Mixed Martial Arts
MVP (Most Valuable Posts) 2009 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Where did this year go?
2009 just started and now it’s already over!
I don’t know about you, but I am truly looking forward to another great, make that even greater, year 2010.
Thank you so much for your continuing support and interest.
For me personally, there were numerous moments that stand out at TheMartialArtsReporter.com in 2009.
Here is my MVP (Most Valuable Posts) 2009 selection and if you have any favorites not listed here, why not just let me know:
“Gracie Jiu-Jitsu - Behind The Scenes In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil”
“Peaceful Warrior Wisdom For Martial Artists And Others, Too.”
“My Interview With Jackie Chan” Is Becoming An Internet Favorite.
“Unfair Karate Fight, Let’s All Lighten Up, Shall We?”
“20 Seconds With Bruce Lee Could Change Your Life Forever”.
“Fighting Legend Benny ”The Jet” Urquidez Offers Great Advice”
“Pankration, One Of The World’s Oldest Martial Arts”.
“Switzerland Is The Place For Cheese, Chocolate, Skiing, Watches And Wrestling”.
“You Want This Former UFC Champ In Your Corner During A Bar Fight”.
There you have it:
The Most Valuable Posts 2009 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
I’ll talk to you next year. That’s just in a couple of hours.
How Can Anybody Become 2-Time World Champion In Racquetball AND Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Egan Inoue from Hawaii is quite versatile, to say the least.
He’s a very skillful surfer, free diver, actor and an allround athete. And yes, he’s a really nice guy, too.
After winning two world championship titles in the sport of racquetball (1986 and 1990), Egan went on to attain such a high level of proficiency at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that he became the first U.S. American to win a BJJ world title in Brazil in 1996, in the blue belt division.
And as you know, besides soccer football the Brazilians take Jiu-Jitsu in their home country very seriously.
So, you probably think that’s pretty cool, right?!
Think again, because Egan Inoue went back to Brazil to repeat that same accomplishment one year later in the purple belt division!
After professionally competing in MMA (mixed martial arts) for Pride, Shooto, Superbrawl and Luminex Cup for several years, 2nd degree BlackBelt Egan Inoue proceeded to teaching his profound fighting skills not only in his 3 martial arts schools, but also to law enforcement agencies and branches of the U.S. military.
Egan Inoue And The Art Of Enjoying The Journey.
Amir Perets – Martial Arts Champion, Fitness Guru, Israeli Self-Defense Expert
Amir Perets was born in Tiberias, Israel.
By the the time he turned 18, Amir was already National Heavyweight Kick-Boxing Champion and considerd a martial arts expert.
Due to his extraordinary skills demonstrated during his service in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) he qualified to become a member/commando of the highly distinguished elite IDF Naval Commando Unit “Shayetet 13″ which could probably be compared to U.S. Navy Seals.
Amir later on became the Krav Maga/hand-to-hand combat instructor of the Israeli infantry and Special Forces units.
Krav Maga was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld and is considered the combat system of the Israeli Defense Forces. It has been gaining in worldwide recognition as an extremely effective self-defense system for civilians, too.
Click Here to read my recent post on Krav Maga
Currently he trains combat self-defense to U.S. law enforcement and military special anti-terrorist units around the world.
Amir Perets teaches a modern day fighting system that integrates self defense and combat fitness methods that he has made available to civilians, too.
His system incorporates two highly respected and realistic approaches to self defense and fight training: Krav Maga and specialized techniques from the world of Mixed Martial Arts (no holds barred).
Be amazed by Amir Perets, martial arts champion, fitness guru and Israeli self-defense expert. I know I am!
Legendary Renzo Gracie Gets Multi-Fight Deal With The UFC
Things are getting really exciting again.
If you admire true martial artists in the ring and/or The Octagon like I do, we are in for a treat.
Just several minutes ago, I heard that the one and only Renzo Gracie has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC.
Renzo Gracie, one of the most successful Gracie Jiu-Jitsu family members, will certainly contribute to get even more people excited about mixed martial arts in general and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in specific.
Now, this guy knows a thing or two about submission fighting.
Enjoy the visual appetizer!
Fight Deal For Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Set For March 13, 2010
Will this really be “The Fight Of The Century”?
And if so, the 20th or 21st century?
Can professional boxing thrive in direct comparison with mixed martial arts events such as UFC, Strikeforce or World Extreme Cagefighting in general? And not only on the exceptional nights featuring amazing fighters such as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather?
The announced fight has all the necessary ingredients for a commercial success.
The top two Pound-For-Pound Fighters in the world:
Pacquiao, WBO welterweight champion, has a record of 50-3-2, with 38 knockouts.
Mayweather, currently No. 2 (who previously held the top pound-for-pound spot), holds a clean 40-0 record with 25 KOs.
I will be heading back to my Filipino-American barber in the very near future to get my hair cut and I will let you in on all the insider information.
Meet The Amazing UFC-Champion Georges St. Pierre (GSP)
I have been following the career of one of UFC’s absolute superstars for some time now and I gotta tell ya, GSP does not seize to amaze me for a lot of reasons.
Refreshingly, Georges St. Pierre is simply a very down to earth and likeable guy. The kind of guy you could just sit down with and have a beer or whatever.
The Canadian from Quebec has stayed very humble and modest even after all the breathtaking success he has had on the mat and in The Octagon.
Unarguably, Georges has become one of the outstanding figures of MMA worldwide with a very strong background in kyokunshinkai karate and wrestling.
He is consistenty ranked among the Top 4 Pound-For-Pound MMA-fighters in the world, along with Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida.
Georges is very methodical in his workout that includes a lot of cross training with plyometrics.
His inclination to being extemely analytical when preparing for his next opponent continues to pay off for him, too.
He is very professional in his approach to fighting, career choices and the way he presents himself.
Recently I came across a magazine headline that made reference to the physical results of his training regimen and lifestyle.
“Georges St. Pierre, The Body Women Desire And Men Admire”.
I let you be the judge!
Another Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Here’s your week in review at TheMartialArtsReporter.com and two great quotes, just because it’s that season again!
Gegard Mousasi, MMA Fighter With A 27-2-1 Record And Only 24 Years Old
From Leiden,The Netherlands, referred to by many as “Europe’s Best-Kept Secret”.
Is Yildiz Aras The World’s Best Female Karate Kumite Competitor?
From Istanbul, Turkey, meet the “Strong Girl”.
New Zealand’s Maori Haka Get Warriors For Battle
From ‘Lord of the Rings’ country comes a ritual that will get any opponent’s attention.
Bruce Lee And Albrecht Pflueger. Albrecht Who?
Find out who this karate pioneer is and what role he played in my life.
Yoga And Martial Artists
If it helps Rickson Gracie in his workout regimen, could you possibly benefit from yoga?
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – Behind The Scenes In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Rio is more than just the ‘Girl from Ipanema’.
And here are the two quotes as promised. I hope you like them.
“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.”
Lord Byron
But wait, there’s more!
“Nurture your mind with great thought, for you will never go any higher than you think.” Benjamin Disraeli
Thanks again for following me at TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Gegard Mousasi, MMA-Fighter With A 27-2-1 Record And Only 24 Years Old
Today I would to introduce to you a mixed martial artist who has been consistently climbing in the MMA rankings in an almost stealth-like manner.
Not too long he was referred to as “Europe’s Best-Kept Secret”. It’s time to reveal the secret.
Born in Iran to Armenian parents, Gegard Mousasi and his family moved to the Netherlands when he was only 4 years.
The university town of Leiden, also birthplace of the Dutch Constitution, has become home to this exceptional mixed martial artist.
The very talented Gegard Mousasi started with Judo as a kid and then by age 15 he immersed himself into Western boxing.
Astonishingly enough, it has been reported that after training for only about a year, he became Dutch amateur boxing champion.
The next stepping stone was kickboxing which has a long tradition in The Netherlands and that has brought out many amazing fighters. (I look forward to talking about them in the very near future.)
Equipped with profound skills in Judo, Western boxing and kickboxing as well as the desire to take on new challenges, Mousasi entered the arena of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
He currently fights on Team Jurojin and is also a member of Red Devil Sport Club.
His first official MMA fight on record was in April 2003, when he was still 17 years old! Mousasi was declared the winner after 3:40 minutes of the first round by TKO.
He had a 5-0-1 record until Mousasi had to swallow his first loss in February 2005, which led him to make numerous changes in his approach to MMA.
The only other loss he had to suffer was in August 2006.
It has been now over 3 years and a rather successful undertaking for Gegard Mousasi who has a stunning fight record of 27 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw (early on in his career).
He was good for a surprise by signing up for a K-1 fight in 2008 against Musashi which he quickly won in the first round through referee stoppage.
After competing as a Middleweight, Gegard Mousasi has moved up to Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight division.
I admit that I am very impressed with his overall fighting skills, demeanor and professional approach to his career.
And at the relatively young age of only 24 and if he stays injury-free, there’s no telling how far and how long Gegard Mousasi can go.
Do I hear the UFC and Dana White calling?
Former Hand-To-Hand Combat Instructor To U.S. Navy SEALS, Paul Vunak
Hey guys,
Do you think you could learn a thing or two from a former long-time Navy SEAL hand-to-hand combat instructor?
Me, too. And believe me, when this guy speaks, I listen.
He is also one of the top students of Guro Dan Inosanto and the Founder of Progressive Fighting Systems.
He is very highly regarded in the martial arts and self-defense community.
His name is Paul Vunak.
Sifu Paul is an extremely well-rounded martial artist, who at a very young age started with Tae Kwon Do and then throughout the last 30 or so years has mastered Kenpo, Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, French Savate and Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
With the encouragement of Guro Dan Inosanto, Sifu Paul created Progressive Fighting Systems that he has been able to spread to numerous countries across the globe.
Sifu Paul is an absolute authority in hand-to-hand combat and street fighting who has developed combat systems used by U.S. Navy SEALS as well as 18 other federal government agencies whose lives depend on the effectivity of these very systems.
I have one of Sifu Paul’s Street Fighting courses myself which I find to be very realistic and easy to learn, especially if you’re not heading to the dojo 6 nights a week and you still want to keep your self-defense skills sharp.
You might even come across a technique or two that you didn’t think of.
Today’s clip shows Sifu Paul at a JKD-seminar I am sure you will enjoy.
Stay safe!
Meet Gina Carano, The Face Of Women’s MMA
Meet Gina Carano, not just another pretty face, but The face of women’s MMA.
Besides being a looker, she definitely is a fighter.
Gina Carano is originally from Texas and notably her dad was a professional football player during the late 70s till early 80s with the Dallas Cowboys and then at the end of his career with the USFL Pittsburgh Maulers.
Gina was a very gifted high school basketball player in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Martial arts? Not yet!
Usually it’s “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. But not in Gina’s case.
Gina Carano was introduced to Muay Thai by her ex-boyfriend, a professional Muay Thai fighter.
Working the bag and the mitts undeterredly she was able to establish a very impressive Muay Thai fight record of 12-1-1.
Training under Master Toddy and getting national exposure on the “Ring Girls” and then “Fight Girls”, where Gina Carano was one of five American young women who accept the daunting challenge of fighting professional female Muay Thai fighter here in the U.S. as well as in Thailand.
With the conviction of a true champion she laid the foundation for launching her MMA career just 3 three years ago.
Fighting for Team Xtreme Couture out of Las Vegas, Gina has become a household name in the shortest of time.
She most certainly is an awesome inspiration for girls and women to get involved in Muay Thai and/or MMA.
And yes, I think that’s a good thing!
Her Strikeforce MMA record currently stands at 7 wins and 1 loss.
Gina’s only loss was by TKO against a truly formidable opponent, Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos from Brazil, in the first round of their bout last August.
Before the fight I was listening to an interview Gina Carano gave and I thought I heard some self-doubt coming from her.
In essence, she said something to the extent of ‘whoever wins the fight, will be a deserving champion and women’s MMA will continue to gain popularity’. Hmm.
Either way, Gina Carano is a superb fighter who knows her stuff and she continues to do an amazing job in getting women of all ages excited about Muay Thai and MMA.
Meet Gina Carano, The Face Of Women’s MMA.
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