The Way of the True Path of the Martial Arts

By Al Case

I was in the army 40 years ago, stuck with drab duty and endless amounts of time in which to conjecture. I was supposed to go to another country and kill people. This was not a task I thought of as honorable.

One night I fell into a conversation with a young fellow of bright imagination, and he asked me if I have ever read Lao Tse. I told him I hadn't heard of the book and asked him what it was about. He revaled to me that it was...The Way.

To be honest, I had come across the concept of The Way in my study of the martial arts. I had read of the concept, talked about it with fellow students, and considered it in light manner. Oddly, though I had studied the martial arts for a couple of years, I had no idea that there was a book written expressly about The Way.

Not long after that I found a copy of the book and began to examine it. I dwelt upon the passages, translated the ancient Chinese terminology into terms I understood as best I was able. I was to find that the mere reading of the book, which is not a sizable volume, was a journey in itself.

There is no back without front, there is no low without high, translated into the most fascinating dichotomy I had ever imagined. Oddly, I found that these concepts, front and back, high and low, were extremely useful when it came to fighting. Indeed, as the years passed I was to find that the mere consideration of this dichomoty, even in the middle of chaotic freestyle, brought order and advantage of a sizable nature.

My favorite passage of the book has always been, Do nothing until nothing is left undone, as it is positively enlightening. I would trade upon the forks of my life for the chance to implement this strategy. Eventually, the forms done ten thousand times, I began to experience bits and elements of truth, and my art would actually engage in the effortless principles that go towards making up the True Art.

Not every time would I be able to make the concepts of The Way function in my real life actions, but the contest was in The Way, and this contest brought me out of the box, undid the normal way of thinking, and enabled me to actually be a seeker in action, and the whims of my youthful desire began to manifest. Emotions became a joy, age became a relaxation, and and still The Way nudges me hither and yon. My form transmogrifies to the lilt of this ancient rhyme, and another world beckons unceasingly.

A perfect world, where the realization that The Way is merely the unceasing time before me has settled upon me. A world where those obsessed with political intrigue and the almighty dollar fall sick by the wayside and envy me my youth and good health. A world where human beings exist, outside the realm of transgressions and judgment, this is The Way that I have found. - 31497

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Tips To Make Martial Arts Stretching More Efficient

By Donald Borah

Martial arts have grown in popularity over the years, and just as programs differ, the stretching requirements for them differ, also. Taekwondo, northern shaolin and savate all have many movements requiring extremely high kicks, and so flexibility stretching programs for them should emphasize stretching the legs, increasing the flexibility in hamstrings and hips; however, in the grappling arts the flexibility stretches would focus more on the core body and arms. A newcomer to martial arts should focus on overall flexibility, and develop more customized martial arts stretching program as advancement in the program is achieved.

If you want to make the most of your martial arts stretching program, you have to keep a few things in mind. The following outlines ways to maximize the efficiency and safety of your flexibility stretches and exercises.

1. Morning Stretching

Martial arts stretching each morning is a great way to keep improving. These flexibility stretches should be done on an empty stomach and last no more than 30 minutes. Be sure to include a warm up, a few dynamic type stretches and a cool down. Static, isometric or PNF stretches should be set aside for your primary stretching workout because they are too taxing to your muscles and are harder to recover from. Once you get used to starting your day with stretching, you will be very pleased with the results.

2. Warming Up

It is a good idea to use a two part warm-up procedure with a beginning and specific warm-up for the muscles. It should include calisthenics which will increase body temperature and increase the blood flow to the muscles. The specific warm up will have dynamic flexibility stretches that will mimic the movements of your martial art and will specifically help you attain the flexibility you need for the movements. This warm-up is vital as part of the morning stretching routine because your body may be more tight in the morning and there is a greater risk of injury if the warm-up is neglected. After the specific warm-up is completed, the main part of the stretching routine can be started, in this part of the routine you may focus on the flexibility needs of your particular martial arts program.

3. The Cooling Down

Start cooling down your body after you finish the main phase of your martial arts stretching. You'll find that your cool down will look not dissimilar from your warm up, as you need to get blood flowing to your muscles to help them adjust.

4. Precautions

Health and skill development is the whole idea of a martial arts stretching routine. Injuries to any part of your body can derail your progress. Follow these hints to keep your flexibility stretches safe.

* Talk to a physician before you start a stretching or training routine of any kind. You'll not only be safer when you do it, you'll have the approval of your doctor, leaving you feeling more free to make progress.

* Stop if you feel pain during or after doing flexibility stretches. You should feel your muscles stretching, but the warmth you feel should not turn into pain. Even a small amount of pain can signal muscular or connective issue injury and puts you at greater risk of permanent damage to your body. Moderate or severe pain while stretching should be reported to your doctor.

* Do not bounce or bob during stretching. This is called ballistic stretching and carries an unnecessary risk of injury.

Increase the benefits of your stretching routine by using these advanced martial arts stretching methods. You will be surprised at how fast you increase your functional flexibility. - 31497

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The Destruction of Kung Fu by PRC

By Al Case

How would you like to learn Jujitsu from Prince Charles? Or maybe a good solid class in Ninjitsu from Slick Willy Clinton? No...well, how about, I've got it...Five Family Shaolin Kung Fu as taught by Nancy Pelosi!

You may think my humor is not quite there, but there is a dark underbelly to all this. When the government takes over private business, you see, it tends to destroy, corrupt and confound that business. And I am talking about any business run by any government.

Kung Fu, to name one example, been around for thousands of years, has been spreading long life, health, good physical conditioning, and some of the best darned self-defense imaginable. Then along came Chairman Mao, and Kung Fu was put to the torch. The method utilized for the destruction of the one of the greatest arts the world has ever known was called The Cultural Revolution.

During the Cultural Revolution Mao decided to cure society of elements that he deemed dangerous to that society. Thus, the population was carted off and murdered, 70,000,000 strong. If you were bright of mind, had any talent, or stood out in any manner, you were murdered.

If you were a school teacher, wore a wig, or had written a book, you were murdered. If you spoke out against Mao or played the violin, you were murdered. If you knew Kung Fu, you were definitely out of there.

Once the Revolution was over, the country began to remake itself in the image of Chairman Mao. Funny thing, as China tried to catch up with a world still cursed by talent and intelligence, it discovered that people would pay good money for this thing called Kung Fu. Unfortunately, Kung Fu was dead and buried.

So, what does a government do when it has murdered an entire art, and then found that it needs it? Simple, you tell a few coaches to make up some Kung Fu. So they gathered a bunch of coaches, the ones who hadn't known enough Kung Fu to be murdered during the revolution, read any manuals that survived the book burnings, and made up some Kung Fu!

And they made double sure that the Kung Fu didn't have anything that could actually be used in it. You don't want people able to actually have a Kung Fu that works. Heck, if they had that they might actually want to have a (choke) Great Revolution! - 31497

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Small Town Brawl!

By L.J. James

It was a quite day in a small Bar in upstate New York . The girl working behind the bar was young, she had just turned twenty one and had only been bar tending a few weeks, this was her first time working alone. Everything was going fine with only two of the regulars in the back shooting pool it was nothing she could not handle she thought to herself.

Then the front door opened and in walked ten of the biggest men she had ever seen. They talked loudly and as they walked over to the far side of the bar, She got a look at the back of their jackets. She could easily see that the markings on them where all the same. The men ordered pitchers of beer and their talking only got louder as they drank more and talked about things she did not understand. Then the men went quite as the front door opened and in walked seven more large men, at first she thought these seven men where with the first Ten as they looked and dressed similar but as she looked at the markings on the backs of these new comers Jackets she could tell while they where similar the markings where different, By the way the two groups where looking at each other she guessed the difference must mean a lot to them.

The Seven men sat up toward the front of the bar and also ordered pitchers of beer. The young girl did her best to make sure both groups where kept happy, but it was just a matter of time and Beer! When one of the men from the first group called out to her, "Hey Honey don't worry about those guys, there losers! Come over here and hang with some real men." That was all it took, the fuse was lit. "Who you calling losers pal we are good enough to beat you any day of the week!" Yelled back a guy from the second group. "You may think your as good as us but you never will be!" Yelled back a man from the first group.

Then in what was a blur to our young barmaid a fight broke out between the two groups it was loud and she could hear glass and wood breaking all around her as the men cursed and screamed at each other. This young Girl was scared and she feared for her life.

Her fear abated a little when in the distance she heard sirens. The police are coming, she thought to herself as she hid behind the bar. The police arrived in force and they stormed in arresting the men and taking them away. When things got quite and all the men where taken away the young girl looked around the small bar. So much damage she thought to herself, She looked at one of the officers and asked how did you know to come here. We got a call that these two groups where both heading to this bar and we just knew, it happens all the time with these type of guys!!!

Epilogue: The next morning when the young barmaid awoke she walked down stairs to the kitchen where her father was reading the morning paper. Does it say anything about the fight in the bar yesterday she asked her father? Yes he said as he pointed to a small article in the back of the paper "Yankees and Mets fans Brawl it out in small town bar" the story went on to explain how all the men where given tickets for disorderly conduct and released. That's it she screamed at her father these men trash the bar, scare the hell out of me, They should all be in jail and all they get is Tickets!!! Calm down sweetheart her father said as he hugged her, The way your acting one would think it had been a bunch of rowdy Bikers in the bar yesterday! Those Guys would have been locked away, But it was only Sports fans!

Story By Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com - 31497

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Fedor Emelianenko Signs With Strikeforce

By Ross Everett

The worlds best heavyweight mixed martial artist has a new American promotional home. Following Afflictions announcement that they were ending MMA promotional activities, Fedor Emelianenko negotiated with several groups"including the UFC"before signing a multifight deal to compete for the Strikeforce promotion. Terms of the arrangement were not made public, but the promotion indicated that Fedor would make his Strikeforce debut this October.

Strikeforce agreed to give Fedor a non-exclusive contract, which allows him to compete simultaneously in Japan and elsewhere. Furthermore, they agreed to co-promote events with M-1 Global. M-1 Global is owned by Fedors manager Vadim Finkelchtein and the fighter also has an equity stake. These were the sticking points in Fedors negotiations with the UFC, and with Strikeforce not having an issue with non-exclusivity or co-promotion a deal was quickly brokered.

Fedor expressed his thoughts after the contract signing was announced:

I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level. STRIKEFORCE is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world. I am prepared to fight any of them.

Emelianenkos manager, Vadim Finkelchtein concurred:

I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce. We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had the following comments:

We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor. Fedor has been the reigning king of MMAs heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class.

The UFCs Dana White quickly responded with an obscenity laced statement suggesting that Fedor was choosing to fight "nobodys" for no money by signing with Strikeforce, but thats simply an attempt to put the best spin possible on it for his sycophants in the media. The reality is that with Fedor's stake in M-1 Global the financial terms of the deal are likely as favorable with Strikeforce as with the UFC.

More significantly, Strikeforce has much better television exposure at this point than the #1 US MMA promotion. Strikeforce has a relationship with premium cable giant Showtime, as well as CBS TV. The UFC's only TV exposure is via the 'Spike' cable network.

Whites hysterical comments about the quality of opposition simply aren't true either. Obviously the biggest fight available in the US for Fedor right now would be with UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, but once you get past him the talent pool in the promotion becomes iffy at best. A fight with Randy Couture would do big business, but there's no guarantee how much longer The Natural will continue his career. The UFC has a couple of talented fighters with wrestling backgrounds in Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin, but neither man is ready for a fight against Fedor. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira remains among the best heavyweights in the world, but Fedor has already beaten him three times during their time in the Japanese MMA organization PRIDE.

Strikeforce has several intriguing fights immediately available for Fedor. Heavyweight prospect Brett Rogers, who knocked out Andrei Arlovski in his last fight, is likely first on deck. The Strikeforce heavyweight belt is currently held by Alistair Overeem, whom mutual opponent Mirko Cro Cop suggests is the one man in the sport capable of defeating Fedor. A co-promotional relationship with the Japanese promotion DREAM and a willingness to deal with 'free agents' further deepens the prospective opponent pool for Fedor. - 31497

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MMA Pioneer Helio Gracie Remembered

By Ross Everett

The founding father of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and patriarch of the Gracie family, Helio Gracie, died in early 2009 at the age of 95. His influence in martial arts as well as the sport of mixed martial arts is mind boggling. The Gracie family name will forever be synonymous with Brazilian sports, jiu-jitsu, MMA and the UFC"not only due to Helios own accomplishments but the legacy he created both by training others and through his family.

Helio Gracie began his training in mixed martial arts early, and by his teenage years was already teaching judo. While he had no problem mastering the theoretical aspects of judo, he found that many of its techniques were less effective for a practitioner with a smaller build. Along with his brother Carlos, Gracie began to work out his own fighting system by adapting many of judo's techniques and making them more a product of leverage rather than brute strength. This led to the creation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), frequently called Gracie Jiu Jitsu in his honor.

Gracie also had a professional fighting career of his own, taking on champions from other fighting disciplines in an early version of modern MMA. These bouts were grueling, unregulated affairs with rules that were often made up as they went along and time limits that seem barbaric by todays standards. By his own recollection, he had 15 fights against the top fighters of his day. These included pro wrestlers, boxers and other martial arts specialists.

His most famous battle was against Japanese judo legend Masahiko Kimura, resulting in a rare loss for Gracie. Despite the setback, he fought bravely and may have actually enhanced his legend after refusing to submit to a reverse arm bar (the same modern MMA submission that now bears Kimuras name). Only after his arm was broken did his brother Carlos throw in the towel.

Helio Gracie's impact on fight sports and mixed martial arts would continue through his offspring. Married twice, he had seven sons (Rickson, Royler, Rolker, Royce, Relson, Robin and Rorion) and two daughters (Rerika and Ricci), many of whom went on to make their own mark on the fight sport world. Royce Gracie is well known as the first UFC superstar, while sons Rickson Royler, Renzo have also achieved considerable fame in professional MMA.

The cause of Gracies death was officially given as natural causes. He had been having stomach problems for several days prior to his passing, and was admitted to a Rio hospital for this reason. His seriously epic last words will go down as a fitting envoi to a man who gave so much of himself to fighting:

"I created a flag from the sports dignity. I oversee the name of my family with affection and nerves of blood. - 31497

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Tai Chi Chuan Instructor has Not had a Lesson in Tai Chi!

By Al Case

This is going to be the weirdest tai chi lesson you have ever had. I've never had a lesson in tai chi, you see, but my tai chi chuan is the best. I don't mean to be self serving, but let us see what you think after you have read how I came up with my tai chi.

I began my study of tai chi with a book, Lee Ying Arng Modified Tai Chi for Health. I spent hours a night memorizing the form, trying to figure out the applications, trying to figure out what it all meant. And, it didn't mean much.

So I went through Chen Man Ching, and Chen and Yang and Wu and Sun, but they all spoke this gobbledegook that didn't make sense. So I began doing my Karate, I had near ten years experience in karate, and the thing started making sense. I was using karate power to wake up the form, and it worked, and then I was able to translate what was happening into Tai Chi power.

More important, I was throwing out all the mysticism and bushwah philosophy I read in the books and using something called physics. The martial arts, you see, as transmitted with eastern methodology, are taught through the memorization of random strings of data. In physics you look for a reason, and you find a logic, and you look for a concept.

Now, ancient stories claim tai chi was created in a dream by san feng after he watched a bird and a snake fight. Or, it was started by a general in a village, who was retired from war and wanted to make up games for the children. Neither of these concepts have much verifiable validity, but we can't just discount them out of hand.

Maybe the general in Chen village couldn't do the martial arts the way they should be done, and maybe he actually came up with something unique. And the vision of the snake and the crane, though I am a true believer in physics I would not speak ill of visions, for visions are the dreams and inspiration of the human race. Still, whether rehabilitation of the broken warrior, or the stuff of dreams, tai chi does not make sense without the application of physics.

So I want you to get a book on physics. Make it a simple book, with big, simple illustrations. It would really help if you found a simple one describing a motor.

Now, read that book, and start asking yourself what terms are the same as in tai chi. Rooting is grounding, where is the generator, and so on. Do that, and when the face and guts of your tai chi chuan start to alter, do not come whining to me. - 31497

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How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Gained Its Fame

By Curtis Adams

Gracie Jiu-jitsu is known world wide as one of the most effective forms of hand-to-hand combat. The Gracie family took the teachings of a Japanese man and adapted them to make them more effective, especially when dealing with a fight on the ground. Helio Gracie was probably the most instrumental in making this form of jiu jitsu into something unique. Helio's main contribution was to adapt the martial art techniques so that they would be effective in defeating bigger and stronger opponents.

As he grew more skilled, Helio launched the initial stages of Gracie Jiu-jitsu in a series of high profile bouts. Despite not always being triumphant in these bouts, Helio received acclaim for lasting much longer than anyone thought he would be able to against more powerful and more experienced foes. In 1951 he took on Masahiko Kimura, then considered to be the best jiu jitsu fighter in the world. Kimura claimed that if the match lasted more than three minutes, then Helio would be considered the victor; Helio lasted for thirteen. In 1955, the longest match in the world occurred when Helio held off a combatant twenty years his junior and forty pounds heavier for three hours and forty minutes.

When Rorion Gracie, Helio's son, departed Brazil to bring Gracie Jiu-jitsu to America, he planned to continue his father's legacy. The Gracies wanted to establish jiu-jitsu schools to share the martial art techniques that they had modified after years of intense study with the rest of the planet, and America was the ideal place to do so. Although Rorion at first struggled in founding his Brazilian Jiu jitsu institution, he gained increasingly larger numbers of students primarily by issuing the Gracie challenge. This was a call to any fighter of any field to meet him in hand-to-hand combat in order to see whose branch was stronger.

Gracie Jiu-jitsu truly arrived in the 1990s. Mixed martial arts tournaments were becoming an exciting new event, and in 1993 the Ultimate Fighting Championship was held. This tournament pitted fighters of different disciplines against each other in order to determine not only which fighter would be the ultimate victor, but which fighting style would prove to be the most effective. Royce Gracie took the Gracie name and made it immortal by winning the first UFC, and a total of three of the first four events. Everyone in the sporting world soon knew the Gracie name, and it became synonymous with victories against larger and stronger opponents.

As a result of these steps over the years, of hard work and a willingness to commit entirely to the martial art, Gracie Jiu-jitsu has earned the spot as the most famous and one of the most respected disciplines in the world. Who knew that when Mitsuyo Maeda came to Brazil to share his master's teachings in 1914 that he would be setting off a chain of events that would lead to jiu jitsu gracing the top of the martial arts world less than one hundred years later? - 31497

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Learning The Techniques and Training Of Tai Chi

By Walter McKibbin

Derived from the Taiji symbol which, in the Western areas is known as the yin and yang, Tai Chi was said to be the practice that preserved the oldest schools of learning which study the receptive and active principles.

Core training has two features primarily: the solo form, which emphasizes slow sequence of movements maintaining a straight and firm spine, range of motion and fine abdominal breathing; and the Push Hands which involve training of the principles of movement in a more practical and convenient way.

As the name implies, the solo form of Tai Chi, requires only one person to go with the flow of motion. With this form, you will go through a natural and complete range of motion while keeping your balance. If taken into regular practice, the solo form of Tai Chi can retain posture, promotes flexibility of the joints and muscles, and encourages proper circulation from any point of your body. The solo form is actually the basic of all forms. It is your first step to familiarize some of the important martial arts application sequences which you will face in the different forms.

Major styles of traditional Tai Chi have forms that somewhat differ from the others in its presentation. Some differ in the wave of the hands, in the position of the legs, the reaction of the body and the pace of the movement. But these things don't matter at all because what is important to Tai Chi practice is that it benefits not just your body but your mind as well. And besides, there are still many similarities coming from the point of their common origin that are obvious enough to recognize, anyway.

Solo form, weapons and empty-hands are the basic steps to start off with learning Tai Chi. Many other martial arts application do this in their trainings. This is especially intended to prepare the students for self-defense.

Tai Chi's Philosophy in training tells that if one becomes as hard as his opponent during a fight whether attending or resisting it, the clash will inevitably create physical injuries to both sides. A fight like this is greatly compared to fighting brutes, according to the Tai Chi theory - an attitude despised by Tai Chi discipline.

While in other martial arts force is applied to some measure, in Tai Chi, the use of subtle movements and softness in facing a battle is a great contributing factor in order to end up victorious. With Tai Chi, you just follow every attacking motion and in the end exhaust the attacking force. Such is the Tai Chi principle wherein the yin and yang is applied - the primary goal in the Tai Chi discipline.

Aside from discipline, Tai Chi schools also put their concentration on how the energy of a striking person will bring damage to his opponent. Say for example, you can use your palm to hit your opponent looking the same and performing the same but with a different impact on the target.

With your palm you can push a person forward or backward, do it in such a way that the opponents are lifted vertically from the ground, this way their center of gravity will be shaken and eventually fall.

After which, this technique can cease the striking force within the body of the person and resulting to a traumatic internal damage. - 31497

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Popularity of The Ultimate Fighter

By Connor Smith

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is a reality based TV program on Spike TV based on mixed martial artists (MMA) fighters trying to win the competition and winning a six figured contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The show consists of a bunch of fighters, usually 16 plus fighters living under the roof with no contact with the outside for a few months. All they do is train and fight for the contract.

As you can imagine, having all those fighters living under one rough with nothing to occupy their time with, things tend to get a little crazy in the house which makes for good viewing,. One thing this show has also been able to do is show that the fighters are not barbaric morons. These fighters tend to be well educated people whose choose this profession for the completion and the big money.

The fighters who win a contract at the end of the season receive a large sum of cash for winning plus a contract of approx guaranteed 4 fights afterward, which gives them the potential to make a lot of money. If they win these fights they tend to continue fighting for the UFC making a very good living.

The tenth season of the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has just finished and the popularity of the show just keeps increasing in popularity. The UFC Ultimate Fighter looks as though it has no bounds, being that the latest season of the show has blown all previous ratings records clean out of the water.

As if the debut episode of the latest season of the show breaking all previous records and pulling in 4.1million viewers wasn't enough, yesterday's episode averaged 5.3 million viewers, peaking at a staggering 6.1million during the actual fight between Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson.

When UFC president Dana White said that the fight between Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Roy "Big Country" Nelson was the biggest fight in TUF history, he wasn't kidding. Only time will tell whether the show can go continue to grow and better itself once more.

The Ultimate Fighter show has been a backbone of the UFC's huge success over the last few years. The UFC in general is just getting bigger by the day with the organization just booked there first show in Australia in 2011. - 31497

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MMA Training Workouts

By Richard Laurie

When learning about what you want to get involved with MMA, you need to understand exactly what it is. MMA is a short name for Mixed Martial Arts. You may find that there are many resources on the web that can give you information about this type of fighting. In this kind of fighting, the wrestlers are able to use many different types of fighting moves. It is a combo of several different fighting styles including karate skills, boxing, and wrestling. A long time ago, this fighting didn't have many rules that the fighters had to comply with.

It was basically just fighting in any form till a winner was determined. However, in order to make the sport accepted by lots more people, rules came into play as well as better MMA training. This coaching is used to ensure wrestlers are in the correct physical condition. It also helps to increase the safety of the competitors. You may find that because of this training, this sport h increased in appreciation. You can view many matches on television as well as many pay-per-view events that are on cable and satellite television.

The MMA training has increased seriously for many competitors but there are plenty of different ways you will find to coach. You can use the web as a great resource in order to find out all the methods that are being used. There are competitors that base their training on their nourishment and physical well-being while others base theirs on the strength that they have. All the coaching that you will find has different moves that have to be mastered in order to be a top rival. There are submission holds and many alternative moves that a rival has to learn.

Some of these moves that a rival will learn in their MMA training include the arm bar and the bicep slicer. Circuit coaching is a truly well liked kind of training that's being used today. This type of training allows the competitor to work on their cardio and their strength all at the same time. You may use this kind of coaching to shed some weight as it will help you to drop a significant amount of calories. This coaching involves completing a number of exercises inside one coaching session without any breaks between exercises. This is what creates the circuit.

You'll find online, that there are many sites you may visit for MMA training courses. Which one you decide to do for your training will all depend on the type of rival you need to be. Most of these coaching programs will come with a fee so you need to make certain that you select the most suitable one for you and your coaching needs . You need to definitely review all the present matches that are posted online to see precisely how the fighting is done. You may also use these videos to get tricks to win over your contestant and come out being the victorious one. - 31497

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UFC 88 Flashback: Rashad Evans Earns Respect

By Ross Everett

Rashad Evans was fighting for respect. He didnt scream about demanding respect in his prefight interviews because hes smart enough to know that respect must be earned. He earned it and then some with a devastating 2nd round TKO of Chuck Liddell in the main event of UFC 88: Breakthrough.

If Evans needed any more validation of how little respect he was getting, he could have taken a look at the UFCs text message prediction poll of the main event which favored The Iceman by a whopping 81% to'% margin. Or he could have listened to the UFC announcers, who had all but penciled Liddell in for a return to light heavyweight title contention after his inevitable victory. Instead of complain, Evans let his fists do the talking and with a perfectly placed overhand right will likely never have to worry about a lack of respect again.

From the opening horn, Evans showed no fear of Liddells once legendary power. Instead, he danced and moved (which was dumbly criticized as showboating by the UFC announce team), using his slick footwork and speed to dart in and out of range of Liddells punches. In the process, he was able to use his superior handspeed to get off first. His punches werent exactly highlight reel power shots at this point, but were nonetheless effective as evidenced by a cut opened under Liddells eye. For his part, Liddell scored with a few shots of his own, but was clearly frustrated by the evasiveness of his opponent.

Evans highlight reel power shot was to come in the 2nd round. Liddell backed Evans up near the cage wall and went to throw an uppercut. Simultaneously, Evans responded with an overhand right that landed quicker, harder and more accurately. The perfectly placed punch knocked Liddell out cold. Evans' KO was one of the most devastating in the history of the sport, and made all the more so by the status of the man on the receiving end.

Rashad Evans raised his record to 17-0-1 with the TKO victory. Liddell, meanwhile, saw his record drop to 21-6"with three of those six losses coming in his last 4 fights.

Liddells loss notwithstanding, it was a good night for UFC veterans as Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson won their fights in impressive fashion. Franklin looked particularly sharp in dismantling tough Matt Hamill, eventually prevailing by 3rd round TKO. Hamill had trouble getting inside for the takedown he needed to compete in the bout, and every time he closed the distance he was met with a barrage of Franklin punches and kicks. Franklin employed leg kicks early on, which obviously hurt Hamills ability to shoot for takedowns and ended the bout with a perfectly placed body kick that had Hamill doubled up and tapping out even as Mario Yamasaki covered the prone fighter.

This was the UFCs first trip to Atlanta and despite a good attendance the crowd itself was somewhat disappointing. In a marked contrast to the knowledgeable and enthusiastic fans at the Target Center in Minneapolis for UFC 87"arguably the best MMA crowd ever at a US venue"the live crowd at Phillips Arena often acted as if they were at a taping of Georgia Championship Wrestling. Every foreign fighter was booed mercilessly"including South Korean Kim. Perhaps the audience didnt realize that South Korea has been a US ally since its establishment after WW II.

More problematic was the crowds utter lack of respect for the fighters postfight. Poor Dong Hyun Kim was booed during his postfight interview like he was Professor Toru Takana cutting a heel promo on Mr. Wrestling 2 after winning the Georgia Heavyweight Title by throwing salt in his opponents eyes while the referee was distracted. Not quite the respect that a 4th degree judo black belt whod just won a very tough fight deserves. Even Rashad Evans was booed after his dominating KO victory. - 31497

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MMA Flashback: Bobby Lashley Destroys Mike Cook At MFC 21

By Ross Everett

Heres a word of advice to future opponents of Bobby Lashley"dont make fun of his background in professional wrestling. Mike Cook found that out the hard way in the co-main event of the Maximum Fighting Championships MFC 21: Hard Knocks event. After spending the run up to fight week making fun of Lashleys tenure in the WWE, Cook lasted a mere :24 seconds before being choked unconscious via a guillotine choke.

In prefight interviews, Cook had suggested that Lashley would soil himself once he entered the ring (though in not so erudite terms). That clearly incensed the massive 64 250 pound Lashley, who despite his inexperience in MMA is hardly the sort of individual prone to losing bowel control at the prospect of a fight.

A smirking Cook attempted to tap gloves with Lashley before the fight, but his obviously insulted opponent would have none of it. Even after the opening bell rang, Cooks arrogant approach to the fight continued as he immediately clinched with his opponent as if he had no regard whatsoever for Lashleys strength. Lashley immediately locked in a guillotine choke and basically yanked Cook down to the mat by his head. Once on the canvas, Lashley cinched it in deeper as Cook flopped around"partially in an effort to escape, partially in an involuntary muscle reaction as he sunk into unconsciousness. Cook didnt even get the chance to tap out as veteran referee Big John McCarthy recognized he was out cold and pulled Lashley off of him.

After the fight Lashley gave his opponent a hug and flashed his trademark megawatt smile as if to say I told you so. In his postfight interview, however, he did slip in a final verbal jab toward his vanquished opponent saying that he didnt come to play and that he is all business before quipping that now Cook can go put the mask back on and have fun with himself'.

Despite the fact that mixed martial arts and professional wrestling have been interwoven from the beginning, the American Top Team trained Lashley has been singled out by less knowledgeable fans for his tenure in the WWE. Against his next opponent, Bob Sapp, hell be facing a foe that has also spent some time in the worked environment of professional wrestling. In addition to his legit fighting experience in K-1 and PRIDE, Sapp has worked for several Japanese pro wrestling organizations and briefly held the prestigious IWGP Championship.

Even though Sapps days as a serious fighter are long past and he likely spends less time in the gym during a given year than Lashley does in a month, he does present an element of danger. Hes still got decent punching power, and his sheer bulk will be a challenge for Lashley who could give up as much as 100 pounds come fight night. Still, Sapps only victories in several years have been against overmatched and/or outsized opponents. - 31497

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UFC 102 Not A Hot Ticket In Portland

By Ross Everett

Portland, Oregon has long been considered a hotbed of mixed martial arts. The area is home to numerous MMA gyms, the most famous being Greshams Team Quest. It has produced many top notch professional fighters including Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, Ed Herman and Ryan Schultz. Regional MMA promotions like Lindlands SportFight and amateur MMA draws good crowds, and theres few markets in the country that have such a strong mainstream acceptance and understanding of mixed martial arts.

The UFC scheduled their Rose City debut for August 29th, headlined by a matchup between local hero Couture and tough PRIDE vet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. They anticipated a fever pitch for Coutures homecoming and the UFCs first ever trip to the Pacific Northwest.

What they received instead was an outpouring of apathy from the community. As of early this week, there had been as few as 8,500 tickets sold in the 21,000 seat Rose Garden Arena. Even media sources like Yahoo Sports, who invariably put a positive spin on everything the UFC, does are reporting just over 10,000 tickets sold. In the final week runup to the event the UFC has been aggressively giving away tickets, so between that and walkup business theyll likely end up with a respectable 15,000 to',000 attendance figure. Itll look fine on the PPV, as they can curtain off unsold sections of seats and shoot the crowd to make it look larger.

Earlier in the week Zuffa announced the postponement of a WEC event scheduled for Youngstown, Ohio. The official reason given was an injury to main event fighter Ben Henderson, and while thats not been confirmed several sources have indicated that he did suffer a minor setback during training. More curiously, the WEC announced that the show would no longer be held in Youngstown despite what they insisted were strong ticket sales.

While Youngstown could have been a bad choice for a MMA event all along, the UFC will probably blame the economy for the poor showing of live ticket sales in Portland. While the high unemployment rate nationally and regionally doesnt help things, it doesnt appear to be a major factor in the UFCs struggles to sell tickets in the Rose City. A number of local media outlets including the Portland based MMA website THE SAVAGE SCIENCE have talked to area UFC fans, and the results are surprising. A mind boggling number of people who self identify as casual or serious fans of the UFC had no idea that an event was being held in Portland at all. Thats likely due to a marketing and promotion campaign locally that is somewhere between misplaced and non-existent. The local media hasnt helped either, with Portlands largest newspaper providing little print coverage of UFC 102 claiming that its not a major sport.

Even among fans who *did* know that UFC 102 was coming to Portland, theres no buzz whatsoever. Theres a variety of reasons for this"many fans have suggested that the high ticket prices werent justified by a relatively weak card. With the exception of the main event, there arent any fighters on the UFC 102 card that are exactly household names outside of hardcore MMA circles. Others have suggested that they would be interested in attending the event, but theres a whole slew of competing events this weekend including the Oregon State Fair.

The UFC has a misguided notion that they can simply put their name on an arena marquee and local fans will pay top dollar for tickets regardless of who is fighting on the card or what else is going on that night. The reality has demonstrated otherwise with poor ticket sales in Portland and other markets. While the promotions PPV business is doing fine and is their real source of revenue, the weakness of the demand for their live product outside of a select number of markets like Las Vegas and Montreal should be a source of concern. - 31497

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Benefits of Tai Chi to People's Health

By Walter McKibbin

Tai Chi is believed to have beneficial effects on health. It can increase energy flow which results to an increase in strength and harmony in your body system. In fact, practitioners of Tai Chi have testified about how the meditative and calming aspect of Tai Chi have helped them eliminate stress brought about by their daily workloads.

When use as an exercise regimen, Tai Chi can increase the strength of muscles and enhance the flexibility and balance of a person. Conforming to the concept of Yin and Yang, Tai Chi as an exercise will enable you to bring out the forces in you in a harmonious and balance form.

Not only can Tai Chi relax the mind and the soul but also prevent the extent of certain illnesses to spread through the body. It is a very good way of maintaining health. Tai Chi is not a disease curing technique but can be complemented as a form of therapy.

Maintain coordination and balance

One of the major causes of disability and death among the elderly is loss of coordination which results to accidents like falling. By practicing Tai Chi, balance and coordination are areas of concentration especially for elderly students of this art. If this is successfully achieved, it will spare them from falling or worst death.

Lessens Pain

Tai Chi can help in improving the flexibility of the bones and joints by introducing a range of motion to the arthritic joint without feeling any pain. It is not to be addressed that Tai Chi can cure arthritis. The least it can do is to lessen its severity and the contributing pain by working on those joints as soon as possible.

Circulation

Diseases resulting from poor blood circulation can be remedied by involving oneself to Tai Chi sessions. The movements in Tai Chi practices can be a good cardio work out. The range in motion is intended to be invigorating enough to make you perspire and make your heart beat fast. These are indications that your heart is pumping enough blood throughout your body thereby, improving your body's circulatory system.

Prevents Multiple Sclerosis

Through Tai Chi, a person can reduce the risk of having, in time, multiple sclerosis. This was stated under foremost studies that Tai Chi can improve the mental and physical well-being of a person.

Stress

Who would want stress? Although, stress is inevitable it surely can be prevented. Tai Chi and its meditation function can reduce the production of toxins and hormones that contribute stress which is directly reflected into your body.

So, if you want to learn Tai Chi and be benefitted by it, look for someone who has been practicing and mastering Tai Chi to train you through.

Anyone can do Tai Chi: young or old unless completely disabled. Those who are already old, especially those with existing health problems, must consult their physicians first before engaging in Tai Chi.

Make sure to inform your instructor of any health problems you have. Make your instructor know, so that he or she can make certain measures to provide you with the ability to do such required movements. Doing Tai Chi must not make you feel any pain and if you do feel any pain, tell your instructor at instant. - 31497

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Dangerous World, Budding Options

By Jeff Kamar

We live in a feral and dangerous world. Kids are no longer armed with the slingshot from Grandpas attic, but now wield knives and guns. Gangs are in full form, completely disregarding all law, and in fact get off on spitting in the face of innocence and justice. Desperate men are getting more desperate by the day, and civilian options are getting sparse in the way of self-defense in these times. Whether you are a socially important man, working for the goals of society, or an everyman just trying to get through day to day living, we are all concerned for our own well being and the truth is we have few ways to feel safe.

Obviously, you'd look like a fool going about your day to day business sheathed in a wall of Kevlar, or wielding a riot shield. Beyond that, those actions would make you yourself look undoubtedly suspicious. But finally, we do have a new option in defending ourselves. Some fine folks in the weapons industry have turned to crafting defensive tools as well as destructive. One of my personal favorites is the introduction of Bulletproof Clothing. Yes, that's right, every day wear, and innocuous looking jackets that can stop gunfire!

One can now garb himself in tangible safety without drawing attention to yourself, or wandering into the eyes of suspicious lawmen. Bulletproof clothing has improved in leaps and bounds, offering seemingly normal garments that provide protection from standard gunfire, and even high powered armor-piercing rounds! Not to mention, the clothing offered up is rather snazzy to boot! Prefer to keep your wardrobe as it is, but still want to better defend yourself? There are shockingly conceal able vests offered as well, easily slipped under your day to day wear and still providing superior defense.

The clothing is tailored to your fit and size, eliminating discomfort and poor fits associated with most other products of this type, and keeping your clothing looking fit and neat. The armor plating can be removed from the garment, allowing for less conspicuous feel, if you know your are coming into contact with others much, or you can remove them if an upgrade is needed! The plating comes in a variety of strengths and protection levels, allowing you to tailor the product to your level of need!

And lastly (probably what you are thinking about right now) is the cost. What price tag can you put on safety? Fortunately, not a very high one! These products are actually quite affordable, even to those working with a budget. Many companies even offer a sort of layaway or pay by month program! With all that you have learned in this piece, I would hope that you'll take a step in the direction of safety and look this stuff up! - 31497

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Kicking, the Secret of the Lost Art!

By Al Case

I don't care if people take exception to what I say here, I'm going to say it anyway, the kicking I see in the UFC and MMA is not really kicking. Truth, it is leg swinging, without focus, and it is sport and not art. the purpose of this writing is to tell you why it doesn't work, and the simple things you can do to put art back into sport.

I had a friend, name of Ted, way back in the late sixties when I was doing Chinese Kenpo. He had long hair and dressed like a hippie, who happened to have the most amazing kicking ability. One day he was driving through the San Jose traffic, and a fellow cut in front of him, so Ted hit the horn.

The fellow stopped his car and got out and walked back towards Ted, who got out of his car. The fellow was huge, a monster, and he dwarfed Ted, and he said some unpleasant things. Ted backed up, held up his hands palm out, and told the fellow he didn't want to fight.

The fellow swung a massive fist, and Ted rocked back and planted a beautiful roundhouse kick in the center of the guys chest. The fellow sat down on the street, looked at his chest in surprise then stood up and rushed Ted again. Ted tried to back away again, and he told the fellow he didn't want to fight.

The brute threw a haymaker, and that was when Ted called on the true art of kicking. Ted sunk his weight, put his weight into the kick, and smacked the fellow on the chin. Bang and fellow laid down for a ten count snooze, and Ted went to his car and drove away.

So, putting your body into the kick, throwing the hips are important, even crucial, and some fellows don't it and some fellows do, but the ball of the foot, that was the heart of the matter. Look, when the MMA contestant bashes, he throws his leg like he is swinging a bat, and there is not enough weight behind it. When you use the ball of the foot, the energy goes back along the leg, through the hips, and down into the ground and there is lots of body behind the kick.

Yes, kicking with the instep can work, and sometimes well, but kicking with the instep spreads the striking area over more surface area. The ball of the foot kick concentrates the the strike into a smaller area, puts more weight in contact with a smaller surface. If you want to put a nice, precise hole in a piece of wood, are you going to let the weight spread out, or are you going to use a tidy, little hammer and focus the weight into a smaller area?

Kicking, like punching, is an art, and the UFC and MMA type of fighters are really doing boxing, not the science of pure martial arts. To understand pure martial arts, one has to study this western thing called physics, and apply it to eastern martial arts, and then the answers and ability will come, and then the art will be resurrected. Art will win over sport, and not just gladiatorial contests, but in life, that is the solution and the way of the true art. - 31497

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Tito Ortiz Returns To The UFC

By Ross Everett

According to the old saying time heals all wounds. In the fight game, money"or the potential of it"has the same curative effect. The latest evidence of this is the announcement that Tito Ortiz has patched things up with Dana White and agreed to a new contract to fight in the UFC. Tito left the promotion over a year ago after an acrimonious split with White, though never found a new promotional home that would give him the money and the high profile status that he craved.

Ortiz has had several run ins with the UFC over their notoriously tight pay structure, and first left the promotion in 2005. He was back later that year for a run as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter against longtime rival Ken Shamrock. After losing to current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in his last UFC appearance, he left the company and bounced around in a promotional capacity. He had surgery on his back in the process, and now claims that hes back to 100%.

Tito may never regain his championship form as a fighter, but that is of minimal relevance due to one salient fact"people will pay to see him fight. Dana White evoked the same theme in his comments on Ortiz at a Friday press conference in Las Vegas:

"Tito and I have a history that everyone knows. He's still a guy that everyone wants to see fight. He said his back has healed perfectly and he's ready to take a shot at the title. He's one of those guys that people love and people love to hate. We've put all our differences aside, have squashed everything and will move forward, and Tito will retire in the UFC."

To which Ortiz responded:

"Time really cures everything. Dana was a man of his word. Dana apologized to me. We're like boyfriend and girlfriend."

Ortiz said that Dana White and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta came to his home in Huntington Beach, California and made him the proverbial offer he couldnt refuse:

"I'm happy, I'm satisfied, You'll never hear anything about money again.

While both Ortiz and White said that he'd be back in the octagon 'ASAP, neither man gave much in the way of specifics. Sources suggest that he could debut on the UFCs New Years card against Mark Coleman. Coleman is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100 in mid July.

To best understand Titos appeal and why the UFC was so anxious to re-sign him, well paraphrase HBO boxing commentator Larry Merchant. Merchant once noted in reference to George Foreman during his 'comeback' that there are many fighters, but very few stars. Like George Foreman, Tito Ortiz is a star. Some love him, some hate him but people pay to watch him fight. - 31497

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UFC 94 Flashback: GSP Destroys BJ Penn

By Ross Everett

Reigning lightweight champ BJ Penn entered his main event battle against welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre looking to become the first man in UFC history to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes. GSP never gave him the chance to make history, as he stopped Penn after four increasingly dominant rounds to retain his belt with a TKO victory.

Both fighters had considerable fan support, with vocal, flag waving delegations from the Hawaiian Islands and Canada in evidence. During ring introductions, both men received enthusiastic cheers tempered with a few boos. After the opening horn sounded, however, the Penn backers had little to cheer about while the champions supports broke out in G-S-P chants on several occasions. The first round was fairly evenly contested, with St. Pierre trying to get a first hand feel for Penns often unorthodox"but highly successful"takedown defense. GSP made several takedown attempts, but had them repeatedly stuffed by Penns incredible balance and flexibility.

Boxing guru Freddy Roach recently praised Penn as the best technical puncher in MMA, but he had no opportunity to bring this weapon to bear as he had trouble finding the range from the outset. St. Pierre was unable to complete any takedowns during the first round, but easily dictated the pace and style of the bout.

GSP began to assert his dominance in round two"with Penn starting to fatigue he was no longer able to fend off St. Pierres single leg takedown attempts by balancing on one leg. GSP got a takedown early in the frame and began to mount a ground and pound assault while moving around in Penns legendary guard almost at will moving from half guard to side control with frightening ease.

The eventual outcome was foretold between rounds two and three, as the obviously exhausted Penn required a pep talk from his entourage that his fatigue was all in his head. Across the cage, GSP calmly sipped water looking for all the world that he could go 12 rounds.

Round three was similar to the previous one, with GSP taking his opponent to the mat with a decreasing level of resistance and mauling him with punches and elbows once he got there. His complete control over the BJJ black belt Penn was incredible, but hardly surprising given the way that GSP dominated four time NCAA All American wrestler Josh Koscheck on the ground during their matchup. That may be the most exceptional thing about Georges St. Pierre"his willingness to attack his opponents strengths and success at doing so.

The fourth round was a wall to wall rout for the Canadian welterweight champion, who started by effectively trading strikes with Penn before taking him down once again and resuming his highly successful ground based attack. At this point with GSP moving around at ease and Penn mounting little resistance it was apparent that the challenger was physically spent. St. Pierre almost ended the fight on the ground, as referee Herb Dean repeatedly reminding Penn that he needs to fight back. Penn survived the round on instinct alone, moving around just enough to keep the referee from stopping the proceedings. After the horn sounded to end the fourth round, however, it was evident that Penn had nothing physically or emotionally left. As he leaned headfirst against the cage in exhaustion, an impromptu conference amongst his handlers on whether or not to continue became moot when the fight was stopped by Dean on advice from the ringside physician. There was no argument whatsoever from Penn or his entourage.

Displaying his characteristic class, GSP delayed his celebration until he had crossed the cage and kneeled by his vanquished foe to honor his competitive spirit. After a quick celebration among GSP and his team, he faced his next challenger in the person of Thiago Alves.

In the co-feature attraction, Lyoto Machida kept his undefeated professional MMA record intact with a first round TKO victory over Thiago Silva. Silva had no answer for Machidas well rounded skills and unorthodox Shotokan karate based style. Machida took his opponent down and knocked his opponent down twice"all counters as Silva was coming forward and Machida backing away. As the first round entered its final seconds, it appeared that Silva started to ease up in anticipation of the horn. Machida used this opportunity for another takedown, and then nailed his surprised opponent with a powerful punch that ended the fight. - 31497

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UFC 87 Flashback: Lesnar, GSP Steal The Show

By Ross Everett

The last time that Georges St. Pierre defended his UFC welterweight title, it quickly turned into the low point of his career. Already facing a number of personal issues away from the cage, he looked sloppy and distracted as Matt Serra defeated him by brutal TKO. This time, things were different"before an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd at Minneapolis Target Center arena GSP brutalized Jon Fitch over five rounds to win an easy unanimous decision. The judges scores of 50-43, 50-44, 50-44 underscored the one sided victory, though Jon Fitch showed a lot of heart and toughness to go the distance.

After a dominant takedown to open the fight, followed by a barrage of GSP punches it looked as if Fitch wouldnt make it out of the first round. He managed to survive, though generated little offense the rest of the way as the champion had his way with him both on the ground and in standup striking exchanges. Fitch landed enough counterpunches to open a cut near the champions eye, but never even came close to winning a round. Fitch had to gut his way through another tough moment in the 4th, where a big knee followed by a flurry of kicks and punches had him on the verge of a TKO loss yet again.

As the final horn sounded, GSP bowed down in front of Fitch in a nice, Muay Thai inspired show of respect. In yet another moment that is thankfully commonplace in fighting and all too rare in other sports, Fitch and GSP sat knee to knee in the center of the cage congratulating each other for over a minute as their respective cutmen worked on their wounds.

And theres very likely not another athlete like Brock Lesnar even within the ranks of fightsport competitors. In his 3rd professional MMA bout the amateur wrestling legend turned WWE champion displayed a brutally effective new fighting style along with stellar patience and cage control as he obliterated tough and highly experienced Heath Herring. Lesnar received a thunderous ovation from his adopted home state as he entered the cage to the sounds of Motley Crues Shout at the Devil and quickly brought the crowd back to their feet within seconds of the opening horn as a powerful straight right sent Herring to the canvas.

From that point forward, Herring was completely out of the fight though he repeatedly demonstrated his toughness by staying in the fight and not tapping out to strikes as had Min Soo Kim in Lesnars MMA debut. Unlike Lesnars gameplan against Frank Mir in his UFC debut"when he clearly wanted to overwhelm his opponent for a quick win"perhaps the most impressive element of his improvement as a fighter was his patience. There were a number of occasions where Lesnar could have tried and finished the fight by placing himself at greater risk, but took the conservative approach.

Overall, Lesnars performance bordered on amazing"a serious case could be made that he won all three rounds by 10-8 margins, though all three judges scored the fight 30-26. He repeatedly took down and threw around the 64 250 Herring like he was a welterweight, and controlled the fight to such a degree that his opponent didnt land more than a half dozen strikes during the entire fight"and none which were particularly effective.

Lesnars win gives a much needed boost to the UFCs barren heavyweight division. While it may be premature to consider him a top 10 heavyweight, should Lesnar continue to develop and do such a good job of fighting within his abilities his potential in the sport is limitless. - 31497

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Brian Bowles Shocks Miguel Angel Torres At WEC 42

By Ross Everett

Brian Bowles used a counter right hook late in the first round to defeat Miguel Angel Torres by TKO and win the WEC Bantamweight title in the main event of WEC 42. Though Bowles entered as a highly respected, undefeated challenger his stoppage victory over Torres"a fighter who ranked high atop most pound for pound best lists"has to be considered one of the major MMA upsets of the year.

One day after a UFC 101 card that was lackluster at best and disappointing at worst, MMA fans were hoping that the WEC would deliver an exciting event as they almost inevitably do. They werent disappointed, and there really wasnt a bad fight on the card which featured several brutal knockouts along with tightly contested decisions. The event will be remembered for the main event and the shocking upset of Torres, whom commentator Frank Mir had been championing as the pound for pound best fighter in the sport of late. Torres certainly had the credentials"a fighter equally as dangerous on his feet as on the ground, hed compiled a 37-1 record entering the fight against Bowles. Since a 2003 decision loss to Ryan Ackerman, Torres had run off 17 straight victories including his most recent triumph by decision over a tough challenge from Japanese striking machine Takeya Mizugaki.

Bowles entered the cage accompanied by the music of Johnny Cash. This prompted WEC commentator Todd Harris to quip "It takes a special man to walk in to Johnny Cash". He wasnt kidding, and Bowles quickly announced his presence with authority rocking Torres with an overhand right and scoring a takedown within the first minute. After a groundfighting sequence, the two fighters exchanged punches again and initially it looked like Torres was getting the best of things as he landed a multiple punch combination that sent Bowles backing up. Almost out of nowhere, however, Bowles countered with a perfectly placed short right hook that sent the champion to the canvas. He followed up with some nasty ground and pound punches including a big left hand that knocked his opponent unconscious and forced the referee to wave off the fight.

In his postfight interview, Bowles sounded unsurprised by the outcome. His comments indicated that hed been very well prepared for Torres considerable skills and though he conceded that hed been stung by the punching barrage waited for the opening to throw the right hook that ended the fight. Bowles displayed considerable class in victory, and Torres conducted himself in a matter befitting a champion as he accepted the defeat.

A rematch between Bowles and Torres is almost inevitable, but theres plenty of talent in the WEC bantamweight division. The semifinal bout on the card pitted two of these competitors in what may have been an elimination match for #1 contender status as Dominick Cruz handed feisty Joseph Benavidez his first professional loss via unanimous decision. The unorthodox and insanely athletic Benevidez had a good deal of trouble with the superior height and reach of Cruz.

Further muddling the picture in the bantamweight division was an earlier fight on the card, in which Takeya Mizugaki outlasted Jeff Curran to win a split decision victory. Mizugaki scored takedowns in all three rounds and did enough from the top position while fending off submission attempts to earn the verdict and make his claim for #1 contender status. - 31497

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WWE Executive To Invest Into The UFC

By Connor Smith

Current WWE executive, and Vice President Shane McMahon, who will leave the company at the beginning of January, is looking into the possibility of buying a financial interest within the UFC, and has cashed out $50 of his $80 million dollars in WWE stock to do so.

UFC President Dana White has always said that he would be willing to let someone take a 'piece of the pie' in his billion dollar empire, and while it may seem unorthodox, Shane McMahon would be the perfect partner. It is reported that Shane and the UFC President have already had meetings, and Shane was also present in the crowd at UFC 91.

It is well documented that UFC are now overtaking the WWE in PPV sales, but whereas WWE has had a 10 year head start on the UFC, Shane believes it will never reach the heights that it did in the early'90's, and the UFC's merchandise sales are still suffering. This is where McMahon comes in.

He is well known for securing large international business deals, something the UFC has been trying to do for two years, and during the UFC Fight Club last week in Vegas, Dana White declined to discuss anything that was said in the meeting with McMahon, just citing him as "a good friend" and "you never know."

I know what you are thinking "this sounds a bit weird with the WWE Shane McMahon buying into the UFC" but all in all this could be an excellent peace of business for the UFC. Shane McMachon has a wealth of business knowledge that can only enhance the UFC image worldwide. The only downside is when people think of Shane McMahon they think of the WWE which can't be good for the UFC. As we all know WWE is completely unreal a bit like a pantomime with good and bad guys. The UFC however is the complete opposite! Will this have a negative effect on the UFC? I personally don't think so! However if that thought comes to me then I'm sure it will come to other people.

Either way, without Shane McMahon the UFC will continue to grow its numbers worldwide! - 31497

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Gichin Funakoshi and the True History of Karate!

By Al Case

It is commonly held that Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to the modern world. Well, he could be considered to have done so, except that something happened a century ago, that presents a different version of karate history. We've got to give Funakoshi credit for what he did, but was his karate the true art?

I know what I write here is not going to be what a lot of people want to hear, there will be a few people who are going to want to take me to task. However, the story that I am about to relay really happened, it is the truth. That said, please know that I do respect Gichin Funakoshi, he is pivotal to Karate.

In the early'00s of Japan, people, same as people all over, loved the human cockfight. It wasn't uncommon for people to watch contests between different arts and artists. Certain of these fighters even offered cash prizes to the audience, step up if you think you can beat me.

One night a Russian strongman issued a challenge to the Japanese audience. One can imagine the sneering challenge, and the surprise when a frumpy, old Okinawan stepped up to the ring and prepared to fight. The year was'21, and the turning point for karate was about to occur.

Motobu Chōki was 52 years old when he stepped into the ring that night. He had studied with virtually every Okinawan Karate master in Okinawa, and he had, when he was young and impetuous, honed his art in the violent red light districts of his island home. This history, and a daily regimen of makiwara, and perhaps the hint of royal blood and pride in his veins, served him in good stead.

One punch later, a punch almost too fast to be seen, Motobu climbed out of the ring, the Russian strongman lay sprawled and snoozing the fist snooze. Reporters went wild, wrote their stories, and submitted them to the editors. Editors went wild, and, since they didn't have any photos of Motobu, but they did have a picture of a guy doing karate, they popped in the wrong picture.

Gichin Funakoshi, a nondescript teacher from Okinawa, was held up as the guy who did the violent knock out performed by Motobu Choki. And Motobu, though he did teach karate and was responsible for spreading the art, because the media did such a bang up job of investigating, received virtually no credit. And Funakoshi is became famous and shared Karate with the world, yet, it wouldn't have happened if Motobu hadn't had the one punch one kill ability.

Now, you have to ask yourself who has the true art, a school teacher who benefited from the wrong picture, or a rough cob who walked the walk. Yes, Funakoshi's karate is excellent, and generations of karateka have contributed to the art. However, there is still that one incident, provided by a man who could do the one punch one kill technique, which presents a different argument for who had the True Art. - 31497

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Do You Live In Stourbridge And Are Looking To Start Karate?

By Paul Campbell

If you are a resident of Stourbridge UK and a Karate enthusiast wanting to attend a Karate club yourself or planning to send your kid to one, Karate club Stourbridge can be a great option. The Karate club at Stourbridge that you choose to join will have a major role to pay in honing up your Karate skills. Choosing a good Karate club at Stourbridge can not just give you a great start but will save you lot of hassle in the later stages. Here are some pointers to help you to do your due diligence before joining any of the karate club at Stourbridge:

Lookup online or in your telephone directory to find out the nearest Stourbridge Karate club to your location. You can lookup the website of the Karate club if they have one. The website of the Karate club can give you the phone number and most of the other information needed by you to contact the Karate club at Stourbridge. Check the listing of the Karate Club at Stourbridge with the local chamber or commerce or Better business bureau.

Call up or visit the Stourbridge Karate club to check about the Types of Karate styles they teach How many times a week classes are held and cost per lesson? Prefer paying per lesson fee or month by month over a lump sum fee in the beginning. Affiliations. Prefer a Stourbridge Karate club which has affiliations with bigger bodies such as World Karate Association. This gives the strong credentials to the quality of Karate practice. If a Stourbridge Karate club is not affiliated to any established organization then the method of teaching and advancement procedures could be inconsistent.

Introspect to know your martial art goals. What is it that you want to learn? Do you want to learn Karate as a hobby or as a competitive sport? Are you taking Karate merely for exercise or you want to advance to a black belt level? Asking these questions to yourself will help you find the karate club at Stourbridge that is best for you.

Before enrolling in any Karate club Stourbridge avail any free lessons offer they have. If they do not have any free lesson offers then ask them if you can observe the training session before you finally make up your mind.

If a Karate club Stourbridge allows you to talk to students to gather their thoughts and experiences. Talk to the students to check with them if the your martial art goals will be supported by the style taught at that particular Karate club at Stourbridge? Talk to the instructors at the Karate club Stourbridge that you are considering. Instructors play a very major role in the Karate training. Evaluate their behavior, friendliness and attitude. Find out about the main emphasis and focus of the Karate club Stourbridge that you are considering. The Karate club at Stourbridge might not be for you if you are merely interested in simple exercises and the main emphasis of the karate club is on tournaments and competitive Karate. A little time spent in this evaluation and weighing your options can go a long way in choosing the right Karate club Stourbridge that can help you or your kid achieve Karate learning goals. - 31497

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Brock Lesnar's 5 Toughest Challengers

By Ross Everett

Brock Lesnar is now the biggest PPV attraction in mixed martial arts, and has brought a large following of new fans who have the mistaken impression that he's 'unbeatable'. Before his past two fights many were questioning whether his credentials justified giving him a shot at the title, with some even unfairly comparing him to EliteXC YouTube sideshow attraction Kimbo Slice. In the aftermath of Lesnars UFC 100 victory the new question surrounding the former WWE champion has become who can beat this guy? Lesnar definitely is a freaky physical specimen combining size and strength with speed and agility. Hes also progressing by leaps and bounds as a fighter with every bout. Still, hes got a big deficit in experience to make up on the job as UFC heavyweight champion.

Lesnar is no doubt a handful for any opponent, but in many ways has been the beneficiary of favorable matchups throughout his MMA career. More recently, Frank Mir made a serious tactical error, thinking that he could absorb a beating on the ground and wait for a submission opportunity. Lesnar had gameplanned Mir perfectly, and implemented a fight plan that allowed him to pound his opponent mercilessly while avoiding the risk of submission. Neither observation is meant to diminish the significance of Lesnars victories, but to underscore the fact that hes not unbeatable. Heres five fighters who could do it:

1) FEDOR EMELIANENKO: While the acrimonious relationship between the Russian fighting god and the UFC brass makes this matchup unlikely, Brock Lesnar made news with his dismissal of Fedor at the press conference welcoming Couture back to the fold. The best news for Lesnar in this matchup is that it probably wont happen. The Last Emperor is as close to unbeatable as anyone in mixed martial arts. Fedor has defeated not only bigger opponents, but freakishly large opponents like K-1 kickboxer Hong-Man Choi and Kamala the Ugandan Giant doppelganger Zuluzhinho (whom he beat in a matter of seconds, essentially with one punch). The WAMMA World Heavyweight champion has striking power, submission mastery, and may be the toughest fighter mentally in the sport. Fedor might get taken down by the new UFC heavyweight champ, but hed reverse it from the bottom and win via armbar.

2) ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA: Nogueira would present Lesnar with another formidable challenge. His five career losses are all via decision and came to the absolute highest level of competition (Fedor Emelianenko twice, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and Dan Henderson). The Mir fight was a lopsided loss, but it was later revealed that he had been recovering from a staph infection that limited his training and clearly impacting his conditioning. His ability to withstand punishment and take a punch allows him to be patient against powerful opponents and wait for an opening for a submission, as evidenced in his fight against Tim Sylvia. A healthy 'Nog' would be able to test Lesnar's ability to 'finish' matches and would be an even more dangerous submission threat than Mir.

3) JOSH BARNETT: Barnett is another unlikely opponent for Lesnar, also due to his strained relationship with Dana White and current issues with his positive drug test. Still, with the exception of Fedor, Barnett could be the worst matchup in the sport for the new UFC champ. Lesnar is likely the more powerful of the two, but Barnett is an imposing physical presence himself at 63 250 lbs. Barnett also has a solid wrestling background, with the added dimension of his sizable submission repertoire. As his career has progressed, Barnett has become a more patient and tactically sound fighter and his standup game has improved significantly. Unfortunately for MMA fans, a matchup between Lesnar and Barnett is more likely to happen in an IGF pro wrestling event than in the UFC.

4) ALISTAIR OVEREEM: Overeem is bigger than Lesnar"260 pounds and 65 tall. He went through a rough patch in his career during his tenure in PRIDE, but has compiled a 5-1-1 record in his last seven fights. Mirko Cro Cop suggests that hes the *only* fighter in the world who could beat Fedor Emelianenko at this point. Hes got great standup including a kickboxing background that could cause Lesnar problems, as well as solid ground fighting ability. Hes yet another heavyweight that is unlikely to bend to Dana Whites contractual demands, and currently has a relationship with DREAM in Japan and Strikeforce in the US. Still, hes a dangerous matchup for any fighter on the planet.

5) RANDY COUTURE: Lesnars win over Couture was far from decisive, and it didnt have anything to do with the age disparity. Couture got caught with a big shot and it cost him the fight. Until that point, he was more than holding his own. He was making his opponent work hard, had the edge in the striking exchanges and had opened up a cut over Lesnars right eye. The most likely route for Couture at this stage of his career is to drop back down to light heavyweight but should he desire a rematch his experience and toughness give him a chance to prevail. Granted, itll never be a favorable matchup on paper for Couture but at the same time Lesnar in no way proved his categorical superiority over The Natural. New gameplan, new tactics and Lesnar could end up being a victim.

An intriguing matchup down the road could be against Croatian striking machine Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop has battled injuries over the past year or so but if he could come close to the form he demonstrated in winning the PRIDE Open Weight GP he could be another formidable challenge. At his best, Cro Cop is simply the most devastating striker in the sport. - 31497

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Fedor Emelianenko To Take on Brett Rogers

By Ross Everett

Fedor Emelianenko will make his debut for the Strikeforce MMA promotion this fall, facing undefeated prospect Brett Grim Rogers. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker made the announcement at a Showtime promoted Fedor open workout in New York City. The promotion has yet to announce a date or a venue, though the event is expected to take place in November with San Jose or Fresno being likely locations given their strong support of previous Strikeforce events.

Fedor is considered by most experts to be the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, if not the best of all time. He snubbed the UFC following Afflictions exit from the MMA promotion business, choosing to sign with the up-and-coming Strikeforce promotion. Strikeforce agreed to co-promote with M1 Global, a Russian based promotion company owned by Fedors manager Vadim Finkelchtein and to allow the fighter a non-exclusive deal that would enable him to compete in Japan and Eastern Europe. These had been major stumbling blocks to signing with the UFC.

After signing with Strikeforce, Fedor was typically low key:

I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level. STRIKEFORCE is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world. I am prepared to fight any of them.

Emelianenkos manager, Vadim Finkelchtein commented:

I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce. We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker added his thoughts:

We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor. Fedor has been the reigning king of MMAs heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class.

Fedor will put his 26 fight winning streak on the line against Brett Grim Rogers, who himself will enter the fray with an unblemished 10-0 record. His stock shot up precipitously following a first round knockout of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in his last fight, and now he takes an even bigger step up in class against The Last Emperor.

Fedor vs. Rogers Strikeforce betting lines have not been posted as of yet, but the Russian fighting god will clearly by a huge favorite. - 31497

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