3.30.2010

USMF & FAIRTEX: LOOKING FOR FIGHTERS

US Muay Thai Federation (USMF) and Fairtex plan to arrange hybrid event (Muay Thai and MMA) called "War of Heroes 7" at Fairtex Theprasit Stadium, Pattaya, either July 24, or 31 2010. It 's the seventh show of "War of Heroes" and first time in Thailand. Earlier events were held in USA.

Please send list your profiles for consideration. We are now in process of collecting list of fighters both local and international for selecting.

Thank you,
Michael
Fairtex Bangplee
corley@fairtex.com

 

PHIL BARONI SEMINAR VID + Q&A


 

3.29.2010

TOUGH-MMA: DEBUT

Also this past weekend was the premiere showing of TOUGH MMA in Taipei, TW. Thanks to our friend Gareth we have some pics from the event this past week. More to come. -Luke

3.28.2010

NEVERTAP ASIA: RESULTS

Phil Baroni raises Kaise-san's hand for the win
photo from : Boku-san's blog

Nevertap Asia presented by Six Deuce Clothing was held this past weekend at the Tiger Muay Thai training facility in Phuket Thailand.  Over 50 competitors competed representing teams from all over the world.  Highlights of the event included:

*2004 Judo Olympian Sophie Cox won the female bracket
*Chiang Mai MMA instructor, and Royler Gracie black belt Pedro "BB" Schmall captured gold in the LHW division
*Ryuma Kaise of Sriracha JJ/BKKBJJ/EMAC and Wictor Dahlstrom of Legacy gym showcased one of the most exciting matches of the afternoon in the LW bracket.
*Tiger Muay Thai 17 medals taking top team honors
 
For pictures of the event please check out www.fightingthai.com
Matches will be uploaded onto www.nevertap.asia shortly

Full results

Female Division
1. Sophie Cox (Phuket Martial Arts)
2. Kitty Teppo (Tiger Muay Thai)

Mens

Featherweight
1.
Mark Rowlett (Tiger Muay Thai-Koncept)
2. Tobias Seifert (Tiger Muay Thai)
3.
Niti Techottiasnee (BKK BJJ- EMAC)

Lightweight
1. Ryuma Kaise (BKK BJJ-EMAC)
2. Luke Delaveris (Tiger Muay Thai)
3. Wiktor Dahlstrom (Legacy Gym)

Welterweight
1.Krysztof Hajtalowicz (Chiang Mai MMA)
2.Aladin Ganguin (Tiger Muay Thai- BTT Geneva)
3. Chris Cape (Tiger Muay Thai- Sityodtong Boston)

Middleweight
1.Martin Lavin (BKK BJJ- Emac)
2. Per Egil Vardal (Tiger Muay Thai)
3. Leigh Allwood (Tiger Muay Thai)

Lightheavyweight
1. Pedro "BB" Schmall (Chiang Mai MMA)
2. Markus Sundman (Tiger Muay Thai)
3. Wiktor Svennson (Tiger Muay Thai)

Heavyweight
1. Javier Rodriquez (Tiger Muay Thai)

Superheavyweight
1. Zach Thumb (Tiger Muay Thai- Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts)
2. James Robb (Tiger Muay Thai)

Absolute
1. Chris Cape (Tiger Muay Thai- Sityodtong Boston)
2. Javier Rodriguez (Tiger Muay Thai)
3. Zach Thumb (Tiger Muay Thai- Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts)
3. Leigh Allwood (Tiger Muay Thai)

BRAD KU REPORTS FROM BRAZIL: ABU DHABI PRO TRIALS

Brad shares with us pics from the recent Abu Dhabi Pro Trials in Brazil.

from Brad:
the tournament was little bit disorganized at the beginning and delayed for quite a bit, but at the end, i guess it was worth waiting since there were so many interesting fights. including some purple belt tapping out blackbelt. also, it was very lucky to see so many bjj celebs like mario reis, the mendes bro etc. the tournament was taken place at the Flamengo Football Club, one of the most famous local football club.
 
fighting in live.
wish you were here, haha...
 




3.24.2010

THIS WEEK & THE WEEKEND


About middway through my trip now and will be returning to Bangkok by the end of this weekend. Things have been a bit better on the training-while-traveling as I've gotten two nights in at GRACIE BARRA BELLEVUE. Would like to thank all the guys there for making me feel welcome, hard-training and sharing with me. And to Prof Henryque Pofahl for leading an exhausting but fun class both nights in. This time around I'm on the road with my all-rip-stop gi which has gotten some attention when rolling. Check out Kauai Kimonos. Hope to make it to more sessions this week if work permits but will def return the next time I'm in town for gi training.

Big reminder for this weekend. NEVERTAP ASIA is taking place on the 27th along with the Phil Baroni seminar the 26th. All at TIGER MUAY THAI in Phuket, Thailand. 

And for the MMA fans in Taiwan, there's TOUGH-MMA also taking place on the 27th. Don't miss it and send me pics if you go!

That's it for me but will be back soon posting more regularly. Surprisingly I've been on my feet more than in front of the computer this trip. For all the competitors, best of luck and be safe.

-Luke

3.22.2010

SHOUT OUT: TAICHI TAKANO WINS MASTERS BLUE/ABSOLUTE @ JAPAN OPEN

Got some great news as our old buddy Taichi-san shares with us his victory at the recent Japan Open. Taichi-san took silver in his weight and gold in the absolute for Masters-blue-belt. CONGRATULATIONS TAICHI!!!
 photo from: HERE

JOHN WILL SEMINAR: KREATION JIU JITSU

 
DATE/TIME: April 17th 2010, Saturday, 4pm - 6pm

LOCATION: BXG, 324 Tanjong Katong Road
 
ATTIRE: Gi

FEE:
- SGD $100 for Kreation members
- SGD $120 for Non-members

CONTACT: Kreationjits@hotmail.com

3.21.2010

PHIL BARONI SEMINAR & NEVERTAP ASIA: MARCH 26 & 27

NEVERTAP ASIA INFO:
There are "2" weigh in's for the Nevertap tournament.

1st weigh in's start Friday, 630pm @ the Tiger Muay Thai Grill.
2nd weigh in's start Saturday 10:30am Tournament will start promptly at noon.

....BBQ Beatdown will begin Saturday 730pm


3.16.2010

BACK ON THE ROAD

I fly out today on another trip but will be back in roughly 10 days. I've got some product review and more pics from my travels coming soon. I've been a little down about the breaks in my training but in the end it always makes me hungry when I get back. 

Remember, we've got the NEVERTAP ASIA tournament this March 27th in Phuket, TH. For those in the Bangkok area, we also have the WHITE/BLUE-BELT FESTIVAL at Seacon Square this April 4th. And don't forget, for those in Taiwan TOUGH MMA, March 27th.

3.15.2010

ACADEMIES VISITED DURING MY LAST TRIP

So what was initially planned as a month long trip for the Christmas holiday + work, soon turned to a 2-month long stay. During this time I took the opportunity to train in each location. While I didn't have time to train all that much, each location served as a great learing experience. If you're in any of these areas, I highly recommend stopping by. -Luke

CALIFORNIA
KAIJIN MMA 
 Located in Santa Cruz, CA I made the drive from San Jose to train with Garth Taylor and Michael Vann my first Friday in. I had met Michael previously in Bangkok on one of his work trips and realized we had some mutual friends in the NorCal area. It was with Michael's help that we were able to host Garth at Bangkok BJJ this past January for a seminar. Bummed that I would miss the seminar, I made it a point to train with Garth, even if just once. Garth was able to help me tremendously on aspects of my standup game with clear but oh so effective details. In addition, the vibe and space are great with large mat area, high ceilings and plenty of guys hungry to train.

AMERICAN KICKBOXING ACADEMY 
I usually stay in San Jose and lucky for me my in-laws are just 15 minutes away from American Kickboxing Academy which is home to Dave Camarillo and his 
Guerilla Jiu Jitsu. On this night, just before Christmas the class was taught by Claudio Franca black-belt, Paul Schreiner. I had met and heard of Paul through several friends but this was the first time I'd learn from him directly. Often referred to as 'El Technico', Paul has an insane wealth of jiu-jitsu/grappling knowledge and has trained with a 'who's who' of jiu-jitsu. Paul splits his time between Kaijin and AKA. Coming in I thought my base and sense of balance would protect me as it does quite often from sweeps. Not just for being a heavy guy but all those years as a swimmer (I was much lighter then, haha) I credit to my sensitivity of weight distribution. Well, Paul took that notion away from me and get me rethinking about how I use my hips and legs when playing both the bottom and top game.

HEROES MARTIAL ARTS 
 Also not far from my in-laws, I got to train at Heroes to attend the Hait BJJ Seminar my last day in! Heroes is headed by OTM famed Alan 'Gumby' Marques. I have to say I'm still processing all the stuff that I learned that day and am so grateful I could make it and help support a great cause. A shining theme on that day was the progress the jiu-jitsu community had made to come together under one roof regardless of affiliation and share.

NEW YORK
CLOCKWORK JIU-JITSU
Clockwork is headed by an old friend of mine, Josh Griffiths. Josh is one of the first guys to help me out when I was a spaz-white-belt and in some ways I still kinda feel like a spaz when rolling with Josh. He's building a solid team of competitors but that's no surprise as I've always known him to put his all into teaching and making sure people understand jiu-jitsu on both a macro/micro level. I'd also like to congratulate Josh on taking first place in his weight division for the North American Abu Dhabi Pro Trials this past month. He'll be heading to Abu Dhabi to represent the USA. When I share that I'm visiting from Thailand I'm usually asked for some interesting stories about the nightlife but I just don't have any. These guys will have to come over and make some for themselves, haha.

WASHINGTON STATE
LOTUS JIU JITSU
I rarely head back to Washington but when I do I train at Lotus Jiu Jitsu under Tony Smith. Tony has a wealth of combat experiences both on and off the mat but always keeps the class lively with his sense of humor. Since having received his black-belt from Juliano Prado, Tony has switched his program from gi to strictly no-gi. The students are a dedicated bunch and well disciplined about their grappling. Looking forward to my next visit.

3.13.2010

NEW ADDITION


Last year I had announced Prof Pedro Schmall's return to Thailand from his stint at Art of War & Beijing BJJ. Pedro had big plans coming in and it's now my pleasure to announce MMA CHIANG MAI. Partnering with Chiang Mai BJJ & EMAC, this new facility and program will be another key addition to the growth of BJJ/Grappling/MMA in Thailand. Congrats to all the guys involved. We hope to see more competitors and fighters come from it. Best of luck from BJJ-ASIA. -Luke

3.12.2010

2010 PAN ASIAN GI & NO-GI INTERNATIONAL


We would like to welcome all teams to the 2010 Pan Asian Gi & NO-Gi International , held May 15 -16 SM Mall of Asia, Manila ,Philippines.

We have over 65 divisions including Children , White to Black , Masters, Womens and Juniors.

For more information please visit: www.bjjfp.com
 
Registration is by Saturday May 8.

This is possibly the largest BJJ Gi and No Gi event in South East Asia with the Philippines having the largest number of BJJ participants in the region. We look forward to seeing as many team as possible to make this event even better. Pan Asians Gi and NO Gi International and BJJFP are recognized by the IBJJF.   -BJJFP

3.11.2010

KYLIN JIU-JITSU & THOMAS FAN: UK REPORT

 
From: Thomas Fan
 
This was my annual month long trip back to the UK to spend with family and also some Bjj whilst I was there! Since I didn't have a car readily available, it was lucky that I had my cousin Steve Fan, who is a purple belt under Braulio & who also organises the annual Bjj British Open which attracts an upward of 500+ competitors from around the UK & Europe. The training at the gym was great with many technical details along with specific training to hone the new skills followed by some tough sparring time especially as there were around 4 competitions on each consecutive weekends going on!  All the guys were super friendly and eager to learn and train with each other, a real academy with up to 5 classes a day where all the higher belt guys would train, drill and experiment with each other the techniques learnt in controlled and live sparring. Its easy to see with such a great bunch of guys that Braulio's signature move at the ADCC - the reverse triangle,  was able to be honed to perfection at this 'laboratory' with all the 'specimens' that's around!
 
I managed to catch up a little with Braulio after his return from a 30 day seminar trip to the US and he seems very interested in visiting Asia later on in the year after he completes his ADCC duties and make his MMA debut at the Shine promotion. Braulio wants to visit Japan towards the end of the year and if there is enough interest from the teams in SEA then as club leaders we could all discuss the details on making it happen...
 
I really wish I could have stayed another month as I was saying good bye to everyone,  I learnt that Braulio was about to begin his preparation for his upcoming competition duties with all his top students, some black belts from Brazil and also his good friend Roger Gracie travelling over to complete the training team...
 
 
- Class with Braulio's brother & top black belt- Victor Estima & the Guys
 
 
- With Chiu Kwong Man & Norbert Norbit (Braulio Estima's 1st black belt & brown belt competitor/instructor at GB Birmingham)
 
 
- Braulio's double ADCC gold.
 

FIGHT ZONE: MALAYSIA

News from Malaysia:

It is with great pleasure that we announce the opening of our new academy, Fight Zone Malaysia. Fight Zone Malaysia is one of the Official Fight Zone academies that was started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Ricardo Vieira, of the famed Vieira Brothers, with academies in Rio,
California, Sweden and now Malaysia. It is also an official Team Checkmat training academy.

As before, classes are headed by Prof Marcos Escobar, 3rd Degree IBJJF Black Belt under Leo Castello Branco. We welcome everyone to join us and experience a fun and friendly atmosphere to learn the art that has been the biggest influence on Mixed Martial Arts.

For more information please log on to www.fightzone.com.my or www.escobarbjj.com/blog

 

TOUGH MMA

TOUGH MMA makes it debut in Taiwan this March 27th in Hsinchu with a total of 14 fighters. Be sure to check out their site for full info on fight cards + 'battle of the bands' contest to follow.


 

3.09.2010

NEVERTAP ASIA: PHUKET, TH


“The philosophy of the Nevertap Asia judging system is to encourage the competitors to finish the match.”  -Ray Elbe

When asked to explain what makes the Nevertap Asia tournament different than the rest, these are the words shared by its producers. This March 27th in Phuket, TH will be the 2nd edition of the Nevertap series hosted by Tiger Muay Thai and organized by Ray Elbe (TUF veteran). 

The 26th, prior to the tournament TMT will be hosting a seminar with UFC veteran Phil Baroni with a focus in wrestling. For all participants that register online and for the BBQ party/beatdown afterwards will also receive the official Nevertap Asia T-shirt! 

PRE-REGISTER: WWW.NEVERTAP.ASIA

LAST YEAR: Bernueng (TMT) vs. Singjok (Legacy)


Nevertap Asia Rules

All matches will be judged according to our criteria. The philosophy of our judging system is to encourage the competitors to finish the match. We believe this creates the most exciting match for the fans and rewards the competitor for their effort and technical prowess.

Our criteria is as follows

Effective Aggressiveness: Competitors who are setting the tempo, seeking dominant position on the ground, and working to finish the match will score here. Near submissions as well as multiple attempts will score in this category.
Takedown and Defense: A skillfully executed takedown or repeatedly stopping your opponent’s takedown will score in this category. Multiple takedowns, even if not skillfully executed, will also be scored. Pulling Guard will not count.
Ground Control: Ground control is awarded by achieving and taking advantage of dominant positions. Dominant positions are side control, mount, back mount with hooks, knee ride, and north-south. The guard will be considered a neutral position. Competitors are encouraged to strive for dominant position throughout the match.

When Standing

The competitors will be encouraged to engage and attempt takedowns. Competitors who don not adhere to this standard will receive a warning for the 1st infraction and a yellow card for a 2nd infraction. A 3rd infraction will result in a disqualification (D.Q.).

When on the ground

The competitors will be encouraged to seek dominant positions and force reversals. When in a dominant position, the competitor is encouraged to finish via submission. If either competitor does not follow the outlined criteria or the referees commands, he will receive a warning for the 1st infraction and a yellow card for a 2nd infraction. A 3rd infraction will result in a disqualification (D.Q.).

Yellow Cards

When competing as outlined by the criteria there is no need for interference from referees or judges. However, when a competitor does not adhere to the criteria, he may receive a yellow card penalty, which may result in the loss of the round. If both opponents receive yellow cards, penalties offset.

Illegal Techniques

Disqualification (D.Q.): Deliberate striking of any kind, slamming opponent to counter submission, hair pulling, biting, pressure points, eye gouging, fish hooking, or groin shots. Disrespect towards a referee, competitor or spectator through verbal or animated gestures will also result in disqualification.

Weight Classes

  • Featherweight - 66kg and below (-145lbs)
  • Lightweight - 66kg to 70.5kg (-155lbs)
  • Welterweight - 70.5kg to 77.5kg (-170lbs)
  • Middleweight - 77.5kg to 84kg (-185lbs)
  • Light-Heavyweight - 84kg to 93kg (-205lbs)
  • Heavyweight - 93kg to 106.5kg (-235lbs)
  • Super-Heavyweight - 106.5kg and above (+235lbs)

The Weigh-Ins

Weigh-in’s will be held Friday March 26th at the Tiger Muay Thai bar and grill starting at 6pm. Participants who are unable to make weight can make a second attempt the day of the competition starting at 10am.
Two unsuccessful opportunities to make the registered weight class will result in the participant being enrolled in the weight they officially stepped on the scale at.

Time Limits

Matches will be 3 rounds consisting of 3 minutes. The round time will begin once the match has gone to the ground. A 1 minute break will be allowed between each round. Submission ends the match.

Referees

The referee will serve as the rule enforcer and will have discretion over issued warnings, yellow cards, and disqualifications. In case of stalled action the referee will determine when to stand up competitors.

Judges

There will be 3 judges for all Levels. Each judge will be strategically placed in the best vantage point to oversee the action.

3.08.2010

THANKS KLNBJJ

I know I don't usually go for more than 3 days of no posting but I just got back from Hong Kong on business. Working the tradeshow I am usually stuck with business dinners but got a few nights off to train at Kowloon BJJ. Just wanted to extend a big thank you to all my buddies there for showing me a great time on and off the mats. 

During my time at KLNBJJ, I was pleasantly reminded of how we all have the power to take responsibility for the vibe/nature of our jiu-jitsu scene here in Southeast Asia. Everyone there has a role to play in the club's success from students to key members dealing with accounting/management/teaching and cleaning! Because of this, there is a real sense of ownership, giving everyone a voice. It's definitely not for financial rewards as the space is modest but the training and spirit there is real. Rewards comes in the way of friends, camaraderie and a haven outside of work. 

I'd like to especially thank Kei, Taki, Forrest, Matthew, Adam, Aki, Kojima, Andre, Gus and Hoin for taking some added time with me and allowing me to share some stuff with you guys. To be honest I was touch shy to do so but when amongst friends, it's all good.

I would encourage everyone to have an open-mind, open-training and open-arms.

FELIPE COSTA: 30+ EPISODE 2

So I was impressed by the first show and have to admit the second is even better. If you're not already following up on these via youtube, I will be posting these as they come in. -Luke

3.02.2010

BRAD KU REPORTS FROM BRAZIL

Living the life that many of us dream about, Brad Ku has made the move from Japan to Brazil. Training at Checkmat under Ricardo Vieira, we will be seeing a lot more from Brad's time in the heartland of jiu-jitsu. To give an idea of what Brad is experiencing, "Here you see guys like Alan Finfou, Bruno Matias, and a lot of other top players who have not become famous yet. I've joined a few times so far but felt like I'm back to white belt again." Brad is referring to the competition team training for the 'Rio Open' and Abu Dhabi JJ Trials. Keep an eye out for more pics and videos from Brazil.

Brad Ku is a familiar face through the Hong Kong scene at Kowloon BJJ but has his roots in Japan and Australia as well.

NEW PURPLE!!!

One of the unspoken heroes for BJJ in Thailand, my good friend Niti was recently promoted to purple-belt by Prof Kayoom. Niti is the owner or EMAC on Surawong Rd here in Bangkok and is where I trained for a solid 2+ years before opening Bangkok BJJ. He and I both went through a grewling exam for the promotion and Niti puts it best when he says, "He really try to kill me!!!" Well deserved and couldn't be happier for my good friend. Congratulations Niti!!!! -Luke