contents : apr 2014 1 A Note from the Editor 2 Fightstylez Presents: Sean Roberts 8 Featured Model: Scarlett Lash 16 Badwater Rises: Carl Seumanutafa 26 Product Review: Datsusara Hemp Gi 28 Richard Goodman
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A Note From The Editor My name is Alan J. Chang – Attorney at Law, Mixed Martial Arts Enthusiast, and the Editor of FightStylez.com and the newly launched FightStylez electronic magazine. I saw this foreword as a great opportunity to muse a bit about my involvement and interest in the world of MMA, so I will do just that. In 2005, I became one of the millions of new North American mixed martial arts fans thanks to the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Since then, I’ve been hooked. I’m not just a fan; I’m a superfan. Since 2005, I have rarely missed a pay-perview event, and have delved deeply into the archives of the short, yet amazing history of the sport of MMA. My personal fandom spans from Royce Gracie’s MMA debut at UFC 1, to Wanderlei Silva’s historic middleweight title run in Pride FC, to Chuck Liddell’s run as UFC light heavyweight champion, to the greats of today including Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, and Georges St. Pierre. I’ve traveled the country to watch live UFC and Strikeforce events. I took my first jiu jitsu class in 2008, did the same with boxing in 2010, and took up muay thai, wrestling, and MMA in 2012. Simply put, I love anything and everything about mixed martial arts (aside from those gothic tees that were in style back in 2009). That brings us to FightStylez. In the middle of 2011, a good friend and jiu jitsu training partner of mine, Dave Fong, filled me in on a project he was working on called FightStylez. Back then, I had known for some time that Dave was an
experienced photographer who had recently begun his foray into combat sports photography. At the time, I had written a handful of MMA analytical pieces for Bleacher Report, which received positive reviews. Dave suggested that I join up with him at FightStylez and begin attending and writing articles for local and regional events where he was already receiving media credentials. I accepted the position of Editor, and have had a great and memorable time ever since. Dave and I have traveled throughout California and Nevada to get an inside glimpse of the world of mixed martial arts, jiu jitsu, and kickboxing. Dave has steadily developed his outlet for combat sports photography, and I have been able to satiate my superfandom more than I otherwise would. As a result, I’ve seen many fighters put their pride and bodies on the line from cageside. Given my training, I can appreciate and admire their abilities and will more than ever before, especially from the best seat in the house. All in all, I see FightStylez as yet another outlet to express myself through martial arts. Now, despite being 9-5 working stiffs, Dave and I are putting together the next stage of FightStylez, which is our new e-magazine. Through this new venture, we will aim to highlight and allow our readers to get to know some of the unique personalities in the world mixed martial arts and jiu jitsu. As always, send a thought or two my way. Last but not least, we hope you enjoy. Alan J. Chang, Editor FightStylez
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fightstylez presents
presents
Sean Roberts BJJ Phenom
Text by: Alan J. Chang Photographers: Brian Lee & Dave Fong
A name that has become nearly synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (“BJJ”) within the last two years is Sean Roberts. Sean is a 24-yearold BJJ phenom who most recently resided in Oakland, California and taught BJJ out of Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu in San Francisco. A protégé of the Internet jiu jitsu megastar, Kurt Osiander, Sean earned his black belt in the “gentle art” on March 12, 2013. Since 2005, he has remained a prominent fixture and active competitor for Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu. According to the young grappling champion, jiu jitsu was the first sport that he ever found such an intense level of focus and passion in. At the beginning of his journey though, he hardly foresaw the level of success that he eventually attained. In fact, his introduction to the sport, like many things in life, happened mostly by chance.
“I looked online for a martial arts school, and I wanted to do karate. But my dad was like, ‘You know what? Don’t do karate. I saw this guy, back a long time ago fighting in a cage, and he did something called jiu jitsu.’” Sean’s dad was referring to martial arts, Royce Gracie. the United States to Gracie tore through his perceived lack of size the mainstream BJJ (and thanks to the early UFC twice his size by way of to attract a natural talent jitsu in spite of the on the cake A t
none other than the Gracie family’s pioneer of mixed Royce, along with the help of his family, introduced BJJ at UFC 1 in 1993. As is well known, Royce opponents in the early days of UFC despite his and athleticism. Nowadays, it is well known that later MMA) explosion in the U.S. was largely events and Royce Gracie’s ability to defeat men ground and submission fighting. Yet, being able like Sean Roberts to pure sport jiu UFC’s success is arguably the icing of the United States’ BJJ boom. the end of the day, however, Sean’s beginning in the sport was a simple story of a curious kid. “So, I looked up jiu jitsu on the Internet and downloaded a few instructional videos from the Gracie academy. I tried all these moves on my dad, and immediately I thought it was awesome!” Even more than eight years later, the enthusiasm in Sean’s voice was evident when he spoke about his chosen martial art and the passion of his life. Soon after his father inspired him to take up this new hobby, he located and visited the nearest jiu jitsu academy to his home, Ralph Gracie Yorba Linda. Later on, he found his way to several California-
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sean roberts based Ralph Gracie gyms, including Ralph Gracie Orange County, Chino Hills, Dublin, Berkeley, and San Francisco. Although his original academy at Yorba Linda no longer exists, Sean is nevertheless grateful for the short time he spent there. “I went there, trained, and loved it. I’ve been training almost every day. Once I graduated from high school, I trained twice a day, every day.” Sean began his journey as a jiu jitsu competitor in December 2005 at the American Nationals. Since then, he garnered various accolades and countless pieces of hardware. His trophy and medal collection is a sight to be seen in and of itself. His résumé now includes, but is not limited to being a 3-time champion of the Grapplers Quest advanced division, double gold at the American Nationals in 2011, 4-time North American Champion, U.S. Open Champion, a Mundials world title in 2007, and winning various other tournaments for a total of over 60 gold medals. Perhaps the feather in his cap which provided him with the most exposure in jiu jitsu and MMA circles was his 19-second submission win over former WEC and UFC lightweight champion, Benson Henderson, via triangle choke at Grapplers Quest 2009.
According to Sean, transitioning from a recreational practitioner to a competitive fighter was a natural and enjoyable experience. “After my first tournament, I loved it. You can never feel as nervous and as real as when you compete. You can go and train, but when I compete, I just love the feeling.” Besides the thrill of a competitive setting, Sean also believes there are benefits in a BJJ competition environment that cannot be simulated as well in a practice room. As Sean explained, “It’s a good learning experience to see all the different moves. You see a lot of things you don’t normally see. Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you don’t know what to do, so you can head back to the gym the next day and work on it.” In 2012, Sean gained a significant degree of exposure in the BJJ community by participating in Lloyd Irvin’s Brown Belt Kumite where he competed in a submission-only tournament against the most highly touted brown belt BJJ practitioners in the world. Perhaps most memorably, he engaged in a war of attrition with Italian and European BJJ champion, Luca Anacoreta, where Sean pulled off an armbar submission after 64 straight minutes of ground battling.
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sean roberts
Notably, however, the “Triangle Master” has a softer side than what most people in BJJ circles typically know him for. As a self-professed “geek,” Sean enjoys playing video games and putting his mind to work outside of jiu jitsu by solving puzzles. Despite being born in 1989, the 1980’s pop culture hit the “Rubik’s Cube” is one of his personal favorites. Given his extremely tactical and technical approach to jiu jitsu, his attraction to the Rubik’s Cube is actually quite fitting and almost expected. If anything, Sean is living proof that even the biggest geeks and nerds can find room in their lives to study the beautiful art of BJJ.
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The next step in Sean’s BJJ journey will involve relocating back to his Southern Californian roots where he first began studying jiu jitsu back in 2005. This time, however, he will be opening and running his own school now that his brand as a BJJ wizard is firmly established. As Sean gets his feet wet in the world of entrepreneurship, he will continue pursuing his overarching goal of self-improvement, fulfillment, personal success, and happiness. “My ultimate accomplishment would just to get to be the best that I can be. A lot of people dream about being world champion, but there’s only one world champion. So, a better goal is just to get as good as you can. Once you get as good as you can, there are no regrets.” Sean’s advice to any potential BJJ practitioners out there and to people in general is to just pursue your passion. He has been lucky enough to do so with his life, and he only wishes the same for everyone else, whether a fighter or not. “Do what you love. If you wanna do jiu jitsu forever, then do jiu jitsu forever. It’s better than being stuck behind a desk doing a job you don’t like.” While many associate jiu jitsu and MMA fighters with sleeve tattoos and rough exteriors, Sean Roberts presents a great example of a youthful, exuberant, soft spoken, and humble young man who lives and breathes the true spirit of martial arts. Sean is pursuing his passion in life through hard work and exceeding his limits while always keeping the goal of steady, daily improvement cemented in his psyche. Given such talent and work ethic, I expect that Sean’s black belt and 60+ gold medals will pale in comparison to what he will be able to accomplish in BJJ and in life for the many years to come.
SEAN’S sPONSORS: OTM Fight Shop http://otmfightshops.com Ralph Gracie Chino Hills www.ralphgraciechinohills.com Address: 14151 Pipeline Drive Chino, CA 91710 Phone: (714) 742-0839
Lucky Gi http://myluckygi.com 5402 Commercial Drive Huntington Beach, California 92649 Gi Soap http://www.gisoap.com/
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featured model
Scarlett Lash Text by: Staff Photographers: Javier Ovalles, Brillant Moments Photography
We are excited to have Scarlett Lash in our magazine. She was a stone throw away from our office. Adding models is something new for us and Scarlett seemed to fit into the magazine. She has worked in many different venues and was featured on many cover’s.
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scarlett lash
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FightStylez: Tell us about yourself. Scarlett Lash: Born in Thailand raised in California with a single mother and four siblings. I lived in San Jose and other parts of Northern California until the age of thirteen then moved to the Boston area. I was always an outcast so I found refuge in the Goth and fetish community. I was performing at Club Manray in Cambridge, Ma for the B&D ball when I was approached by a photographer to do a photo s h o o t .
During my first shoot I was put on a cover of a German magazine. For many years I only did promotional modeling because I never felt I would make it far in professional modeling. Modeling was just something I did to pass time and make a buck. Then in 2010 when I moved back to California I felt it was time to quit modeling all together but within the first year I was here I kept getting approached by photographers and promoters for events, fashion shows and music videos. I figured since it kept falling on my lap I’d just take it by the horns which I have. So to date I’ve covered many well-known inked magazine covers and featured.
Modeling was just something I did to pass time and make a buck.
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scarlett lash
I’ve been in high fashion magazines while working with many talented designers such as Dawnamatrix Designs, Ashley Rose Coutore Designs, Candice Ccuoco Designs, Punk Coutore , Jane”s Corsettes and many others from coast to coast. Now I’m currently living bi-coastal with my main residence being in the bay area. You can typically find me in SF venues either producing fashion shows or walking the runway. FightStylez: What are your hobbies? Scarlett Lash: I’m a huge foodie. I love going to all types of restaurants from dives to fine dining. I take photos of almost every meal I eat and post them on social media. I’ve tried some of the strangest foods imaginable. I’m willing to try just about anything. A few examples of strange foods are chicken and duck beaks, durian fruit and balut which are an incubated duck egg. I’ll try everything not once but twice. FightStylez: Do you work out or train any martial arts? How do you keep in shape? Scarlett Lash: As for working out and keeping in shape… I don’t even know what that means. I’ve always had a fast metabolism. In fact I was considered too scrawny for my own good. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I weighed more than 98 pounds…..thankfully. For the most part I’m ok with being 112 to 115 but could i lose a few pounds from the midsection…..of course. Any volunteers for a personal trainer???
FightStylez: Do you have inspiration you look too when modeling? Or who do you inspire to be? Scarlett Lash: When im working as a model my goal is to accomplish what the designer or photographers concept is. I love modeling fashion and high fashion. i love the creativity that goes along with. it allows me to step outside my own skin and become what the designer or photographer wants me to be. Then i became that image... i become her. When im modeling ink thats when i get be myself self design skin. I like bringing out the sexuality and sensuality of it. i do like to push the envelope. Its what i do best. I’ve been very blessed to work with many talented designers and photographers that have taken me under their wings and guided me to blossom in my modeling. They’ve shown me that I can portray any image that they’re seeking. imp thankful that designers have liked and trusted me to be a face of their designs and product. I have a very special thanks in my heart for some of my favorite photographers Jay Phillbrick, Eric Snyder, Russ Mezikofsky and Javier Ovalles. As well as the following designers Kate Knuvelder,Ashley Rose Cotoure Designs and Jane’s Corsettes and Death to Dubstepp for sponsoring some of my shoots. FightStylez: What advice do you have for other models trying to break into the industry? Scarlett Lash: The only advice i have for new models is to have a goal and to get there. You’re going to experience hard times and have many trials and tribulations in this industry. Use it as a positive and a stepping stone. You will succeed your goals and look back laughing at the times you wanted to give up. If you are a model and would like to be featured in FightStylez, please email telling us why you think you qualify to be featured and some images of yourself to models@fightstylez.com
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Carl Seumanutafa
“BadWater” Text by: Alan J. Chang Photographers: Brian Lee & Dave Fong
Empower Gym & El Nino Training Center of San Francisco, California provides the home base training ground for the 270-pound American-Samoan heavyweight mixed martial artist, Carl Seumanutafa. Training alongside UFC lightweight contender Gilbert ”El Nino” Melendez, Carl is a proud member and representative of the ”Skrap Pack” fight team, and is chasing his dream of success in the sport of MMA. Despite his obvious heavyweight frame and 12 professional fights, the time I spent with Carl has allowed me to get to know a kind, driven young man with a diverse background and upbringing. His childhood spanned multiple continents, including Samoa and New Zealand before he settled into the United States at age 12. Carl’s first exposure to martial arts, like many of us can relate to, came in the form of movies and action heroes. “I used to watch kung fu movies when I was young. I really liked Bruce Lee,Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and Chuck Norris.” From there, Carl instantly caught the bug and was a big martial arts fan. However, his personal journey in martial arts training did not actually begin until he was a senior in high school.
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Carl Seumanutafa
“I wrestled when I was a senior in high school at 189 pounds. After that, I wrestled for a wrestling club, and did freestyle wrestling and Greco Roman.” A couple years later in 2005, “The Ultimate Fighter” premiered on Spike TV, which introduced Carl to the sport of MMA. By that time, Carl had grown into his current 270-pound frame. In early 2007, he began training in boxing and jiu jitsu. That same year, he competed in his first three professional mixed martial arts bouts, all of which he won by TKO. One additional win in 2008 provided Carl with opportunities to fight in major MMA promotions such as Elite XC and Strikeforce MMA. However, as the level of competition increased, Carl faced a few losses and realized that he needed to revamp his training methods to compete with other well-rounded heavyweights. In late 2009, Carl joined Gilbert Melendez’s “Skrap Pack” at El Niño Training Center, and since then has won four out of his last five fights, with four finishes by way of knockout. Carl had known Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields since his third MMA bout against one of their fighters. The location and elite level of training at El Niño made Carl’s choice an easy one. “There’s a big difference in my training now. When I first started, I did jiu jitsu and some amateur boxing. Now, I’m training mixed martial arts.” As far as his future in fighting goes, the primary objective for Carl at the moment is to stay busy. “Right now, my goal is to fight at least five to six times a year.”
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In the end, however, the driving force in Carl’s life is firmly rooted in his his family. When discussing his wife and children, he clearly showed a devotion that only a loving husband and father could provide. “I have two kids; my little ninjas. I have a beautiful wife. My family is everything to me. Sometimes when I’m doing weights or running up a hill, thinking of them makes me push that much harder.” Few humans walk this earth at 250+ pounds, let alone athletes. Right now in 2013, the heavyweight division in MMA is about as competitive as ever with world-class amateur wrestlers, NFL veterans, and lifelong mixed martial artists joining the fold on a seemingly daily basis.
Carl “Bad Water” Seumanutafa, for one, is up to the challenge. If we are lucky enough, all MMA fans will have the privilege of seeing him hone his craft five or six times throughout the next year.
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Text by: Alan J. Chang Photographers: Dave Fong & Brian Lee
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badwater’S sPONSORS: Skrap Pack/El Nino Training Center http://elninomma.com • 415-550-6689 Empower Gym http://www.Empower-gym.com • 415-255-8482 Fightstylez MMA http://www.fightstylez.com
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product review
Datsusara
Hemp Gi
We got sent the new Datsusara Hemp Gi for review.Whenever I think of “Hemp Gi’s” I always think of Datsusara. It could be because they are the first company I’ve heard of that makes 100% Hemp products. I won’t lie and say I have a lot of experience with Hemp products. Many people has always told me about the benefits of hemp products. I look forward to wearing the Gi in my next training session. Here are some facts we have researched and found:
How can you tell a Gi is made out of 100% Hemp?
It is almost impossible to tell by looks alone. Hemp should never be bleached white as bleach will weaken hemp significantly.
There is unique smell / order to hemp that mostly only hemp experts or enthusiasts will recognize
100% Hemp weaves are only done in a handful of styles. So looking closely at the way the Gi is weaved would be the most telling way if what you have is made of 100% hemp .
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Benefits of hemp:
Hemp naturally fights microbes like staph, bacteria and infection because of the anti-fungal and anti- bacterial properties.
Hemp is 4x stronger than cotton gi’s
Hemp has high resistance against heat
Hemp is a breathable fabric which will allow your body to be cooler while training in it.
If you have a New product that you’d like us to feature please email us at info@fightstylez.com
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RICHARD GOODMAN Text by: Alan J. Chang Photographers: Brian Lee & Dave Fong
From a fighting standpoint, some might say that Richard Goodman is the total package. Currently, he is the official matchmaker for California’s preeminent mixed martial arts league, Tachi Palace Fights. He also manages several MMA fighters, including UFC bantamweight standout and future contender Mike McDonald. He even graced the cage and ring himself a short while ago, and entered the fight game as a mixed martial artist himself. At the end of the day, no matter what role he plays, Goodman’s commitment to the fight game is evident. Immediately following the sold-out Tachi Palace Fights 12 card in Lemoore, California, he was more than pleased with the show and how the fighters on the TPF roster performed. “I was extremely pleased with how everything went tonight…We only had one decision on the entire card, which always makes good action, good fun, good stuff, so I was happy. I couldn’t ask for more, that’s for sure. Packed house, great show.” Goodman was especially impressed with the performance of bantamweight knockout artist Francisco Rivera at Tachi Palace Fights 12. “The Francisco Rivera and Antonio Duarte fight. I think that fight was just above and beyond all the fights tonight. Those guys stood in the ring like warriors, went toe-to-toe, and battled until one got knocked out. Unfortunately, you know, somebody always has to lose, but it was a great fight. Francisco’s a tough kid, and he put on a good show. Two back-to-back knockouts on our show.” Although only two fights into his professional fight career, Goodman felt that Jesse “Bubba” Jenkins showed great improvement, promise, and evolution as a mixed martial artist.
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“I’ve seen a lot of improvement in this fight from the first fight. In the first fight, he kind of looked a little sloppy, you know, just pure wrestling. This fight, he actually brought a lot more MMA portion to the game, and he finished off by submission. He had the ground and pound going on, good takedowns, which of course, we expect that. But I think his top game looked a lot more in control and a lot less reckless than last time.” Despite all the excitement of a successful fight card at TPF 12, Goodman has a rather interesting story of his own on how he came to be in the position that he is in with Tachi Palace Fights and the sport of MMA. He started as a fighter, and his knack for putting things together behind the scenes blossomed from there. “I started as a fighter. I used to fight for Gladiator Challenge, King of the Cage, from 2003 to 2005...Then, I started working with a clothing company called Ground and Pound fight gear, and helped them book a lot of their shows and helping them do stuff for them to get them into the other business. And, while I was doing that, I actually just started getting my name out there, started managing some fighters at one point for a little while, and then...I started with the Tachi Palace Fighting Championships about 6 years ago after the WEC got bought.” For the foreseeable future, Goodman is ecstatic about the potential of future fight cards that Tachi Palace Fights plans on producing. For all the MMA fans out there, he had these closing remarks to share. “Keep coming. We’re going to keep putting on the best fights in the United States...and in the world aside from the UFC. I think we put on the best show. Best quality. Best fighters. Every one of our champions is almost guaranteed to make it into the UFC.” Best of luck to Richard Goodman and Tachi Palace Fights. Great things are surely in store for this fantastic fight league, and all of its fighters and brass. Stay tuned for more to come from FightStylez.
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