Hey,
I found my old Pride post. May as well post it now as I get ready for the card this weekend.
Random Pride thoughts:
Thanks to ExpressVu all day replay I get to watch Pride WWGP Survival at a decent hour.
There must be some time shifting that can be done for us folks way out east. Anyhow with some news floating around about PRide's loss of the TV contract in Japan Survival might be an apt name for this card. The TV company also produce the PPV shows that you and I get to see, hopefully something good comes around, another channel maybe will pick them up.
Random thought 1: Does Ou Won Jin have some kind of unchokable neck?! I would have
been tapping like Gregory Hines in those. From Grappling to slugfest to GnP this fight had it all, good match.
Random Thought 2: Suleov tries to capture the power of Chuck Norris' Beard. 15 mins of playing two for flinching until finally a big punch lands. Little more tag is played. That one punch wins the fight. My grass grew six inches this week, it was more exciting.
Random Thought 3: Nice scramble out the back by Bech... whatever Gregory at the 3 min
or so mark and a nice slam by Filho just after. Mostly decent pace of GnP, if you saw the fight you can't argue with the decision. OK match
Random Thought 4: Beautiful Scramble by Joey at just about the last minute, great finish too. Good Match.
Random Thought 5: I'd like to have Yoshida in my corner...neither that or the gi helped this guy. OK match
Random Thought 6: Throws, sub attempts, and good old face punching. Good Match
Random Thought 7: Let's hope this loss will be Bennett's last...appearance in the ring. OK Match
Random Thought 8: Wasn't this Alfonso guy in a bad video game? Fitting that Sakurai got a perfect finish than huh? Good match just because of the right hand.
Random Thought 9: It's illegal to kill Zebras for use in Speedos isn't it? Oh well it worked for him. Pretty equal brawl, Good Match.
Random Thought 10: Don't Blink. Kang bandwagon, all aboard! Good match
Random Thought 11: Any match with a flying knee is a good match. I don't know why but I like the NYBA, sorry to see him drop this one.
Closing thought: Good card, If there is another Bushido I will watch. Here's hoping the stories are hype or another channel will pick up PrideFC.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Georges St. Pierre
Xtreme Rush Fighting
Instructional Video
Nothing bad can be said about Georges! It is illegal in Canada to insult him in any manner.
These videos are good. Clear sound and picture make this a very easy learning experience. Georges speaks English. You have heard him in post fight interviews and you know what to expect. It is amusing sometimes but in no way affects his ability to describe what is going on. David L'Oiseau helps Georges out in the video and does a solid job as expected.
Striking combos, including the infamous spinning back-kick are covered in the first section. Second section has some great takedowns, including hints for using the fence or wall to your advantage. Very interesting. The final section is a circuit training tour of Georges' weight workout. Chest, shoulders, legs and core are each done in separate circuits. The Georges gives a great description of his sprint program.
Volume 2 is all about the ground game. First some techniques, nothing really fancy in way of technique. Similar stuff to Eric Paulson's material but with the St. Pierre flair. Then Georges and David give us some tips on the ground game of MMA. This is a good section. It is too short at only 20 mins or so.
The only issue I have with this set is the repeating of this conditioning section on both videos. A waste of space that is labelled as a bonus on the sites selling these videos. No it is a waste, volume 2 should be half the price. Note to Mounties, this is not an insult to Georges, do not storm my house and lock me up in the Hudson Bay Detention Center ;)
Georges is great, these videos are well done and hold some good tips. Buy them now and you can say you had them before he becomes UFC champ.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Well I saw the last episode of the IFL pilot. Good stuff. The only part I didn't like was the full screen of Pat coaching, while the fight was happening. They showed the fight on the big screen in the background but the shot was bad. Stick with the fullscreen fights with the coach inserts, Other than that good job by the IFL.tv crew.
Bring on the new teams!!!!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Just got to see the second episode of the IFL pilot. More good stuff. All the previous comments stand for this set of fights too. I could do without the picking up in the 3rd round for fights but I understand they have limited time. The show pits Mo Smith's Tiger Sharks against Renzo Gracie's Pitbulls.
I have heard some rumblings of people with FSN getting mixed up schedules and how this programme is jumping around timewise. That is too bad, it could kill the show's chances, it deserves better! Get it on TV in Canada too while you're at it IFL.
Hey! Delson Heleno for all you folks asking for Capoeira in MMA. Leadfoot is here. Lets just say the kicks do finish it, how is up to you to see.
Rogan and Eddie Bravo in the crowd giving positive interviews about the league is nice after the big stink Dana allegedly put up and the lawsuits etc.
I'll be tuning in for the final when I can. I advise you to do the same. It has aired on FSN already but I am sure you can catch reruns. Do it, it is worth every minute.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Carlos Newton!!!!
More IFL news. Newton is going to lead the Dragons team from Canada in the IFL. Go Carlos, go Canada, go Dragons.
Also announced was Matt Lindland as a coach, awesome work IFL. He has pretty much the best name in the league, even if it is prowrestling throwback. The Wolfpack. Also we get Mark Coleman with a UK based team?! and Antonio Inoki coaching team Japan. Holy Shit I am stoked. No names for their teams yet. I can't wait to see these logos.
Which brings me to a criticism of the IFL. Get this news on your webpage. Don't make me read and link to it on Sherdog. Hell everyone loves Sherdog but you have to get this stuff on your page, with logos and bios. This is simple web work folks, all the content should have been ready and approved and the minute that press conference was happening it should have been turned up on ifl.tv
Instead I have to send people here to see the video http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=721
Another criticism. Do not ever let that stumbling, stuttering fool announce important news again! Hire a publicist, never let people know you didn't have the final name of a team ironed out until seconds before the announcement. It isn't funny, it is embarrassing. I don't care if he is rich and running the show, he came off as an idiot.
I just watched the first episode of the IFL show. International Fight League (http://www.ifl.tv/) is what MMA should be on TV! I could end the post there as it sums up my feelings completely.
This show is beyond anything that Zuffa/UFC and Spike TV have come up with. The production quality, camera angles, announcing all lent to the feel that this was a real sports event not a spectacle. I loved it.
There has been lots of flak on the Internet about the shorter rounds and a few other rules. This is still MMA, ask the guys that took the beatings if they were doing MMA and I am sure they'd say yes. The rounds aren't noticeably shorter and lots of punishment occured, including a great leglock.
Another thing that gets the wankers on the boards going are the names. But honestly look at the links for the big three sports leagues. Go ahead I'll wait:
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp
http://www.nhl.com/teams/index.html
http://www.nfl.com/
These names suck too, according to the criteria being used to judge the IFL names. Cats/Fish/imaginary beasts/ this is what sports names are, the IFL is no different. The logos aren't anyworse than fish wearing helmets and that duck mask thing. That arguement strikes out with me.
IFL, get this on TV with Expressvu. Do it now. At least get it on the Fight Network here in Canada so I can watch it without turning to the filesharing programs.
PS - Fight Network guys, get on Expressvu. What is the slowup?!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Muay Thai instructional videos
Razor Rob McCullough
http://www.islandmartialarts.com/index.cfm?ac=ShowProducts&CatID=76&SetCat=1
$55 US
This 5 volume set is one of the best I have seen. Any beginner should have it. Any person that has done Thaiboxing for a while will know most of the basics covered but Volume 5 is a gem and there are lots of good tips to make the set a good purchase even for the more experienced. All types of pads and bags are used in the demonstrations making for great views of the techniques in action.
Rob is a for the most part clear and well-spoken. He uses everyday langauge to get his points across, which is nice, too many others try the baffle with bull tactic. Rob gets by that with clear, honest representation of the moves. He gets a little repetitive at times but it is forgivable as the explanations are good.
Volume 1 is the fundamentals. Rob covers footwork, angles and gives lots of emphasis to the hip rollover in the kick. The explanations using the heavybag for demonstration are great. Good tape for beginners for sure.
Volume 2 moves into the basic strikes. All the boxing staples are here; jab, cross, hook and uppercut. All clearly explained with good poiinters for technique application. The elbow basics are also handled well, with a bonus spinning elbow move or two. The strikes are shown in a variety of ways. Use is made of focus mitts, Thai pads and the heavy bag. Great stuff.
Volume 3 covers the knees. Nothing wildly different here, but good strong coverage of straight knees and the curved or circle knee. Rob covers basic clinch work and delivers some good tips on moving the opponent around by his neck. Also some great pointers on hip movement are included. All around this is a fine video.
Volume 4- we get to the kicks. This tape is delivered in an interesting and effective manner. First the kicks are all shown using the right leg. Then they are all done again with the left leg. I like this idea. There are subtle but important differences between the two sides that can confuse people starting out. So this deliverly helps by letting the viewer get one side down at a time.
Leg kicks, body kicks and the head kick are all covered. With pads, on a bag and my favourite for new learners; just with a partner. I love doing the kicks this way. Sure the purpose eventually is to kick hard and hurt folks. However learning the technique and distancing involved in each kick by aiming at a real person and using control to land in the exact right spot without breaking anybody is a great method of building that power via skill instead of butishness.
Volume 5 is the gem as I said. Though this section is short, all I need to say is the combos given on this video will keep any viewer busy for a long while. Don't just run through them and think you got them. Practice, make them second nature, then you'll be able to use them when it counts.
Go buy these,they are worth every penny.
Razor Rob McCullough
http://www.islandmartialarts.com/index.cfm?ac=ShowProducts&CatID=76&SetCat=1
$55 US
This 5 volume set is one of the best I have seen. Any beginner should have it. Any person that has done Thaiboxing for a while will know most of the basics covered but Volume 5 is a gem and there are lots of good tips to make the set a good purchase even for the more experienced. All types of pads and bags are used in the demonstrations making for great views of the techniques in action.
Rob is a for the most part clear and well-spoken. He uses everyday langauge to get his points across, which is nice, too many others try the baffle with bull tactic. Rob gets by that with clear, honest representation of the moves. He gets a little repetitive at times but it is forgivable as the explanations are good.
Volume 1 is the fundamentals. Rob covers footwork, angles and gives lots of emphasis to the hip rollover in the kick. The explanations using the heavybag for demonstration are great. Good tape for beginners for sure.
Volume 2 moves into the basic strikes. All the boxing staples are here; jab, cross, hook and uppercut. All clearly explained with good poiinters for technique application. The elbow basics are also handled well, with a bonus spinning elbow move or two. The strikes are shown in a variety of ways. Use is made of focus mitts, Thai pads and the heavy bag. Great stuff.
Volume 3 covers the knees. Nothing wildly different here, but good strong coverage of straight knees and the curved or circle knee. Rob covers basic clinch work and delivers some good tips on moving the opponent around by his neck. Also some great pointers on hip movement are included. All around this is a fine video.
Volume 4- we get to the kicks. This tape is delivered in an interesting and effective manner. First the kicks are all shown using the right leg. Then they are all done again with the left leg. I like this idea. There are subtle but important differences between the two sides that can confuse people starting out. So this deliverly helps by letting the viewer get one side down at a time.
Leg kicks, body kicks and the head kick are all covered. With pads, on a bag and my favourite for new learners; just with a partner. I love doing the kicks this way. Sure the purpose eventually is to kick hard and hurt folks. However learning the technique and distancing involved in each kick by aiming at a real person and using control to land in the exact right spot without breaking anybody is a great method of building that power via skill instead of butishness.
Volume 5 is the gem as I said. Though this section is short, all I need to say is the combos given on this video will keep any viewer busy for a long while. Don't just run through them and think you got them. Practice, make them second nature, then you'll be able to use them when it counts.
Go buy these,they are worth every penny.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
KickBoxing- Muay Thai - The Art of Siamese Unarmed Combat
Author: Hardy Stockman
Cover price $2.95 US - I paid about $20 after shipping.
96 pages
Yes Virginia there was a Muay Thai before the late 90's. Okay we all know there was but it seemed that there was a boom in popularity in North America then. Maybe it's just me but there seems to have been a huge influx of books and tapes on the subject recently. Anyhow it nice to see something from before the boost in popularity. Way back in 1976 this, now out of print, book hit the market.
As this book was published before the rest of the western books I've seen so far I guess I can't say it follows the trend of chapter order. In this case it may be the trend setter. Anyhow, the familiar History, Tradition,Basics and Combos formula makes an appearance. There are a few extras though.
An interesting section on the economics of Muay Thai is found early in the book. Found here is an interesting insight to the tiny amounts of money Thai fighters get paid for professional bouts. The numbers are from the 70's so I won't quote them here. They are outdated but I can imagine that adjusted for modern times there are kids in the ring for less than 5$ US even now.
Another interesting section is called Muay Thai vs. the rest. These 5 pages near the end of the book relate stories of Thai boxers beating pretty much everyone else no matter the styles practiced. Now I am sure there is truth to these stories and I don't question the effectiveness of the techniques having been on the receiving end enough times. I think though the rise of the Internet and the Internet/Keyboard Warriors that espouse these style vs style arguements and create their own demi-gods have desensitized me to this type of discussion. Too bad really, as I imagine in 1976 these stories may have made for better conversations than what is found out there in cyberspace now. Probably these anecdotes form the basis of the myths passed around now.
This book is well made, mine is like new though I got it used from EBay, so it was built to last. This was the first time I saw this volume offered for auction but I don't go there everyday looking so I am sure another could be found if someone is willing to try. The book is mostly text, for a thin volume there is a lot to read. The pictures are black and white, mostly decent except for a horrendous set depicting a Ram Muay that pappears to have caught the performer in between every move of any real note.
For interest sake alone I stick this in the middle of the pack of Muay Thai books I have. There are some interesting bits not found in the more modern tomes, including a pretty darn good glossary. Really the presentation, though basic and brief, is in some cases better than newer books.
Author: Hardy Stockman
Cover price $2.95 US - I paid about $20 after shipping.
96 pages
Yes Virginia there was a Muay Thai before the late 90's. Okay we all know there was but it seemed that there was a boom in popularity in North America then. Maybe it's just me but there seems to have been a huge influx of books and tapes on the subject recently. Anyhow it nice to see something from before the boost in popularity. Way back in 1976 this, now out of print, book hit the market.
As this book was published before the rest of the western books I've seen so far I guess I can't say it follows the trend of chapter order. In this case it may be the trend setter. Anyhow, the familiar History, Tradition,Basics and Combos formula makes an appearance. There are a few extras though.
An interesting section on the economics of Muay Thai is found early in the book. Found here is an interesting insight to the tiny amounts of money Thai fighters get paid for professional bouts. The numbers are from the 70's so I won't quote them here. They are outdated but I can imagine that adjusted for modern times there are kids in the ring for less than 5$ US even now.
Another interesting section is called Muay Thai vs. the rest. These 5 pages near the end of the book relate stories of Thai boxers beating pretty much everyone else no matter the styles practiced. Now I am sure there is truth to these stories and I don't question the effectiveness of the techniques having been on the receiving end enough times. I think though the rise of the Internet and the Internet/Keyboard Warriors that espouse these style vs style arguements and create their own demi-gods have desensitized me to this type of discussion. Too bad really, as I imagine in 1976 these stories may have made for better conversations than what is found out there in cyberspace now. Probably these anecdotes form the basis of the myths passed around now.
This book is well made, mine is like new though I got it used from EBay, so it was built to last. This was the first time I saw this volume offered for auction but I don't go there everyday looking so I am sure another could be found if someone is willing to try. The book is mostly text, for a thin volume there is a lot to read. The pictures are black and white, mostly decent except for a horrendous set depicting a Ram Muay that pappears to have caught the performer in between every move of any real note.
For interest sake alone I stick this in the middle of the pack of Muay Thai books I have. There are some interesting bits not found in the more modern tomes, including a pretty darn good glossary. Really the presentation, though basic and brief, is in some cases better than newer books.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
MuaY Thai Kickboxing:
The Ultimate Guide to Conditioning, Training & Fighting
Author: Chad Boykin
207 Pages
$28 US / $34 Canadian
I like this book. It does not cover a huge range of techniques. The basics are well covered and clearly demonstrated. The strength of this book is in the amount of training drills provided. Only one spot near the back in the conditioning section had any typos that I noticed. It starts describing a squat thrust, runs into a unrelated picture and then skips to a new exercise. Other than this small error the layout is well done. The pictures are, black and white and easy to follow.
The book starts with a thankfully small history section. I say that as it offers nothing new compared to all the other history sections of Muay Thai books I have read. Matter of fact this book references the others. Nothing original here but I think that is ok.
Chapter 2 is the basic strikes. As noted nothing extravagent here either. Once very nice thing in theses 55 pages is the inclusion of a basic defense move following each demonstration of the strike. I like this format a lot. Also this section includes a decent intro to the plamb clinch. I always like to see that.
Chapter 3 is the money well spent. It starts with the basics of pad hitting. (Authors listen up: we need a good section on holding, it is an art) The it moves to page after page of ideas for combos to train on pads, bags, alone , with a partner, drills for every occassion. Really as a person who runs a class I have lots of experience thinking up decent drills (some not so decent too) but it is nice to have a resource of things to try out. Now these weren't all new to me but with over 200 combos listed I will be looking here for fresh ideas when I need them. If you need help thinking up drills, buy this book now.
I could have stopped reading the book at this point and been happy. The Thaiboxing for the street section is too small to be worthwhile and though the conditioning section was very well done I could just rip out the weight training. I am no expert but I don't see how tricep kickbacks belong in a serious weight trainer's program. There are good exercises too; the squat, deadlift, powerclean, it's just that in my eyes a beginner won't know which are which and treat them all equally. The bio in the back credits Mr Boykin as certified personal trainer, I just don't put much stock in those courses unfortunately as they are designed to train the casual gym goer/soccer mom, not a fighter.
Still I liked the book. I put it number 2 on my list behind, the tied for first, Distinguished and Legacy books. It does cover lots of good info, even in the sections I scored lower. Chapter 3 really is worth the purchase price for reuse value.
The Ultimate Guide to Conditioning, Training & Fighting
Author: Chad Boykin
207 Pages
$28 US / $34 Canadian
I like this book. It does not cover a huge range of techniques. The basics are well covered and clearly demonstrated. The strength of this book is in the amount of training drills provided. Only one spot near the back in the conditioning section had any typos that I noticed. It starts describing a squat thrust, runs into a unrelated picture and then skips to a new exercise. Other than this small error the layout is well done. The pictures are, black and white and easy to follow.
The book starts with a thankfully small history section. I say that as it offers nothing new compared to all the other history sections of Muay Thai books I have read. Matter of fact this book references the others. Nothing original here but I think that is ok.
Chapter 2 is the basic strikes. As noted nothing extravagent here either. Once very nice thing in theses 55 pages is the inclusion of a basic defense move following each demonstration of the strike. I like this format a lot. Also this section includes a decent intro to the plamb clinch. I always like to see that.
Chapter 3 is the money well spent. It starts with the basics of pad hitting. (Authors listen up: we need a good section on holding, it is an art) The it moves to page after page of ideas for combos to train on pads, bags, alone , with a partner, drills for every occassion. Really as a person who runs a class I have lots of experience thinking up decent drills (some not so decent too) but it is nice to have a resource of things to try out. Now these weren't all new to me but with over 200 combos listed I will be looking here for fresh ideas when I need them. If you need help thinking up drills, buy this book now.
I could have stopped reading the book at this point and been happy. The Thaiboxing for the street section is too small to be worthwhile and though the conditioning section was very well done I could just rip out the weight training. I am no expert but I don't see how tricep kickbacks belong in a serious weight trainer's program. There are good exercises too; the squat, deadlift, powerclean, it's just that in my eyes a beginner won't know which are which and treat them all equally. The bio in the back credits Mr Boykin as certified personal trainer, I just don't put much stock in those courses unfortunately as they are designed to train the casual gym goer/soccer mom, not a fighter.
Still I liked the book. I put it number 2 on my list behind, the tied for first, Distinguished and Legacy books. It does cover lots of good info, even in the sections I scored lower. Chapter 3 really is worth the purchase price for reuse value.
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