
Weigh ins
are tonight at 808 Fight Factory at 6 pm
MAIN EVENT
2004 K.I. SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMP 2005 K.I. SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT
CHAMP
CHAD PAVAO 140-145 EDMUND LI
HSD HMC
DUE TO A LAST MINUTE PULL OUT, THE MAIN EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED.
BUT IT IS GUARANTEED THAT THIS MAIN EVENT WILL BE JUST AS EXCITING
AS THE JUSTLY VS KAI MATCH. FOR IT WILL FEATURE 2 KICKIN IT CHAMPIONS
GOING HEAD TO HEAD. BOTH FIGHTERS HAVE VERY AGGRESIVE STYLES
AND LITTLE DEFENSE. PAVAO (17) HAS NOT BEEN INTRODUCED TO DEFEAT
IN 6 FIGHTS BUT HAS BEEN INACTIVE FROM JAN. 2005 TO SEP. 2005.
WHICH ON THE OTHER HAND, LI HAS BEEN FIGHTING CONSISTENTLY AND
IS IMPROVING RAPIDLY. CHAMP VS CHAMP.
SEMI MAIN
SAM PALOSAMI SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT JOE MOLINA
TEAM DEVASTATION HSD
BRYSEN BRIGHT 75-80# JON SMITH
HSD ANIMAL HOUSE
BINO 140-145 JUSTIN WONG
TEAM MIXBREED HMC
FERDINAND RAMIREZ 135-140 NATHAN NAKI
ANIMAL HOUSE HSD
ANTHONY 145-150 SADHU BOTT
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER HMC
NUI WHEELER 135-140 KEO DOANE
TEAM SOLJAH ANIMAL HOUSE
MARTIN KOAMA 155-160 KAWENA POMAIHELEA
ANIMAL HOUSE TEAM SUBMIT
KAWIKA KALANI 180-`85 NYE DELASANTOS
TEAM DEVASTATION TEAM SOLJAH
NICK - O 165-170 SUNSEA FERGUSON
TEAM ISLAND THUNDER TEAM DEVASTATION
KAEO CANDENERO 70-75 KILEY ROMERO
HSD HMC
DAVIN KIM 120-125 ROYCE POAHA
EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB TEAM DEVASTATION
DYLAN BRIGHT 10 YR OLD 2005 75# CHAMPIONSHIP JORDAN
HSD EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB
TRISTON KAMAKA 55-65 JESUS SANTOS
808 FIGHT FACTORY HMC
DEVIN DAMO 120-125 BRANDON HAHN
ANIMAL HOUSE FIGHTERS UNION
MATCHES AND PARTICIPANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
COULD YOU POST THIS ON YOUR WEBSITE
|
Tuesday,
January 3, 2006
Wrestler
taking on life-threatening foe
By
Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Jonathan Spiker learned "what it takes to be the best"
wrestling for Saint Louis High School. The lesson helped him
survive a year of fighting cancer and two herniated discs.
Jonathan Spiker, right, faced Trenton Meride during the Hawai'i
High School Athletic Association's 2002 boys wrestling championships.
Spiker won the state championship four years in a row. His coach
attributed Spiker's success to "God-given talent and an
incredible work ethic."
Jonathan Spiker never lost against Hawai'i competition in his
four-year high school wrestling career, a feat that earned him
almost immortal status in the local sports world.
But
today, Spiker probably knows more about mortality than most 20-year-olds,
though his latest feat may even surpass his achievement as just
the second Hawai'i wrestler to win four state championships.
He
no longer wrestles. His new identity is "cancer survivor."
Soon it will be "Harvard graduate."
"It
hasn't been easy, but I always told myself to hang in there and
never give up," said Spiker, a 2003 Saint Louis High graduate
from Hawai'i Kai.
Spiker,
home for winter break, is on schedule to graduate in June after
three short years — but a long past six months. After being
diagnosed with testicular cancer on June 14 and having surgery
four days later, he was back at Harvard's summer school in July
and enrolled in six courses for the fall semester.
In
October, Spiker suffered two herniated discs — no one could
determine their origin — and was dragging himself out of
bed and into the classroom each day. For two weeks, he was given
only aspirin to treat the excruciating pain until the injury
was properly diagnosed. By that time Spiker was wheelchair-bound
and needed his father, John, to fly to Cambridge, Mass., from
Hawai'i and shuttle him from class to class.
"It
was almost worse than the cancer," Spiker said of his back
injury. "I couldn't even stand up straight, and to take
a shower I would have to sit on the ground."
Despite
the obstacles and being advised by mostly everyone to withdraw
from school and rest, Spiker kept up with his course work, completed
graduate school applications to Harvard, Stanford, Columbia,
UCLA and Southern California and made it through the grueling
five-hour GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).
For
most people, such determination and mental toughness might be
considered extraordinary, but it is typical Jonathan Spiker,
his supporters said.
"Without
a doubt, that's just how he is, and he's always been like that,"
said Saint Louis athletic director Todd Los Banos, who was Spiker's
high school coach. "The word that describes him is 'fanatic,'
and I say that not as a bad thing. Once he sets his mind to something,
nothing is going to stop him from doing it. Whatever he does,
he does it all out until it gets done.
"That's
how he wrestled — he dominated his opponents. And now he's
got two incredible challenges with the cancer and herniated discs.
But instead of saying, 'I give up,' he's basically bulling his
way through those things, too."
CATCHING
IT EARLY
Los
Banos made an almost identical comment about Spiker in an Advertiser
article dated Feb. 26, 2002.
"His
success is a combination of God-given talent and an incredible
work ethic," Los Banos said then. "He has the desire
to be No. 1, and no matter what, he'll find a way to win."
That
was during Spiker's junior year, right before he won his third
state title. The following season, he joined Iolani's Patrick
Higa (1983-86) as the only Hawai'i boys wrestler to go undefeated
against local competition and win four state championships.
No
one has matched the feat since.
Spiker
also finished at the top of his class at Saint Louis academically
and earned admission to Harvard, where he practiced with the
wrestling team as a freshman but did not compete (a common practice
known as "red-shirting"). By his sophomore year, Spiker
decided to retire from wrestling and focus on trying to finish
his degree in three years.
"I
was putting so much work into wrestling, but I wasn't getting
as much out of it," said Spiker, adding that Harvard does
not award athletic scholarships. "I still miss it sometimes,
and if I see wrestling on TV I'll watch for a little while. But
I decided to just concentrate on getting into graduate school
for business and getting my career started."
Things
were going smoothly until last spring, when Spiker noticed a
lump during a self-exam. He waited until he returned to Hawai'i
in June to have it checked out.
"I
had heard of another student who had testicular cancer, but other
than that it wasn't even a thought for me," Spiker said.
"I almost put (the exam) off, but I figured I'd go see a
doctor when I came home just to make sure."
It
proved to be a wise decision, though the diagnosis was stunning
to him and his family.
"The
doctor said there were a bunch of risk factors, but I (hardly
met) any of them," Spiker said. "But it was important
that I went in, because they caught it early."
When
Spiker told his father, John was speechless.
"You
always think, 'My kid's not going to have cancer,' " John
said. "No one in my family had cancer."
Spiker's
mom, Donda, said John had trouble breaking the news to her.
"He
couldn't even tell me," Donda said. "I work in the
medical profession (in the communications department for Kuakini
Health System), so I know a little more about cancer. But it
was still a shock."
Within
a week, Spiker had surgery to remove the cancer through the abdomen.
The operation made him "really sick" with nausea for
a few days, but he had made an earlier commitment to work in
a Harvard psychology department lab for the summer and reported
in July.
NO
THOUGHT OF QUITTING
Although
the cancer was removed, Spiker was told he needs monitoring and
testing every three months.
"It
still doesn't seem real sometimes, but I know it is and I try
not to let it get me down," Spiker said. "There's people
in way worse situations than me, so I have no right to complain."
In
typical resilient fashion, Spiker responded by enrolling in six
courses for the fall. But in mid-September, another unexpected
obstacle presented itself.
"I
had some pain in my lower back, but I thought it would just go
away," Spiker said. "One day in October, I woke up
and couldn't stand up straight. I saw a doctor and they gave
me aspirin, but it kept getting worse and worse. I thought, 'Something
is really wrong here.' "
Before
long, Spiker was hobbling to classes bent over on crutches.
"A
herniated disc doesn't sound serious, but what happens is the
disc gets pushed out into the spinal cord and makes it so you
can't straighten your back," Spiker said. "Also, it's
touching a nerve, so a crazy amount of pain just shoots down
your whole side."
Still
coming to grips with the cancer, Spiker and his family were suddenly
dealt another blow.
"It
was so undeserving for him," Donda said.
Surgery
was suggested, but the necessary recovery time would have meant
withdrawing from school.
"I
didn't want all that work I had already done to go to waste,"
Spiker said.
So
instead, he set a daily routine of waking up for a 9 a.m. class,
going to school either in a wheelchair or bent on crutches until
about 4 p.m., traveling to the hospital for back treatment and
then returning to the dorm or library to study until the wee
hours.
In
between, Spiker also took the GMAT, hunted down professors for
letters of recommendation and completed the five in-depth grad
school applications, one of which required seven essays.
"Everybody
— from our family and friends and doctors — was telling
us to let Jonathan come home and just rest," his father
said. "But I knew that's not how he is, that's not him."
Spiker
agreed.
"If
I came home, what would I have done? Sit on the couch, watch
TV and feel sorry for myself?" Spiker said. "(The injury)
was frustrating, but I just tried to stay positive. I never thought
about quitting."
'THIS
IS WHAT IT TAKES'
The
healing finally began in November and Spiker was able to make
it through to this winter break, although one final project is
due in two weeks. He says his back is now "about 75 percent"
healthy.
Through
it all, Spiker continued to send postcards from Harvard to his
two younger brothers, Jared, 13, and Jason, 11. He would encourage
them and write, "Give it everything you've got ... and then
give something extra."
Los
Banos said such is the mantra Spiker lives by, and it is something
he learned largely through athletics.
"To
a normal person, what he did (this semester) may seem extreme,
but he always took things to the extreme," Los Ba–os
said. "Jonathan wrestled some really intense, tough guys
in high school, but he won through discipline and by training
himself to be the best. In athletics, you always have adversity
and you have to go through it and learn how to rise to a certain
level to overcome it."
Spiker
said his wrestling experience was good preparation for his most
recent trials.
"Sometimes
when I was training, I would tell myself, 'No one else would
do this ... but this is what it takes to be the best,' "
Spiker said.
Said
Los Banos: "For a kid that age to stay that focused despite
all the distractions, all the challenges, it's amazing. You don't
come across too many people like him."
Reach
Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com
TESTICULAR
CANCER Facts
•
Most common cancer found in men ages 15 to 35
•
If caught early, almost all cases can be cured
•
All males puberty through adulthood should perform a monthly
self-exam, and a physician should examine abnormalities promptly
(a self-exam is not a substitute for a thorough annual exam by
a physician)
Risk
factors
•
Ages 15 to 35
•
Family history of testicular cancer
•
Most common in Caucasians
•
Undescended testicles
•
Mononucleosis
•
Mother or sister with breast cancer
•
Early puberty
•
Being overweight
Warning
signs
•
Appearance of a small, painless lump about the size of a pea
on the front side of the testicle
•
Feeling of heaviness in the testicle
•
Enlargement of the testicle
•
Change in how the testicle feels to the touch
•
Sudden accumulation of fluid or blood in the scrotum
•
Dull ache in the groin
•
Swelling or tenderness in other parts of the body, such as the
groin, breast or neck
Sources:
American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, The Testicular
Cancer Primer, Kuakini Health System
Source: Honolulu Advertiser |
HERRING'S
CORNER WINS BRAWL AGAINST NAKAO'S CORNER
Heath Herring having words with Nakao's corner after knocking
out Yoshihiro Nakao (far right on the ground) during the staredown.
Herring and his teammates would later beat down Nakao's corner
during an after fight brawl on the way out of the arena.
The
Japanese media reports that during the K-1 new year show, a mass
brawl broke out between members of the Las Vegas Combat Club,
who were there to corner Heath Herring, and the corner of Yoshihiro
Nakao. According to reports, Herring and his teammates were beating
down Nakao's friends right before the brawl was stopped.
The
story behind it all stems from the Nakao's antics right before
his fight with Herring was set to start. Nakao actually kissed
Herring on the lips during the staredown, at which point Herring
threw a right hook and knocked Nakao out cold. Nakao had to be
carried out of the ring on a stretcher, and the fight was declared
a no contest.
As
Herring was walking out of the arena, he was jumped by Nakao's
corner and thrown to the ground. At that point, Herring's Las
Vegas Combat Club teammates ran to help Herring, and a mass brawl
broke out which lasted about 30 seconds. During the brawl, Herring's
teammates proceeded to win the exchanges and turn the momentum
in their favor, according to the Japanese media.
Furthermore,
for what ever reason, security guards did not jump in to stop
the brawl. It was finally stopped with the help of experienced
American referee Herb Dean, who was in attendance at the event
and rushed in to help calm things down.
There
are some people in the Japanese media who think this may have
all been scripted for a ratings spike. Their reasons being that
Herring's right hook did not look like it was thrown with full
power. Also, not many meaningful strikes were thrown and landed
during the brawl, which ended with Herring's teammates mainly
holding down Nakao's teammates with the knee-on-stomach position.
However,
most of the Japanese media believe it was a legitimate brawl,
and that Herring's right hook landed right on Nakao's unsuspecting
chin, causing the KO.
A
rematch between Herring and Nakao is expected to take place in
the near future.
Source: Fight Sport
|
PRIDE
YELLOW CARD CONTROVERSY
by Mick Hammond
At Pride’s Shockwave 2005 show this past New Year’s
Eve in Japan there was an occurrence that while possibly unnoticeable
to many, could have shifted the tide in one of the most important
matches of the evening.
The
moment was late into the third round of the Middleweight Championship
match between challenger Ricardo Arona and incumbent Wanderlei
Silva. During an exchange on the ground it appeared as if Arona
was working hard and getting the better of Silva when the two
were separated and stood back up.
This
moment allowed Silva to get out of a bad position in which he
was clearly getting the losing end of and it allowed him to go
back to his feet and work his way into dominant position and
land damage on Arona as the fight came to a close. So why where
they separated when Arona was clearly working his advantage?
The answer is the yellow card.
Under
Pride rules, if a fighter is not working and by definition “stalling”
the action, then he is issued a yellow card which signifies a
warning from the referee that he is to begin working and that
his pay has been docked by ten percent. A yellow card can be
issued to an individual, as in the case of Silva, or both individuals
if no one is working to better their position to induce action.
The
yellow card has no impact on the judges’ scoring; it is
merely a warning, yet it could have influenced this fight. Because
Silva was allowed to get up off his back, the momentum that Arona
had achieved was halted, and the work he was doing ended. Arona
was working; he was pressing the action and scoring damage on
Silva, yet was removed because of Silva’s inactivity.
This
begs the question, should Pride’s rules regarding yellow
cards be changed? If Silva had not been allowed to get back up,
and remained on the ground with Arona raining down punches, it’s
possible the two judges who ruled in Wanderlei’s favor could
have given the bout to Arona.
In
a fight that’s judged on its entirety, not per round, it’s
very possible to be easily swayed by late action. Usually whoever
finishes the strongest is declared the victor, even if their
opponent may have done more damage throughout the duration of
the fight. Had Arona been allowed to continue to work his advantage,
it’s possible he may have gotten that all important late
influence that can determine the outcome of a fight.
Rather
than the two fighters being stood up, thus giving the advantage
to the fighter that was stalling when one wasn’t, it’s
possible fighters should be placed back in the position they
were in before the card was issued. This could allow the fighter
who was working to continue his work. If that happens, the fighter
who wasn’t administering damage must then work his way out
of trouble instead of being given a free pass.
There
is some precedent to rules changes such as what may need to be
done to Pride’s yellow card rule. Back in 2003 the UFC was
in a similar situation due to what happened in a bout at UFC
42 between Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Genki Sudo.
During
the fight Sudo had Ludwig in a lot of trouble on the ground.
Genki was in Ludwig’s guard and was administering a viscous
assault and bloodying Ludwig’s face when the referee stepped
in and stopped the action to check the cut with the doctor. The
doctor said Ludwig could continue, but due to the rule, the fighters
were placed in the standing position, not back in the position
they were before the stoppage.
A
brief time later Ludwig was able to use this to his advantage
as Sudo ended up on his back with Duane landing punches from
the standing position. The ensuing display from Ludwig clearly
influenced judges in the closing minutes of a round that for
the most part Ludwig was losing before he closed out the round
standing over Sudo encouraging the crowd and landing shots.
In
the week after the bout, the UFC clearly recognized a problem
with their rule and changed it. They issued that fighters must
be placed back in the position they were before the action was
stopped, thus allowing the dominating fighter to continue to
work his advantage.
Pride’s
rule is a good rule when both fighters are stalling and the action
needs to be restarted. But when one fighter has an advantage
and that advantage is removed from him because the other fighter
is not working, that’s a problem. Pride may want to refine
this rule in the future so such problems cannot reoccur.
It
is not known that if Arona had been allowed to continue work
that the fight’s outcome may be different. What is for sure,
is that when it comes to matches, especially important championship
matches, it’s better to have no controversy rather than
some controversy.
Surely
Ricardo Arona and Wanderlei Silva would like to know that their
fight was truly settled through a test of skill, not a rule that
may have ultimately influenced the outcome of one of the most
important matches of the year.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Hendo
evaluates Bustamante match
Bushido GP champion over Brazilian Murilo Bustamante, on last
December 31, American Dan Henderson evaluated his bout against
Brazilian. "It was excellent. My plan was keeping the fight
on the feet and avoiding takedowns. I got few of them and I was
not happy with my back on the ground. On the feet I was much
better and in two or three times I almost finished the fight,"
said Hendo, adding more information about Brazilian Top Team
leader:
-
Our last meeting I didn't have a chance to know his game, because
the match ended very fast. He showed he's a brave heart and very
tough fighter. Of course I was expecting a fast KO, but I was
also ready to the whole fight - American stated. When asked by
Japanese press about the cut under his left eye, Hendo teased.
"I don't know how I cut myself. It might have happened in
second round, or even a headbutt (laughs), he said.
Source: Tatame
|
One
tough day
The 7th World Jiu-Jitsu Championship,as told by Saulo Ribeiro
article published
in August, 2002
The
wait for the fights, the analysis of the opponents, the report
of the combats. The following text narrates the 7th World Jiu-Jitsu
Championship according to Saulo Ribeiro. Being the greatest record
holder in history, with five gold, two silver and one bronze
medals in seven years of competing, one can hardly think of anyone
more competent for doing so.
In
pain. That is how a woke up on Sunday 28th, the last day of the
7th World’s. I grabbed my gi to go to Tijuca Tenis Clube
thinking like this: were this an ordinary day, there would be
no way I was going to train. I’d eat something at the guarana
place and then rest. I was finished.
On
the other hand, I had to go work, run after the title I still
didn’t have, that of open category. I had done my part the
day before, winning three fights and qualifying for the final,
but it hadn’t been easy. Actually, after my second fight,
against Roberto “Gordo” Correa, I sat beside the mat
really pissed. I had gone through physical preparation the last
two months and thought I was in great shape, but by the middle
of the fight I was worn out.
I
knew my fight with the “Baldie” was gonna be tough,
as it always is. Unlike the young guys around, he doesn’t
make mistakes, and we are technically balanced. But when I got
an advantage in the beginning, and when he gave me his right
leg and suffered a ko-uchi-gari, I thought there was nothing
more to it. Suddenly he had locked his legs around my knees and
I was swept. I tried to breathe and nothing came, and I endeavored
not to show my desperation. I closed my guard and, when I went
for the sweep, he got greedy and tried the crucifix, as usual,
and I score two more points.
I
had won, but I was disgusted at my conditioning. And I got to
asking myself why that was. I mumbled over it for the rest of
the day and only this morning I found it out: lack of competition
rhythm. In my best year, ’98, I’d compete almost every
weekend. Jiu-Jitsu, judo, big or small tournaments, I didn’t
care. Since ’99 I’ve been only fighting the ADCC and
the World Championship. That’s it. It’s no good preparing,
you can only know what’s going to happen to your body if
you’ve been there before. And the more you compete, the
better you know your body.
Arriving
in the gym of Tijuca is always good. It was there that, since
’96, I won five world titles. Of course it is problematic
to remember that last year – the only time I was ever defeated
– at this time, I was in exactly the same situation: I had
gotten to the open’s final, but was going to try and fight
the medium heavyweight to become champion. Experience had told
me I could make the same mistake, to thrust onto the opponents
in my weight class like a maniac and then get to the finals worn
out. To this day I think I didn’t lose the championship
to Fernando Margarida during the final; I lost it before. To
Flavio Almeida “Cachorrinho” in the semifinal. Despite
the fact I won the fight, he finished me. What a strong man!
If he hadn’t made a mistake, he would have been the toughest
guy to beat. I don’t see how he can lose to Margarida, being
so much stronger.
This
year I had a different plan: winning in my weight class without
sweating much. And, in the warm-up area, as I was in stanby,
I had the chance of watching everyone before I fought. Erik Wanderlei
was called. It was time to scrutinize the enemy against a weaker
opponent. He’ll certainly use his best weapons to finish
up soon. In the middle of the fight, someone came over and asked
me: “Are you going home by motorcycle?” “Of course,
I even brought the helmet,” I joke, knowing that the prize,
a Honda Biz, was the last thing on my mind. I keep paying attention.
He places the right hand on top, suffers a takedown. I can use
an Ipon Seoi there. It’s another good, strong fellow, but
on the bottom he uses the clinch-escape. I know he’s going
to win, probably make it to the final, so I look closely. Standing,
another idiosyncrasy. He pretends he is going to pull to the
guard and puts his right leg in front to attack. There I could
use an o-uchi-gari. That will be the plan.
11AM. I’m waiting for one hour now, and my fight is approaching.
Suddenly I see people move around at the entrance. I scan the
place to find out the reason and get surprised. It’s Rickson.
He’s come for a surprise visit. Now my responsibility is
event greater. The man will see whether I’ve been doing
my homework. I follow him with my eyes and think aloud: “He’s
amazing. You can feel his energy.”
The
presence of Rickson, Royler and Renzo in the gymnasium and the
mistakes I see many of the athletes make get me thinking about
the support those geniuses have given me, stopping me from making
many of those mistakes. Royler’s versatility, he who’s
always ready for any type of play; on top, on the bottom, standing,
on the ground. Renzo, who even when he is exhausted in the fights,
no one can do a thing to him, which makes me believe even more
in his technique. And Rickson, who feels like he weighs 400lb
when you’re training with him. I strive to learn what each
of them excels at, adapt it to my game.
I
go back to paying attention to the matches. On the closest mat,
to my left, Ricardo de la Riva is about to fight. He’s a
mystery; you can only know how he’ll do after his first
heavy breath. To come back after nine years is rather complicated.
After one year, it’s already hard enough. There’s a
great crowd supporting him. It’s cool that the guy has such
charisma. He wins with ease and comes back to the warm up area.
I go over to say hello and he congratulates me, as well as complimenting
Royler. I can feel he is no phony, this is one nice fellow. He’s
got great modesty. Even if he loses he remains a champion.
I
watch Fabio Nascimento’s fight – he is my first adversary.
He sweeps the other guy from the half guard. Yesterday, in the
open’s first, he launched me up like that. But I told myself
I wouldn’t fall for it and used all my weight.
My
turn still hasn’t come and, although I want to focus, I
wound up checking out the other categories, analyzing the talented
rookies. I don’t know why, but I start wondering what a
fight between Pe de Chumbo and Jacare would be like. They are
both well prepared and never stall. Now Marcelo Pupo was winning
a lightweight fight. I notice how much he has improved. Some
time ago he was weak, but now he doesn’t miss positions,
and distributes his weight a lot better. He may surprise and
be the champion.
So
I go through my first fight, winning by points. He escaped my
clinch in the beginning. So I thought that way you just make
it too easy. With that mistake by him, I knew it would be hard
for me to lose. And I won. In the middle of the fight he gave
me an annoying grip on the leg, trapped me in the half guard.
I’ll study this more thoroughly next time, I tell myself.
I’m there with my father, my wife, the guys who came to
support me. Though I’m focused on the competition, I have
to give some attention to the people who are always there for
me.
Then
I go back to the warm up area, but now time is passing more quickly.
When Fredson and De la Riva were preparing to fight the featherweight
final, I was already going to the other side, where I was going
to fight the semifinal. I thought of their fight: my heart is
cheering for Fredson, who is from both Manaus and Gracie Barra,
but I believe De la Riva will win. He is more technical. And,
at this time, if I don’t believe in technique, what else
can I believe in?
While
waiting for the semifinal, I see Pe de Pano – my opponent
in the open’s decision – arriving at the fight area.
With that size, that weight, and those huge legs, my prospects
aren’t really good. He comes over to talk, because we had
sort of promised not to fight each other.
But
in these cases there’s just no way out, and that I was aware
of. It is the title we both want so much, and now all pacts are
set aside. We’ll both give it all, that’s all there
is to it.
I
enter to fight Marcel Louzada, from Godoi. In the beginning,
I score two points that will later on earn me a victory, with
a back attack. Again, my tactics work. I had seen, in his previous
fight, that he comes in with the o-uchi-gari. So I left my right
leg in the front, as a bait, grabbed his and went for the back.
He tried to go after the advantage, but I was in the final and
knew it. And thence his situation went downhill.
Just
as the referee was raising my arm, there came a shitty surprise.
While I was fighting, my brother had gotten hurt in the neighboring
ring, and I now I was told it. Weeping, he was being helped by
the doctors, and he was out of the championship.
Now
the finals were three hours away. The only thing on my mind now
was: to eat or not to eat?
Intermission
At
5 p.m. it was time. They announce the fight order. The open would
be first. I thought well and asked them to switch it. It was
too risky. I might get too tired, lose to Pe de Pano and make
a bad welterweight fight, and end up with neither of the titles.
By fighting the medium heavyweight first I’d have a greater
chance of at least getting one gold medal. I could get more confident
for fighting the open.
The
fight against Erik went just as predicted. He placed his leg
in front, so I used the o-uchi-gari. I was ahead – just
what I needed. Later on, he did the clinch escape. I got to the
half guard and got yet another advantage. He would still try
an Ezequiel, but I knew there was no angle for him to tighten
it, since I was throwing my weight forward. I passed his guard
and got the title. But, after all that force I had used, I was
tired just thinking there was still Marcio “Pe de Pano”
Cruz to come.
I
got some rest during the finals of all the other weight classes.
And I started the fight against Pe de Pano with a defined strategy.
The thing was to fight on top, really. That thing people say,
that he can’t pass guard, is bullshit, he is heavy and has
passed pretty much everyone’s guard. I was going to make
him change the type of guard, play with the hooks inside. Get
some advantages and, who knows, pass and win. The plan started
well, but he is so tall that even the hook-guard got me in trouble,
and I ended up being swept. I could still go after it, but I
got careless and he came into the closed guard. That was when
I felt his weight. I couldn’t open it like with pretty much
anyone else – he’d probably fall mounted. So I tried
to open without standing up, but he’d raise his hips, with
those goddamned long legs, my hand would go from the shin to
the knee, which totally blew that passing technique. That was
it, the fight was his.
After
the award were given, while I was being interviewed, my dad threw
me a can of beer. Just what I needed, I hadn’t drunk one
in a month. But the analysis of the mistakes wouldn’t leave
my head. And I thought of two resolutions. One: I must compete
everything, Jiu-Jitsu and judo, and maintain a much better rhythm.
Two: in the end, fighting the medium heavyweight again diminished
my chances in the open. Next year I’m only fighting the
open. “Next year,” I thought, and this is the best
part: the will to be here again. That I haven’t lost yet.
[Saulo Ribeiro would go on fighting the World Jiu-Jitsu Champion
until 2005, when he placed 3rd in the open.]
Source: Gracie Magazine
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