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 Hawaii Martial Arts News & Rumors This page is dedicated to Hawaii-specific Martial Arts News & Rumors If you have any news or rumors, please email it to me Bookmark this page and check back often!
January News and Rumors Archives Return to Current News and Rumors Page

 1/26/01

Baret's Back in Hawaii

Baret Yoshida came back to Hawaii after an unsuccessful fight in Japan. After talking with Baret, he told me that it seemed like a boring fight where Katsuta basically played it safe in Baret's guard and scored with small non-damaging punches throughout the fight. Baret said that he scored some solid punches and kicks standing, but couldn't submit this talented fighter. Baret said that Katsuta felt like a good purple belt and knew how to play the game. Katsuta could defend Baret's attacks and Baret stated that it felt like a BJJ tournament. With the losses of two top fighters in the division, Bozo Palling may move up to #3 rank, taking Baret's place and who knows where everyone else will fall. After his fight, Baret took his first trip to Thailand for 3 days to watch and train Thai boxing. Baret had to shadowbox for 3 hours (well, not really 3 hours) because this was his first time. He said that everyone there trains extremely hard with no breaks, even the kids. There are many homeless kids that were taken in by the trainer and all they do is train. He said that they have Thai boxing fights everyday. They did not let him spar. He did get to bargin hunt and get a good view of the land.

First Annual Gracie Kauai Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
June 9, 2001

1997 Blue Belt World BJJ Champion and Relson Gracie Team member Kendall Goo is hosting the first BJJ tournament (to my knowledge) on Kauai. Kauai is known for its extremely tough competitors. Kauai has Gracie Kauai, Kamole, and Longman Jiu-Jitsu schools which should make for some epic battles, especially between Kamole and Longman. This tournament is a primer for the Gracie State Tournament tentatively set for the following weekend. If there are other BJJ schools on Kauai, please shoot us a email and we'll add your school to the above list. Please include your name and contact info so we can pass that on to Kendall to have when he starts sending out information.

 1/25/01

2001 Hawaiian Championships of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
February 24, 2001
Klum Gym, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Rickson Gracie black belt, Romolo Barros is hosting this sport Jiu-Jitsu tournament and will also be adding a no-gi division. The entrance fee will be $40. The tournament is slated to start at 10:30 AM. If you have any questions, call Romolo at (808) 244-5593 or James at (808) 223-9363 / (808) 833-0294 for more information.

Preliminary Super Brawl XX Card
February 23, 2001

I got this off of the Underground forum which was posted by T. Jay Thompson promoter for Super Brawl. This looks to have a lot of the best of Hawaii's NHB fighters in one show.

Arti Brito v Brennan Kamaka

Bob Ostovich v TBA

Kai Kamaka v TBA

Abe Rodriguez v TBA

Jay R. Palmer v Richard Crunkleton?

Anthony Torres v TBA

Charlie Anderson v Falaniko Vitale

Scott Bills v John Crisostomo

Scott Henze v Ronald "Machine Gun" Juhn

Baret Yoshida v TBA

Din Thomas v Stephen “Bozo” Palling

Paul Rodrigues v Ray “Bradda” Cooper

 1/24/01

Jerry Springer Show Application

Since we were on the Springer show during our last trip to Chicago, I thought that everyone should know what the application looks like to be a guest. Someone sent over this email, which I thought was pretty funny. Enjoy!

Simply fill in this application to go on the Jerry Springer Show:

Last name: ________________
First name: (Check appropriate box)
(_) Billy-Bob
(_) Billy-Joe
(_) Billy-Ray
(_) Billy-Sue
(_) Billy-Mae
(_) Billy-Jack
What does everyone call you?
(_) Booger
(_) Bubba
(_) Junior
(_) Sissy
(_) Other___________________

Age: ____ (if unsure, guess) _____ Not sure
Shoe Size: ____ Left ____ Right
Occupation: (Check appropriate box)
(_) Farmer
(_) Mechanic
(_) Hair Dresser
(_) Unemployed
(_) Dirty Politician
(_) Preacher
Spouse's Name:_________________________
2nd Spouse's Name:______________________
3rd Spouse's Name:______________________
Lover's Name:___________________________

Relationship with spouse: (Check appropriate box)
(_) Sister
(_) Brother
(_) Aunt
(_) Uncle
(_) Cousin
(_) Mother
(_) Father
(_) Son
(_) Daughter
(_) Pet

Number of children living in household:_____
Number of children living in shed: ______
Number that are yours: ______
Mother's Name: _______________________(If not sure, leave blank)
Father's Name: _______________________(If not sure, leave blank)
Education: 1 2 3 4 (Circle highest grade completed)
Total number of vehicles you own: ___
Number of vehicles that still crank: ___
Number of vehicles in front yard: ___
Number of vehicles in back yard: ___
Number of vehicles on cement blocks: ___
Firearms you own and where you keep them:
____ truck
____ bedroom
____ bathroom
____ kitchen
____ shed

Model and year of your pickup: 196_
Do you have a gun rack?
If no, please explain:
Newspapers/magazines you subscribe to:
(_) The National Enquirer
(_) The Globe
(_) TV Guide
(_) Soap Opera Digest
(_) Rifle and Shotgun

Number of times you've seen a UFO:_____
Number of times in the last 5 years you've seen Elvis:_____
Number of times you've seen Elvis in a UFO:_____
How often do you bathe:
(_) Weekly
(_) Monthly
(_) Not Applicable
Color of eyes: Right_____ left_____

Color of hair:
(_) Blond
(_) Black
(_) Red
(_) Brown
(_) White
(_) Clairol

Color of teeth:
(_) Yellow
(_) Brownish-Yellow
(_) Brown
(_) Black
(_) N/A

Brand of chewing tobacco you prefer:
(_)Red-Man
How far is your home from a paved road?
(_) 1 mile
(_) 2 miles
(_) Just a whoop-and-a-holler!
(_) road?

NAGA Submission Tournament back to Hawaii in September!

September 22, 2001 is the tentative date for the second NAGA grappling tournament. If you weren't there for the first one, you have to be here for this one. Kipp Kollar provided huge WWF style belts for the absolute no-gi and superfight champion, who happened to be none other than the gi-less wonder Baret Yoshida. This tournment brought out the best of Hawaii's NHB fighters competing in no-gi submission grappling under a very politically free atmosphere. Along with Baret, Ron Jhun, Niko Vitale, Brennan and Kai Kamaka, and Stephen "Bozo" Palling competed last year. The rules also allow the smaller aggressive fighter to be rewarded even though he/she may not be able to submit his larger opponent. This makes for balls to the wall submission based grappling, which is the most exciting to watch.

One superfight that is being kicked around is Baret Yoshida vs. BJJ blackbelt Cleber Luciano. Cleber has been tearing up the American BJJ circuit and everyone here knows what Baret can do. This would make for a very interesting match. If you have any other recommendations for a superfight grappling match, please email us and we'll pass it along to the tournament director. Please keep in mind a reasonable budget for plane tickets and lodging. I don't think Abdul the Iranian terminator vs. Yohimbe the African headhunter would be a feasible match up.

 1/23/01

Gladiator Challenge
February 18th, 2001
Northern California Colusa Casino in Colusa, CA.
Doors open at 4:00 pm and fights start at 6:00 pm.

Main Events:

Jerry Bohlander (Lion's Den) vs. Romie Aram (Millenia Jiu-Jitsu)
Kai Kamaka (Jesus is Lord Hawaii) vs. Joe Stevenson
David Velasquez (Frank Shamrock) vs. Charlie Valencia (for the King of the Cage belt)
Falaniko Vitale (SWAT Team Hawaii) vs. Jason Webber (Lion's Den)

Feature Fights:

Paul Savea (SWAT Team) vs. Buck Greer
Brennan Kamaka (SWAT Team) vs. Nick Lacouette
Attila Bodor vs. Rick Kerns
Brian Polbert vs. Quinton Jackson

Undercard Fights:

George Lazamo vs. Dan Nolan
Lupe Barajas vs. Paul Zillus
Bill Gogerpy vs. Charlie West
Joe Camacho vs. Zack Cambel
Jason Ramos vs. Keith Guaglianone


This event is packed with local talent against some heavy hitters. We'll post the results as soon as we get them.

Bustamante Seminar doesn't look good.

It seems like Murilo does not want his vacation interrupted. So far the word is no seminar. As always, we'll keep you updated.

 1/22/01

Bustamante Seminar

No word yet on the seminar if it is on or off. In fact, they are not even answering the phones as of 12:30 PM. I'll try again later and post any updated info.

Quote of the Day

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. - Jim Rohn, American Businessman, Author, Speaker, Philosopher

 1/20/01 PM

IFC BATTLEGOUND 2001
Quick Results
Tropicana Casino and Resort
January 19, 2001

IFC Heavyweight 4-man Tournament
Joe Priole
def. Carlos Rodriguez - Rear-naked choke
Al DeRosa def. Christopher DeCastro - Standing guillotine choke
Joe Priole def. Al DeRosa - Rear-naked choke

IFC Light-heavyweight 4-man Tournament
Mansure Heidari def. Cappi Woodall - Shoulder lock
Nick Starks def. Randy Rowe - Arm-bar
Mansure Heidari def. Nick Starks - Side choke

Middleweight Challenge Fight
Miquel Menendez def. Ken Parham - Tap out from punches

Heavyweight Challenge Fight
Tim Silva def. Randy Durant - Ref stoppage/towel thrown

IFC Intercontinental Lightweight Championship
Peter Kaljevic def. Motoi "Jimmy" Hattori - Hattori slipped and injured his knee

IFC Battleground Heavyweight Championship Fight
Eddy Rolon def. Kareem Ellington - Ankle lock

IFC Battleground Superfight
Edson Carvalho def. Pat Stano - Stano did not return for 2nd round

I know what you're thinking. Why are they posting this? Joe Priole is a student of Steve Maxwell of Maxercise in Philadelphia, which is an association school of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Congratulations to all the Philly brothers and Joe!

Coverage of the event will be in the next issue of FCF!

Source: FCF Website

 1/20/01 AM

Shooto Official fights results
January 19, 2001
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

#1 Bantamweight two 5min. rounds
Toshiteru Ishii (Tiger place) [1W]
def.3-0(20-19.20-18.19-18)
Tomohiro Hashi (Purebred Omiya)[1L]

#2 Featherweight two 5min. rounds
(This weight will be official featherweight starting from next April)
Ryota Matsune (Paraestra Matsudo)[2W]
def.3-0(20-17.20-16.20-15)
Nobuyuki (RJW G2)[1L]

#3 Welterweight two 5min. rounds
(This weight will be official welterweight starting from next April)
Hideki Kadowaki (Keisyukai)[3W]
def.3-0(20-17.20-16.20-15)
Takuto Hida (Impress)[1L]

#4 Lightweight two 5min. rounds
(This weight will be official lightweight starting from next April)
Daiji Takahashi (K'z Factory)[2W 2D 1L]
def.3-0(20-19.20-18.20-18)
Yasuhiro Urusidani (RJW Central)[1L]

#5 Welterweight two 5min. rounds
Takaharu Murahama (Wild Phoneix)[4W 3D 3L]
def.3-0(20-18.20-18.20-18)
Yohei Nanbu (STG Yokohama)[2W 2D 3L]

#6 Lightweight two 5min. rounds
[4th] Masahiro Oishi (K'z Factory)[6W 3D 4L]
def.1R 4min.12sec. TKO by Punch from back mount
Masaki Nishizawa (Wild Phoniex)[1W 2D 3L]

#7 Lightweight three 5min. rounds
[9th] Katsuya Toida (Keisyukai)[4W 2L]
def.3-0(30-29.29-28.30-28)
[4th] Hisao Ikeda (Purebred Omiya)[8W 1D 4L]

#8 Welterweight three 5min. rounds
[9th] Ryan Bow (Freelance)[4W 1L]
def.1R 2min.21sec. by Armbar
Tony Dedolph (UW Wrestling team)[2L]

#9 Featherweight three 5min. rounds
[2nd] Hiroaki Yoshioka (Paraestra Tokyo)[3W 2D 1L]
drew 1-1(29-29.29-28.30-28)
[6th] Takeyasu Hirono (Keisyukai)[1W 3D 3L]

#10 Lightweight three 5min. rounds
[8th] Tesuo Katsuta (K'z Factory)[5W 2L]
def.3-0(30-27.30-27.30-27)
[3rd] Baret Yoshida (Grappling Unlimited)[3W2L]

#10 Light heavyweight three 5min. rounds
[3rd] Akihiro Gono (Team Grabaka)[8W 3D 5L]
def.1R 3min.06sec. KO by Back spin kich to body
Ivan Salaverry (AMC Panklation)[1W 1L]

#12 Lightweight three 5min. rounds
[1st] Naoya Uematsu (K'z Factory)[8W 1D]
def.3-0[29-28.29-28.29-28]
Mike Cardoso (Team Rival)[1L]

2000 SHOOTO Awards
Japan Shooto Association made an announcement of 2000 at Korakuen Hall after 6th fight in the 19th show. 1998 & 1999 MVP Hayato Mach Sakurai was given MVP awards also 2000. He also received KO award and Best bout award.
These awards are presented by Shooto Association members, Shooto commission members, ranking committee members and X-Shooto Fun club menbers.
All the awards presented on this night are as follows.

Professional
MVP : Hayato Mach Sakurai (Middleweight Champion / Guts man Shooto dojo)
Pre MVP : Alexandre Franca Nogueira (Lightweight Champion / World Fight center)
MIS : (Most Improved Shootor) : Dokonjonosuke Mishima( Welterweight #2 / Cobra Kai)
Rookie of the year : Seichi Ikemoto (Middle weight Class B / Riroots Conan)
Best Bout Award : Hayato Mach Sakurai vs Frank Trigg (12/17/00 at NK Hall)
KO Award : Hayato Mach Sakurai
Submission Award : Alexandre Franca Nogueira

Amateur
Best bout : Ryota Matsune vs Nobuyuki Kato(9.10 Ota Public Gymnasium)
KO Awards : Masato Shiozawa (Keisyukai)
Submission Award : Yoshifumi Dogaki (Paraestra Kakogawa)
Merits Award : Eric Paulson(ex Light Heavyweight Champion)
Daiki Kitamori (ex Ring announcer)

Source: X-Shooto

 1/18/01

Hawaiian Combat II Card Adjusted Again?

This time the date has been moved forward to March 1, 2001, which is a Thursday. It is not the best day for us either, but Brennan said that Waipahu gym was booked on the 3rd. He also promised no more changes!

Please look at the 1/16/01 post for the most current info (I think).

Metal Lockers for Sale

The response has been overwhelming concerning the lockers that I have for sale. Actually, not one person has inquired. Help me out guys, I am moving into my new place soon and I have to get rid of them.

Please let me know if you know anyone interested.

The specifics are on the 12/18/00 post.

 1/17/01 PM

Hawaiian Combat II Card Adjusted!

The card has been adjusted slightly as can be expected. Also, the location, time, date, and admission price has been added. Please look at the 1/16/01 post. I have updated all the specifics.

Abu Dhabi Brazilian Qualifier Results
Abu Dhabi 2001 takes place April 11-13th
in Abu Dhabi, UAE

under 65 KG:
Robson Moura win by a takedown over Gabriel Thiago
66-77 KG: Leo Santos wins by guard pass over Marcello Gomez
77-87KG: Nino pulled guard 3 times was at -3 points, but pulled out a victory over Cacareco by a 2 point margin.
88-98 KG: Renato "Babalu" Sobral wins over Leo Dalla
Over 98 KG: Pe de Pano armbars Alex Paz in 6 minutes
Source: Abu Dhabi News Page

Robinho Moura is considered superman in sport BJJ at the peso pluma weight and has transferred this domination to no-gi competition. He has not done well when fighting one weight class up in the 147 lb class (peso pena). It will be interesting to see how he will do with the high level of competition at 65 kg that cuts weight to get in this class.

Leo Santos has been a sport BJJ winner basically since birth and has placed well in the 2000 Mundial or World Championships. He seemed to have trouble with powerful holders like Feitosa, but the no-gi game is slippery and it will be interesting to see if he can use his lanky built to his advantage.

Nino was at one time considered the next Rickson. This may have put too much pressure on his shoulders. Nino is very hot and cold in competition, maybe because he is a submitter and in competition, many times submissions do not happen. I always liked Nino's game and hope he fights at least three times so there is more footage of him to watch. I forsee him submitting at least one person with his famous Omo plata.

Babalu has had a lot of success in RINGS and fighting. He was always known as a solid grappler that can punch. He has shown that he can hold his own power-wise, but there are some heavy hitters in this division to beat in this grappling only competition.

Pe de Pano has taken the black belt division by storm. He has knocked off Cumprido from the top of the BJJ absolute mountain. Uncommon for a big man, Pe de Pano is a finisher which makes for exciting matches. He has the size to compete, but again, the big boys like to take down and stall for the win. I want to see him compete against Kerr who is assimulating BJJ in his world class wrestling game.

Warriors Challenge XI Results, Fresno, CA.
(Sorry for the late post, we were sleeping or something)

IFC Light Heavyweight Americas Championship (195lbs):
David Terrell def. Marcos Da Silva by submission from exhaustion at 7:02 of round one.

IFC Light Heavyweight United States Championship (195lbs):
Aaron Brink vs. Rich Franklin - no contest.

Lightweight Super Fight (165lbs):
Brian Sleeman def.
John Chrisostomo by rear naked choke 6:41 of round two.

Heavyweight Super Fight (225lbs):
Matt Frembling def. Jared Brown by ref stop due to strikes from the mount at 1:32 of round one.

IFC Middleweight United States Championship (180lbs):
Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun def. Jordan Klimp by TKO from punches on the ground at 3:07 of round one.

IFC Bantamweight United States Championship (150lbs):
Philip Perez def. Matt Philips by guillotine choke at 0:27 of round one.

Light Heavyweight Challenge Fight (195lbs):
Joey Villasenor def. Allen Mollring by TKO from punches at 3:27 of round one.

Flyweight Preliminary Fight (135lbs):
Caleb Mitchell def.
Shane Cabalas by rear naked choke at 7:59 of round one.

Lightweight Tournament:
Alternate fight - Johnny Torres def. Joey Varner by choke.
Eliminator fight #1 - Nick Ertl Jr. def. Justin Jones by ref stop from strikes at 6:40 of round one.
Eliminator fight #2 - Scott Bills def. Doug Evans by arm bar at 2:16 of round one.
Championship - Bills named the winner because both Ertl Jr. and Torres could not compete due to injury.

IFC Lightweight United States Championship (165lbs):
Antonio McKee def. Victor Estrada by ref stop due to strikes on the ground at 4:29 of round one.

Bantamweight Preliminary Fight (150lbs):
Keith Guaglianone def. Rudy La Roche by arm bar at 4:15 of round one.

 1/16/01

Hawaiian Combat 2
Hawaii vs. Washington
March 1, 2001 7:00 PM
Tentative Fight Card
Waipahu High School Gym
Cost:
Waipahu students with ID: $10
General Admission: $15
Ringside Seats: $35

Main Event
Falaniko Vitale (SWAT)
vs.
Todd Medina (Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu/Medina Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu)

Semi-Main Event
Paul Savea (SWAT)
vs.
Randy Durant (Hudson, NY)

Feature Fights(Hawaii vs. Washington)
Kai Kamaka (SWAT Team, Hawaii) vs. Brandon Dudley (Team Washington)
Jason Dacquel (SWAT Team, Hawaii) vs. Kevin Smith (Team Washington)
Eddie Yagin (Freelance,Hawaii) vs. Joel Townsend (Team Washington)
David Santiago (Team Wailua, Hawaii) vs. Jeff Gurumba (Team Washington)
Mike Cuban Jr. (SWAT Team, Hawaii) vs. Kevin Smith (Team Washington)
Russell Mederios (Jesus Is Lord,Team Hawaii) vs. Mark Ashton (Team Washington)
Kolo Koka (SWAT Team, Hawaii) vs. Eric Dahlberg (Team Washington)

Murilo Bustamante may be teaching at Relson's!

Murilo Bustamante, 2000 Mundial Champion, may be teaching next week at Relson's, possibly Monday and/or Tuesday. We are still working out the details and trying to convince him to teach. We will post any updated info as soon as we get it so keep checking back here. Most likely classes will be $20 a piece and probably start at 7:30pm and last about 2 hours. That seems to be the standard for visiting instructors.

 1/12/01

Hawaii News & Rumors Page has changed it's address

We have made a minor change in the URL of this page. We have changed the address from rumors.html to news.html. This page has been and will be news-based as opposed to rumors-based. We will post any rumor that we come across that is from a reliable source though.

Please delete the old link, click this link: http://www.onzuka.com/news.html, and bookmark it once you get to the site.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Murilo Bustamante in Hawaii

Brazilian Top Team member, Murilo Bustamante is in Hawaii enjoying the sun and surf. BJJ black belt, Joao Morais attempted to get Murilo to put on a seminar, but Murilo declined in order to have a much needed vacation. He will be at Joao's North Shore academy for a little while. Joao welcomes anyone to his class. The cost is $20.00 per class. Please check www.joaomorais.com for his class schedule.

 1/11/01 PM

Submission Wrestling Tournament Cancelled

The January 21st submission wrestling event that was going to be put on by Brennan Kamaka has been cancelled. They seemed to have a conflict in the venue. They hope to put one on in the near future.

 1/11/01

Hawaiian Combat Presents
Hawaii vs. Washington Shootfighting Event

The March 3, 2001 event will feature fighters from Marcelo Alonso/Carlson Gracie Jiu Jitsu based in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Click on Marcelo Alonso to go to his webpage. Marcelo is a 3rd degree black belt under Carlson and has been training for about 21 years. Alonso, also a Judo black belt, was Carlson's main instructor in the Rio school from 1989 to January 1997 producing more than 400 BJJ champions. He moved to Washington to open a school in January 1997 and has been fairly active both giving seminars and bringing BJJ black belts up to the Washington area to do seminars.

Hawaii's Team will guys from SWAT Fight Team, Team Tiger, Jesus Is Lord and Eddie Yagin of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The fight card should be close to finalized in February. If you have any questions or would like to fight in this event, call or email
Brennan Kamaka at 808-864-5511

Bas Rutten Seminar Cancelled

We have just received word that the Bas Rutten seminar has been cancelled. Hopefully in the future, he can come to Hawaii to show our local fighters the keys to his success.

 1/8/01

Free BJ Penn Seminar in Hilo, Hawaii

The 2000 Mundial black belt feather weight (Peso Pena) champion and first non-Brazilian to ever win a world championship in the black belt division, BJ Penn will be offering a FREE seminar. Here's the details:

Date: Saturday, January 20th, 2001
Time: 1:00PM to 3:00PM
Place: Behind Vernas drive-in on Kalanianiole in Hilo
1 mile from the airport.
More Info: For more info please call: (808) 961-6757

Everyone is welcome regardless of experience and affiliation. I have emailed BJ to confirm the details and any other details.

 1/7/01

Quote:

I love great quotes, so if I run across one that is worthy of being shared, I will post it. I feel this applies to home, work and the martial arts.

"The three great essentials to achieving anything worthwhile are; first, hard work, second, stick-to-it-iveness, and third, common sense."
Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Founder of GE

 1/6/01

Taste of Brazil

I don't normally post something like this, but I was perusing the Gracie Magazine web site for the latest news, I must have mis-clicked or something and happened upon Silmara Carse, the Gracie Girl for this month, and I don't know what happened, but I seemed to have come to about 5 hours later.

Check it out for yourself at
http://www.gracie-magazine.com/grrl/.

Here's a sample:

 1/5/01

Your Help Is Needed To Promote The Sport

Now is the time for you to make a difference. We need you to follow the directions below and our friends at Grapplersworld.com and Eddie Goldman made it simple for you by listing the key points and suggestions. It doesn't have to be a disertation, just to show that the sport has a huge number of supporters. As a word of advice, if you write your own letter, write it in a word document so you can copy and paste it in the comment section at each site. After you press send at one of the sites, you cannot go back and copy the letter for the next site. I found this out the hard way. (Damn it!) Remember to be polite, you know we all stop listening if someone is being an asshole about anything.

Dear Friend,

Below is a letter drafted by Grapplersworld.com and myself regarding the
continuing e-mail campaign against the censorship of mixed martial arts on
cable television in the US. We are asking everyone to post this letter on
their web sites, to encourage people to fight this censorship, and to do it
sensibly and intelligently, all of which is in keeping with the rich
traditions of the sport of mixed martial arts. Please also let us know the
reactions of both you and your supporters and friends to this campaign.

Thanks,
Eddie Goldman
eddiegoldman@eyada.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------
Dear Mixed Martial Arts Supporter,

As you are well aware, most of the American public is still not entitled to
the opportunity to watch mixed martial arts events on pay-per-view on cable
television. Since the majority of US households rely on cable for
pay-per-view events, this is a major problem. Not only are the cable
companies making the decisions for us as to what we are allowed and not
allowed to watch, but this censorship is also slowing down the growth of our
sport by artificially denying it a critical source of revenue.

Recently Jake Rossen, a writer who covers mixed martial arts for ign.com,
interviewed Joe Boyle, the public relations spokemen for In Demand, the
pay-per-view network that has a virtual monopoly on pay-per-view
distribution to cable television. Boyle basically said anything is possible
in regards to mixed martial arts events appearing back on cable, but that In
Demand has no plans of airing them. In the past, the In Demand
representatives have stated that they have received numerous requests for
these events. An article on our previous e-mail campaign appeared in
"Multichannel News," the leading cable television trade publication.

However, the noise our community was making was not yet loud enough to make a
difference. Let comments like these be a rallying cry for our cause. So, once
again, we will be going after the In Demand monopoly for our right to choose.

With the tremendous safety record of the legitimate mixed martial arts
promotions, the recent running of UFC and IFC shows in Atlantic City, New
Jersey, under the sanctioning of the New Jersey State Athletic Control
Board, and the adoption of rules for mixed martial arts by the California
State Athletic Commission, there is simply no excuse for not giving this
sport a shot!

All you have to do is write a simple message stating that you want to see
mixed martial arts offered on cable on pay-per-view.
With this in mind:

1. Please be polite.

2. Suggest that organizations like the UFC and IFC, which have run numerous
state-sanctioned shows and have impeccable safety records, be given a chance
to run trial shows, and that In Demand takes a look at the buy rates and
safety standards. In the past, when UFC was still on cable, its buy rate was
quite high, often surpassing that of pro wrestling.

3. Inform them of the upcoming dates of these competitions (January 19 in
Atlantic City for IFC and on February 23 in Atlantic City for the UFC).

4. Let them know that these sports are now 100% legal in many US states, and
that they are aired on cable in Canada by Viewers Choice Canada and Canal
Indigo.

5. Inform them that In Demand, Time Warner, and AT&T are acting like
monopolies, and that they have no right not to respect our right to choose.

6. Remind them that a growing number of people are dropping cable for
satellite services such as DirecTV and the Dish Network which do offer mixed
martial arts events.

The direct email links are as follows (In Demand needs to be hit the
hardest):

In Demand Pay-Per-View -
http://www.indemand.com/frames.asp?page=about&item=contact

AT&T Cable -
http://www.broadband.att.com/pages/contact.html

Time Warner Cable -
http://www.timewarner.com/corp/about/cablesys/twcable/request.html

Repeat this process as many times as possible.

Thank you for believing!
The Grapplers World Staff and Eddie Goldman, "No Holds Barred" on eYada.com


Relson Gracie on Seminar Tour

Relson recently left to visit his many associations throughout the country. The academy is in our trusting hands. Muhahahaha!


 1/4/01

Baret Leaves For Japan Early

Local fighter and #3 ranked Shooto Lightweight Baret Yoshida is planning to leave to Japan early in order to properly prepare for his upcoming fight. Since his opponent is a south paw, Japan provides many small quality south paws for Baret to train with. Notice that Baret's opponent is now ranked number 8. Shooto recognized that Katsuta is a very well rounded and formidable fighter. Baret has possibly left already.

 1/3/01

The Aiea Academy Is Back In Business

We have gotten everything straightened out and class will continue on Thursday, January 4th, 2000 at 8:00PM. We will see you all there.

Enson Inoue Retires

Enson Inoue annouced his retirement after his loss to Heath Herring at Pride Fighting Championships 12 "Cold Fury" on December 23, 2000. This is Inoue's first fight back after a ton of punishment at the hands of Igor Vovchanchyn. This proved how tough and how much heart Inoue has, but his corner should have thrown in the towel a long time before that in order to avoid the excessive punishment that Inoue received. Because of obvious reasons, we have not been able to provide more info on this rumor. Even though we have been at odds at times, we have always admired Enson, not only for becoming a champion, but for going out there and fighting. He always puts 100% into what he does and that's why he was the Shooto Heavyweight Champ and handed the UFC heavyweight champ, Randy Couture, his first loss.

Shooto Rankings Updated

Hawaii's own Yoshida, Palling, Cooper, and Jhun are all ranked. Baret Yoshida moved up one spot in the rankings and looks to inch up one more spot after his match with Tetsuo Katsuta this month. Palling also moved up in ranking due to a recent victory. Bradda Cooper dropped down to 3rd due to his loss to Alex Cook. The middleweight category looks to be the toughest in the sport, let alone Shooto. Matching up any one of the ranked fighters would make for an incredible match. Sakurai solidified his status as a champion by knocking out Trigg. Even though Trigg beat Cooper at WEF, Cooper is ranked above Trigg because Shooto only utilizes officially sanctioned Shooto matches for it's rankings. Finally, Ron Jhun is ranked at 6th. With Shooto's alliance with HooknShoot, the heavyweight category should start filling up soon. That is one category that has always been lacking in Shooto, especially after Enson Inoue cleaned out that class to gain the heavyweight championship.

Featherweight Ranking

Champion - Mamoru, Japan, STG Yokohama 6-0-1

#1 Uchu Tatsumi Japan, K'z FACTORY 10-1-1
#2 Hiroaki Yoshioka, Japan, PARAESTRA TOKYO 3-1-1
#3 Jin Akimoto, Japan, K'z FACTORY 7-5-2
#4 Masahiro Oishi, Japan, K'z FACTORY 5-4-3
#5 Yoshinobu Ohta, Japan, Shiou-Jyuku 3-2
#6 Takeyasu Hirono, Japan, Keisyu-kai 1-3-2

Lightweight Ranking

Champion - Alexandre Franca Nogueira, Brazil, Top Fight Center 6-0

#1 Naoya Uematsu, Japan, K'zFACTORY 7-0-1
#2 Noboru Asahi, Japan, PUREBRED Ohmiya 18-4-4
#3 Baret Yoshida, USA, G.U. 3-1
#4 Hisao Ikeda, Japan, PUREBRED Ohmiya 8-3-1
#5 Stephen Palling, USA, Jesus is Lord 2-2
#6 Hiroyuki Abe, Japan, RJW 2-1-1
#7 Kimihito Nonaka, Japan, PUREBRED Ohmiya 4-4-2
#8 Tetsuo Katsuta, Japan, K'z FACTORY 4-2
#9 Katsuya Toita, Japan, Keisyu-kai, 3-2
#10 Mamoru Ohkouchi, Japan, GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo 9-11-2

Welterweight Ranking

Champion - Vacant

#1 Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Japan, Cobra-kai 6-1-2
#2 Takanori Gomi, Japan, Kiguchi Wrestling, 7-0
#3 Marcio Cromado, Brazil, Hugo & Pereira, 1-1
#4 Rumina Sato, Japan, K'z FACTORY, 15-3
#5 Takuya Kuwabara, Japan, PUREBRED Ohmiya 8-2-4
#6 Ian J. Schaffa, Australia, Spartan Gym 1-1-1
#7 Din Thomas, USA, Internal Power 1-1
#8 Kohei Yasumi, Japan, PARAESTRA TOKYO 3-0-2
#9 Ryan Bow, USA, Freelance 3-1
#10 Dennis Hallman, USA, AMC 0-2

Middleweight Ranking

Champion - Hayato Sakukrai, Japan, GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo, 12-0-1

#1 Tetsuji Kato, Japan, PUREBRED Ohmiya 9-2
#2 Alex Cook, Australia, Poseidon Gym 3-2
#3 Ray Cooper, USA, Jesus is Lord 4-2
#4 Matt Hughes, USA, Miletich MAC 2-0
#5 Frank Trigg, USA, rAw 1-1
#6 Dan Gilbert, USA, Chicago Fight Team 1-1
#7 Jutaro Nakao, Japan, STG Ohsaka 6-7-2
#8 Steve Berger, USA, Rodrigo Vaghi JJ 0-0-1
#9 Marcio Feitosa, Brazil, Gracie Barra 0-0-1
#10 Shogun Kawakatsu, Japan, PUREBRED Ohmiya 5-2-1

Light-Heavyweight Ranking

Champion - Vacant

#1 Larry Papadopoulos, Australia, Spartan Gym 2-0-2
#2 Lance Gibson, USA, F.G.Pankration 2-0
#3 Akihiro Gouno, Japan, TEAM GRABAKA 7-5-3
#4 Masanori Suda, Japan, Club J 7-5
#5 Martin de Jong, Holland, Martin Dojo 1-1
#6 Ronald Jhun, USA, Jesus is Lord 2-2
#7 Izuru Takeuchi, Japan, K'z FACTORY 3-1-2
#8 Kenji Kawaguchi, Japan, STG Yokohama 11-4-4

Heavyweight Ranking

Champion - Vacant
PENDING

Source: "Unofficial" SHOOTO website.