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June 2002 News Part 1

 6/10/02

Quote of the Day

"Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was".

Robert Louis Stevenson 1850-1895, Scottish Essayist, Poet, Novelist

Minotauro vs. Naoya Ogawa maybe

Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Noguiera will face Antonio Inoki protege Naoya Ogawa on the August 8, 2002 UFO show.

The appearance of Noguiera on this event puts his next date for Pride in question as several contenders wait in the wings (Frye, Schilt, Herring, Coleman).

Antonio Inoki is the promoter of UFO and has sculpted Ogawa, a pro wrestler, into presumably the biggest Japanese star. Many Japanese fans argue as to whether or not Sakuraba has the drawing or star power of Ogawa.

Many have attempted to put the Rickson Gracie vs. Ogawa match together for the last year but no one seems to know what is happening. Inoki claims it could happen in November or on his New Year's Eve show but in the meantime Ogawa gets 'Minotaro.'

Ogawa is 'undefeated' in MMA competition (although there are strong hints at worked fights). He is also 'undefeated' in pro wrestling for the last several years so his drawing power is strong.

This throws hints of 'works' into the mix. The fight could be 100% legitimate but many will have doubts. One would think that if they want Ogawa to face Rickson later this year that they would want to keep him undefeated. This would keep him a high drawing card and build more star power going into the Rickson fight which would mean HUGE money.

Then again, if the fight is legit, Noguiera should win from all insider predictions.

We'll wait and see what develops.

Source: Fightworld

The Hawaii Martial Arts International Society Martial Arts Expo

2003 4th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Banquet
Masters Seminar
Martial Arts Tournament
August 9 & 10, 2003 - Honolulu, Hawaii

Plan your summer vacation to Hawaii and come see the most exciting Martial Arts, Bodybuilding & Fitness Expo in the Pacific.

SEMINAR: The Masters Seminar will be held on August 19, 2003. The first three (3) hours of the seminar will feature all the grandmasters, legends and pioneers in the martial arts from Hawaii and abroad, who will each show 5 different techniques before the actual seminar begins. Each class will be one (1) hour in duration - hands on training in many different styles and systems. Participants (pre-register only) at the seminar will recieve a 2 day general addmission pass for the seminar and the tournament, event patch, a program, and a event T-shirt.

BANQUET: The 4th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Banquet will be held on the evening of August 9, 2003. This is the event you don't want to miss!!! Many of the legends will be present. Visit our website in the Hall of Fame section to nominate those you feel is worthy to be inducted. Banquet tickets will not be sold at the door - advance sale only.

TOURNAMENT: The Hawaii Martial Arts International Society will host it's first Tournament on August 10, 2003. There will be an Open Martial Arts, Filipino Stick Fighting and a Sports Jujitsu Tournament. All contestants will be rated nationally under the HMAS Black Belt League and listed in our website and soon, our very on magazine distributed worldwide. For Rules, Registrations, Spectors informations, Schedules, visit out website for updates. Participants (pre-register only) in the tournament will receive a 2 day pass, a program, event patch, and a event t-shirt

EXPO: There will be lots of activities going on during the 9 & 10. There will be The Aloha Muscle Bodybuilding and Fitness Champioships, various of booths, displays, sponsors and much much more. For sponsorship packages, please write or call us.

For more information, visit our website at www.hmasociety.com or call Prof. Jaime Abregana at (808) 674-8443 or (808) 271-0225 or you may write: Hawaii Martial Arts International Society, P.O.Box 2106, Ewa Beach, Hawaii - USA

2003 Expo is being set-up right now!!! Hawaii is the Premier Martial Arts, Bodybuilding & Fitness destination in the country!!!!

 6/9/02

Quote of the Day

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon--instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."

Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, American Author, Trainer

Sorry for the late post

I apologize for the late post, but I got KO'd by way of 5 shots and a number of beers while celebrating Malcolm's win and my "fatherly" duties the next day.

I also wanted to thank all of those who contributed to Malcolm's impressive victory: Shane, Al, Tori, Rex, the guys at Professional Training Center, Shanelle & Hard Knocks Hawaii, Bloodline and the Aiea Academy guys. Of course Malc was the one who put everything in action, but in those short 44 seconds, everyone of his trainers and training partners saw their contribution.

Warriors Quest 5: New Blood Results
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 7, 2002
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com

As with a lot of events that feature new or up coming fighters, some times you get a night of action packed fights and sometimes the fights are duds. This night had a mix of both. A couple of notable matches was the impressive KO from new comer, Mark Mareno, the 44 second submission by Malcolm Ahlo and Bozo Paling's inspiring performance of being knocked out on his feet (or on his back in this case), surviving the last 10 seconds of Round 1 and coming back and arm locking a tough Mike Haltom.

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Jim Kikuchi (808 Fight Factory, 5'7", 69.4kg)
Def.
Justin "Mercs" Mercado (Grappling Unlimited, 5'7", 67.85kg)
Majority decision after 2 rounds [(20-18), (19-19), (20-19)].


Light Heavyweight 83.0kg Class B
Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited, Kaneohe, 5'7", 76.55kg)
Def.
Aki Tago (Team Assassin, 5'7", 77.55kg)
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:19 minutes in Round 1.


Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Jacob Vela (Koden Kan, Kaneohe)
Def.
Robert "The Piranha" Ilae (Professional Training Center, Waianae, 69.65kg)
Submission via guillotine neck crank at 55 seconds in Round 1.


Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
David Padilla (Gamebred, Waipahu, 5'6", 69.2kg, 1-1)
Def.
Ed Newalu (Koden Kan, Kaneohe, 69.3kg)
Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Abe Rodriques (Grappling Unlimited, Honolulu, 5'8", 69.9kg, 5-1)
Def.
Roland Fabre (Team Renzo, Long Island, New York, originally from France, 69.5kg)
Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.

Light Heavyweight 83.0kg Class B
Mark Moreno (Bulls Pen, Waipahu, 5'10", 79.4kg, Hawaii 3x Golden Glove Champion)
Def.
Bob Ostovich (Jesus Is Lord, Nanakuli, 5'10", 81.65kg)
KO at 2:14 minutes in Round 1.


Super Heavyweight Class B
Malcolm Ahlo (Professional Training Center, Ewa Beach, 5'9", 145.5kg)
Def.
Maloka Sasa (HMC, Kalihi, 5'9", 111.5kg)
Submission via Americana key lock at 44 seconds in Round 1.


Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Jon Weilder (Team Hybrid, New York, 5'7", 69.75 kg, 5-1)
Def.
Dave Yueng (HMC, Honolulu, 5'7", 69.60 kg, Warriors Quest #2 Rank)
Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.


Main Event
Lightweight 65.0kg Class A
Stephen "Bozo" Paling (Jesus Is Lord, Nanakuli, 5'5", 64.45 kg, Warriors Quest Champion)
Def.
Mike Haltom (Team Meyers, Indiana, 5'6", 64.45 kg, 20-2, 18 K.O.'s)
Submission via arm lock at 1:00 minute in Round 2.

(This one is for you Brennan.)

Lewis KO's Tyson in 8th Round

Looks like Tyson's lack of quality opponents did not prepare him for boxing's best heavyweight. Tyson had an incredibly controlled demeanor and I have never seen a more respectful Tyson. Interesting...

The Real Mike Tyson
By: Frank Mullis

The latest reports on the Lewis-Tyson fight this Saturday is that it is not sold out. Many tickets are still left. The Upper Level Balcony tickets are going for $650 each all the way to Floor Chair Seating at $6,500 each, but cheaper tickets can be found on line. Maybe the World Cup is hurting more than expected or is it the fact that most people are afraid that Tyson will flake out in the first round. As I thought about this fight, I asked my self, 'Who is the Real Mike Tyson?'

As I did my research, I found out that Mike Tyson currently trains out of Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. His fight record is 46-3-0-1 (40 KOs), He is the former WBC Heavyweight Champion, former WBA Heavyweight Champion, and the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. He is currently ranked No.1 by WBO and No.4 by WBA. He is managed by Shelly Finkel and co promoted by Frank Warren and is trained by Tommy Brooks. With all of this known, I asked my self, 'Where did he come from?'

Mike Tyson was born June 30, 1966 in Cumberland Hospital, New York City; he grew up poverty-stricken to a single parent in the heart of Brooklyn. Mike seemed to be a fighter from early on when he would knock people out who mad fun of his situation. Mike raised pigeons early on as a hobby. When he was nine years old, someone stole one of his pigeons. Mike did not take kindly to this as he hunted the boy down beat one of the rival gang leaders senseless, for stealing his pigeon.

Later in his life Mike would find a life of crime and was eventually sent to Tryon School for boys in upstate New York. Mike Tyson used this time to learn to box. He learned the basics from Bobby Stewart. He was the first who realized Mike's potential in the boxing ring. It was Stewart who later introduced him to the legendary boxing trainer of the Catskills in New York, Cus D'Amato. The great D'Amato had worked with legendary fighters such as Floyd Patterson and Jose Torres. Patterson was of course the youngest champion to date an irony would play to Mike's legend.

Mike's professional career began in 1985, were he destroyed Hector Mercedes by a first round KO. In his first nineteen fights he destroyed all of his opponents by knockout in six rounds or less, most in the very first round. In all of his fights, he as only made it to decision five times. This is why many feel that the fight this weekend will not go any further.

February 11, 1990 was a pivotal moment for Tyson; Buster Douglas destroyed him in Japan. This is what many say sent him in to a nose dive, However, others see the death of Cus D'Amato as that moment. Tyson's career, to say the least, has been a major news event, from a failed marriage with actress Robin Givens, to a 'suicide' attempt when he drove his car into a tree, to street fights, a rape conviction, road rage conviction, another failed marriage, an ear biting episode in the ring, a leg biting episode, to wanting to eat Lewis' children. This is the real Mike Tyson. Some claim, he is bi-polar, some say, an excellent marketer, others say, a boxing legend. None of these can be denied. If he wins cleanly Saturday night, he will surprise many and if he loses cleanly, the same. If there is another breakdown, well that is what we paid for isn't it?

Source: ADCC

Baret Yoshida is out of UCC title bout

I talked to Baret at the fight and he told me that he had a couple of major infections, one on his ear and one on his leg. It looked pretty nasty and he was limping due to the pain. He said that he couldn't even make it to the gym in over 2 weeks. Hopefully he takes care of this and reschedules a fight.

Baret - Get to emergency to check that out!

BTT Recovering from injuries

Arona Injured, Minotauro and Sperry
Recovering Well!
By Marcelo Alonso

DSE seems to be having all sorts of problems in putting the fight card together for the PRIDE 21 show. With only a couple of weeks until the event another fighter who was considered to compete at the event is injured and won't be able to fight in the upcoming PRIDE. FCF found out yesterday that Brazilian sensation Ricardo Arona, who is coming off a very important win against Dan Henderson at PRIDE 20, injured his leg in his last fight and won't be able to compete at the next PRIDE show. Arona threw lots of kicks to Henderson in their fight, and apparently the kicks cause a small damage to a bone in Ricardo's leg, forcing him to stop training for a while until everything is recovered. Arona is supposed to get back to training soon, however won't be able to compete for a while. Also, despite some rumors published on the Internet, Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is still injured and won't be able to fight at PRIDE 21 by any means, as FCF first reported around a month ago. "Minotauro" is doing lots of stretching to recover from his back injury, but so far hasn't been able to resume full training yet and couldn't even think of preparing properly for a fight at the next PRIDE, therefore he is out of the event. "Minotauro's" brother, Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, who just won his PRIDE debut at the last event, is still waiting for a possible appearance at PRIDE 21. It's not certain that he will fight, but there's still a good chance of it happening.
On the good side of news for the Brazilian Top Team members, "The Zen Machine" Mario Sperry is recovering well from the knee surgery he took after his fight with Murilo Ninja Rua at PRIDE 20. Sperry injured his knee in the first round of the fight and was forced undergo surgery around three weeks ago. The doctors are impressed with Sperry's fast recovery, and he is already running and training some Muay Thai. Sperry told FCF this week he still feels some minor pain in his knee, and he believes in around 10 days or so he will be able to start to increase the pace of his training, and resume some serious ground-fighting training once again. As always FCF will continue to keep a close look at both Sperry, Arona and Minotauro's recovery.

Source: ADCC

 6/7/02

Quote of the Day

"Doubt whom you will, but never yourself."

Christian Nevell Bovee 1820-1904, American Author, Lawyer

3 More Matches in Pride 21

PRIDE.21
DATE: June 23rd, 2002
OPEN: 2:00 PM START 4:00 PM
PLACE: Saitama Super Arena (Saitama-Pref , Japan)

Newcomer Takashi Sugiura, who is squaring off against a new GRACIE!!!

Announced Official Line Up:

Don Frye vs Mark Coleman
Renzo Gracie vs Shungo Oyama

Latest Matches Announced:

Semmy Schilt (Golden Glory,Holland) vs Emelianenko Fedor (Russian Top Team)
Gary Goodridge (Free) vs Labazanov Arhmed (Russian Top Team)
Takashi Sugiura (Prowrestling NOAH) vs Daniel Gracie (actually Simoes, not Gracie, Renzo Gracie Competition Team)

Source: Booker K

News From the Land of the RISING SUN
By: Sensei Juji

The fight world in Japan is abuzz regarding the 'future rivalry' the upcoming event called UFO is being built around. Rumors are floating around that Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira may take on Jpanese pro wrestling legend Naoya Ogawa in the first show, which is scheduled for August 8th, 2002 in the Tokyo Dome. The UFO camp is getting the word out that this will be the biggest event Japan has ever seen!

Adding luster to the card is former UFC Champion Jens 'Lil Evil' Pulver, who is signed to fight a yet unspecified opponent. All indications are that American manager Monte Cox has also scored a spot for Pat Miletich on this show as well.

Brazil will be represented by Brazilian TOP TEAM members, beside the Minotaur. Mario Sperry and 3 other fighters whose names were not released.

Word is that Murilo Bustamante is working on a renewal with the UFC, but there's an offer from UFO to get the UFC champ. The fourth and fifth representative from BTT are hush hush.

Another Brazilian fighter rumored to fight on this show is Marco Ruas, who reportedly would retire after this fight.

Seems that UFO is gearing up to be an event to watch!

Source: ADCC

Latest Pancrase Rankings
as of 6/4/2002

Open-weight
the 9th Open-weight K.O.P. Semmy Schilt (Holland/Golden Glory)
#1 Yuki Kondo (PANCRASEism)
#2 Yoshiki Takahashi (PANCRASEism)
#3 Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#4 KEI Yamamiya (PANCRASEism)
#5 Sanae Kikuta (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#6 Tim Lajcik (U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy)
#7 Osami Shibuya (PANCRASEism)
#8 Jason DeLucia (U.S.A./Pancrase Hybrid Budokan)
#9 Katsuhisa Fujii (V-CROSS)
#10 vacant

Heavyweight(199lbs.?under 221lbs.)
the 1st Heavyweight K.O.P. Yoshiki Takahashi (PANCRASEism)
#1 Katsuhisa Fujii (V-CROSS)
#2 Jason Godsey (U.S.A./I.F. Academy) *IN!
#3 vacant

Light heavyweight(181lbs.?under 199lbs.)
the 2nd Light heavyweight K.O.P. Sanae Kikuta (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#1 Yuki Kondo (PANCRASEism)
#2 Mitsuyoshi Sato (Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #4
#3 Ikuhisa Minowa (PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #2
#4 Yuki Sasaki (Pancrase GRABAKA) *DOWN from #3
#5 Eiji Ishikawa (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#6 Daisuke Ishii (PANCRASEism) *UP from #7
#7 Akihiro Gono (Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #8
#8 Paulo Filho (Brazil/Tough Brothers) *DOWN from #6
#9 Kosei Kubota (PANCRASEism)
#10 Omar Bouiche (Sweden/Mixed Martial Arts Stockholm)

Middleweight(165.7lbs.~ under 181lbs.)
the 2nd Middleweight K.O.P. Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#1 Nathan Marquardt (U.S.A./Colorado Stars)
#2 Chris Lytle (U.S.A./I.F. Academy)
#3 Shonie Carter (U.S.A./AIKI Training Hall)
#4 Yuji Hoshino (RJW/CENTRAL)
#5 Daiju Takase (Wajutsu Keishukai Tokyo Hombu)
#6 Takafumi Ito (PANCRASEism)
#7 Kazuo Misaki (Pancrase GRABAKA)

Welterweight(152.5lbs.~ under 165.7lbs.) VACANT

Lightweight(141.4lbs.~ under 152.5lbs.) VACANT

Featherweight(under 141.4lbs.) VACANT

Source: Mr. Oitate

 6/6/02 7:30 PM

Warriors Quest Weigh-Ins
Warriors Quest
Blaisdell Center
7:30 PM
Friday, June 7, 2002

Everyone made weight comfortably and only one fighter was not present for the pictures and press conference. This is the first official Shooto sanctioned event for Warriors Quest so the veteran referee and probably the best referee in the business, Suzuki-San, is here in Hawaii to ref and officiate. Bozo Paling who is known as the hardest puncher in his division is going to face Mike Haltom, a relative unknown to Hawaii fight fans. Mike has told the promoter, Brennan Kamaka, that he will stand up and trade with Bozo. If he does, this fight will have the fans on their feet. Dave Yeung looked relaxed as usual as he faces a fit Jon Weilder. Aiea Academy student and resident big man, Malcolm Ahlo, picked up a meal before coming to the weigh-ins since it did not matter what he weighed in at. He faces Haru Shimanishi and HMC's Maloka Sasa. Both of these big boys are ready for war. Malcolm has been training like a madman and should have a lot of supporters backing him. Of course I'm biased for Malcolm, but he is an incredible athlete. Don't let the belly fool you. It is very hard! He can do walking hand stands, has great balance, and incredible endurance for a man of his size (he weighed in at a slim trim 320 lbs). His ground game is solid and is comfortable in all positions. Chris and I will be cornering him for his first official pro fight and I know the fans will not be disappointed. Thre rest of the card has solid local fighters like Bob-O Ostovich from Jesus is Lord, Abe Rodrigues and Kolo Koka from Grappling Unlimited, and David Padilla from Gamebred facing a mix of local and mainland fighters. If you don't have your tickets, get them now!

 Stephen "Bozo" Palling vs. Mike Haltom

 
Maloka Sasa vs. Malcolm "The Freight Train" Ahlo

 
Jon Weilder vs. David Yeung

 
Roland Fabre vs. Abe Rodrigues
Fight Card
Main Event

Lightweight 65.0kg Class A
Stephen "Bozo" Paling (Jesus Is Lord) 64.45 kg
Warriors Quest Champion
Vs.
Mike Haltom (Team Meyers) 64.45 kg
20-2 18 K.O.'s

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Dave Yueng (HMC) 69.60 kg
Warriors Quest #2 Rank
Vs.
Jon Weilder (Team Hybrid) 69.75
5-1

Super Heavyweight Class B
Malcolm Ahlo (Professional Training Center) 145.5 kg
Vs.
Maloka Sasa (HMC) 111.5 kg

Light Heavyweight 83.0kg Class B
Bob Ostovich (Jesus Is Lord) 81.65 kg
Vs.
Mark Mareno (Bulls Pin) 79.4 kg
Hawaii 3x Golden Glove Champion

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Abe Rodriques (Grappling Unlimited) 69.9 kg
5-1
Vs.
Roland Fabre (Team Renzo) 69.5 kg

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Ed Newalu (KodenKan) 69.3 kg
Vs
David Padilla (Gamebred) 69.2 kg
1-1

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Jacob Vela (Koden Kan) Not present
Vs.
Robert Ilae (Professional Training Center) 69.65 kg

Light Heavyweight 83.0kg Class B
Aki Tago (Team Assassin) 77.55 kg
Vs.
Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited) 76.55 kg

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Jim Kikuchi (808 Fight Factory) 69.4 kg
Vs.
Justin Mercado (Grappling Unlimited) 67.85 kg

 6/6/02

Quote of the Day

"Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have."

Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993, American Christian Reformed Pastor, Speaker, Author

Full Contact Fighter Shirts in Hawaii

We still have some Full Contact Fighter shirts in stock left over from the Super Brawl event, so if you are in Hawaii and am interested please email us at info@onzuka.com. This is a great way to get FCF shirts or the retail price without paying shipping. This is for Hawaii residents only because we do not want to steal biz from FCF.

Tyson-Lewis Stories
From: Frank Mullis

This Saturday's historic Mike Tyson - Lennox Lewis Heavyweight Championship Boxing Match marks the first time in history that a boxing event is co-produced between mega-cable channels HBO and Showtime.

Besides the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing, there will be a noticeablw effect on the broadcast. This event is being announced by two of the most famous boxing announcers in the world - Michael Buffer and Jimmy Lennon, Jr.. will share the ring for the Lewis vs. Tyson introductions! This is the second time they have worked together. They shared the ring in Vegas on March 13, 1993 for the Carbajal and Gonzalez championship fight.

Michael Buffer will introduce the champion Lennox Lewis, and Lennon will introduce Mike Tyson. Michael will start the announcement with his famous 'Rumble' before the referee gives center ring instructions. In the event of a knockout or disqualification, Michael will declare Lewis the Champ or Lennon will declare Tyson Champ. However, in the event of a decision, a coin will be tossed to determine who announces the winner, so as not to be obvious as whom the judges voted for.

As a side note, Bruce Buffer, Michael's businessman genius brother, wanted everyone to know that The Buffer brothers are also stepping into the world of E-Casino's. They will launch Rumblebets.com on June 21, but this Thursday everyone may place bets on the fight. Bruce said if Tyson wins it will be early, but the late rounds lean toward Lewis. I still think the DQ is still the best bet!

Boxing: TYSON-LEWIS Preview

The long awaited heavyweight boxing title bout between challenger Mike Tyson and current champion Lennox Lewis is just days away. The Memphis Pyramid will host the fight this Saturday, June 8th.

This fight is being watched throughout the world, with only the World Cup getting more attention across international borders. Just a few short months ago, after the scuffle between Tyson and Lewis in which Tyson bit the champ on the leg during the press conference; no one actually thought that this fight would happen.

There are many who still expect Tyson to breakdown in the middle of the fight if he falls behind on the score cards which will end the fight in a DQ. Other boxing critics are predicting the fight to end with a KO, mainly because Tyson has not been to a decision since 1991. The Great boxing writer Burt Sugar is boycotting the fight because of Tyson. However most will not boycott, according to Pay Per View estimates, predict the fight will be one of the most watched boxing events to date even possibly surpassing Tyson-Holyfield II. Whether you love him or not he is getting his shot at the title this Saturday night.

Source: ADCC

4X NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champ Cael Sanderson Nominated

CAEL SANDERSON NOMINATED FOR BEST ATHLETE AT 10TH ANNUAL ESPY AWARDS
by: Eddie Goldman

Wrestler Cael Sanderson has been placed among an elite group of athletes including cyclist Lance Armstrong, baseball player Barry Bonds, basketball player Shaquille O'Neal, and golfer Tiger Woods by being nominated in the category of Best Male Athlete at the 10th Annual ESPY Awards. These are ESPN's awards for the very best in sports.

Cael is also nominated in two other of the 35 awards categories: Best Record-Breaking Performance, for his 159-0 college record and four straight NCAA championships, and Best Male College Athlete. Tiger Woods is also nominated in three categories.

The only other wrestler to win an ESPY Award was Rulon Gardner, who in 2001 won the award for Male U.S. Olympic Athlete of the Year.

The ESPY Awards show will be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson and broadcast live on ESPN Wednesday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET, from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. It will be preceded by a one-hour program 'Live From the Red Carpet: The 2002 ESPY Awards' at 8 p.m. on E! Entertainment Television.

Between now and the ESPY Awards show, Cael will be competing in freestyle wrestling at the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials June 21-23 in St. Paul, MN. Cael is seeded number one at the World Team Trials because he placed first at 84 kg/185 lbs. at the U.S. Nationals April 26-27. He also finished first at the 2001 Nationals and World Team Trials. The winners in each weight class at the 2002 World Team Trials will represent the U.S. at the 2002 World Wrestling Championships. The 2002 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships will be held in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 2-5.

Source: ADCC

 6/5/02

Quote of the Day

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do."

Benjamin Spock

Help us name the Aiea Academy

We got some great suggestions already. Keep them coming. Nothing that really sold us 100% yet. You can email more than one. You can put in a Brazilian, Hawaiian or even Japanese name in there, but it has to be easy to pronounce and fairly easy to spell (so we don't get all kinds of bad spellings).

Shoot us an email at
info@onzuka.com with your suggestions and again, if we use the name you made up, we will give you a Full Contact Fighter shirt and stuff.

Team HK's website is up

Whoops it is actually www.teamhk.net not .com. I corrected the link.

Check out Todd Tanaka's academy's web site at
www.teamhk.net. It is a pretty cool website. My bad the HK doesn't stand for Hobbit King or Hawaii Kai. You can read what it stands for on his site. Check it out.

Great Interview with Yogui Santiago

Interview by Luke Beston

This interview with Marcello 'Yogui' Santiago was conducted at the Ipanema Jiu Jitsu Club, Rio de Janeiro on my recent training vaction to Brasil.Yogui is a black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr, and the head instructor of the Ipanema Jiu Jitsu club.

Thank you to my friends at www.mma.tv and www.fightsport.com for their help in the preparation of this series of interviews.

LB: Yogui, please tell us about your martial arts training background.

Yogui: I first started training 21 years ago, because my father had a good relationship Carlos Gracie Sr, the man who first brought Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the world. Carlos was a man who would use Natural Medicine to treat people with herbs, or tea to help many things like sick skin. Carlos Gracie was good friends with my father and one day I had dinner with my father and Carlos Sr.

Carlos asked me, 'why don't you train Jiu Jitsu?'. I said I had never had contact with it, so Carlos gave me a card for his son Rillion, and I started training in his house. It was a big house and during the weekdays all the family and others would train there - Rigan Machado, Rillion Gracie, and many others.

Later there were problems because of so many guys visiting the house having
to pass the daughters bedrooms, so we had to find another place to train.
This is when Rillion started teaching in Ipanema, but Rillion moved to the
south of Brasil so the rest of us started training at the Gracie Academy in
Copacabana, which today is the Carlson Gracie academy.

After Rolls Gracie died, my teacher took his group students and we started Gracie Barra.

LB: What is the history behind your academy here, the Ipanema Jiu Jitsu
club?

Yogui: Renzo Gracie first started this academy, with my teacher Carlos Gracie Jr.
I lived in Barra at this time and taught with Ralph at another academy we
had started called 'Gracie Tijuca'. We started there, but Ralph had business problems with some guys in the club, so we stopped there and Royler took over the academy. I had to come to Ipanema sometimes because my old girlfriend would play football on the beach so I started training with Renzo here, as well as my other classes at Gracie Barra.

I asked Renzo if it was possible for me to start a class at the academy during the day when no one else was teaching, from 3 until 5, and Renzo said no problem. Sometimes Rezno would call me to say he was coming late so my classes would become 3 until 6, 3 until 7, 3 until 9.

I would teach here with Roberto 'Gordo' Correia and Ralph and Marcio Feitosa would teach here sometimes also. Now here at the academy I am teaching with Bruno Severiano, who is a very good champion. Cafe 'Dantas' is here too, he is still young but already a very good fighter and has a very good future. I also
have Caneca who is a black belt, and many other good students.

LB: Yogui, you are very well known for both the students who travel here to
train with you in Ipanema, and also your academies overseas, please tell us about that.

Yogui:I have had students from everywhere. Japan, France, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia of course, and Norway, Sweden, Finland, United States, Barbados, Argentina, Switzerland, and Portugal. Most of my visiting students come from Scandinavia as this is where I have the S.B.J.J.A., the 'Scandinavian Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academies'. Richard my student runs that, he is a very good fighter who is a champion in NHB, Submission Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

LB: How many academies do you have in Scandinavia?

Yogui: Seven. I have 4 in sweeten, 2 in Norway, and on in
Finland.

LB: And when you are there you give seminars in other
locations?

Yogui: Everywhere. My own academies, sometimes in shoot fighting academies,
Judo academies, all different martial arts.

LB: What your impression about the organisation of Jiu Jitsu here in Brasil
right now?

Yogui: In Rio, BJJ is getting so big now, very popular, so it is getting very
difficult to control. Some people just put a black belt around their waist
and start saying 'I'm a very good fighter' and everything. My teacher, Carlos Gracie is working to improve this organisation, and standards. Now when they grade they have to speak about the history of Jiu Jitsu, and after have to do to an exam by the confederation. Right now it is only in Brazil, but maybe later it will go to the rest of the world, because Carlinhos is also the president of the international federation. I think this is good for Jiu Jitsu to become more professional because right now it is too easy for anyone to just put down some mats in a playground and start teaching.

When you are teaching Jiu Jitsu it is very important to teach it properly,
things like a correct warm-up and stretching to prevent neck and other
injuries. Also it is very important to have good control within the group.
Everybody must understand that is just training and it is ok to sometimes
tap out. The academy is the right place to make mistakes, when it is just
yourself, and not in a competition. Of course it is important to train hard, but not as enemies or any bad feelings within the academy. Inside the academy it should feel like a family, a united group.

LB: And what are your thoughts on your students of Jiu Jitsu in other countries, outside of Brazil?

Yogui: I have a very good impression of my students from other countries.
Sometimes they guys in Rio can be lazy when working positions. However when
I teach in the other countries the students recognize that is important to
be able to do the moves as a reflex. I see that these overseas students are
very dedicated. In Brazil we have many good dedicated guys also, but outside the country I see lots of dedication and interest.

LB: I've heard many discussions lately on the differences between the 'New
Jiu Jitsu' and the 'Old Jiu Jitsu'. What is your opinion on this topic?

Yogui: We have what we call 'traditional positions', don’t say 'old positions'.
People talk about the Relogio or clock choke, the triangle, the arm lock,
Americana. You recognise these as traditional positions and see people use
these a lot because they work.

Also you have the new moves, which are changing all the time because Jiu Jitsu guys are very creative.

It is good to have both the basic or traditional techniques, and the new ones. This is what makes Jiu Jitsu big, because there is always something different and fun to train.

Everyone knows that I have my positions that I use most of the time, like the 'cervical' neck lock and some flips - these are my positions. Everybody
has their own special positions that they have to use. Jiu Jitsu is like
chess.

LB: It appears to me that because of competitions like Abu Dhabi, people are now focusing on other elements of jiu jitsu more, like training without
the kimono, takedowns, and foot locks. What are your impressions?

Yogui: Before when we had BJJ competitions, people did not like people who used
leg locks, people would shout at them and call them 'redneck' or 'farmer'.
Now we have so many competitions without the gi, where people can make very
good money, like Abu Dhabi and No Rules fights like Pride. Since they are
allowed in the rules, people must know how to use them. The only down side
of this is it limits some of the techniques from the guard, so it is more
boring for the people watching the fighters because they have to be more
conservative. Any technique that you can use is a good one to use.

LB: Who do you think BJJ will be different in 10 years time

Yogui: I think BJJ outside brazil will get a lot bigger, because the students
there have very good respect for Jiu Jitsu and its masters, and like I said
before, the students are very dedicated. It will get bigger in Europe, America, and Australia, where John Will is doing a very good job. His students are very serious, and he is doing things the right way I think.

LB: What do you think of the other grappling styles like shoot fighting,
submission grappling that are taking jiu jitsu and mixing it with other
martial arts?

Yogui: I'm going to tell you something about all martial arts. When you are a
fighter it is just like everything else in life, the more information you
have, the better for you. I think a fighter can benefit from any martial
art, you take the best from everything. Every martial art has its good
positions. Learning wrestling and also judo can benefit you in BJJ
competition. For the street it is good to learn some boxing and Thai boxing
so you can learn to strike hard, and the defences against these strikes.
Every martial art has something good to teach.

LB: Aside from the academy itself, one of the big attractions for foreign
students to train with you is your tourist support business. Can you
describe that for us?

Yogui: When people first start to come here I noticed that people coming from
other countries found Brazil very different, and sometimes needed support.
This is for my students, and also students from any other academy. Because
Brasil can seem quite different sometimes these guys would need help and
that’s where I can give support.

Now for anyone coming here I can do things like arrange a place for the
guys to stay, show them around the area to make their time here as easy and
enjoyable as possible. Things like where to eat, where to go at nighttime
to have fun, even where to get their haircut. I also tell them the places
not to go. If the guys get into any trouble, or have any problem they can
call me on my cell phone any time, and I'm always going to help them.

By picking the guys up at their airport, I make it so there is no
opportunity for a mistake. Guys come with money, with camera, and I don't
want people to come to Brasil and have a mistake in their first hour and
leave with a bad impression of the country.

I want the guys to come here, have a good time, and leave with many good
memories. Right now I'm working with politicians here, supporting a woman
standing for election. When she wins this election, we are going to try and
make better support for all tourists coming here. Things like a free number
that anyone can call and get information on things they will need. I hope
we win this election, and we will use this opportunity to make things
better here for all tourists. We want to make the name of Brasil bigger and
better. We don't want people leaving saying 'Brasil only has thieves and
hookers'. This is a very beautiful city, and we have to take very good care
of it.

LB: Is there anything else you would like to say to people reading this
interview?

Yogui: Hello, and all my best regards to everyone including
my friends from Australia, especially John Will, Luke Beston, and
friends.

Source: ADCC

 6/4/02

Quote of the Day

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal."

Napolean Hill, 1883-1970, American Speaker, Motivational Writer, ''Think and Grow Rich''

Help us name the Aiea Academy

We are kind of in a bind. Our academy has gone under the name, the Relson Gracie Aiea Academy for the over seven years that it has been in existence, primarily because we never thought about giving our academy a name. Now we would like to give the academy a bit of a uniqueness that comes with a name. And shorten that damn thing!

Can you help us pick out a name for our academy? For instance, Ronn Shiraki's Kaneohe affiliate is named "Kaneohe Team" for obvious reasons. And Todd's academy is named "Team HK" due to the fact that Todd is the real life Hobbit King. Just a joke, HK stands for Hawaii Kai, which is where a lot of Todd's friends who train their live or grew up.

We wanted something unique, but not limiting by including the name Aiea in it, just in case we move. A Hawaiian name in it would be cool to represent our state or even a Brazilian name, but it has to be easily pronounceable. And we would prefer that it includes "Jiu-Jitsu" in it too.

Shoot us an email at
info@onzuka.com with your suggestions and if we use the name you made up, we will give you a Full Contact Fighter shirt and whatever else we can scare up.

Now get cracking!

808 Fight Factory Submission Tournament

Place: Farrington High School Gym
Date: June 29, 2002
Weigh ins: 8:30am-11am
Grappling starts at 12 noon
Cost: $30 Pre-Registration and $40 for day of the event.
3 Divisions: Novice, Intermediate and Advance.

The venue is already signed so there will be no canceling this time.

Weight Classes:
130 and under, 131-145, 146-160, 161-175, 176-190, 191-205, 206-220 and 220 and above.

Time limits:
Novice - 4 minutes
Intermediate - 5 minutes
Advance 6 minutes

In case of a tie:
There will be a 2 minute overtime for all divisions until there is a winner.

Point system:
Takedown 2 points
Pass the guard 2 points
Sweeps/Reversals 2 points
Knee to the belly 3 points
Mount 4 points
Back mount 4 points

Rules:
No heelhooks in novice and no leglocks at all in the kids division

Fastest submission will be given $75 cash for Novice, Intermediate and Advance
Pre-Registration can be mailed to:
98-413 Ho'okanike Street, Apt C
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782

We would really appreciated a volunteer from every school to referee to ensure fair and unbiased officiating. We are trying to get 1 from every school.

Source: Kai Kamaka

Pride breaking into the US Market

PRIDE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS DELIVERS THE NEXT GENERATION OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

PRIDE Fighting Championships Bring Cutting Edge Full-Contact MMA Competition to the U.S.

Los Angeles, CA – June 3, 2002 –PRIDE Fighting will rock U.S. audiences with PRIDE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS: DEMOLITION, the definitive next-generation sporting event coming to Pay-Per View on June 30, 2002* from Dream Stage Entertainment Inc. Already a colossal success in Asia and Europe, PRIDE Fighting is growing exponentially in North America as a sports-entertainment experience, drawing in not only massive pay-per-view audiences, but a large body of American athletes as well. The leading international mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, PRIDE Fighting brings an explosive combination of boxing, kickboxing, judo, Jui-Jitsu, wrestling and other martial arts to audiences craving cutting-edge sports entertainment.

“The U.S. audience for PRIDE Fighting Championships is growing with every event and we’re thrilled with the worldwide enjoyment of our sport,” said Yukino Kanda, Dream stage Entertainment’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Talent Relations. “PRIDE Fighting Championships: Demolition will feature many of the greatest talents in the sport, including several American fighters who may represent the United States at the 2004 debut of Pancration, origin of MMA, as an Olympic sport.”

Taking place at Saitama Super-Arena outside of Tokyo, Japan, the exciting line-up of matches will include the highly anticipated re-match between Don “The Predator” Frye vs. Mark “The Hammer” Coleman and a clash of jiu-jitsu styles when champion Renzo Gracie battles Shungo Oyama. Other fighters that will compete include Semmy Schilt from Holland and Canadian competitor Gary Goodridge.

“PRIDE continues to raise the bar for sports entertainment by bringing together the world’s greatest fighters in a sport that combines karate, judo, Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling and more in one ring under one set of rules,” added Kanda. “Our goal is to expose audiences to the most exciting competitions featuring the most highly skilled international athletes.”

For more information on PRIDE FC visit www.pridefc.com

*Pay-Per-View Networks include: DIRECTV, DishNetwork, TVN, Bell Express Vu and Viewer’s Choice Canada

* The actual event will take place on June 23, 2002 - the start time is 4:00 pm Japan time

ABOUT PRIDE FC
Originating in Japan, PRIDE Fighting Championships combine the most highly skilled MMA competitions with a 21st Century entertainment philosophy to create the next generation in cutting edge sports entertainment. PRIDE competitions include athletes from across the globe, including the United States, Japan, Brazil, Europe, Russia and many other countries. PRIDE allows techniques from a myriad of martial arts and combat sports, solidifying its place as an authentic and unique fighting style that is built on tension and excitement, appealing to the growing audience of 21st Century entertainment fans.

Source: Pride

Frank Shamrock's right hand man,
Crazy Bob Cook

This is a long interview/story about Crazy Bob. It introduces you to the man behind Frank and the other fighters at the American Kickboxing Academy and even mentions BJ Penn's training. He is a genuinely nice guy and very knowledgable. Great read.

CRAZY--OR JUST CRAZY BOB?
By Helen Miller

There have been a ton of interviews that take the voice of a fighter and that focuses on everything from their trials and tribulations to their personal goals. When you think of it though, that fighter didn't get there on his/her own. There's always a team of people behind him/her that have assisted in the success. A huge factor to a fighter's success is their trainer--the one person who continues to motivate the competitor when the body is feeling broken down or when the mental capabilities are simply lagging. The trainer is that little (big) voice in the fighter's mind that never stops aiding in the focus of the day. I like to think of a trainer as a knife sharpener. It's the trainer's job to keep the fighter's mind and body sharp at all times. So, what kind of an individual does it take to become a successful trainer who produces champions? Would it have to be that drill sergeant who consistently yells out "what is your malfunction?" Or does this person have to sound like a broken record, constantly slewing out redundancies and annoying clichés? Could it be possible that this person has to be slightly crazier than the fighter because he/she always has to be one step ahead of whomever he or she is training? It's almost as if the trainer has to have a strong sense of determination. What does it take a fighter to respect a trainer? Does the trainer have to have a resume that marvels years of successful competition or does the fighter just have to be around the sport for so many years, that there's a ton of knowledge just waiting to get out? Whatever it takes, I do feel that the person has to have certain strong characteristics in order to be somewhat of a guide in a fighter's career. They do seem to possess eyes in the back of their heads, they do have a ton of patience, and mostly, they have to believe, not only in what they're doing but whom they're training.

When I think of trainers, there are so many names that come to mind, but if I had to pick one that really stood out in my mind because of the intense dedication and maybe even the slight possibility that this trainer may be a bit on the crazy side (in a good way), the name that rings a true bell is Bob Cook or better known as "Crazy" Bob Cook. So, the million dollar question would be--why do they call him "Crazy Bob?" According to Bob, "if you knew where I lived, I think it would make more sense. I live three hours away from the gym. When I first started doing this, I was driving every day, to and from, and I also worked a full time job. So, that was kind of the main reason for the name." And if you're wondering what his full time job was, it happened to be timber falling, otherwise known as logging. He still makes that commute from Norfolk, California. It's up in the mountains, in the Sierra's above Fresno, but only on Monday's and Thursdays now.

Bob Cook, after his UFC win, showing off his battle scars with teammate Dave Velasquez.
So, what was it that made "Crazy" Bob, who was sure to dominate his weight class, stop competing? There were a couple of reasons as told in his own words. "I had a couple of nagging injuries that persisted on. Second, my fighting was very goal oriented so the injuries started to become more of an issue and then also, one of my goals was to go to the big show and do well and I felt that I did that." From here on, "Crazy" Bob took on a new role in MMA and that was to switch sides from being on the inside of the fence to being on the outside. He had proven himself and felt that what he had set out to accomplish, was accomplished without a hitch. Now, his role as a trainer/coach would become a new challenge and bring out some interesting experiences along the way. Currently, Bob has made a name for himself as a trainer/coach at one of the most prestigious MMA schools--American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) owned by Javier Mendez. Some famous names that have come out of AKA are the likes of Frank Shamrock, B.J. Penn, Bobby Southworth, Brian Johnston and many more. Some of the fighters that Bob currently trains or have helped train are a list of names such as Josh Thomson, Kelly Dullanty, Eric Duus, Rich Crunkleton, Paul Buentello, Bobby Southworth, Dave Velasquez and so many more. He also helps Frank too. Furthermore, for Bob, "I help out with the guys on Team Fresno when I can but I've been super busy lately and have been gone almost every weekend, which makes it tough to be with the family as well." With all this on his plate now, you're probably wondering why the transition from somewhat simple to hectic? His transition from fighter to trainer started, according to Bob when, "Frank moved down to L.A. and I was kind of left in charge of what was Team Shamrock. It started growing from there. Before Frank left, there was Team Shamrock. We weren't all really working together but when Frank left it kind of brought Bobby together and Bobby brought in J.D. (B.J.'s brother), who brought in B.J. We kind of made it a fuller circle. And when Frank came back, he became a part of that also." When asked about "Crazy" Bob Cook as a trainer from the words of Javier Mendez, "when he started cornering people, he didn't know what he was doing, I had to give him pointers, but he picked it up real quick and went above what I do sometimes. He learned from me. He didn't know a lot of things--the preparation beforehand. Now, he's really exceptional. He's a great student in whatever he gets involved. The biggest thing is his love for the fighters. He sacrifices himself for his fighters. Where I won't, he will. He'll do things for them that don't necessarily make it right for him but he'll do it. For instance, B.J. didn't want to go out and I was trying to get Bob to go out, not wanting to leave him, Bob basically stayed with B.J. cause he didn't want to leave his side. When I go to the fights now, I just tell Bob to take over. I used to do all those things, and now, he does everything. He does it right. He does everything right. The most important thing is his love for the fighters. He sacrifices his family situation for his fighters. Another thing he does is no matter what decisions he makes, he always goes through me, always asks. He's extremely respectful and is not full of himself. He doesn't have the attitude as if he knows everything. He asks and knows his weaknesses and is not afraid to admit his weaknesses. He's humble. He's not doing what he's doing to become a great coach. He's doing it because he cares about people. He wants to make sure they're going to be okay. Another example, Eric Duus gets knocked out and they wanted him to fight again. Bob comes to me to ask--"should he be fighting so soon?" I said "no"--too soon, regardless if there's no commission there, cause that would never happen in Nevada. He asked me one time, and learned from it. Now, he probably knows more about coaching fighters than most coaches. He has the fighter's trust in him."

When a fighter makes that transition from fighter to trainer, it's usually pretty hard not to get motivated to want to get in and compete once again. "Crazy" Bob seemed to have his ways of dealing with the occasional void of not fighting and just training competitors to do the work. "Occasionally, I miss fighting. When they do well, it's easy for me because I'm proud of them and it kind of fulfills that but when they lose or don't do so well, and it seems obvious to me what needs to be done in the ring, then it's hard and I want to be like "hey, let me show you." So, what does he do to condition that mind to stay in trainer mode? "Crazy" Bob claims that the best way is to "stay out of shape. If I'm in good shape then I want to fight if I'm out of shape and I'm training with those guys and they're kicking my butt and I'm gasping for wind, then I say "okay, I don't want to fight." When asked about the likelihood of Frank Shamrock fighting again and if he would help him train for it, he responds "Well, if he fights again, I'll definitely be helping him with that. It's not like there's one specific trainer at our gym. There's a bunch of us and we all have ideas and we all add to it. You know, I have my areas; Javier has his areas, Bobby and so on. Everyone has their areas that they're really good at and we all kind of pull together." The big question was if he thought that Frank would ever fight again as many have all ready asked. Bob "suspects yes. I don't know when. There'll probably be a time when we'll see him in the ring again." If Bob had to give props to some of his up and coming fighters, it would be because they possess some unique qualities or skills that he feels we should be aware of. One that really took him by surprise was "Pat. It's not that I didn't expect him to do well it's just that I didn't expect to see him do as well as he did. He's got 2 fights--one, a three second KO and the other one right at 5 minutes by KO. As his confident level grows with each fight, I think he'll do well at 170lbs. He needs some more experience. And then of course there's Mike, Eric, Josh, Rich and all the other guys that deserve recognition cause they're all up and coming. The fighter that he feels has the most discipline would be "in the off-season, Bobby Southworth. He trains the hardest out of any of the fighters when he has nothing planned or scheduled. When a fight is coming on, Bobby of course trains consistently but Frank trains like a mad man and Josh Thomson does also, when he has a fight coming on. The rest of the time, it's like pulling teeth with Josh but when he has an actual date, I have to tell him to stop. And then, of course, myself."

Josh Thomson testifies that as a trainer "Crazy" Bob is "Crazy Bob is the fucking man! As a trainer he's awesome. He can always put the beat down on anyone of us at anytime. For an old man, he still moves pretty good. He raised my level a lot about on how to be patient and work for position and kind of slowly go where you need to go. I look up to him in some way as a mentor. Despite the age difference, we're more like best friends. We're really good friends. You can tell that other fighters respect him. You can see it when you go to other events. They say "hey, that's Crazy Bob." He's the guy that trained us and brought us up. He's earned respect and therefore his fighters have earned respect. He's tough as a trainer; he's firm but fair. He doesn't crack the whip. As long as you do your business, he'll get you a fight. But you have to show it in training, that you're putting in the work. He's like the guy from "King of the Hill," cause he's kind of the boss but he's one of the guys too. The one quirky thing he does is he never takes any nice clothes. His idea of nice clothes is a pair of four-year old wranglers, his flip-flops, and his cowboy wrangler shirt with the silver buttons and a silver lining. He wears the really tight jeans. He doesn't wear the cowboy shirt very often but he does wear the wrangler jeans. Bob is mountain man Bob. He's just Bob. I always have to bring nice clothes for him and dress him up to go out. He always asks me "what slacks am I wearing or do I have a belt." He even wears my shoes, socks, the only thing he doesn't wear is the underwear." All in all, training fighters is something Bob enjoys doing but it also seems to be growing into managing fighters. "It just seems to be easier for me to do it then have a second party do it."

When people hear the name "Crazy" Bob, they for some reason associate him with what they call a "shit-eating grin." When asked about this so-called smirk or grin, he simply replied that he's not trying to tell us something and it's not on his face for any particular reason, "it's a Crazy Bob signature." His training partner Bobby Southworth, when asked to choose a cartoon character that best marvels "Crazy" Bob best describes that smirk. According to Bobby "As a cartoon character, "Snoopy" best represents Bob. Snoopy always plays it off that he doesn't know anything but he actually does. Bob always tries to play the dumb country bumpkin but he's really not. That's why he always has that smirk on his face." It doesn't stop there as Bobby Southworth tell us a little story that would help us have a better understanding of "Crazy" Bob. "My definition of Crazy Bob--why he is Crazy Bob to me is because he was never raised like us. He was raised on a boat (growing up) for the first 14-15 years of his life, sailing from island to island. He's like one of those guys that you read about in history, trying to conquer the four corners of the world. The term "jack of all trades, master of none" doesn't apply to Bob. Bob is the "king of all trades," cause he's mastered pretty much everything he's ever done. He feels that he missed out cause he doesn't have an education, but the stuff that most people learned in books, Bob accomplished hands on. They should call him "Super Bob" not "Crazy" Bob. He's more like pioneer. In MMA, he's a pioneer, 2nd generation, along with Frank Shamrock. He's really the first guy to come out of that system, that line from the Lion's Den. No one else really came out of there except for Frank and then, Bob. My association with him has helped my career. He became my manager and I'm definitely staying busy thanks to him. My plate is really full. He's so much more involved in what I'm doing. He's there to see what our style is and our strengths."

Bob with Frank Shamrock and Ryan Bow at AKA.

Training some of the top fighters of today, Bob has had the insight on things the rest of us could only guess on. Helping train the likes of B.J. Penn has been a positive experience, despite the outcome of his title shot. The question here is, will B.J. be coming back to AKA to train? As Bob states, "I don't think so. They have a ring in their place now in Hawaii and he's got a bunch of good guys to train with from home. I think they learned how to train for what they needed to do. Other than, if he just wants to come back to San Jose to train for a while, but I don't think there's any real reason why he needs to. I think he has most of what he needs in Hawaii. I don't believe he's blaming us for his loss. Everybody reacts to a loss differently and it's hard to really know, but of course I'd like to see him back in the gym because I like him as a friend and as a training partner, he's a lot of fun." Of course, a lot of people would dread to have to be B.J.'s next opponent for reasons other than him coming off a not-so-anticipated loss. Bob's comments on that were pretty clear that it doesn't matter, "whether you're the next opponent or an opponent in general. It's not going to be easy treatment."

American Kickboxing Academy has made a name of itself for being the ideal training facility in MMA. Team AKA seems to have grown steadily throughout the years, stemming from Team Shamrock to a combination of fighters becoming one solid team, representing AKA. As more fighters come through those training doors, it's almost as if there has to be some type of quality control based on the level of fighters that want to be a part of the team. So, what does one do when facing situations like this--have tryouts or continue to accept walk-ins that want to be a part of an elite team? Bob's answer is simple, "we do both. And even if you walked in with the skill, one way or another, you're going to get some kind of tryout whether it's informal or formal. For a formal tryout, they have to go through a bunch of conditioning and cardiovascular, which breaks the bodies down and then at the end of it, they have to do the fighting aspect of it, wrestling, kickboxing, boxing, no holds barred. Mainly the tryout in the past has been more geared to checking their heart and motivation in terms of how bad they want it. As times have changed, that's pretty much no longer enough. Now, you need to come in with heart, with desire, and the skills. Because it takes too much a time investment to train someone from zero at this point and time. Hopefully, you're coming in with an existing background." So, for all you potential hopefuls looking to be a part of a rocking team, be prepared! There's always that element of some sort of initiation for newcomers. As "Crazy" Bob states, we don't have anything formal. Informally, they seem to end up unconscious a lot and I don't know whether that's on purpose or part of the learning curve."

Bobby Southworth is considered one of the veterans at AKA and is also the jiu jitsu instructor at AKA. Unfortunately, he suffered a loss that was considered quite an upset. Most people classified that knockout a "lucky punch." In Bob Cook's mind, a lucky punch is defined as "Bobby got caught and he was hit hard and was knocked clean out and there was no recovery. But on the other hand, I don't think he has anywhere near the stand up where he could hang with Bobby so I guess with that definition, he did get lucky." On a recap of his match, Bob wouldn't classify it as a "lucky punch" because "luck doesn't happen by accident. I saw his opponent shooting and throwing the overhand right when he was warming up. So, obviously it was something in his arsenal that he was planning on using. It did catch Bobby by surprise but at the same time, I would say those guys could probably fight 10 times in a row and I'd be surprised if that happened one out of ten times." At a recent event, Team AKA competed as a team against Chris Brennan's team. Bob states that "we did well. We had two wins and one loss. The part that I thought would be the for sure win ended up being the loss. Eric Duus got cracked on the feet and that was the fight. They were mixing it up and Eric got a couple of takedowns. I thought all three fights were competitive. Pat's fight was good. Once he got his confidence in the ring, he just smashed his opponent. Rich's fight was awesome from beginning to end. They had a war. Bobby was supposed to fight but that wasn't part of the team bouts. But then the riots broke out and Bobby didn't get to fight."

As a trainer, it's essential to know what they're training regime is all about. For Bob, "I try to look at each fighter as an individual and there's not one set formula, that this fighter needs to do a, b, and c and then, they'll be ready. I look at it as well, we may be able to pick up d, e, and f and that would make them complete. I try to do everything according to their body type, skill level and not one style of fighting. We have a large variety of fighters in our gym. We have professional kickboxers, boxers, and of course MMA specialists, jiu jitsu people at our gym, and submissions people at our gym. We also have Muay Thai kickboxing as well. We can utilize it all." Bob hopes people "continue to keep an eye on our guys and I hope we have a few more champions out of our gym. Of course, B.J. would be the first choice. He was real close to getting it the last time. I think the next opportunity he gets at the title, he'll take it. As for the rest of the guys, they have a bit of fighting to do before they're looking at a title shot. I know B.J. will get to see another title shot pretty quickly."

"Crazy" Bob is referred to in more ways than one. However, it seems to be the general consensus that he is a man of true selfless dedication, determination, patients, a big heart, and definitely a bit crazy. His compassion for the sport and for others is best summed up by his longtime friend and teammate--Frank Shamrock:
"He's one of the best trainers in the world because he always gives 100% of himself, including his body. Originally he came to me at the Lion's Den and he was one of my first students. When I left, he was my first student in San Jose. He helped me find the school (co-found it) and he is the lead trainer of our fighting team. As a student he picked things up really fast. He trained in Martial Arts his whole life. His dad was a black belt under Ed Parker and his granddad was a professional boxer. He all ready had 20 years of martial arts training when he came to me. So, he was a very ready student. He searched me out. I fought in the UFC's and he literally called me on the phone one day and I told him to come on down and he showed up in his logging stuff. His Levis was covered in sap. He looked like he just crawled out of a meat grinder. He drove a giant truck and had his steel toed boots. He never said anything he just came and trained and left. He was a traditional student in that way. I found out what he was doing later on. Bob is a real mountain man. He carved his house out of a side of a mountain. He carved a road. It's amazing. A funny story that I'll never forget is when we went to Washington at an event out there. We only had one hotel room to share between the three of us--Kelly, me, and Bob. We were the first athletes that arrived. We were really tired and we just wanted to crash--get a nap. I got a bed to myself and Bob and Kelly had one bed to share. They were too tired to care. They crashed out and I woke up cause I was hungry and the funny thing was I saw Bob had Kelly perfectly spooned (not touching him or anything), dead asleep. I started laughing really loud and they woke up and they looked at me, looked at each other, and then crashed back down. They looked like husband and wife. Let me tell you about just how compassionate he is. We had a fighter named "Joe Walsh." He was prepping Bob for a fight--sparring. I was giving Bob advice on what to do and he completely knocked him out to the point where he was out for several minutes--kicked him in the neck. I said "Bob--what the hell are you doing?" He immediately became highly emotional. I ended up consoling Bob. You could see it in his eyes that he was completely traumatized. He felt absolutely terrible. Shows you the compassion inside the man. Instead of gloating and having a power trip, he was traumatized. Me, I'd be dancing around the guy. When I saw that, I realized how compassionate he was. He didn't mean to hurt him. "Crazy" Bob does this for the essence of the sport, certainly not for the money cause he's not making any."

Today, you'll find Bob Cook training K-1 and Pride fighters flown over from Japan, his own team of fighters from AKA, or submission class to the beginners on any given night. Cook is a trainer, a fighter, and one of the greatest all around human beings in the sport of MMA who is giving back to the discipline every day that he's not on the road home to his wife in the mountains of Central California. Bob is still "Crazy".

Source: MMA Ring Report

 6/3/02

Quote of the Day

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.

Anonymous

Warriorsquest 5 Weigh-ins

Weigh-in Announcement
www.WarriorsQuest.tv

Warriors Quest Weigh-ins will be on Thursday, June 6, 2002 at Neal Blaisdell Maui Room. The weigh-ins will start 3pm sharp, fighters and media check in will be at 2:30pm. The Maui Room is located on the exhibition side on the 2nd floor of the Blaisdell. Everyone is invited to come meet the fighters.

Source: Brennan & Edwina Kamaka

Baret Yoshida fighting for the UCC Championship!

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!

Montreal (Canada) - There is now only two weeks left until the most star studded MMA event in Canadian history becomes reality. UCC 10™ has created a huge media buzz on both sides of the Quebec/Ontario border which has prompted fight fans from all parts of Canada to anxiously cross the days off their calendars as the time creeps closer and closer.

UCC 10: BATTLE FOR THE BELTS 2002 will feature a double World Championship main event! Renzo Gracie's disciple, Pride and ADCC veteran SEAN ALVAREZ will go toe to toe with the newest member of Team Extreme, 6'4 - 290 pounds wrestler MIKE RADNOV. This fight will see the first time in UCC history that two athletes of such great size have faced each other… can the UCC "Ring of Fury" handle over 540 pounds of aggression? In the second main-event, UCC fight fans will have the chance to witness a first in MMA history as two Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts will go to war with the UCC World Super Lightweight championship up for grabs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion WAGNNEY FABIANO worked his stand-up for the past two years and feels more than ready to go to war with the Challenger. BARET "THE FINISHER" YOSHIDA is currently ranked #5 in the world and guarantees he will not miss this great opportunity of becoming a world champion. This bout has captured the imagination of the entire fight community as well as the global grappling community.

Scheduled to fight in the main event, UCC World Middleweight champion JESSE JONES will unfortunately not be able to defend his title as he has torn his triceps during training. Jones was preparing for his first defense against UCC superstar, DAVID "THE CROW" LOISEAU. Loiseau says he will train harder this summer and be even more dangerous for this fight now scheduled for September.

The main events keep coming as UCC Canadian Light Heavyweight champion JEROMIE SILLS returns to defend his title against none other than UCC Canadian Middleweight champion STEVE "LION HEART" VIGNEAULT. These two fighters have a combined 8 knockouts in their UCC careers and are known from coast to coast as explosive striking machines. On June 15th, the bombs will fly as these two great champions meet in the ring. It will be champion vs. champion!

UCC Canadian Welterweight champion JUSTIN "LOAF" BRUCKMANN will be in action to face up and coming star, GEORGES ST-PIERRE with the title on the line. St-Pierre is one of the top young guns in the UCC roster with his superb conditioning, massive strikes, and solid ground game but will all that be enough to overcome the proven devastation and experience of the champion?

RICHARD "MONKEY" NANCOO swings back into action once again as he is looking for his third straight defense of the UCC Canadian Super Lightweight title. Standing in his way is Team Tompkins member, North American Kickboxing champion, and Canadian Pankration champion MARK "THE MACHINE" HOMINICK. Mark has developed quite a name for himself outside of the UCC and now is his chance to prove that he is ready to hang with the big boys of MMA.

UCC and UFC veteran C.J. FERNANDES is back after a devastating 35 second KO win at UCC 8. He will go head to head with none other then PAIN PETERS. After investigating on some of the facts that happened between Pain Peters and a journalist of a local Ottawa newspaper, UCC President Stephane Patry decided to lift Pain's suspension and the "Bad Guy" will be able to compete and face the toughest challenge of his career. Pain has left a path of destruction behind his UCC journey and promises to bring the hurting onto Fernandes and show the fans in Hull what he's all about.

Also in action will be the former UCC World Welterweight champion SEAN "PIMP DADDY" PIERSON as he is set to get it on with Renzo Gracie student MARK COLANGELO. Ottawa's flamboyant warrior ANDY SOCIAL will make his UCC debut when he faces golden glove boxer FREDERIC POIRIER.

Don't miss your chance to see first hand why the UCC is the hottest ticket in Canada! Claim your spot in MMA history and claim your seats today!!!! TICKETS AVAILABLE ON TICKET MASTER (1-613-755-1111)
OR AT THE ROBERT GUERTIN ARENA

COMPLETE FIGHT CARD

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - VACANT TITLE
MIKE RADNOV (Dallas, Texas) vs. SEAN ALVAREZ (New York, New York)

WORLD SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: W. FABIANO
BARET YOSHIDA (Honolulu, Hawaii) vs. WAGNNEY FABIANO (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

CANADIAN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: J. SILLS
STEVE VIGNEAULT (Îles de la Madeleine, PQ) vs. JEROMIE SILLS (Niagara Falls, ON)

CANADIAN WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: J. BRUCKMANN
GEORGES ST-PIERRE (Montreal, PQ) vs. JUSTIN BRUCKMANN (Toronto, ON)

CANADIAN SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: R. NANCOO
MARK HOMINICK (London, ON) vs. RICHARD NANCOO (Toronto, ON)

WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGE
C.J. FERNANDES (St-Louis, Missouri) vs. PAIN PETERS (Brampton, ON)

WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGE
MARK COLANGELO (New York, New York) vs. SEAN PIERSON (Toronto, ON)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHALLENGE
RICH FRANKLIN (Cincinnati, Ohio) vs. YAN PELLERIN (Sherbrooke, PQ)

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHALLENGE
DREW MCFEDRIEF (Moline, Illinois) vs. CLAUDE PATRICK (Toronto, ON)

LIGHTWEIGHT CHALLENGE
JEFF CURRAN (Moline, Illinois) vs. IVAN MENJIVAR (Montreal, PQ)

LIGHTWEIGHT CHALLENGE
FREDERIC POIRIER (Québec, PQ) vs. ANDY SOCIAL (Ottawa, ON)

LIGHTWEIGHT CHALLENGE
PHILLIPE SIMONEAU (Victoriaville, PQ) vs. STÉPHANE VIGNEAULT (Îles de la Madeleine, PQ)

Source: Stephane Patry, UCC

Rumina vs Javier Vasquez
& Gomi vs Leo Santos

Those are going to be two incredible matches. Vasquez is a BJJ brown belt and stud on the west coast. Both have super agressive styles and this makes for an action packed match. Gomi is considered in the top 5 in his weight class in the world. Some people have him in the top 3. Leo Santos is a BJJ black belt who has been ripping up the BJJ world and this will be his second NHB fight. Santos' stock will explode if he beats Gomi.

SHOOTO Loads Up For June 29th, 2002
Rumina Sato to Face Javier Vazquez in June!

SHOOTO in Japan is preparing a 'big' show for June 29th, 2002. Sponsored by SUSTAIN, the event will take place at Kanaoka Park Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan. The return of the legendary Rumina Sato, and appearances by champions Takanori Gomi and Masanori Suda nad rising star Mishima on the same card have attentions focused firmly on Osaka for the end of June!

SHOOTO awaited the May 25th, 2002 results in HOOKnSHOOT between Takumi Nakayama and Shaolin Ribeiro - the intent was to offer the winner of the bout a match with Rumina. Shaolin made short order of Nakayama, but turned down the bout due to a commitment with Jon Lewis' new WFA show.

The card for the Osaka show isdeveloping. Dave Strasser and Australian Chris Brown add some muscle to the card. The fans await the announcement of Mishima's opponent - look for the winner of Mishima's bout to take on the winner of Gomi / Santos for the coveted welterwight title.

OFFICIAL SHOOTO: Card Subject To Change:

CLASS B (Cruiserweight): Kaichi Tsuji v. The Great Naniwa
2002 Rookie Tournament Semi-Final (Middleweight): Yoichi Fukumoto v. Yasuyuki Tokuoka
CLASS A (Middleweight): Seichi Ikemoto v. Dave Strasser
CLASS A (Welterweight): Rumina Sato v. Javier Vazquez
CLASS A (Welterweight): Dokonjonosuke Mishima v. TBA
CLASS A (Lightheavyweight): Masanori Suda v. Chris Brown
CLASS A (Welterweight): Leo Santos v. Takanori Gomi


Source: ADCC

Rumina Sato Interview
May 21, 2002

A Rumina Sato Q&A is not something that English speaking only MMA fans have the opportunity of reading everyday. As one of the most prolific lightweights in the world, this cornerstone of the Shooto association is only now, in the later half of his career, rumored to be venturing out into other organizations away from Japan. The king of the lock flow, frequently running like water through submission attempt after submission attempt in MMA bouts, might be coming to the States.

With memorable losses to Uno and a recent loss to Gomi in Shooto's year end event last December, he once again has to settle with being #2. Rumina is still on a quest for the Shooto Title that has eluded him for so many years. He has made it clear that this is his number one priority. In addition to that, nagging injuries have kept him from competing in All Japan Combat Wrestling for the first time in his long career submission grappling career and has kept him sidelined for most of 2002. Originally rumored to be slated in a UFC this year, his original quest and his injuries might keep him from the American public any time soon.

We would like to preface this interview. We had to conduct this interview through more than one translator, without our ability to follow up on questions where his answers led or did not safice. In anycase, we are greatful to Mr. Hiroaki Tsukamoto and everyone at the Shooto Organization for their help with this task. We hope that it will give some of his English speaking fans a little insight and a little more knowledge about this much loved fighter.

MMARR-Since your last Shooto fight, tell us what you have been doing since then?
Rumina Sato - The days have been the same as usual. Nothing has been changed- Just training!

MMARR-What kept you out of All Japan Combat Wrestling this year?
Rumina Sato - No Comment.

MMARR-Even though you lost a tough decision to Gomi last December, what did you experience from that fight that you think will help you in future competitions?
Rumina Sato - Only that it was indeed one of the greatest experiences in my entire fighting career.

MMARR-Do you think that fighting Gomi might actually prepare you for fighting in the USA, because Gomi has a similar style to many American fighters?
Rumina Sato - I do not think that it is the style only for American fighters but also for Japanese fighters these days here in Japan. I see more Japanese fighters who choose to adopt the similar style, and the opportunity I had with Gomi told me I need to better prepare for it.

MMARR-In your opinion, what makes the distinct styles of Japanese fighters and American fighters so different?
Rumina Sato - I believe that American fighters prefer to punch while Japanese fighters like the submission techniques. That's because Japanese, in most of martial arts, like to see the series of techniques for the clean finish without seeing blood.

MMARR-With Sakurai and Nakao both losing in the Ultimate Fighting Championships 36 (UFC), many people are wondering, even more now, if Japanese fighters have problems fighting in a cage (octagon) as opposed to a ring. What is your opinion of this?
Rumina Sato - I agree with you. Japanese fighters like us who wishes the fighting opportunity inside UFC octagon have to do everything we could do before entering the cage - in the area of day-to-day training method and tactics development. But the most important thing is that Japanese fighters should take every opportunity in UFC they can, until it becomes a part of fighting career.

MMARR-Many U.S. gyms are constructing both a ring and a cage into their facilities. Do you think that cages might start appearing in Japanese gyms or schools any time soon?
Rumina Sato - There are very few opportunities here in Japan that the promoters run the show with cages until today. I am not sure how the situation might be changed in the future…I hope to see some gyms in Japan will start constructing a ring plus a cage into the facilities in the near future as our fever for the UFC is becoming hotter than ever!

MMARR-How do you feel coming to the U.S. to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) at 155 lbs.? What do you think of the weight division right now?
Rumina Sato - Yes....I only wish that UFC would have 1 or 2 more weight categories so that more Japanese fighter could actively participate in the UFC.

MMARR-I am going to mention a few famous mixed martial artists names. Please comment on them and tell us what you think of them:
Rumina Sato -
· B.J. Penn
Excellent ground techniques and "gifted" punching techniques. I admire his great potential, and have a feeling that BJ would become the top 1 amongst these 5 fighters.

· Matt Serra
Looks very powerful. Probably number 1 fighter in the ground technique area.

· Caol Uno
I admire him-a well-balanced fighter in striking, throwing and submission. Having lost twice in the past, I am looking for another chance for revenge.

· Takanori Gomi
Similar type to Matt Hughes - excellent techniques based with wrestling and punching.

· Jens Pulver
Total fighter just like Caol Uno.
I admire his punching techniques.

MMARR-What is a typical training day like for you?
Rumina Sato - Weight training between 2:00pm - 4:00pm.
Gym work with a spar between 8:00pm - 11:00pm.

MMARR-Specifically, what do you still want to accomplish in this sport?
Rumina Sato - To become Shooto Welter Weight Category Champion and defend the championship as long as I can. To let the people in the world know how wonderful Shooto is.

MMARR-You've been competing since 1994. Most of the fighters that succeeded in the mixed martial arts world from 94' to 98' are nowhere to be found and are considered "dinosaurs" or old. What separates you from them?
Rumina Sato - Very difficult question to answer, but my response would be very simple - because I love Shooto!

MMARR -How much longer do you want to spend in the sport as a competitor?
Rumina Sato - I have no idea!

MMARR- Who is your trainer/coach?
Rumina Sato - For the physical trainer it is Mr. Yoshida of The Strongs Co.Ltd. For Shooto it is Mr. Kusayanagi, President of K'z Factory Shooto Gym.

MMARR -Who is the one person you truly respect and owe a lot of your fight success to and why?
Rumina Sato - It is Mr. Noboru Asahi, the former Shooto Light Weight Category Champion. He was the one who trained me when I started Shooto. Without his hard training I could not have come this far.

MMARR -Where in Japan do you come from?
Rumina Sato - I come from Odawara City of Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo metropolitan area. I grew up with a nice view of the Pacific Ocean.

MMARR -Where do you live now?
Rumina Sato - In Yokohama City.

MMARR-Do you feel that Japanese fighters have a harder training discipline than American fighters?
Rumina Sato - No, I do not feel that way. Every strong fighter at the top level would train hard regardless his nationality.

MMARR -What will you do after you are done fighting?
Rumina Sato - I have an unlimited curiosity and interest over almost anything. So I would be busy challenging many things every day.

MMARR -Do you have any comments you would like to add or say to the fight fans outside of Japan?|
Rumina Sato - I am looking forward to showing my fighting style in front of you in the near future. Until then I will continue to work hard and stay fit for my best performance. See you then!

Source: MMA Ring Report

 6/2/02

Quote of the Day

Love ......and you shall be loved.

God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

Anonymous

RoughMan Cancelled!
World Cafe, Honolulu, Hawaii
Saturday, June 1, 2002

It turns out that the inaugral event was a bomb, not Da Bomb, just a bomb. The promoters could not put on the show due to a lack of a ring. There was some confusion with the delivery and accessibility of the ring, so at about 7:30PM, the event was officially cancelled.

It was suggested that the fighters fight on mats, but that created way too large a safety risk. We will let you know when the next event is scheduled.

Kyle Olivares IS Team Gracie Aiea?

Our resident Anti-Juvenile Delinquent (that means he is the opposite of a bad kid, for you slow folks), Kyle Olivares, flew over to Kauai to enter Bruno's BJJ Tournament on Kauai.

Kyle at the tender age of 14, entered the adult men's blue belt division and earned a Silver medal. That was either not enough for the kid or his dad wanted to get the full value of the cost of Kyle's plane ticket, so Kyle entered the Open division, which combined white, blue and purple belts all in one division. Kyle fought his way to earn a third place finish there.

With Kyle's performance, the Gracie Aiea Academy was awarded the 3rd place team title. The incredible part is that Kyle was the only fighter to represent the Gracie Aiea. How good is that?

Warriorsquest.tv Launches!!

June 1,2002 - Warriors Quest will launch a new look for the website. It will carry video clips, fighters rankings and also fighters statistics. If you want to know what is going on with Warriors Quest, check it out. It will also have the fastest weigh in pictures and results along with fight results and pictures!

(I think a challenge was just issued to Onzuka.com on this last item. heh heh)

Source: Brennan & Edwina Kamaka

Warriors Quest 5: New Blood Fight Card
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 7,2002
Starts at 7:30pm

Tentative Fight Card
Please note fights subject to change!

Main Event
Lightweight 65.0kg Class A
Stephen "Bozo" Paling (Jesus Is Lord)
Warriors Quest Champion
Vs.
Mike Haltom (Team Meyers)
20-2 18 K.O.'s

David "Kawika" Pa'aluhi (Hard Knocks)
Vs.
TBA

Welterweight 70.0kg Class B
Dave