Fighters v35i05

Fighters0310

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BRINGING MARTIAL ARTS TO LIFE!!!

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MARTIALARTSSHOW the

THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 22ND & 23RD MAY 2010

FEDOR Anointed as God

LESNAR

Unbeatable

BISPING Back with a Bang

CAGE MARCH 2010 £3.75

www.fightersmag.co.uk

WAR

at the King’s Hall Belfast

08/1/10 16:38

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS EDITORIAL 2009 is well and truly behind us and as we look to what I believe will be a very exciting 2010, it cannot be argued that we witnessed some incredible highs and lows last year. From the fall of the “Ice Man”, an unbelievable possibility only a few months prior to it actually happening.

The feeling that traditional (Karate) martial artists re-gained after Machida placed Karate back on the map as a serious MMA concern.

Randys return to the octagon and a winning outlook. The Lesnars antics that had a few people concerned but what ever you think of his conduct, he unified the UFC titles and established himself as the “Man” before taking a turn and winding up in hospital and an uncertain future!

Affliction went back to manufacturing their clothing and dropped their MMA wish to stage events. Carano and Cyborg got it on and as we all now know, Cyborg proved that she was the better, if not best female MMA exponent around. Strikeforce staked their claim and provided Fedor the platform which has enabled him to be hailed as unbeatable?

The fact that Dream have struck a deal with Strikeforce and with two new organisations looking to start their foray into the MMA world, who knows, perhaps we will see an MMA world that is not dominated by UFC, although somehow I doubt that it will happen over the course of just one year, if at all.

Back to the UK and our own UK MMA scene, the boys at Cage War Championships had yet another great event recently and as you will read inside this issue, it went extremely well and once again lived up to their self imposed, very high standards. Completely off the record and just between you and me, talks are under way to bring a huge event to The Martial Arts Show, set to take place at the NEC in Birmingham on May the 22nd and 23rd. Stay tuned for more details but I can let you know that some very BIG names have expressed an interest in taking part!

Whilst on the subject of MMA (although I feel that my editorial this issue has become an MMA fest) I cannot let the issue of UFC seemingly going head to head against the WWE. Spike TV and UFC got the attention of World Wrestling Entertainment when they announced the next live UFC Fight Night event will take place on January 11th – the first time UFC has run a live show on a Monday night, head-to-head with WWE Monday Night Raw. In a move that is likely to upset World Wrestling Entertainment and probably hurt the PPV buy rate of its biggest show of the year, UFC have decided to bump UFC 111 ahead two weeks from 3/12 PPV to 3/26, the night before Wrestle Mania 26. UFC 111 will take place from Newark, NJ and will be headlined by Georges St. Pierre vs.

Dan Hardy.

In closing there is quite a lot packed in to this issue so, I will leave you now to enjoy it all for self.

6

NEWS ROUND-UP Domestic & International

12

FIGHT ANALYSIS...

Or Learning From The Greats

16

THE NEIL ADAMS SUBMISSION CLINIC

By Fergus Dullaghan

20

MY MMA WISH LIST FOR 2010

By Brian Levick

22

TYLER SHAKESPEARE WKA & EFK World Junior Amateur Champion

26

THE UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION Who Are The Real Contenders

30

UFC HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION’S...

Road to Recovery

32

THE DAY I MET MUHAMMED ALI

By Kru Shaun Boland

38

M-1 GLOBAL & HDNET TEAM UP TO ANOINT...

Fedor Emielanenko as God

42

BARRY OGILVIE An Unsung Hero

44

LET’S FACE IT, A HEALTHY BOCK LESNAR IS NEARLY UNBEATABLE

By Brian Levick

46

STACEY ‘TERMINATOR’ HAWKINS New W.K.A. British Full Contact Champ

48

COLOUR ME IMPRESSED WITH MICHAEL BISPING ‘The Count’ Bounces Back

50

FULL ON With Dan Gibbon

54

WAKO MMA Official Referee & Judging Course

56

CASH 4 GOLD & ULTIMATE CHALLENGE UK Together We’ll Make a Bigger Difference

58

SUMMER SLAM 2009 Fighters DVD Review

60

UFC 105 The Battle of Manchester

66

GENESIS 2 Battle on The Park

70

CAGE WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS “No Nightmare” For Fans at King’s Hall

74

HISTORY IN THE MAKING at Newark

78

WAKO 19TH WORLD CHAMPS Three New World Champs

Until next month, enjoy your training and keep on fighting!

Paul S Clifton.

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UFC 105 page 60

WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Paul S. Clifton paul@martialartsinprint.com SENIOR DESIGNER Mark John Davies GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Thompson ADVERTISING/SALES EXECUTIVE Jan Harley 0121-351-6930 fighters@btconnect.com UK THAI SUB EDITOR Dan Green UK MMA SUB EDITOR Rob Nutley UK BJJ SUB EDITOR Carl Fisher UK KICKBOXING SUB EDITOR Cris Janson-Piers UK BOXING SUB EDITORS Luke Calvert, Mark Wilson Smith THAI / KICKBOXING Tony Myers, Shaun Boland, Bob Spour, Paul Hennessy, Neil Holden, Dean Sugden

CONTRIBUTORS Steve Dileo, Bryan Levick, Fergus Dullaghan, Ben Cartlidge, Alan MacDonald, Christina Castellana, Teddy Galbally, Craig Bush, Seymour Yang, Rocki Sondhi, Tommy Thompson HOW TO GET WORK PUBLISHED Drop us an email at fighters@martialartsinprint.com or give the editorial team a call on 0121 351 6930 NEWS ITEMS For all news related items, simply mark your envelope “FIGHTERS NEWSLINE” and together with a photograph (if required) and a covering letter, send it to: FIGHTERS, Head Office or E-Mail: fighters.news@btconnect.com HEAD OFFICE: Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. Tel: 0121 351 6930 E-Mail: fighters.magazine@btconnect.com ADVERTISING DETAILS If you would like to advertise in FIGHTERS email us at fighters@martialartsinprint.com to obtain details, deadline dates and costs.

DISCLAIMER FIGHTERS is published by M.A. Publications Ltd, Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. The publishers reserve the right to reject editorial and/or advertising material as they see fit. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. However, the Publishers will endeavour to return such matter providing that it is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Any material accepted by the Publishers shall be revised or altered should the Publisher deem it necessary to do so. The act of submitting manuscripts and/or materials shall be considered an express warranty that such material is original and in no way infringes upon the rights of others. It is expressly forbidden for any part of the magazine to be reported whatsoever without the permission of Editor / Publishers. The views or comments expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the editor or Publisher.

Distribution by COMAG. No part of this magazine may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior permission. Fighters, may not be sold at more than the recomended retail price shown on the cover.

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES To take out a subscription to Fighters, just send your cheque for the correct amount made payable to M.A. Publications ltd. to: Subscription Dept. Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. or telephone: 0121-351 6930 12 issues = UK @ £44.95 EUROPE @ £75 (Airmail) REST OF WORLD @ £90 (Airmail)

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Page 16 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK February 2010

The Neil Adams

Submission Clinic

By Fergus Dullaghan

Part One - Juji gatame/straight arm lock - Securing the arm lock As a former World Judo Champion and Olympic Silver Medallist, Neil Adams has become highly soughtafter for his superb coaching skills. In this age of MMA and cross-training, Neil’s reputation as one of judo’s leading ne waza or ground fighting experts has also begun to attract the attention of fighters from many other disciplines.

In the Neil Adams submission clinic, FIGHTERS new 12 part column, Neil will be showing some of his favourite submission techniques and detailing the key points needed to make them successful. This twelve part series will offer something for both novices and advanced students alike. In part one we are looking at some of the key points for securing a juji gatame (straight arm lock).

One of the major problems in securing this arm lock is overcoming the opponent’s final defence mechanism. Whilst this is particularly true in judo and jiu

Fig 1

jitsu where your opponent can grip is own gi to defend his arm, it is however a problem that both MMA fighters and submission wrestlers also need to be able to address.

back against the strength of his opponent’s arms and chest, Neil likes to pull at an angle. He leans towards his opponent’s legs, allowing the opponent’s head to rise slightly (Fig 4).

In Fig 1 Neil is in the classic position for juji gatame, with one leg over the opponent’s head and the other across his body. His knees are squeezed tightly together and his arm has hooked around the joint he is trying to lock.

Many fighters also like to cross their legs at this stage (Fig 2).

(Fig 5) Neil uses his hamstring muscle to drive his opponent’s head back to the ground whilst continuing to pull the arm. This creates tremendous pressure on his opponent by disturbing his posture, which prevents him from holding the arm securely.

(Fig 3) Rather than pulling straight

(Fig 6) Neil finishes the arm lock by squeezing tightly with the knees, pulling down on the opponent’s arm and lifting his hips slightly.

(Fig 6) Neil’s control drill: Neil has a very useful drill to help maintain this position on the opponent. As can be seen here Neil gets into position for the arm lock and places his arms behind him. He now tries to hold his partner on his back in this position for as long as possible, while his partner tries to escape. Notice how his legs are so tightly squeezed that his partner’s arm is almost vertical.

Neil Adams is a former World Judo Champion and Olympic Silver Medallist.

He is currently the Belgian national coach and his new online tutorials featuring all his judo secrets are available from www.cagefilm.com in association with Combat Magazine and Fighters Magazine.

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THE NEIL ADAMS SUBMISSION CLINIC Page 17

Fig 1

To read the rest of this series make sure you get the next issue of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 4

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Page 22 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK February 2010

Tyler “The Steppin Razor”

Shakespeare WKA and EFK World Junior Amateur Champion Edited by Cris Janson-Piers Full Contact Sub Editor There are junior fighters out there that are on the cusp of changing over to the, big, big World of Adult kickboxing but none like the one I witnessed recently! Tyler Shakespeare is a young man that has my admiration, not only for his style and prowess but also his physical condition. There is no doubt this fighter is the real deal and he leaves no stone unturned in the search for proper preparation.

Below is an account of Tylers road to success and as you will come to learn, he has had to work very hard to get to this level. He and his Father Alan should be so very proud.

Tyler Shakespeare the 17year old kickboxing superstar, signed off his Junior career with a win over French number 1 Ibrahim Obeidellah in Newark recently, handing a crushing 50-43 5043 50-44 defeat to the champion from Marsielle. In his last bout as a junior fighter, Tyler took a mass of support to Kelham Hall, the prestigious East Midlands venue to witness Tyler become a two weight, two times World Champion. The “Steppin Razor” (as he is known in the sport of Full contact

Kickboxing), was already the WKA World junior Light Middleweight Amateur Champion having beaten the German Champion Philipp Ulsamer back in July of Last year, to take the title. He has now added the EFK version of the Amateur Super Welterweight World title to an ever growing list of Honours.

Tyler’s kickboxing career began back in 2000 when an asthmatic over weight young eight year old he joined Kash Gills gym in Birmingham, where he quickly shone as a capable and very technically gifted fighter. But with limited opportunities competition wise and having gained the interest of another local gym Tyler joined Neil

Kelly’s very successful USKA squad where he immediately took the 57kg Midland area title at the Aston Villa Leisure centre. Just a few months later and under the skilful and close eye of Neil Kelly he contested the 60kg English title against Richard Whitehouse of Featherstone. A fight which saw him takes on an opponent 2 years his snr, and set a precedent that would see Tyler nearly always fight elder lads. Following that win, came a period that Tyler took on three attempts to win British honours, in which he had three bouts, all within three months of each other, the first being in Liverpool at the ISKA Open.

This bout lasted just 32 seconds before Tyler stopped his opponent from the Force One Gym. His second title tilt of this period came when he fought James Cassey, from Manchester, the third and final challenge at British level was a meeting with highly regarded Carl Bryant for the ISKA British 62KG Super Lightweight crown. This bout saw the flamboyant Tyler kick his way through almost the whole fight, scoring an impressive 4946 win on all the judges’ cards.

The Birmingham based fighter then became the first Junior fighter to compete at full contact level whilst still a junior, from the Sparkhill based USKA gym, when on a show in Matlock he defeated 18yr old Callum Reynolds from Barnsley, again stop-

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TYLER ‘ STEPPIN RAZOR’ SHAKESPEARE Page 23

ping his man in the Second round of that fight. The following period saw Tyler leave the USKA camp to be trained by his father as an independent fighter, and during this time he took two other high profile junior prestige bouts on away venues both of which he won, against Mason Harris from the “Rough ‘n’ Ready” Northampton gym and then step into the Lions den with an away day at the fiercely partisan Wolverhampton Civic hall and a bout against local favourite Rob Evans. It was during this stage in his career that Tyler’s next title appearance was to be set, with him contesting the Golden Belt Jnr European Amateur full contact title against Irish hope Niall Comerford, Eire. This bout was fought out in Erdington, Birmingham, Tyler’s home town, and saw him receive massive support on the night, support which has stayed with him where ever he fights. A prefight neck injury had Tyler in trouble in the later parts of this fight, but not before he had done enough, on the judges score cards, to gain the win.

Tyler then had a short time out to receive extended treatment for a vertebrate injury that had him side lined for three months. Hungry to get back in the ring, he was then nominated to

fight for the WKA version of his European Junior Light Middleweight title, this time against the tough Dutch fighter Rudd Bonne and also was held in Birmingham. These two lads went toe to toe, for almost the whole fight, with each scoring big shots, and things were even, going into the last round, with just 20 seconds left on the clock Tyler pulled out an eye catching spinning hook kick which landed clean on the head of his Dutch adversary, sending him crashing to the floor. The returning score cards reflected a close fight, with Tyler taking the title by merit of one round.

The Steppin Razor had now managed to unify the European Light Middle Weight crown, and after much thought and encouragement returned to the IFA camp to train. This move whilst having it’s benefits was a move that was to be short lived. Tyler’s first fight back was again against an Irish opponent, James Dunphey with Tyler again coming out on top over three rounds.

Then later that year he faced his toughest fight to date, in a world title showdown with German Champion Philipp Ulsamer. The seven round fight was hosted on a evening of spectacular kickboxing action in

Birmingham’s Q Club and what had promised to be a real test of Tyler’s ability, every bit lived up to the preflight build up. Tyler, a renown slow starter was rocked early in the first round when a very strong German landed heavily on Tyler’s unprotected jaw with a lead leg round kick. But what Tyler also has in his armour is an exceedingly good chin, and after the initial shock of the opening round, he soon found his way into the fight. In truth, there wasn’t much between these two well prepared and extremely well matched Champions, and early rounds were either shared or drawn. But Tyler had prepared for this fight like no other, and his fitness was beginning to tell late into the fight, which saw him impress the judges sufficiently enough to have him declared the winner after a very hard encounter with a very hard opponent. Tyler never shy’s away from saying just how much he respects Ulsamer for his fighting prowess and his professionalism and one day hopes to meet him in the ring again.

To read the rest of this article why not take out a subscription by calling +44 (0) 121 351 6930

PERSONAL PROFILE:

Name: Tyler Shakespeare.

Discipline: Full Contact Kickboxing / ABA Boxing.

Alias: The “Steppin” Razor.

Gym: Saxon Kickboxing Academy.

Home Town: Birmingham.

Weight: 69.5 - 72.5kg.

Height: 5’ 11” inch.

Coach: Alan Shakespeare.

Titles: WKA World Am Junior Light Middleweight Champion.

EFK World Am Junior Super Welterweight Champion.

Favourite Fighters: Harvey Harra & Joe Calazaghe.

Best ever fight: WKA World Title Vs Philipp Ulsamer.

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Proud to be members of WAKO The World Governing Body

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All the best in 2010 Where Champions have been born or bred for over 30 years Thank you to all the fighters and coaches who have helped by supporting us.

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in association with...

www.fightersmag.co.uk

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www.combatmag.co.uk

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Page 26 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK February 2010

Light Heavyweight Division

Who Are The Real

Contenders?

While doing some research for a future article, I started going down the list of the UFC’s light heavyweights. A thought popped into my head: Who will take on the winner of Machida-Rua II, which is rumored to take place in May? Unless Rua wins by a controversial decision, a third matchup would probably be saved for sometime down the road.

The first fighter who came to mind was Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Unfortunately, for the time being, Mr. Jackson is on sabbatical. I am pretty sure at some point he and Dana will make nice but until that time, I need to go with realistic options.

A lot hinges on who comes out victorious on May 1. If Machida is still holding the strap, that would eliminate Rashad Evans. I don’t know about you, but would a second fight really go any different than the first? Now a matchup pitting Evans against Shogun would be very interesting.

Maricio Rua

On one hand, you have the aggressive Muay Thai striking of Rua and on the other hand you have the patient counter striking of Evans. When it comes down to it, it is my belief that Rua has better all around skills. Now, if Evans were to utilize his superior wrestling, then maybe he could become a two time champion.

Another interesting matchup, if Rua were to win, would be Forrest Griffin.

As is the case with Rua defeating Machida, Griffin would have to be successful in his bout against Tito Ortiz .

The storyline is already set. Griffin looking to prove that the first fight with Rua was not a fluke, nor was it due to any lingering injuries that Shogun may have had. Rua would be looking to prove that his injuries were significant and that he is the superior fighter.

A fight like that would sell a boatload of pay-per-views. Not only is there the revenge factor, but Griffin has shown time and time again that he is a huge draw.

Tito Ortiz, what does he have left in that 34 year old body? Did the back surgery give him the necessary spring in his legs that his double leg takedowns require?

If Machida is still champion the UFC can sell an Ortiz-Machida rematch.

Many of you may remember their first fight when Machida thoroughly dominated the former champion that is until there were a few precious seconds left.

With under a minute remaining, Ortiz shocked Machida and the world by slapping on a triangle choke that nearly finished the Karate master.

As the story goes, Machida was able to slip out and was awarded a unanimous decision for his trouble. None the less, Ortiz has been talking about it ever since and if he defeats Griffin, the UFC has another potential blockbuster rematch on their hands.

Would the fans want to see a Ortiz-Rua bout? Why not, especially if Ortiz is back to being the dominating wrestler that he used to be. I for one would love to see it.

Of course, there is always Randy Couture. He is scheduled to face fellow Hall of Famer, Mark Coleman at UFC 109. If he were to win, that would make him 2-0 in his return to the light heavyweight division.

The Natural has spoken many times of his desire to try and solve the Machida puzzle. Would the UFC go back to that well once again? At 46 years old, there isn’t much time left and title opportunities are normally few and far between, except if you are Couture.

The same could be said of a potential Rua-Couture matchup. Defeating an icon, albeit and aging icon such as Couture, would benefit Rua greatly. If he is to be a successful champion in the UFC, he needs to become more marketable.

Nothing showcases a fighter better than a showdown with Captain America.

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UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDERS Page 27

Also under consideration would be Rich Franklin. He would need a solid win as an actual light heavyweight rather than fighting at catchweight bouts. The UFC could market a Franklin-Machida matchup, the two have met before back on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve in 2003.

Machida handed Ace his first career loss via a second round TKO. Many believe the outcome would generally be the same, but Franklin is as popular with fans as anyone.

The winner of the Luiz Cane-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira bout could receive some consideration. Cane has slowly but surely been building himself up over the past two years.

As far as Nogueira is concerned, he brings an impressive resume into the octagon with him, along with big name recognition. How cool would it be to have a pay-per-view with a possibility of the two Nogueira brothers fighting for a title!

Anderson Silva is only a possibility, well at least according to him, if Rua were to win. The Spider has stated time and time again that he has no interest in fighting Machida. To be honest with you, it is my belief that he would rather walk away than fight one of his teammates.

Rua on the other hand is a different story, the two have traded verbal barbs in the past. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter where the animosity started, this is a fight that the fans would love to see.

Those are the only fighters I can think of at this time that would receive any consideration. My future pick would be Jon Jones but he is a few fights off from being thrust into title consideration.

There is always Dan Henderson, that is if he comes to his senses and resigns with the organization. At this stage of his career, the UFC is the only place that makes sense for him.

Did I leave anyone out? If so, who, and why do you think they deserve consideration?

Editors note: This article was written on November the 20th to meet publishing deadline dates so there may be a couple of events that since going to print will have taken place which may alter the context of this article. pictures copyright

Lyoto Machida

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The Day I Met

Muhammad

Ali There are many people today and through the ages that have inspire me, who, metaphorically, have passed their ‘inspirational breath’ into me.

One such man is Muhammad Ali, billed as the greatest sportsman of all time and the greatest boxer of all time.

His achievements in the boxing ring are well documented, he won a Gold medal in the Rome Olympics (1960), he was the first heavyweight to win the World title three times. His ‘Rumbles in the jungle’ and ‘Thrillas in Manila’ events were arguably the two greatest fights in the history of heavyweight boxing.

Ali had only 5 losses from 61 professional fights (he avenged three of those in return matches) with 37 knockouts coming from his 56 wins.

By Kru Shaun Boland

Inspiration comes from the Latin ‘inspirare’ which means to breathe upon or into. When inspired, by someone or something, it can seem as though the energy from this ‘breath’ has entered our body and uplifted us, given us new motivation and meaning.

In his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing, Ali defeated every top ranked heavyweight.

Great World champions such as Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and George Foreman.

history, one of paranoia and extreme racism. Black people were being persecuted and segregated, Americans were paranoid of communism being infiltrated into their country and the Vietnam War was in full swing.

As a young child and into my early twenties I followed with avid interest the great exploits and fighting career of this man who could ‘float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

In 1967 Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the Army, to fight in Vietnam. He considered himself as a conscientious objector because of his Islamic beliefs and took a stand. For an athlete of his stature to take such a stand, questioning authority and rebelling, essentially, against America and its system was extremely risky and as a black man in the racial melting pot of segregation and racism was downright dangerous. When questioned why he refused to be inducted he famously remarked: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong..... They never called me nigger, you want me to do what the white man says and go fight a war against some people I don’t know nothing about - get some freedom for some other people when my own people can’t get theirs? No I am not going 10,000 miles to help murder, kill and burn other people to simply help continue the domination of white slave masters over dark people the World over. This is the day and age when such evil injustice must come to an end”

However it wasn’t just Ali’s sporting achievements alone, that impressed me; it was his drive, his persona, his self belief.

Muhammad Ali made a stand at a time when the likes of President Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had been assassinated.

This time was a dark page in American

As a result of what he stood for and his refusal to be inducted into the US Army, Muhammad Ali lost everything he worked for, his title was stripped from him and his licence to box was revoked. Ali lost millions due to being out of work for 3 years so to survive he lectured at college campus’ all over the USA during this time. This must have

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been a humbling experience for a man who was used to wealth and luxury, serving to show the true character of Muhammad Ali. So throughout my life I have been inspired by a man who stood up for what he believed in, who wasn’t trapped by profiteering and greed, a man who was prepared to die for upholding his beliefs.

His strength of character has inspired me too look inwardly for the ‘greatness’ in myself to be the best I can.

Yet he still carries on, travelling the World, hand delivering food and medical supplies to such needy sites as Jakarta, Morocco and Liberia to name but a few. At home in the USA Ali visits countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals. He generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson research centre. He shares his inspiration with the world

In the mid 1980’s Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome and over the years we have witnessed the physical degradation of this great man who was the embodiment of a true gladiator.

‘‘

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows. If I fail, if I succeed, At least I live as I believe. No matter what they take from me, They can’t take away my dignity

‘‘

“The Greatest Love of A l l ” - by George Benson.

through the Muhammad Ali Centre based in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Appealing to the heart, spirit and imagination, he inspires both children and adults to form new commitments in their lives in areas of personal growth, integrity and respect for others.

To read the rest of this article why not order a back issue, for details call +44 (0) 121 351 6930

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exploring different types of clinch, defences & brutal counters. You’ll practice a variety of methods used to knee an opponent to the head and face. You will learn complex attacks and counters all culminating in repeated and successful knees to the head.

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Barry

Ogilvie

By Les Obre

An unsung Hero

I have had the pleasure of training one to one with Barry Ogilvie in Thai and kickboxing over the last two and a half years. As I steadily progressed under his expert tuition and guidance it became very evident that here was a guy who had trained with some of the best people out there and had accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience whilst gaining a considerable amount of success en route to gaining a number of titles. Barry is modest, articulate, an excellent teacher and a genuine all round good guy. That is until you get him into the ring, then you had better watch out; this guy can fight! His successes speak for themselves.

K1 or MMA Barry and why?

BARRY: To compete, it would have to be K1 for me as I am more suited to striking. I’ve always been a striker,` although I was in the GB sport Ju Jitsu squad (ISJA) in 1998. To watch, K1 again as I don’t think that it gets anywhere near the coverage that it deserves on TV. K1 is very explosive and is full of seasoned campaigners. No disrespect to the cage fighters, MMA is the real deal and I used to enjoy watching Pride FC, it just seems to me that there is no longer any Muay Thai or kickboxing on TV. Who is the fighter that you most admire and why?

BARRY OGILVIE: Stuart McOwan of Clan Kickboxing, he has won a number of world full contact kickboxing titles at welterweight and is a stand up guy. When I was a young

fighter, he always treated me like an adult and helped me out a lot. Michael Emslie of Skyaxe, this guy has held world titles at cruiser weight, he never gives up and has never been knocked out despite taking some serious punches. Mark Kean, a Tukido black belt, I witnessed an unprovoked attack on Mark on the street by about five or six guys. He took them all out with kicks and punches, it was like watching a movie.

They started it & he finished it. The thing was, at the time Mark was recovering from having his appendix removed.

Can you tell us about your own martial arts background?

BARRY OGILVIE: I started at my local Primary school in Dundee when I was seven years of age, in the Lochee Freestyle Karate Club with Arun Trivedi. I gained my first Dan (World United Martial Arts Association) with help from Ged Bell in 1991. I then went on to win a number of freestyle Karate championships around Tayside. I won the Scottish open circuit, continuous Under 14’s championship and the under 16’s Caledonian Cup in 1993. I had my first ring fight which I won convincingly, in 1994. As a number of my stable mates including British Full contact champ Andy Muligan moved to Skyaxe Kickboxing Club in Dundee led by Paul Kean, I moved with them. Arun Trivedi was a great coach for young semi contact fighters but Paul was more of a ring sports coach and his club promoted full contact fights rather than semi contact.

In 1998 I got a place in the GB Sport Ju Jitsu squad which was a real honour. This gave me the opportunity to spar with current MMA fighters such as Gary Turner, Alex Reid and Phil Norman of ITV Gladiators fame.

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I also attended semi contact seminars with the likes of Alfie Lewis, Joe Tierney, Bill Wallace and Eunice Hudhart, also of Gladiators. As well as Muay Thai seminars with John Craig, Master Pimu and grappling sessions with Rick Young.

sight if I’d had cut out the partying and hedonistic student lifestyle I could have trained, studied and taken the fight but I doubt I’d have had as much fun or won!

Barry, who were your biggest influences?

In 1999 I won the WKA Continuous British Open even though I was physically ill and had to enter the tournament in a lower weight division due to being ill earlier that day and dehydrated!! This led to me being selected for the WKA squad.

Also in 1999 I represented Scotland at the British Kick Jitsu GP gaining a second place after losing the final on points to the heavier ISJA world Champion at that time. In 2000 I won the WUMA Battle of Scotland in both points and continuous in the advanced men’s under 65Kg division.

I then started studying to be a PE teacher but continued training, now with Duncan Airlie-James at his Strikeforce gym. In 2001 I made my WAKO pro debut in a low kick light welterweight bout and won by a first round TKO. I was training with a variety of people including Guy Ramsay’s Caledonian Muay Thai where I sparred with Sean Wright of Contender Asia fame and Lex Easdon’s Paisley Kickboxing, sparring with Chris Carslaw who is now a Scottish Amateur Commonwealth boxer. I also trained with Mark Hendrie’hH s Glasgow Thai Boxing Association and ex WKA British full contact champ Mark Scott. I was then given the opportunity to fight Gary Hamilton over seven rounds for the WAKO pro full contact British title. It was really at this point that I had to make a decision about fighting at a semi professional level or putting everything into my degree. I decided I couldn’t commit to both fighting and studying and chose to focus on my academic work. I suppose I enjoyed my aptitude for the sport rather than the actual thrill of the fight. With hind-

BARRY OGILVIE: All of the instructors I have trained with, none of these guys are money grabbers, they are all passionate about the sport and care about the people who practice it.

Other than training me over the last two and a half years, tell us about Barry Ogilvie today.

BARRY: Well, I’m a PE teacher and don’t really do much in the way of martial arts now as I can’t give it 100%. I’m either in or I’m out. To be truly involved I feel that I would need to be fighting again. I now play table tennis, football and volleyball at a recreational level, go to the gym, and watch a lot of field hockey as my girlfriend, Kareena Marshall, plays for Scotland.

Barry, any advice from your wealth of experience to those who might be considering taking up kickboxing today?

BARRY OGILVIE: If you start young enough, eat well and train properly and progressively, over time you can excel in martial arts and the titles are there for the taking.

Barry, as always it’s been a pleasure talking to you. As is to be expected, you have provided an informed and insightful range of answers. On a personal note, thanks for all your expert coaching and advice over the last two and a half years which have had such a massive impact on me.

To read more articles like this make sure you get the next issue of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents

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Let’s face it, a Healthy Brock Lesnar is Nearly

Unbeata b

Now before any of you jump all over me, I realise that anyone can lose on any given day, but if we put a lucky shot aside, who realistically can defeat the mammoth Brock Lesnar?

In an interview with ESPN Radio, UFC President Dana White explained that Lesnar’s doctors have said that the former NCAA Division I wrestling national champion has been fighting at a mere 60% of his potential.

If that doesn’t send chills running down the spine of his future opponents, then they may not be human.

Every fighter believes in their heart of hearts that they can win against anyone, but you can’t tell me that the thought of taking on a man who will finally be fighting at 100%, won’t make you have some doubts.

To think of Lesnar dominating men who have been in the game much longer than he has, and doing it at less than full strength is absolutely amazing.

Again, I understand that no fighter goes into any fight without a nagging

injury or two. There is no way you could compare a pulled muscle or a sprained foot to having a hole in your intestine which in turn caused fluids leaking into your stomach.

To move on to the basis of this article, we can go over the serious contenders to Lesnar’s UFC heavyweight championship.

Shane Carwin was scheduled to face Lesnar this past at UFC 106. Many people feel as though Carwin is the biggest threat to Lesnar. Carwin is closer in weight to Lesnar than any other UFC heavyweight. He also has a solid wrestling background.

Unlike Lesnar, Carwin competed in Division II against opponents in college who were not in the same league as the Division I wrestlers that Lesnar was used to facing. As good as Carwin is, he is not the overall athlete that Lesnar is.

Cain Velsaquez is learning more and more with each fight. He is as talented as any other UFC heavyweight not named Lesnar. Earning AllAmerican honors twice at Arizona State gives Vealsquez a solid foundation to work with.

Unfortunately for Velsaquez he hasn’t show a great ability in his stand-up game, an area where he would have to improve greatly in order to have any chance against Brock.

Lesnar would more than likely outweigh the smaller Velasquez by at least 45lbs by the time they stepped inside the octagon. That is a disadvantage that would be too difficult to overcome.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is by far and away the most experienced of the group. Having been through so many wars during his days with Pride, Big Nog is as battle tested as any fighter alive today.

The only stoppage of his career came against Frank Mir at UFC 92, and at this point we can all agree that was an aberration. The chances of Mir defeating Nogueira again are about as good as him defeating Lesnar again.

The huge advantage Nogueira has, is with his boxing skills. He has some of the best stand-up of any heavyweight around today. The question is, could he keep Lesnar away with his jab and avoid his takedowns....

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A HEALTHY LESNAR IS NEARLY UNBEATABLE Page 45

pictures copyright

a ble

By Bryan Levick

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Stacey

‘Terminator’ Hawkins The New W.K.A Britsh Full Contact Champion!

Birmingham teenager Stacey Hawkins represented England recently when she travelled to Scotland to fight for the W.K.A 61kg British Title.

Stacey was asked by Mr Paul Sutton to step in as a late replacement to fight Jade Thomas for the W.K.A 61kg British title eliminator at Chester race course, which she went on to win.

From the moment she was asked it was 3 weeks of gruelling training for the T.K.A fighter as she prepared for her biggest fight to date.

Although she won the British title last year, this was a big step to take, up to the adult division.

Hawkins her coach Lance Manyer & her father Barry got up at 5am on the Saturday morning for their flight to Edinburgh from East Midlands airport. Arriving at 8.30am they were

picked up by the Scottish WKA chief, Stuart Allen for the 2 and a half hour journey to Aberdeen.

Arriving at the venue for the weigh in at 11am, after some hanging around, both girls ‘made the weight’.

After some excellent Scottish hospitality from promoter Albert Ross, it was time to get some sleep.

It was a very long day for Hawkins who didn’t fight until 11pm.

The venue was ‘rammed’ & the atmosphere was electric and for such a young fighter, Hawkins handled the situation like a real ‘pro’. When she entered the ring it was like going into the ‘lions den’. When the Scottish

favourite, the current WKN world champion Adele Steinbach entered the ring, the place went crazy.

The Fight was set for 5 x 2 minute rounds and right from the first bell Hawkins took the fight her opponent, both girls were up for the fight & the crowd loved it. The Terminator was on ‘fire’ & landed some superb sidekicks to the body & head, taking the first round.

Hawkins was having the fight of her life, backing up the superbly conditioned scot with speed & power punching but it was her kicking that Steinbach couldn’t deal with.

Hawkins nearly knocked her out in round 3 with a superb kick but was so drained she couldn’t finish it & this allowed Steinbach back into the fight, although Hawkins was 3 rounds up.

The scot’s girl was extremely fit & tough and found some extra energy in the fourth round backing the ‘Terminator’ up with some lovely strong combination punching.

Hawkins however, weathered the storm but lost the 4th round.

The last round was as exciting & action packed as the others, both girls went ‘toe 2 toe’ & were exhausted at the end, and the round was a draw.

Then came the wait as the scorecards were counted, even the home crowd had warmed to Hawkins. Then as the referee held her up, she was announced the New WKA BRITISH 61kg senior Champion.

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2

Genesis

Battle on the Park Photography by Martin Wheatley

Castle Park Doncaster......a night of great atmosphere, skill, entertainment, superbly conditioned fighters (all well matched) and highly qualified consistent officials. What more could anyone ask for?

Genesis 1, had already earned the name tag of “Quality” and Genesis 2 did not fail to impress. Involving fighters from all over the country and also its International guests in the shape of the French team lead by the French National Savate coach, Arnaud Mimouni. Who promised, together with his team, to return in December for Genesis 3.

The Genesis team are recognised WAKO GB and WAKO Pro show hosts (a very high accolade to uphold with WAKO being the Official World Governing Body for Kickboxing) its fighters have also lived up to the expected standards. With the BFKKO also featuring some fights, in the hope that success on the night would then place the top fighters favourably in the

Carey vs Oddey

eyes of WAKO and maybe even lead to WAKO Pro International challenges for some of them?

As always, Genesis involved the younger fighters as well as the first timers and novices. With such a high standard of officials present it meant that both fighter and coach could rest assured that everyone is well looked after and their safety was in safe hands.

The first bout of the night saw two ladies enter the ring with great confidence!

Carey pushes through.

Cassey Oddey (Leeds Cage) vs Helen Carey (5 Elements).

Amateur Full Contact 3x2 minutes 56-60kg.

Round one and Cassey came out very

strong and determined which appeared to take Helen by surprise. Good kicks and combinations from Cassey secured her the first round. In the second, the fight calmed a little as Cassey tired, this allowed Helen to start moving and getting her shots in. She also started to use some ring craft and head movement that stopped Cassey from scoring clean shots. Helen took round 2.

In the third round both had it all to fight for but Cassey seemed to have run out of steam but Helen still had plenty left in her tank, which led to Cassey taking a standing count towards the end of the round as she just couldn’t withhold the attack.

A great opening fight, congratulations to both on what was for them, their first time in the ring.

Winner by unanimous decision - Helen Carey.

Skill and movement wins over power

Phil Ayres (Premier Martial Arts) vs Colin Weighill (NEKA).

Amateur Full Contact 3x2 minutes 71-75kg.

Both fighters looked strong from the outset although, throughout the fight, Ayres was always the more accurate of the two, blacking Colin’s eye early into the fight. Colin got tagged with some very good, strong punches that lead to a standing count in the second as well as the third.

A strong and exciting fight from both fighters.

Winner unanimous decision - Phil Ayres.

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Courageous battle but Ward clinches title.

Zac Ward (Impact Gym) vs Sam Kenny (7 K’S).

WAKO Cadet Amateur Full Contact British title 5x2 minutes 60-63.5kg.

Zac dominated this fight for the first 3 rounds, using good ring craft, movement and a little show-mahship. After the third round Ward started to slow down and Kenny began to dig in and use some of his own attacks, however, Zac was always there with his own counters. The final round showed Sam’s grit and determination coming through as he gave everything he had but it wasn’t enough to win the fight.

Winner by unanimous decision and the new Cadet WAKO British champion, Zak Ward.

Too hot to handle.

Sam Jukes (Leeds Cage) vs Jordan Waring (Falcon Fight Academy).

BFKKO cadet amateur full contact British title 5x2 minutes 57-60kg.

The first round saw both fighters come out strong and both showing good composure and crisp techniques, whilst taking some good shots too. After they both settled into the fight, Jordan started to pick up the power and caught Sam later in the round; forcing Jukes receive a standing count. The second round saw Sam come out of his corner, aware of

Taggart vs Galais

Jordan’s power and he fought more cautiously, which gave Jordan his opportunity to step on the gas using good hand and foot combinations and again towards the end of the round Sam received another standing count. During the break his corner retired their fighter which was a very sensible decision and is done often in the sport to make sure the safety of the fighter is never brought into question.

Winner by TKO & the new BFKKO Cadet British Champion, Jordan Waring.

Big guns do battle.

Nathan Brown (Leeds Cage) vs Darren Watson (5 Elements).

Amateur full contact 3x2 minutes +91kg.

The first round saw an even work load from both sides with Nathan being a little more polished. The second round was again, good from both sides although a little messy at times which saw both fighters taking a low kick.

Darren took a good shot to the nose and the doctor had to take a look. The fight continued but there was still much of the same from both sides, still with a little more style though from Nathan.

Well done to Darren for taking this fight at late notice, he did well and will take a lot away from their encounter.

Winner unanimous decision Nathan Brown.

Lethal wins again!

Idriss Galais (France) vs Leif Taggart (Falcon fight Academy GB).

Amateur International Low Kick 3x2minutes 57-60kg.

This was the first fight of the team event and was a low kick bout. Idriss being a 5 times national Savate champion and Leif a multi junior World champion who also recently took the WAKO K1 Rules European title and an adult World Oriental rules title.

Idriss shook Leif in an early, fast paced start and he caught Leif with some good hands; however it was the wake up he needed as he used his own fast hands and good leg counters to keep tagging Idriss. This got Leif scoring 3 to Idriss’ 1 in each attack. Idriss’ hands were the thing to watch as he was a power house looking for the perfect shot. The fight continued at a good pace and both fighters used good solid attacks; however Leif was much busier from start to finish...

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Cage War Championship “No Nightmare” for fans at King’s Hall, Belfast”

By Brian Elliott (All photos courtesy of Cage Wars Championship / Kirth Ferris Photography www.kirthferris.co.uk)

Rich “No Love” Clementi (73kg, USA) proved to be a little too much for 23-year-old Chris “Menace 2 Society” Stringer (71.7kg, Northern Ireland) in the main event of Cage Wars Championship’s “Nightmare” event, held at the King’s Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Clementi - the UFC veteran who has beaten the likes of UFC 106 semi-main event fighter Anthony Johnson - found it tough to connect with an elusive Stringer in the first round, but when he took the contest to the mat in the second, it was his fight for the taking, and Stringer was forced to tap out to a triangle choke in 3:11 of the second round.

In an extraordinary result, Lee “The Dragon” McKibbin (84.5kg, Northern Ireland) took just 45 seconds to dismiss of veteran John “The Machine” Lober (82.7kg, USA) via submission. The manner of the tap-out was the most surprising of all, a standing guillotine choke which can rarely be applied with enough torque to force a submission.

“I’m just so happy to be fighting in Ireland,” said Clementi. “This is my fifth time out here, and I’ve finally got to fight. Chris stepped up a month ago (after Peter Duncan was injured), so that took balls. My hat’s off to him”.

“It’s unbelievable,” said McKibbin of the win. “My respect to John Lober, he’s an amazing fighter. He’s fought the best, and he’s beaten the best. When he was going for the single-leg (takedown), I got one arm out and was looking to do the same with the other,” he continued. “When I did that, I knew it (the guillotine) was on, so I finished it.”

“The ground game is my world, when I get on top that’s when I win fights. But was a tough fight, and he’s a tough kid.”

Colin “The Gift” McKee’s (78.9kg, Northern Ireland) uncompromising style proved to be too much for Neydson Santos Ferreira (74kg, Brazil), in what was the first of the night’s three feature attractions. Santos - a Brazilian ju-jitsu expert who was a late replacement for the injured Che Mills - was never able to utilise his ground skills, with McKee trapping him against the cage and delivering some big punches before the referee called a stop to the contest at 3:04 of the first round.

The win by Daniel “Denzil” Thomas (70.4kg, Wales) over Duane van Helvoirt (68.9kg, Holland) was one of technique following attrition, finally getting the guillotine choke in 2:34 of the second round. Prior to that, Thomas had worn down his opponent on the ground, enabling him to get a lightningquick finish in the end.

Jordy Puete (62.5kg, Holland) may have taken five minutes to find his rhythm against Neil Seery (60.7kg, Republic of Ireland), but it took him only 17 seconds of the second round to roll his opponent into a kneebar for the immediate tap-out. Up until then, it had been Seery who was relentless with his ground-and-pound, clearly taking the first round in doing so.

Ben Boekee (65.9kg, Holland) set his stall out from the get-go against Hugh Brady (69.4kg, Northern Ireland), locking in constant submissions coming off

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numerous big takedowns. A triangle choke was almost enough to finish it in the first, as an armbar was in the second, and even though Brady came back with some brutal ground-and-pound in the final round, the points seemed to have been tallied in favour of Boekee by that time. The decision was in fact split, however, with two judges giving the fight 29-28 Boekee, and one inexplicably scoring it 30-27 Brady.

In the first of the eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional bouts, Ali McClean (70kg, Northern Ireland) submitted Julien Denis (69.2kg, France) with a dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arce choke in 2:44 of the first round. As expected, McClean was the proverbial house of fire, looking for big strikes, but he was soon able to take his over-matched opponent to the ground and apply an impressive finish.

In a bout fought under amateur rules (2x5 minute rounds, no striking to the head of a downed opponent - all the below bouts fought under these rules), Colin Neeson (64.5kg, Northern Ireland) won a majority decision over Jonny McGillion (65.8kg, Republic of Ireland). Neeson was more aggressive on his feet throughout, although McGillion showed good submission evasion on the ground.

In one of the most atmospheric contests of the evening, Ryan Boyd (118.9, Northern Ireland) took on Radek Rychlak (117.9kg, Poland). Boyd was the more accurate with his striking in the first

round, and also produced one of the highlights of the night by body-slamming the Pole, using a technique more akin to professional wrestling than Mixed Martial Arts. He seemed to tire in the second

round, however, and had no answer when Rychlak used his position on top to work a Kimura for the submission, he then switched and closed the bout with a RNC in 3:41 of the second round...

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History in the Making @

Newark The pre show hype was massive but the show delivered and described as the most exciting and exhilarating sporting event EVER attended. Wow! What a fantastic accolade for the Newark Club who have been successfully promoting for the last 10 years. The reputation so high now that the Newark Martial Arts Kickboxing club (now known as NMA) under the watchful eye of former World Champion Dean Sugden, is known as one of the Country’s Leading Promoter of Fight Nights.

The venue second to none! Kelham Hall provided a gladiatorial feel and set the scene for a night of entertainment which delivered EVERY time.

The night started with a parade of the 9 local juniors who were selected to represent their country in Spain at the World Championships on the 27th October. They were followed into the ring by the International fighters contesting the Title fights. The atmosphere was set and Kelham Hall was

Swanwick vs Yoon

packed. Fight No.1 started on time with a bang saw local lad young Danny Swanwick narrowly lose on points to Hama Yoon from Accrington, for the EFK English Title.

Next up for NMA was Chris Oxley against the fighter no one wants to face Steve Salter from Leicester. Steve has built a great reputation over a short number of fights but as always (Newark looking to test them at the highest level) took on the challenge. On this occasion

it was not to be for the Newark man who struggled in what turned out to be a very explosive contest. Chris fought gallantly but it just wasn’t to be his night and Steve forced a stoppage.

Although at no point did Chris look like, or want to give up, in this clash of the Heavy weights.

The stage was set for Regis to turn the fortune around for the Newark club. He faced one of his toughest challenges to date, from Aaron Town, who came into the ring with an unbeaten record and almost as many titles to his credit as Regis. This was a bit of a grudge match, as Regis was fighting to regain the upper hand on Scotland for the Sugden family after Dad’s recent loss to 7 times world Champion. Regis wanted to prove he is the best in Europe, this time opting to fight for another version of the European Title, Regis started ferociously with some fast left hooks and overhand rights which sent Aaron reeling. At the end of the first round Regis’s normal tactics of making them miss and making them pay was discarded for what can only be described as a Gladiatorial battle. With skill and speed, Regis took every round to his opponent often catching him with the cleaner and heavier punches. Aaron though remained competitive to the end and finished strong in the 4th AND 5th. Regis, now getting frustrated with his opponent holding and spoiling, both fighters visited the canvas. Regis was always first up

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Oxley vs Salter

and the more effective. And, at the end of 5 gruelling rounds was declared (by unanimous decision) the New EFK Full Contact European Champion. Regis has proved he is ready for the next step and in March of next year, he will fight for the World Title.

Big brother Chad had to try and raise the bar but the stakes were higher and arguably harder as he took on the unbeaten French fighter Abdelouahid

Chad Sugden vs Seghir

Regis Sugden vs Tow n

Seghir. Abdelouahid had 14 KO’s to his record in 18 fights and was nearly 18 years old, so the Newark camp were concerned going into this fight. Taking on the current French Kick boxing Champion & K1 Champion, at the heavier weight division, in his home town was a risk, as International fighters always come to fight especially when they have World Renowned and Famous French fighter Fouad Ezbiri in their corner.

Shakespear vs Obeidallah

The fighters came head to head, nose to nose and the intimidation started, this brought a cheeky smile from Newark’s World Champion. The atmosphere was electric and although the French were confident of causing an upset; this seemed to bring out the best in Chad “2 Slick” Sugden, who loves fighting in his home town...

To read the rest of this article why not order a back issue, for details call +44 (0) 121 351 6930

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Page 78 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK February 2010

WAKO

19TH World Championships 2009 Three New World Champions, Three Silvers, Three Bronzes

by Sensei Dwyer Evelyn WAKO GB light contact coach This year Austria was host to 19th WAKO world championships. Our week long trip began on the Monday morning with a picturesque coach drive from Salzburg to the town of Villach in the South of Austria. The stunning views of the Alps were truly unforgettable, so much so that half way through the journey we had to stop and take some team photographs. Our spirits were up and this set the tone for our arrival in Villach where each team member successfully made their weight and passed their doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s check up.

After the competitions opening ceremony, first up to fight for the GB team was Darren Chapman, who set the standard with a 3-0 victory against Thomas Jensen of Denmark in the -57kg category. This was closely followed by the first of the female bouts with newcomer -60 kg fighter Sylvia Radacovska, who fought a hard match against the Croatian Mateja Pancelat, and just lost out to a 2:1 decision. The second of the ladies to fight was Hazel Gale (-70kg), who won her first fight with a 2:1 deci-

sion against the German Tanja Flogel.

The next to fight was David Underwood, providing the first of the heavy weight bouts (-94kg) against Patrick Gerdentisch, on the Austrians home turf, but lost 3:0. Up next was Rosalind Wilson in the -55 kg category against Rabia Ayan from Turkey - our fighter won this convincingly 3:0, taking her through to the next round. Victoria Wilkinson fought Elena Bonglovanni next from Italy (-65 kg) with another 3:0 victory for us. Lucy Wolf, having

been seeded into the second round to fight the Russian Valentina Filatova, started well against her tough Russian opponent but lost 3:0 in this -50kg bout.

The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s -69kg category (my old stomping ground!) saw Jermaine Hemmings providing a good fight against Bernand Heudlist, but losing after the Austrian took it down to the wire in the final round with a 2:1 victory. Christian Thomas (-74kg) started slowly against Cavallente Lincoln from Bermuda in a close run fight, but pulled it back with a 2:1 victory. The last fight of day took place between Christoph Stolberg from the GB team and Volkan Karaduman from Turkey. Christoph - in the -79kg category - looked to be winning the fight up until the last few seconds, with a good use of sidekicks, but in the end lost out to his competitor.

So at the close of play on the first day, we had a achieved a 50% success rate, with five competitors going through to the next round, and with half the team still to fight. It had been a tiring first day, made even more exciting with the relatively new electronic scoring system for light contact fights. The new system seemed to be experiencing some technical glitches, but these were soon rectified.

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Day two in Villach saw the competition well under way. First up was Rosalind Wilson in her second round -50 kg fight versus Petra Zolnir of Slovenia, in which she fought a close fight but lost 2:1. Next up Victora Wilkinson fought Trimmel Nicole from Austria but conceded this fight in the second round losing out on the medals. The first of the men to fight on that day was Former European and silver world champion 89kg Gavin Williamson and, as the number two seed, the pressure was on and he proved his capabilities against Paulo Beussi from Croatia. He did not disappoint with a staggering 3:0 victory taking him through to the semi finals.

Next up for the men Christian Thomson in the under 74kgs fought Oleksandar Kotyiarov of the Ukraine; Christian won again, taking the fight convincingly, and securing another place in the semi finals for team GB. Reverting back to the ladies, +70kgs Katie Wasiukiewicz took on Sya Ukena from Germany (in her first outing for team GB), narrowly missing out on the medals. Meanwhile, Darren Chapman fought his second round bout against Gyurogy Kondacs from Hungrary. After a masterful display, Darren took out the Hungarian 3:0 securing a place in the

semi finals. He then went on to fight Gegor Debeljak from Slovenia and, true to form, Darren went on to win this bout 3:0, placing him in the final.

Christian Thomson’s second fight of the day was a semi final match against Bertalan Levente from Austria. The Austrian was fired up and determined to win, which he did, beating Christian 3:0. This left Christian with a bronze our first medal of the competition.

This year also saw the first of the veteran bouts. This category was introduced

by WAKO for the male and female veteran categories, and gave us all a chance to see former champions and experienced fighters in action. This may prove to be a very popular category in the years to come as the standard was high and the fighters were tough. Up first Lee Samsum was the first to fight for the Brits, challenging the Austrian Sendor Roman. He showed a good display of all round techniques, setting the pace for this win and securing a place in the final. Team GB’S Jack Morley lost to the strong Canadian Neil Bishop who went on to win the +94kg category, while Owen King fought the Veteran’s -79kgs, taking on the Austrian Josef Hajdinjak, and securing his place in the final with a polished performance and result of 3:0. The last (non-Veteran) fight of the day saw Gavin Williamson

take on Gianluca Stitzer from Italy, losing the bout but winning a second bronze medal for the team.

On day three, after two days of competing, we had five finalists representing the Light Contact squad. The first veteran final saw Lee Samsum fighting Frank Feuer of Germany. After two good rounds Lee won the silver and the German took the gold. Fighting at the same time as Lee on the next mat, Keith Morris (who normally weighs in to fight in the -57kg category), fought above his weight in the -63 kg category against the Austrian Parzer Gunther. Keith showed good composure and some strong front kicks to secure him a 3:0 victory and GB’s first veteran gold medal. Hot on his heels was Richard Philips in his final against Herbert Hainzinger from Germany. The German came out hard and strong and looked determined to win from the outset, but Richard had a different plan and dealt out some clear body shots and good evasive moves, finishing the German off with a big axe kick and winning the match 3:0 - a second gold for the light contact squad...

To read more articles like this make sure you get the next issue of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents

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Welcome to...

WAKO WORLD ASSOCIATION OF KICKBOXING ORGANISATIONS President: Tom Hibbert M.B.E., F.S.M.A.

Founded in 1970 WAKO is the largest unified kickboxing organisation in the World with over 100 nations currently in membership. WAKO World H.Q. is based in Milan. ★ WAKO History ★ WAKO started its activity in Europe in 1976. The founder was Mr Georg Bruckner from Berlin, who promoted the first ever World Championships in semi and full contact karate (as it was called in those days) back in 1978 with 110 competitors representing 18 countries. WAKO immediately created the rules and regulations for the new fighting sports and acted, since the very beginning, as the authentic Kickboxing Federation of the world. In our Championships, only national teams are accepted. Each member country can present only 1 competitor in each weight class. The WAKO World Championships are NOT open competitions therefore each representative is the premier competitor in that category, from their country.

World Governing Body for Kickboxing World and European Amateur Championships Title Fights held continually both Amateur & Professional Regional Competitions are held throughout the year British Amateur Championships to choose British Teams Full-Contact, Light Continuous-Contact, Semi-Contact, Musical Forms Licence, Membership and Insurance available to all of U.K., Southern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Coaching courses, Referee Training, Seminars and Training Dan Gradings and WAKO certificates for all Members For upto the minute details of all forthcoming W.A.K.O events visit our website To see national ama/wako listings of over 13,000 instructors/clubs on the web, type: www.bt.com/thephonebook then in ‘business’ type: martial arts and town

Contact: Treas & Office: Jacky Carson, 75 Grantham Ave, Derby, DE21 4FJ Tel: 07792 341036 (after 6pm and weekends) Email: info@wakogb.co.uk WAK001/22

www.wakogb.co.uk

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WRS001/04

What Does the WRSA offer you?

• Insurance for Fighters, Instructors and Promoters So you are fully protected

• Regular Tournaments around the country.

Already 40 planned for 2009. See Website for details.

• Gradings with Specially designed certificates and badges.

Each Belt Grade Certificate is Unique

• Courses for Judges and Referees.

The WRSA encorages experienced fighters and coaches to take our judges and referees course so they understand what judges are looking for

• Regular Meetings Meetings so member can express their views of how the WRSA is being run.

What they think is good and what they feel needs improving.

• Courses First aid courses run by qualified instructors.

Training courses for ring craft, weapons course, etc.

• The WRSA does not interfere with how you run your club.

It does not restrict you or your fighter as to which shows you fight on.

• The WRSA welcomes Kickboxing Clubs, Thai boxing clubs, Kung Fu Clubs, Traditional Karate clubs.

For Further Information contact the WRSA or Steve Humphrey, Cressdene, Evesham Road, Offenham, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 8SA Tel: 01386 48452 Mobile: 07881 784839 Email: ukcba@lineone.net

www.worldringsportsassociation.com

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SEE IT, FEEL IT...

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EXPERIENCE IT!!!

MARTIAL ARTS COMES BACK TO THE MIDLANDS at the NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM, UK on

Saturday the 22nd & Sunday 23rd May 2010 TO UNDERSTAND IT - YOU HAVE TO BE THERE!