Muay Thai
Can Autism Be Overcome By Martial Arts? Just Ask Monique Sciberras.
I’m not sure when I first heard about autism. I’m not even sure that I had even heard about it before watching the Oscar-winning movie “Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise way back in 1988.
I guess you can say that autism got quite a bit of exposure through the film and Dustin Hoffman’s character, Raymond Babbitt.
Autism is a disorder of neural development. It is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.
According to studies, these signs all begin before a child is three years old.
Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood.
Autism has a strong genetic basis. In some cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.
It is controversial when it comes to proposed environmental causes, such as heavy metals, pesticides or childhood vaccines.
The global prevalence of autism is about 1–2 per 1,000 people, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports approx. 9 per 1,000 children in the United States. The number of people diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s.
And then there’s 10-year old Monique Sciberras from Australia who was diagnosed with mild autism several years ago.
According to her parents, Monique has been able to thrive through her martial arts training and overcome her disability.
She has become a force to reckon with in karate, kung fu, boxing, Muay Thai and weapons.
I came across some video footage that deserves to be shared with you, wherever you may be right now:
For more about Monique Sciberras, click here
Akshay Kumar Gets Serious About Martial Arts Training In Indian Schools
Akshay Who?
Akshay Kumar is frequently referred to as the Indian Jackie Chan. He has starred in over 100 Indian movies and has made a name for himself as the go-to guy for dangerous stunts in numerous Bollywood productions.
After obtaining Taekwondo black belt status in India, he travelled to Thailand to study Muay Thai.
Upon his return to Mumbai, India, he began teaching martial arts. One of his students, who just so happened to be a photographer, advised him to give it a shot at modelling.
For only two hours of posing in front of the camera, Kumar got Rs. 5,000, which looked pretty good, considering he previously made Rs. 4,000 a month. After just several months of modelling, he was given the lead role in a major movie.
After 20 years of acting and producing, big-time Indian movie celebrity with nationwide recognition, Kumar Akshay is now making a case for introducing martial arts training and education in schools all across India.
In Kumar’s opinion, schools should train kids enough to protect themselves and to deter other forms of danger when India demands it.
Akshay Kumar, who also hosts the Inidan version of Fear Factor which is a stunt based reality show, has announced he would even speak to top ministers and bureaucrats on this topic.
He is taking his own first steps to making his idea a reality: Kumar is using his own money by putting in place an annual karate competition.
I will keep you posted as soon as I learn of any developments in this regard.
All in favor of Akshay Kumar’s push for martial arts training in schools, say ‘aye’.
UFC 126 Or Curitiba Vs. Rio De Janeiro
I haven’t written about a UFC event in a long time.
Well, that’s about to change today, because UFC 126 features two mixed martial artists fighting for the Middleweight Championship title that bring a lot to the table.
The reigning UFC Middleweight Champ, Anderson “Spider” Silva, is currently considered by many the best pound-per-pound fighter, maybe even the best fighter of all time.
Silva will enter the Octagon at UFC 126 with 13 straight wins. His last win was last August at UFC 117 against Chael Sonnen whom he submitted with triangle choke in the fith round, after he was behind on the scorecards up till that point of the fight.
It ain’t over till it’s over!
The almost 36-year-old Silva has secured 20 of his 27 career wins by KO, TKO or submission. The Spider’s list of “victims” reads like at Who’s Who of UFC Middleweight Elite: Forrest Griffin, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson and Demian Mia.
“The Spider” has never been defeated (12-0) inside the Octagon.
Silva is a graduate of the Chute Boxe Academy that opened as a Muay Thai academy in 1978 in Curitiba, Brazil.
By 1995, the Chute Boxe team was considered a prime training ground for Vale Tudo fighters.
With an aggressive and physical style focused around their muay thai skills, Chute Boxe fighters are well-rounded fighters, able to use submissions, punches, kicks, and various grappling styles as needed.
You can clearly see these elements of Anderson Silva’s fighting style, even though he left Chute Boxe in 2003 to start MuayThai Dream Team.
Along Came The Spider:
But will it be enough when he faces this formidable opponent fromRio de Janeiro in UFC 126?
At the youthful age of 19, Vitor “Phenom”Belfort had his successful debut in the Octagon a whopping 14 years ago this month. He later went on to capture the light heavyweight championship.
The Carlson Gracie master student from Rio d Janeiro is truly blessed with some of the most stinging hand speed that will wreak havoc if he has his way.
Vitor has attained 13 of his 19 career wins either by KO or TKO. Like Anderson Silva, Vitor has accomplished some remarkable victories against a number of outstanding opponents such as Matt Lindland, Wanderlei Silva, UFC hall of famer Randy Couture and Bobby Southworth.
Should Vitor Belfort win against Anderson Silva, he would become the third fighter ever to UFC titles in multiple weight classes.
The other two fighters? Randy Couture and B.J. Penn.
Introducing Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort:
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“Pour Some Sugar On Me!” What?
Does anybody else remember that 80s song by Def Leppard? You know that English band that formed way back in 1977?
Good, because I thought I was the only one around here.
Now get this: Their lead guitarist, Phil Collen (yeah, the guy who gave his last shirt in the video), who is now in his early 50s, is really into working out and I think it shows. Besides, he has acquired some rather impressive Muay Thai skills.
Don’t believe me?!
Check this out in Huntington Beach with his world renowned personal trainer, Jean Carrillo:
But, wait there’s more:
From my own personal experience this stuff is tougher than it looks. Just try it.
Phil Collen, Rock On!
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I Really Hope Thiago Alves ….
… gets well and everything works out for him.
Just in case you don’t know what and who I’m talking about:
Thiago Alves is the 26 year old Brazilian MMA fighter who was supposed to fight tonight in UFC 111 against fellow welterweight fighter, Jon Fitch.
Both fighters are considered among the very best this weight class has to offer.
And just today I heard the shocking announcement that Thiago Alves was taken off the fight card because of a so-called brain irregularity found in a CAT scan.
Tonight’s UFC 111 events take place in New Jersey and from what I learned their State Athletic Commission did not give their O.K. to Dana White’s team to let Thiago fight and show off his superb Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills in The Octagon.
Of course, Thiago will undergo further tests next week to determine what the next steps will be. This is a real bummer.
I really hope Thiago Alves gets well and everything works out for him whatever a successful future has in store for him.
In the meantime, check out Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves’ story:
What A Week In Review At The MartialArtsReporter.com!
St. Patrick’s Day was awesome and the rest of the week wasn’t too shabby either.
If you are a single mom or know someone who is, please take note of this Personal Safety Alert For Single Moms.
We all know that Bruce Lee could punch and kick, but he also knew something about the art of fighting without fighting.
Surprise – surprise! What you didn’t know about pro golfer Phil Mickelson.
Going Green: Happy St. Patrick’s Day And Irish Stick (Shillelagh) Fighting!
This guy blows me and his opponents away: The Best Pound-For-Pound Fighter, Also The Best Ever Fighter In The World?
Amazing: Ultimate Fighting has become a household name, but what did the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC 1, Look Like?
Talk soon, my friends.
The Best Pound-For-Pound Fighter, Also The Best Ever Fighter In The World?
Without further ado, we’re talking about Brazilian Anderson “The Spider” Silva.
Silva is UFC’s Middleweight Champion of the world with 10 consecutive wins and many say he has made his weight division so boring through his seemingly invincible fighting style that the calls are getting louder for him to either lose weight to fight against GSP or gain weight to fight against Lyoto “Dragon” Machida.
Silva’s MMA record is pretty amazing: 25 wins vs. 4 losses!
His last loss was over 4 years ago via disqualification by illegal side-up kick against Japanese Yushin Okami.
Silva’s fighting arsenal is more than just impressive in my book. It’s overwhelming and at times overbearing for any opponent.
Besides being a long-time Black Belt in Taekwondo, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, “The Spider” is a highly trained Muay Thai fighter and Western boxer.
He turns 35 in April and has expressed plans to retire fairly soon, whatever soon means. His UFC contract still calls for at least 3 more fights. We will have to wait and see.
In the meantime, check out some of Anderson “The Spider” Silva’s career highlights and be impressed:
Tipping Off March Madness With The Week In Review
“Variety is the spice of life.”
I am trying to live up to that saying by posting about different topics that relate to martial arts or not. Anyway ….
In case you were too busy being busy, here’s what you missed:
Bulgarian Greco-Roman Wrestler Is Big In Japan: The David Beckham Of Sumo
It Happened In 1935 … Sarah Mayer, First Non-Japanese Female Judo Black Belt
The Question Is: “Honestly, Are You Really Prepared To Fight If You Have To?”
With ‘The Sensei ‘, She’s Creating Buzz In The Movie Industry And Let’s Just Face It … With A Name Like Lee Inosanto, She’s Got To Be Good
What Goes Up, Must Come Down. With This Guy, Things Appear To Be A Bit Different. Thai Action Movie Star Tony Jaa Defies The Law Of Physics.
There you have it: The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Have a great Sunday!
I will be reporting again from here tomorrow.
Thai Action Movie Star Tony Jaa Defies The Law Of Physics
Meet our man of many names that are tough for us Westerners to pronounce or even remember without a cheat sheet. Names like Tatchakorn Yeerum or Panom Yeerum or Jaa Panom.
We know him better as Tony Jaa.
Just recently Tony turned 34 and man, oh, man, does this guy know how to defy the Laws of Physics, or what?
A trained Thai martial artist, Tony Jaa has a proven track record as an actor, choreographer, stuntman and director.
You might have already admired some of his incredible work such as Ong-Bak:Muay Thai warrior, Tom-Yum-Goong and Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning.
Tony Jaa was certainly influenced by the great Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
But honestly, I am starting to believe that this guy from Thailand is taking things up a notch when it comes to eye-rubbing fight choreography and jaw-dropping stunt performances.
Here some examples and don’t try this at home, alright?
Last Week In Review February 2010 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Over the last 5 months since the inception of TheMartialArtsReporter.com my foremost goal has been and will continue to be to provide my readers with the greatest possible diversity of mainly positive martial arts related posts.
Readership has been growing faster than anticipated and I am certainly more than happy about that.
I’ll be honest with you: Make my day simply by visiting this blog whenever you want a quick ‘lift me up’ and tell all your friends about it.
If you have ever sent any comments in the past, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Don’t stop now!
If you haven’t so far, please feel free to share your thoughts on any of the previous 160 posts.
Thank you so much for your continuing support and interest.
This year seems to be moving at lightning speed. Two months have already passed and here’s the last Week In Review February 2010:
Years before Bruce Lee, …Extreme Pushups By Fitness Legend Jack LaLanne
An important topic in anybody’s life, … No Fear Or Know Fear?
Jean-Paul Belmondo … I Really Think He Was “The French Steve McQueen”
Consider Mokuso Or The Power Of Meditation Not Only For Martial Artists
Did The Movie “Enough” With Jennifer Lopez Help Women’s Self-Defense?
High-grade Muay Thai … From The Netherlands, The First Foreigner To Be Named “Muay Thai Fighter Of The Year”
Enjoy And Don’t Be A Stranger!
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