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Movie Review: Ashura

2010-08-07T02:38:00.000-07:00

Ashura-jo no Hitomi

“Ashura,” aka “Blood Gets in Your Eyes”

Japan, 2005

Genre: Action, Fantasy

119 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459744/

Based on a modern kabuki stage play, Ashura is a tale of romance, treachery, and violence. It is a tale about a demon-slayer who runs from his past, only to discover that it has all caught up with him.

Yojiro Takita directs this adaptation of the hit kabuki play, closely following the original story in the film. This works both for and against him at times, which begs the question of his intent for the adaptation. Driven by very beautiful sets and an outstanding score, the actual performances on screen are hammed to a point of absurdity. I imagine that Takita was looking for a larger-than-life story of epic proportions, but the result ends up feeling forced. The characters are written to have depth and sympathy, but end up sounding completely different from one scene to the next, lacking a basic consistency of personality that allows the audience to identify with them. Somegoro Ichikawa’s hero is genuinely charming at times, but overall feels like he’s just playing a cardboard cutout of a heroic stereotype. While such performances might work on stage (especially kabuki, which is generally highly stylized), the film adaptation makes it more cheesy than symbolic.

The production of the film is certainly impressive. As mentioned, the soundtrack is superb, adding life to many scenes that would otherwise have no redeeming value. The sets reveal rather clearly the stage roots of the piece, but this itself is not a fault. Many successful films make use of stylized sets or stage-style locations. However, it should be noted that the decision to do so makes the film feel very cramped, even when using exterior shots. It lacks the sense of wonder or majesty that can really only be achieved by shooting on location. Ashura also makes liberal use of digital effects to reinforce the supernatural fantasy aspects of the story. Stage performances make do with practical effects, and maintain a sense of illusion when doing so. Films, on the other hand, lose that quality with computer-generated imagery, especially with the over-the-top style used by this movie. The monsters seem intentionally fake and cartoonish, spewing fluorescent green blood upon their death. Marching forward with all the subtlety of neon rhinoceros, the look of the film is excessive and gaudy.

Selling itself as a swashbuckling adventure, the film’s fight scenes aren’t terribly done, especially when compared to other Japanese action movies like High-Kick Girl or Shinobi. Still, when looking at the fast-paced and hard-hitting choreography coming from countries from around the world, the fights feel stiff and awkward. Like the rest of the film, Ashura chooses style over substance, leaving the audience with a product indistinguishable from the sea of other C-list action movies in the video store.

Movie Review: Spin Kick

2010-07-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Dolryeochagi

“Spin Kick,” aka “Taekwon Boys”

Korea, 2004

Genre: High School, Sports

102 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406713/

After beating up their high school Taekwondo team, two young troublemakers are forced to join the team in order to make amends.

Spin Kick, for better or worse, plays like a very typical sports movie. From the rag-tag team of unlikely heroes, to the fallen coach, to the squeaky clean rival school champions, the only thing that sets the film apart from every other sports movie ever made is that it features Taekwondo. Starring Korean pop-idol Dong-wan Kim, Spin Kick is shallow and formulaic, but manages to entertain regardless.

The film is well-made, with high production quality probably supported by the South Korean government for the purposes of promoting Taekwondo in the media. The cinematography isn’t particularly inventive, or is the score very compelling. It is an average production, in every sense of the word. Dong-wan Kim gives a pretty good performance throughout, but most of his co-stars remain static and uninteresting. The exceptions that must be noted, however, are the Coach and best friend, both of whom deliver a strong range of emotion with very solid readings.

The story, as mentioned, is more or less a re-hash of every underdog sports narrative ever done. The high school’s long history of Taekwondo success has fallen flat, and somehow requires the combined talents of misfit punks, a failed coach, and spunky spirit to revitalize the program. They magically win the championship tournament against the better funded, better trained, and better organized favorites, proving once again that heart is an able substitute for a lifetime of training. I would apologize for spoiling the film, but it’s really a story we’ve all seen a hundred times before. The characters are introduced and fail because they don’t get along, then there’s a magic training montage, then tragedy strikes, then they overcome adversity and triumph. It’s a good formula, and has served movies well from the Mighty Ducks to Remember the Titans. As much as I want to dislike this film for having such a contrived and unoriginal plot, it’s hard to find faults beyond that. It’s funny and entertaining, and because I have a very cursory knowledge of Taekwondo as a sport, it’s hard to know how accurate their portrayal of it is. The fight scenes look authentic with the exception of some rather obvious wire-work, and wraps together as a pretty satisfactory package.

It’s not anything special, but it’s not a boring film. If you have any interest in Taekwondo or Dong-wan Kim, it’s worth checking out. It certainly won’t be winning any awards, but as far as a popcorn movies go, it does what it sets out to do.

Movie Review: Crows Zero

2010-07-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Crows Zero

Japan, 2007

Genre: Gangster, High School

130 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016290/

A prequel to the manga series by Hiroshi Takahashi, Takashi Miike directs the origins of Genji’s rise to power in the ultra-violent Suzuran All-Boys High School.

In the chaotic world of Takashi’s Suzuran, a student’s worth is proved by his fists and his gang. Our protagonist, Takiya Genji, transfers to the high school in hopes of conquering it, a feat his yakuza father was unable to do decades ago. Like other yakuza and criminal films, Miike touches on themes of friendship and loyalty, the bonds between men forged in battle, and the respect given to leaders who show their strength to their followers. While the writing is rather contrived in places (in particular the repeated use of a love interest as a convenient plot point), the actors open up the space and bring the audience into the story very well. While switching back and forth between adolescent humor and dramatic tension, the cast is guilty of hamming it up in places, but it mostly goes unnoticed.

The photography of the film isn’t particularly outstanding, although there are a few truly iconic scenes. Miike does manage to capture the epic atmosphere demanded by the story, and yet keeps the camera relatively grounded, gritty enough to embrace the visceral nature of the subject matter. This works against the audience in some of the action sequences, which can become confusing before identifying characteristics are clear to the viewer. Even at the end of the film, when we’re aware of who is beating up whom (generally given away by their outlandish hairstyles), faces and identities get lost in the shuffle. Although not usually vital to understanding the story by the end, enthusiasts of fights on film may have a hard time of enjoying these pieces.

The action itself is superb, and the cinematography doesn’t always do it justice. Bordering between brutal realism and cartoonish violence, the comic book roots are clearly evident. The choreography is simple and direct; expect lots of haymakers and straight knees to the midsection. With the addition of the flashy kick or pro-wrestling throw here and there, the result ends up looking very much like a manga about violent teenagers in a comic book scrap. While not particularly elegant or fantastic like the Hong Kong style of fight scenes, Crows Zero has its own rather pleasing aesthetic, thanks in part to very impressive editing and scoring. The climax of the film shifts moods dynamically, but it fits so well that it’s almost unnoticeable.

Having never read the Crows manga, I can’t say for certain how accurate an adaptation Miike produced. However, as a piece of film on its own merits, I can say that Crows Zero is a very fun movie for comic book violence.

Movie Review: Blood on the Sun

2010-07-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Blood on the Sun

USA, 1945

Genre: Noir, Political Thriller

98 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037547/

James Cagney stars as a tough newspaper editor in Imperial Japan, bent on uncovering a conspiracy within the Japanese government for world conquest.

Blood on the Sun is a forgotten classic from a bygone age, and a must-see for any fan of film noir. They really don’t make films like this one any more, which is unfortunate. Times were different back then, when you needed more than just a camera and some friends to put a movie together. With brilliant photography and sharp dialogue, Blood on the Sun is a fine example of the genre. However, to be totally fair, this was also an era before feminism or any kind of political correctness. Villains portrayed in yellow-face with ludicrously forced accents are definitely noticeable and a little difficult to watch in the modern age. Although based on historical events and documents (which they themselves are questionable), one wonders just how accurate the portrayal of Japanese culture is in this wartime film.

Social issues aside, Blood on the Sun is superbly produced, even winning the Oscar for Best Art Direction. The use of lighting for dramatic effect is stunning, and the score, while not exceptional, fits as a product of the time period. Cagney is fantastic in the leading role, exemplifying the Tough Guy role he was known for. He plays an idealized American male, rough and brash, but always sound in his judgment and his principles. Silvia Sidney’s role of the leading lady is melodramatic at times, but otherwise satisfactory for the character as written. As mentioned, don’t expect much in terms of the modern feminism in this movie. The villains of the tale, led by John Emery and Robert Armstrong, deliver the poorest performances of the film, mostly due to their failure to produce a believable Japanese accent.

Impressively, Cagney insisted on doing his own stunt work for the film, and studied judo extensively under John Halloran, an officer with the LAPD, and Ken Kuniyuki, a leading sensei in the Southern California area. While fight choreography has definitely progressed a long way from the 1940s, the action is still impressive as one of the earliest martial arts movies in history, and probably the first to show judo to Americans. Cagney’s judo skills were strong, and he demonstrated it to great effect in the film’s fight scenes. He has even been quoted as saying he loved judo so much that he continued to practice it long after the production was finished.

While carrying of the social baggage that comes with aging for 65 years, Blood on the Sun is still a great film even today, and worth watching as both a piece of history and just a fun popcorn movie.

Movie Review: Fatal Deviation

2010-07-09T00:19:00.000-07:00

Fatal Deviation

Ireland, 1998

Genre: Action, Tournament

90 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488046/

After ten years away from his home, a fighter returns to learn the truth about his father and win an ancient fighting tournament.

This is one of those movies you hear about on the internet being so bad, so incompetent, so hilariously put together that you think there’s no way it could be as bad as advertised. So while I could just point you to the film on Youtube (conveniently uploaded in its entirety), I’m going to take this week to emphatically say that yes, it is in fact as bad as you think it is. It’s poorly shot, poorly acted, poorly edited; just about everything that can be done looks like it was done by someone with absolutely no idea how to perform their craft. As a study of film production, it works perfectly as a “What Not to Do” film.

James Bennet writes, produces, casts, shoots, and stars in what is a typical case of martial arts egomania. Like so many C-movies before him, Bennet becomes convinced that because he has trained in martial arts, he is somehow qualified to become a film-maker, using what limited resources at his disposal to promote himself as the next action star. And like those before him, he ultimately fails in all aspects of the medium, becoming the subject of ridicule and cult-status for the absolute abomination he has created.

So what has he done wrong, really? He had a vision for a film to sell himself as a genuine actor and performer, and probably funded the project with a small group of friends, then managed to get it distributed by a small-time company. Respectable, right? Right. Still, that doesn’t mean that the acting wasn’t boring, the action haphazard, or that the plot wasn’t full of holes the size of Dublin. It only means that there was a reason behind the sloppy production of the film. Objectively speaking, the movie was terrible, and no amount of justification will change that. If you’re really interested in seeing just how bad the film is, you can find it online at the link below. But honestly, it’s really not worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUHSCNMH4wE

Movie Review: High-Kick Girl

2010-07-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

High-Kick Girl

Japan, 2009

Genre: Action

81 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1406157/

A high school girl training in karate seeks out stronger opponents to test her fighting skills on, only to become involved in a revenge plot by a gang of thugs against her master.

In addition to Hong Kong, Japan now faces stiff competition from Korea and Thailand when it comes to producing martial arts movies and martial arts superstars. High-Kick Girl introduces Rina Takeda, a young Japanese idol who holds a black belt in Ryukyu Shorin-Ryu Karate, hoping to develop her new film career into the next action franchise. However, with incredibly low standards of production quality going into this project, I would be surprised if anyone even bothers to learn the actress’s name, much less watch her next movie. With poor writing, bland performances, and altogether lackluster direction, High-Kick Girl is a boring, contrived, and visual mess, failing in just about every aspect of the genre and film-making as a whole.

The script’s pacing has no sense of drama or tension whatsoever, and none of the dialogue is captivating at all. We are thrust from one event to the next without any idea of who is important, what is happening, or why any of the characters are doing anything at all. Coupled with single-note performances by the entire cast, the movie drags on for the entire hour and twenty minutes that it spans. Normally, these sorts of things would be tolerable in an action movie, which provides the real entertainment in between the moments of bland plot forwarding. However, in the case of High-Kick Girl, the failures of production penetrate every level of the film, leaving nothing worth watching. With ridiculously excessive amounts of slow-motion, the camera work does nothing but emphasize the terrible choreography and execution by the stunt team. Often, they will repeat entire stunt sequences in slow-motion, using the exact same angle as we’ve just seen. This pointless gesture just pads the movie further and makes it obvious how little material the team actually had to work with. Removing all the slow motion and repeat cuts, the film as a whole would measure around an hour, if that.

Thematically, director/writer Fuyuhiko Nishi treads the same clichéd martial arts tropes of “self-defense and protection only” and “fighting is wrong, and is a last resort only.” However, without any affinity for the leading characters, the message falls flat and Takeda’s arc feels less like the development of self and more like an abrupt shift of personality compelled by the plot. Unless you have some massive fetish for Japanese school girls in action, there is absolutely nothing redeeming about this film. It is a disappointment as an action flic, fails as a plea for traditionalism, and lacks any impact as a cathartic work of art at all. If we are to see more of Takeda as a rising film star, hopefully it won’t be anywhere near Fuyuhiko or his team.

Movie Review: Born to Fight

2010-06-25T17:06:00.001-07:00

Kerd Ma Lui

Thailand, 1984

Genre: Pulp Action

93 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1566530/

Panna Rittikrai, the man behind Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong, directs and stars in Born to Fight, one of his earliest films. A Hong Kong lawyer uncovers an embezzling plot and must flee to Thailand seeking protection from a fearsome gang of enforcers.

Marketed as the film inspiration for Tony Jaa’s own stunt career, Panna’s work is easily recognized in this piece of history. Panna himself was heavily influenced by the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and numerous references to both action stars make their way into the movie (try counting how many times Panna swipes his nose). Still, this piece represents a landmark in the development of Thai action cinema, and pioneered many of the stunt techniques seen later in his films with Tony Jaa.

While the production quality is definitely reflective of the low budget and undeveloped photography skills, the movie is rather entertaining for what it had to work with. The acting is unsurprisingly wooden and melodramatic, but the dialogue is genuinely clever and humorous at times. Panna relies on a number of classic slapstick gags for comic relief, which doesn’t always feel appropriate for the moment, but the talents of his comedic co-star help sell the cheesiness of the jokes.

Like his protégé, Panna uses the film to demonstrate his numerous skills in stunt performance and choreography. Fast paced fight scenes and full-contact strikes became the cornerstones for his wild success with Ong Bak, and his use of a variety of martial arts styles would be seen again in Ong Bak 2. Leaps off cars, over dirt bikes, into flames, and through floorboards make up rest of the stunts and illustrate Panna’s still rough style of choreography.

While Born to Fight obviously can’t compare with the far more polished works made more than twenty years later, the movie is still very much worth checking out. Taken for the 70s era B-movie that it is, Panna directs a fun romp through rural Thailand, with spit-takes, motorbike chases, and fights against a team of ninjas. Choppy and clumsy at times, Born to Fight represents the first in an amazing legacy of hard-hitting Thai action films.

Movie Review: The Road Warrior

2010-06-18T12:51:00.001-07:00

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Australia, 1981

Genre: Action, Dystopia

95 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082694/

Mel Gibson stars as Max, the Road Warrior, in his breakout hit. A desolate man in a desolate world, Max finds himself between a roaming community harboring a fuel tanker and a vicious street gang that wants it.

While not my usual fare when it comes to fight films, The Road Warrior is an interesting take on the classic Western story of a town in danger and the lone rider that comes to their aid. However, instead of a strong and silent guardian of the weak, Max is only out for his own interests, and is more dragged along by the circumstances as they unfold. Even as the action builds to the final climax, he is revealed to be just a pawn in a much grander scheme. It’s refreshing to see a character so completely human, taking the lumps as they come and just making the best decisions available at the time.

The Road Warrior, without a doubt, is a landmark in post-apocalyptic fiction. With fantastically bizarre characters and world design, director George Miller’s vision of a leather-punk dystopia straddles the line between the macabre and comical. The predecessor of countless imitators and parodies, nothing is like witnessing the original in its entirety. The film itself can be difficult to follow at times, as the limited dialogue and intense action sequences often leave the viewer to figure things out for themselves. Luckily, the story and actors are strong enough to make it fairly easy to pick up the pieces as they fall. There are a few hiccups in performance throughout the movie, but for the most part the actors know what situations call to be nuanced and when to be extravagant.

Like the name implies, the heart and soul of the film lies in the thrilling action sequences, almost all of which take place as high speed pursuits on the open road, set against a gorgeous desert in the Australian outback. Without CGI or blue screen effects, the impact of real crashes and real explosions can be felt in your very bones. Heart-pounding and hard hitting, the intensity of each scene only builds the movie higher and higher. Opening with small, isolated skirmishes at the start, the film moves onward and upward to a full-scale siege and a hell-or-highwater chase sequence in an armored Mack truck. Even thirty years after its release, it still holds up as a fast and furious action flick by today’s standards. Brutally fun, graphically intense, and energetically strange, it’s no wonder that The Road Warrior remains one of the best cult classics of all time.

Strikeforce: Los Angeles Quotes of the Night

2010-06-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

"That grazed the chinny chin chin!" -M. Ranallo

"They also say never hook with a hooker, right?" -S. Quadros

"Is his English good or what?" -M. Ranallo

"Cyborg drops him like names at a hollywood party!" -M. Ranallo

"We're in Los Angeles, maybe he's auditioning!" -M. Ranallo

"I've been in a movie with Robbie, he's not that good." -P. Militich

UFC 115: Catch The Hat Thief!

2010-06-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

There's been a disturbing trend growing in MMA where fans steal a fighter's hat as they walk to the cage. This is low, really really low. Fighters probably get sponsorship deals from those hats, and by stealing them, you are effectively stealing part of their paycheck.

This stops here.

MiddleEasy has post up these animated GIFs from UFC 115 this past weekend, where the thieves can be seen in the act. If anyone recognizes these guys, let's track them down and bring them to justice!

GIF 1

GIF 2

GIF 3

Here are close-up stills of the perpetrators. The man who steals Ben Rothwell's beanie may or may not be the same guy waving his arms in GIFs 1 and 3, but he looks pretty similar.

STILL 1

STILL 2

STILL 3

STILL 4

Together, I know we can nab these guys!

[Source: http://middleeasy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2379]

The Reel Deal on Chuck Liddell

2010-06-11T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, today we're looking at Chuck Liddell, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, who takes on the former Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin this Saturday in Vancouver. The main event of UFC 115, Liddell was supposed to fight fellow Ultimate Fighter coach Tito Ortiz, but Ortiz was forced to drop out of bout for unknown reasons.

So how does this new match up suit the Iceman? Not well. Coming off of more than a year hiatus, Liddell will be facing a much younger fighter, and a former title holder at that. Looking at his last few fights, it really seems as if Liddell's best years are behind him. In his last fight, he was Knocked Out by current 205 pound champion Mauricio Shogun Rua in the first round.

Before that, he suffered KO defeats at the hands of Rashad Evans and Quinton Rampage Jackson. It seems like the Knockout artist we came to know and love is now being beaten at his own game. As his speed and power seem to fade, he was unable to finish off a struggling Wanderlei Silva back in 2007, and even lost to journeyman fighter Keith Jardine by Split Decision.

While everyone hopes for the Old Chuck to return to the cage, I fear that an Old Chuck is all we're going to get this saturday. Rich Franklin is a remarkably well-rounded fighter, and is famous for his unparallelled physical conditioning. While Franklin hasn't demonstrated the KO power to finish off top tier opponents, against an aging Hall of Famer, the fight is his to lose.

I predict Rich Franklin will beat Chuck Liddell by Unanimous Decision based on superiour offensive volume and physical conditioning.

Movie Review: Flash Point

2010-06-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dou Fo Sin

“Flash Point” or “City With No Mercy”

Hong Kong, 2007

Genre: Crime Drama

88 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0992911/

Donnie Yen returns as a hard-nosed cop, bent on taking down a dangerous gang of Vietnamese smugglers. With his partner undercover within their organization, the ties of friendship and loyalty are tested as the gang hunt down the mole.

Last week we looked at SPL, the first collaboration between director Wilson Yip and action star Donnie Yen. Originally intended to be a spin-off from SPL, Flash Point was later changed to be a stand-alone film due to copyright issues. With much of the same team working on this film, it would be easy to assume that it would live up to its predecessor. However, this is not the case. While the fight choreography and the action sequences definitely surpass the already high bar set by 2005’s SPL, the other elements that made the first film so great were sorely overlooked.

Yen plays a carbon copy of his character from SPL, a by-the-books investigator with unbelievably strong fighting skills. Whereas in the previous film he was an outsider taking over an established team, however, in Flash Point he’s already heading an investigation against a trio of Vietnamese brothers. The villains, like Sammo Hung’s character, also have a tragic backstory, as they try to assert themselves in the criminal underworld, all while taking care of their senile mother. This is where the film begins to fall apart. While acted fairly well in comparison to other fight films, Flash Point’s plot becomes overly complicated in its attempts to give every supporting character some element of tragedy. Contrived and melodramatic, it takes itself far too seriously as it progresses towards the action-packed climax. By the end of the movie, it becomes apparent that the characters are simply fighting for the sake of fighting, having lost any sense of reason or motivation. If this was a simpler film, this would have been fine, but as it was, the ending becomes clichéd and overdrawn.

It must be said, however, that the fights themselves are absolutely fantastic. Yen demonstrates every bit of his athleticism and agility in his action scenes, utilizing an even larger repertoire of martial arts styles than he did in SPL. The final scene between him and Collin Chou is lengthy and impressive, a full eight minutes of hard-hitting, gut-busting, and bone-breaking action. It is and rightly should be hailed as Donnie Yen’s finest choreography to date, using a cinematically beautiful combination of kung fu, kickboxing, and submission grappling. While the film as a whole probably won’t last as an exemplary piece of film-making, Flash Point is still worth picking up just for the chance to see a suplex in a kung fu movie.

Movie Review: SPL

2010-06-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

Sha Po Lang

SPL or “Kill Zone”

Hong Kong, 2005

Genre: Crime Drama

93 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478024/

Donnie Yen stars in this police thriller as a new inspector on the force, taking over a retiring officer’s squad. However, not all is as it seems, as he watches the case against the city’s biggest mob boss start to fall apart.

SPL, or “Kill Zone” in America, is hands down one of my favorite films of all time. Full of underhand deals and mystery, Wilson Yip directs a masterpiece of drama and intrigue. Like a Greek tragedy, the cast of characters all have their own flaws, all of which contribute to their own ends. In addition to Donnie Yen, SPL boasts an all-star cast, including Hong Kong veterans Simon Yam and Sammo Hung, and rising action star Jacky Wu Jing.

Not a typical kung fu movie by any stretch, Yen directs a fantastic series of action sequences throughout the film. The first two acts of the film are without of any real fight scenes, but instead use gun fights and chase sequences. Still, by the end of the film, the final fights are well worth the wait. Exhibiting absolutely stunning choreography in his fights against Wu Jing and Sammo Hung, Yen demonstrates his multiple martial arts influences, drawing from non-traditional movie styles like Judo, Wrestling, and BJJ. Yen even admits on the DVD that a great deal of the choreography was inspired by the UFC.

Action aside, the film is a deep and engaging exploration of the themes of fatherhood and how the lives on both sides of the law affect it. From endearment and adoration to estrangement and indifference, SPL runs the gamut of father-child relationships. Like any good tragedy, the flaws of the human condition are explored and exposed for what they are. The film is absolutely amazing in this regard, full of strong symbolism and powerful performances by the cast. Really, the action is secondary to the merits of the film itself, an added bonus to an already gorgeous piece of cinema.

There are a hundred reasons to go track down this movie, and I can’t think of one why you shouldn’t. With great work in both the acting and the action, a moving story, and beautiful photography, SPL needs to be staple viewing material for any fight film fan. Even five years and stacks of other movies later, I can still say that this is one of the best in the genre and best in the industry. If you can find a copy of SPL at your local video store, it is absolutely imperative that you pick this up and give it a viewing.

Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery Review

2010-05-15T21:09:00.001-07:00

...in quotables.

*End of Round One Bell*

F. Shamrock: I liked it.

(beat)

M. Ranallo: ...yeah.

G. Johnson: You'll see the gator clap, or the gator crawl, if Jacare wins.

M. Ranallo: Maybe we'll even see a gator roll!

(crickets)

A. Arlovski: My game plan is pretty simple--fight. hard.

M. Ranallo: I think it's time for [Arlovski] to throw a flying knee.

F. Shamrock: To be the man, you've gotta beat the man.

M. Ranallo: (howls) Oooooohh!!

F. Shamrock: [Overeem's] hair folicles have muscles!

A. Overeem: [Fedor's] management declined me. Respect to Brett Rogers for stepping up to fight--like a man.

Movie Review: The Good, The Bad, The Weird

2010-05-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

Joheunnom, Nabbeunnom, Isanghannom

“The Good, The Bad, The Weird”

Korea, 2008

Genre: Historical, Western

130 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901487/

When a hapless train thief stumbles across an invaluable treasure map, he finds himself mixed up in a fight for his life with some of the most dangerous gunslingers of the wild East.

Set in the barren desert of Japanese-controlled Manchuria, “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” exemplifies the high-octane, pulp-action style of cinema coming out of South Korea lately. Blending Western gun fights, slapstick comedy, and a strong nationalistic message, this film is non-stop entertainment from start to finish. With a driving, upbeat soundtrack and a colorful cast of characters, I can say without a doubt that this is the frontier of action cinema right now.

The film can’t really be discussed without bringing up the political themes brought up in the story. To truly understand the movie’s plot, characters, and message, there needs to be some historical context. During the 1930s, just prior to World War II, Imperial Japan controlled much of northern Asia, including Korea and the Chinese province of Manchuria. With Korea struggling for independence, times were hard for many that lived under Japanese rule, and fled elsewhere to start new lives. There is still much resentment against the Japanese people in Korea and China, and so the Imperial army is often cast as a convenient antagonist in historical films. Sometimes, such as in Jet Li’s “Fearless,” efforts are made to show that not all Japanese were villains during this time, but there is no such effort made in this movie.

Still, possible anti-Japanese themes aside, it can’t be denied that this film was a hit with Korean and international audiences alike. Centered on the hilarious antics of Song Kang-ho (whom you may recognize from “The Host”), the movie keeps you going back and forth between uproarious laughter and pulse-pounding action. Thankfully, director Kim Ji-woon turned to a variety of practical pyrotechnics and special effects for the bulk of the film, a crucial detail that definitely had a hand in bringing the acting performances to the next level.

Depending on the cut you see, your mileage may vary with what you get out of the movie. You might see just another fun action flic, a great romp through the Gobi desert with horses and six-shooters and explosions. I can assure you that “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” is so much more than that, and truly deserves a place on your shelf as a staple of action-comedy cinema.

"WEC" 48: Aldo vs. Faber

2010-04-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is what fight of the night looks like:

Source: http://middleeasy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2043

UFC 112

2010-04-18T21:45:00.001-07:00

The Reel Deal on Dan Hardy

2010-03-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

Today we're looking at Dan Hardy, who is in the final preparations for his title fight against the UFC welterweight king, Georges St. Pierre. It's a tall order to fill, since GSP is widely touted as being the most complete mixed martial artist of all time. One of the pound-for-pound best, St. Pierre is a frightening combination of precision striking, world-class wrestling, and black belt level jiu-jitsu. He's faced down wrestling champions like Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, BJJ black belts like Matt Serra and BJ Penn, and striking machines like Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves. It's hard to imagine anyone at 170 beating him at this stage in his career.

Joe Rogan and Dana White have been hyping the fight by talking about Dan Hardy's top-level striking abilities, where he's supposed to have an advantage over GSP. GSP's last loss was a TKO to Matt Serra back in 2007, so it makes sense that Hardy would at least have the proverbial puncher's chance. Still, if we take a look at the record, the chance of KO really isn't as high as people would want us to believe.

Firstly, St. Pierre has only ever been knocked out once, which was the aforementioned loss to Serra. Since then, he has all but cleaned out the 170 pound division, with his last defense against power striker, Thiago Alves. Alves is much bigger and stronger than Dan Hardy, but was simply unable to stop GSP's takedowns. Now, Hardy is definitely a good balance of technique and power, even working with esteemed boxing coach Freddie Roach for his last couple of fights. still, it's not like Alves is just a big guy with nothing but power, so let's not discount his technical abilities. For a fighter with 60 percent of his wins by knockout, Alves was only able to land three significant strikes on the feet during the five rounds he spent with St. Pierre, and none of them put the champ in any trouble.

Since we're talking about a knock out shot here, let's take a look at Hardy's own record. Prior to his debut in the UFC, he had 10 combined knockouts and TKOs, along with 2 submissions to strikes, over the course of 26 fights. Since debuting in the UFC, although he has won all four of his matches, he only has one KO to his name. His fights have been against steadily tougher and tougher competition, further reinforcing the much higher level of talent that Dana White keeps in his stable. Hardy has managed to knockdown his opponents with strong counter-strikes, such as in his fights with Marcus Davis and Mike Swick, but I have to wonder whether or not he has the finishing power to score the KO against GSP.

It's just hard to imagine Hardy having the tools to knock out St. Pierre with those kinds of odds, especially when you compare him to real power strikers at 170 like Alves or Paul Daley, who have made their careers on maintaining high KO numbers. Not to say that Hardy doesn't have the power to do the deed, I just wouldn't bet the house on it.

I should say that it's not like he has absolutely no chance against the champion. The first GSP/Serra fight proved that a fighter can really win on any given sunday, even if the odds are stacked against them. Dan might put his tenth planet system to work after a takedown and pull off one of Eddie Bravo's crazy submissions, or he might even get that one good shot that puts an the champ to sleep.

The point is that it would be foolish to assume that he has the knock out power to give him any significant advantage in this fight. Maybe against lesser fighters this advantage might be more pronounced, but against an elite fighter like georges st pierre, he doesn't have that luxury. Hardy needs to level up his game in all areas of the cage, and not rely on the off-chance that he might get in one or two lucky shots.

The Magic of the Nippon Top Team

2010-03-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

It's late and I can't sleep, so I've been watching fighter highlights. It doesn't usually help, but it does keep me entertained for a while. Tonight, I'm sharing with you the Nippon Top Team, a superhero group of three elite Japanese submission artists in MMA.

First is Satoru Kitaoka, former Sengoku Lightweight Champion.

While not as popular as his teammates, don't think for a second he's not dangerous. Kitaoka beat Takanori Gomi (the last Pride 155lb. king) for SRC's first Lightweight Grand Prix, submitting Clay French and Eiji Mitsuoka to get there, then beating Kazunori Yokota in a grueling decision to face Gomi for the belt. A master of Catch Wrestling and Jiu-jitsu, his favorite subs are the Guillotine, Achilles Lock, and Heel Hook.

Now we go to the small man of the group, Masazaku Imanari.

I would say that Imanari is the most dangerous of them all, simply because of his specialty in leg-locks. He is known as "Ashikan Judan," which translates to "Master of Leg-locks." For those not in the know, by the time you can feel the pain of one of those nasty subs, it's already doing terrible damage to your joints and muscles. He's the former DEEP Featherweight Champ, and current DEEP Bantamweight and Cage Rage Featherweight Champion.

And the leader of the pack, regarded as the second greatest 155lb. fighter on the planet, Shinya Aoki.

Aoki is probably the most conventional grappler of the team, if only for the fact that he goes for armbars and triangles instead of leg-locks every other round. A master of flying armlocks and the rubber guard, he's known for having absolutely no mercy for his opponents, and has broken the arms of a few competitors already. The most recent victim was Mizuto Hirota at the SRC vs. Dream event last New Year's Eve, where he broke Hirota's shoulder with a Hammerlock. The current Shooto Middleweight, WAMMA Lightweight, and Dream Lightweight World Champion, he'll be fighting Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce 155lb. belt to add to his impressive collection.

Musings on Joshua Clottey

2010-03-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

There's really not much else to be said for the fight itself. Manny showed up to win, Joshua Clottey did not. For twelve rounds, Pacquiao chased his opponent around the ring at a measured pace, throwing a constant stream of punches. The fighting pride of the Philippines threw more jabs than he has ever done in a single fight, leading into combinations to the body and head, against and through the tight defense that Clottey is famous for. The Ghanaian opened up his shell just enough to throw a strong right cross on a number of occasions, creating a welt under Manny's right eye. However, without the power to knock the champion out with one punch, he was unable or unwilling to capitalize on this very limited success.

It has been said of Joshua Clottey many times before that he simply does not have the hunger necessary to become champion. Against Miguel Cotto, he lost a competitive decision to the more aggressive fighter. Against Pacquiao, he barely managed to keep the fight competitive at all. But the bigger question is, what does it take to get that sort of hunger?

From an objective point of view, Clottey is a very good boxer. He is strong and balanced in his skill set, and fights conservatively against boxers who with real knockout power. A more risky fighter would probably have been knocked out against both Pacquiao and Cotto, but Clottey chose to absorb less punishment, thereby preserving his career and his health. Are these not desirable traits for fighters?

In the end, it boils down to finding your place on the totem pole. While Joshua Clottey is clearly a good boxer, with his fighting style he has to be willing to concede the superiority of top-level contenders. It's even possible that it works the other way around, that he gave up dreams of the highest echelons long ago, and thus developed this very conservative style. In either case, this will forever remand him to the position as a gatekeeper in the boxing world: someone to test hungry young fighters who are looking for a shot at true greatness. Maybe Clottey is a aware of this, maybe he isn't. While it is easy to criticize him for not wanting it enough, it's possible that he doesn't want it in the first place. I'm sure he makes a very comfortable living for him and his family, and will probably be able to keep doing so with his approach to combat. Although we fans love fighters with that all-or-nothing attitude, I must respect Joshua Clottey's decision for taking a safe route when looking at the bigger picture.

WEC 47 Review

2010-03-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

The WEC's revolving door of champions continues to spin-- a testament to how competitive the lighter weight divisions are in the sport of MMA. A night of great fights and pulse-pounding upsets, tonight will certainly change the course of the bantamweight division.

Javier Vazquez def. Jens Pulver (Armbar, 3:41 of Rd 1)

It was hard to see Jens go down so early, marking his fifth loss in a row, and fourth in a streak of first round finishes. The fans of Pulver have gathered around the slogan "Forever Relevant" since career began to slide, but now I wonder just how much truth that has left in it. Obviously, no one can take away what he has done for the sport. He is and will forever be a legend in MMA. Still, after falling on such hard times as a fighter, perhaps it would be better for him to pass the torch on for good. I'm sure at this point he would make a much better coach or trainer than a fighter.

Joseph Benavidez def. Miguel Torres (Guillotine Choke, 2:57 of Rd 2)

Benavidez definitely earned himself a new fan after tonight. Coming in as a heavy underdog, no one expected him to take the fight to the former champ like he did. Torres looked more than a little shaky coming into the fight, which I'm hoping was a case of ring rust from his seven month layoff. After a lot of good action in the first round, Joseph hit a beautiful double leg takedown in the middle of the second, following up with a vicious elbow that opened Miguel up like a fountain. In the ensuing scramble, Benavidez quickly seized an arm-in guillotine choke that won him the Submission of the Night. It is likely that this victory will move him up for a title shot against the new 135 lb. champion, Dominick Cruz, whom he lost to last August.

[Update: I didn't realize how bad the Benavidez had cut Torres, but now a photo has surfaced showing the extent of the damage. It's not for the faint of heart, click here to see it.]

Dominick Cruz def. Brian Bowles (TKO due to doctor's stoppage, 5:00 of Rd 2)

A dazzling display of footwork and counter-punching was put on for two rounds as Dominick Cruz danced his way into the bantamweight championship. Bowles was definitely a game fighter, but seemed to lack the technical skill to compete with Cruz, who constantly cut new angles and landed a variety of counter-rights and low kicks. While not as crisp and composed as fighters like Anderson Silva or Lyoto Machida, Dominick's boxing skills are definitely something to watch out for. Currently undefeated as 135 lbs. (and his only loss coming from Uriah Faber at 145), Cruz continues to improve, and I think he just might stick around as champ for a long time.

Tim Sylvia vs World's Strongest Man, April 23, 2010

2010-02-27T18:56:00.001-08:00

You can't make this stuff up. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia, after a lot of drama following the "I got KOed by a crazy old boxer in his MMA debut" fiasco, has been signed to scrap with Mariusz Pudzianowski, 5-time World's Strongest Man Champion, in Boston on April 23rd at the DCU Center.

And there's more! Not only that, the fight is being promoted by Moosin, a Korean company, through a guy named Corey Fischer and Eric Esch, better known as the superheavyweight boxer, Butterbean.

Somewhere in this big circus of name-dropping, there is going to be an enormous fight between two enormous fellows. There's not many more details about anything else, but to be honest, I can't imagine there being much more that could be added.

The Boston Herald

Middle Easy

Movie Review: Bodyguards and Assassins

2010-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

Shi Yue Wei Cheng

“Bodyguards and Assassins”

Hong Kong, 2009

Genre: Historical

132 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403130/

When the revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat Sen plans a return to Hong Kong, his supporters find themselves in the midst of a life-and-death struggle to protect the one man who can save China.

Unlike most martial arts films, “Bodyguards and Assassins” lacks a clear hero for the audience to identify with. The plot revolves around a group of Chinese revolutionaries working at a newspaper press, including the businessman owner and his son, the president of the press, the owner’s rickshaw driver, and a host of other colorful characters from around the city. It seems like this band of heroes is meant to symbolize the necessity of unity among all the social levels of Chinese culture, but as a film, it makes it difficult to follow a single storyline. There are numerous subplots revolving around a rickshaw driver’s love interest, a daughter seeking revenge for her father’s murder, a police officer’s strained relationship with his estranged wife, and, of course, the plans to escort and protect Dr. Sun from the government’s team of ninja assassins (no, seriously, Chinese ninjas).

Donnie Yen, the film’s big martial arts star, plays the aforementioned cop, who begins the film by working for the local government, doing odd jobs for money to spend on wine and gambling. His wife left him for the businessman with his daughter, but goes back to him and asks him to help protect Dr. Sun. He agrees after meeting his child for the first time, and lends a critical hand in protecting the escort through the streets of Hong Kong. He eventually is hunted down by one of the top assassins working for the government, played by MMA superstar Cung Le, the second most recognizable face in the movie. Their fight scene is the best in the film, and is probably the biggest draw for Americans looking for the movie.

To call this movie a “Kung Fu Film” would be a bit of a misnomer. Really, it’s more like a historical film that happens to use martial arts and wire-fu in the fight scenes. The fights are choreographed and shot well, complemented nicely by the orchestral rock music score. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a clear hero, there isn’t much of a final showdown with the big bad boss man, resulting in a somewhat anti-climactic ending. Even with the cast of lesser heroes, tragedy abounds through the film, removing any chance of catharsis that could have been used to relieve the audience’s tension. In the end, there isn’t really a personal resolution to the film. As a Chinese-American, I do feel a small swell of pride as Dr. Sun’s mission is accomplished, but it may be a little much to ask of people who don’t have the cultural connection to the historical events portrayed in the film. Still, if you’re just watching it for the “good parts,” it’s still a movie worth picking up.

Bad Boy of Sumo Retires, is MMA Next?

2010-02-05T21:12:00.001-08:00

Asashoryu, the resident bad boy of the sumo world, announced his retirement from Japan's national sport on Thursday. This announcement comes right on the heels of a convincing victory at the January grand tournament, his 25th championship. The retirement follows allegations of a drunken brawl during a night on the town in Tokyo.

Rumors have surfaced that the sumo-tori is being courted by some of the prominent Japanese MMA organizations, where he would be a huge draw due to his reputation both in and out of competition. I can't help feel like it would be another "freak-show" attraction if he did enter MMA competition, similar to the use of other celebrities and athletes such as Jose Canseco and Herschel Walker. Still, at only 29 years old, Asashoryu is still very young for a fighter, and could feasibly become a legitimate competitor if he trains for it. As a big fan of the wrestler, I must admit that I've always hoped he would step into the cage eventually.

What would he need to make it? Cardio would be the first thing to work on. Other sumo-tori who tried MMA (Chad "Akebono" Rowan, Emmanuel Yarborough, and others) quickly found themselves gassed after the first few minutes of stalking down their opponents. This is because sumo matches are short bouts of explosive energy, not the long wars that MMA matches tend to be. If Asashoryu can bring his endurance up to speed, he'll at least have gotten himself a real chance at victory, should he decide to give the sport a shot.

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Zaromskis Review

2010-01-30T22:20:00.000-08:00

Herschel Walker, athletic Messiah of the United States, looked amazing in his debut against his mediocre opponent, Greg Nagy. I'm not sure if Nagy/Nudge/Nooge was supposed to be a tomato can to make Walker look good, but whatever the case, Walker definitely demonstrated a well-rounded set of skills in the cage. It remains to be seen, however, if he can put these skills to use against an opponent of higher caliber.

An absolutely dominating victory for Cris Cyborg over Marloes Coenen. Coenen showed tremendous heart throughout the match, but just couldn't handle the pressure and strength from the Brazilian brawler. Cyborg shucked off all the attempted takedowns, submissions, and power punches that Coenen threw at her, and marched forward in typical and terrifying Chute Boxe fashion.

I'm not sure how he did it, but Nick Diaz put on another display of his awkward, yet frighteningly effective, boxing skills against Marius Zaromskis. After brutalizing the Lithuanian's leg early in the fight with knees, Nick went to work on the head with an onslaught of punches from all angles. Marius had Diaz in trouble a couple times with hard punches of his own, but just couldn't hold him down in the end.

Wishful Martial Artists

2010-01-21T03:22:00.001-08:00

Inspired by a thread on Bullshido, I created this quick infographic to help categorize martial artists according to desire to fight, desired visibility, and fighting ability.

It's not perfect, obviously, and nothing is this cut and dried. Still, I think it should be useful for a quick reference guide to some of the more "eccentric" martial artists we come across.

Even the Baddest Man on the Planet Can Joke Around

2010-01-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

A clip from M-1 Global's tour bus, where Fedor and Gegard seem to get around like good friends. Good friends who will gladly put ice down each other's pants for a quick laugh.

Martial Arts Quotes

2010-01-16T02:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a small sampling of my favorite martial arts quotes. Feel free to share some that have had an effect on your life!

"We are all one." - Genki Sudo

"The best part of falling is getting back up again." -David Belle

"Persistence is the twin sister of excellence.
One is a matter of quality; the other a matter of time."

"Don't ask for it; go win it on your own. Do that and you'll succeed."

"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except for those that sang best."

"There is no superiority or inferiority of style, only the distinctions between the practitioners."

"Every boxer fights to his own music, it provides him with the rhythm for his footwork."

"One hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful. Seizing the enemy without fighting is the most skillful." -Sun Tzu

"Control yourself, let others do what they will.
This does not mean you are weak.
Control your heart, obey the principles of life.
This does not mean others are stronger." -Southern Dragon Style Motto

"The world is not beautiful; therefore, it is." -Kino no Tabi

"Whatever you do, just don't get mad at yourself. Because then you're fighting two people; your opponent and yourself." -Darren

"An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words." -Sanford Meisner

"You know it's all right to be wrong, but it's not all right not to try." -Sanford Meisner

"Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself." -Baz Luhrmann

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." -Marcello Truzzi

"Etre fort pour être utile." -Georges Hébert ("To be strong in order to be useful.")

"A lie is a lie even if everyone believes it. The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it." -David Stevens

"I am a shark. The ground is my ocean, and most people don't even know how to swim." -Rickson Gracie

"Years ago we hardly had anything to eat. Now I earn more money and I see every opponent as a man that tries to put me back to that poorer period. That man has to be eliminated." -Fedor Emelianenko

"Two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds." -Henry Rollins

Pride of a Nation

2010-01-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

The boys in Brazil have put together a great video together wishing Wanderlei Silva the best of luck with his training camp for Michael Bisping at UFC 110. The entire country seems to behind him, and why not? He's been in the fight game for more than a decade, and no one who sees his fights can doubt that he has the heart of a champion.

I don't know if I can say the same for his opponent, Manchester native Michael "The Count" Bisping. He's usually billed as the premier fighter of the UK, but Dan Hardy and Paul Daley are definitely on his heels. More than that, the UK is still relatively new to MMA, whereas Brazil and Japan have been pioneering the sport since the beginning. Watching this video and seeing all the love and national pride that Wanderlei is supported with, I wonder if Bisping will feel bad for not receiving a similar message from his compatriots. I'm not sure if this was meant to become a feud between the two countries, but we'll see how far it goes.

UFC 107 Preview

2009-12-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

Some quick picks for the fights tonight:

Kenny Florian v. Clay Guida

Florian, Round 3, Unanimous Decision

As much as I like Guida, I just don't think he has the tools to defeat Florian, who has better skills in just about every range of the fight. He'll frustrate Clay by sticking to the outside, and then threaten with submissions if Clay shoots for a takedown. Even without subs, Kenny has the skills to sweep for his own ground-and-pound in an dominant position. Clay's good, but I don't think he's at the same level as KenFlo.

Frank Mir v. Chiek Kongo

Mir, Round 2, Submission

Kongo is definitely the most dangerous striker in the UFC heavyweight division, but he doesn't have the skills to put him with the top fighters. As long as Frank doesn't try and prove his striking credentials by standing with Kongo, it should be a relatively easy night for him.

BJ Penn v. Diego Sanchez

Penn, Round 4, T/KO

Sanchez has certainly made a name for himself recently, but I'm still surprised to see him in title contention. I really don't think he's ever been in this kind of high-level fight before, and I don't see him winning in any way for this match. Penn has better skills standing, on the ground, and everything in-between. Sanchez says that he plans using his cardio to outlast the champ, but with BJ's much improved strength and conditioning program, I see that as a shaky strategy at best. I suppose anything can happen when BJ is fighting, but everything seems to be in his favor tonight.

My legs tell a story

2009-12-11T00:52:00.000-08:00

My legs tell a story.
Lumps and bruises up and down my shins,
Skin worn raw and red from my toes to my knees,
And I am happy.

Strike hard with all the guts left in you,
Strike fast as the timer counts down,
Don't let them catch you
Slacking off.

We are here for one reason
And one reason only.
We are here to learn to fight-
All else is secondary.

Fight for our lives and our livings,
Fight because we have to,
Fight because we goddamn want to.

I have been searching for many years,
And am not even close to finding a real answer
To the real question I have just begun to understand:
What am I fighting for?

I don't know.

But I will drag myself to the gym anyway,
Tired and sore and hungry and cold,
But I'll keep going and going 'til I'm dead or I'm old
There's just something inside me saying I've just got to go
Get stronger and faster and master the flow,
To be feared and loved and known 'round the globe,
I can't ever stop.

Why should I?

My legs are tired from working,
They protest as I walk out the door,
I'm pushing until they can go no more;
Only then, will I be happy.

The Evolution of Fighters

2009-12-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

Like all skills, learning to fight is a constant work-in-progress. As we age, our minds and bodies change, and we often change our fighting styles with them. Sometimes the change is for the better, as we've seen Anderson Silva go from a ferocious Thai clinch-boxer to an evasive and accurate counter-striker. Sometimes the change is for the worse, which is especially apparent as we watch Mirko Cro-cop begin to feel his age, or when we see Karo Parisyan succumb to drug addiction. Fighters are still human, and carry all the transitive baggage that comes with it.

Tonight we saw the next stage in the evolution of two of the most feared strikers in the UFC, Kimbo Slice, the infamous street brawler, and Houston Alexander, the one-punch knockout artist. They were billed as essentially the same type of fighter, aggressive and dangerous beasts that would explode on the bell, clashing in the middle of the cage in a kill-or-be-killed slugfest. This was not the case, much to the disappointment of many fans. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

Houston began his career with the UFC two years ago, making a big splash as he ran through Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara with highlight-reel knockouts. However, as he faced stronger competition, he didn't measure up, hitting a three fight losing streak that almost lost him his UFC contract. In an unheard-of show of grace, Houston was allowed to fight in a smaller organization after a year of just training. He scored an amazing TKO victory in Adrenaline MMA 4, displaying a discipline never seen before from him, as well as adding devastating leg kicks to his arsenal. Coming into the Kimbo fight, knowing that Slice has a bad left knee, he strategically attacked the lead leg with low kicks, keeping the pace slow to wear on his opponent. Perhaps he displayed a little too much caution in this fight; there were times I felt like he should have capitalized more on Kimbo's weakness, but it was still an impressive performance from Houston. While not perfect, he has found the next piece of the puzzle in his fighting style, and now simply needs to combine it with the dynamic aggression that made him famous.

Kimbo, on the other hand, found his fame as videos of his backyard brawls spread across the internet, creating a fanbase unlike any that has ever been seen in the sport. Three of the four most-watched events in MMA history have starred Slice, making him possibly the biggest draw in the entire sport. Many dedicated fans have criticized his lack of grappling technique and experience, his one-dimensional fighting style, and his street-fighter status. Still, as he's made himself into a legitimate combatant, the surprises continue to pile up. From his humble and earnest personality revealed in the Ultimate Fighter reality show, even more fans flocked to his side. And now, after displaying some serious grappling skills in his fight with Houston, I expect many dedicated fans to begrudgingly admit his competency as well, much as how people came around about Brock Lesnar after his victories over Randy Couture and Frank Mir. Kimbo isn't quite there yet, but it's definitely a much better start than when he debuted on EliteXC.

I know the UFC will be handing on to Kimbo Slice. Even if he loses his next three fights, I imagine that he will still have enough pulling power to make them immense amounts of money each time he fights. If he continues to improve and win, this will only increase his popularity and cash-cow status. Houston Alexander, on the other hand, may be on thin ice. I can only hope the UFC recognizes Alexander's potential, and allows him to develop into the amazing fighter I know he's capable of becoming.

UFC 106 Review

2009-11-22T23:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, was I wrong about this card! Great fights all over, I'll try and keep it brief.

George Sotiropoulos def. Jason Dent (Armbar, 4:36 of Rd 2)

Absolutely stunning groundwork by Sotiropolous, the guy is like water with his top game. Smooth and fluid transitions kept him in control for both rounds, then finished with a sweet arm crush to armbar submission.

Caol Uno vs Fabricio Camoes (Majority Draw)

The one prelim that wasn't aired. I'm told it was an awesome fight, and I'm very much looking forward to watching it when I can get it.

Brian Foster def. Brock Larson (TKO, 3:25 of Rd 2)

Both were doing pretty well, but Larson fouled a couple of times in Round 1. He didn't lose any points, but it made him tentative enough to hold back in the second round, where Brian Foster recovered enough to take the fight to his opponent and come out with the win.

Kendall Grove def. Jake Rosholt (Triangle Choke, 3:59 of Rd 1)

Good wrestling by both fighters, but Grove's jiujitsu was just too much for Rosholt to handle. Those long legs make for some dangerous triangle chokes.

Ben Saunders def. Marcus Davis (KO, 3:24 of Rd 1)

Saunders dominated the fight with great use of the Thai clinch. Davis tried to counter with uppercuts to the head and body, but it was no match for those clinch knees.

Amir Sadollah def. Phil Baroni (Unanimous Decision)

Another clinic on the devastating effectiveness of Thai boxing. Baroni was certainly back in form, all five minutes of it. After lasting through Round One, Amir outclassed Baroni with beautiful combinations of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Luiz Cane (TKO, 1:56 of Rd 1)

Big Nog may own the ground game of the Heavyweight division, but his little brother definitely makes up for it with his amazing boxing.

Paulo Thiago def. Jacob Volkman (Unanimous Decision)

Awesome action all over the cage in this fight. Thiago's stand-up looked incredible, slinging together fast combos that really kept Volkman on his toes. Jacob scored a takedown in Round Two, but even his top game wasn't a match for Thiago's guard. The Brazilian finished the fight with a crucifix ground-and-pound, then an unbelievable D'arce Choke from the bottom. Didn't finish the fight, but it sure looks pretty.

Josh Koscheck def. Anthony Johnson (Rear-Naked Choke, 4:27 of Rd 2)

Some questionable techniques in this fight, but I don't want to assume anything about the intentions of either fighter. All we know for sure is that Johnson threw a knee to a downed Koscheck in Round One, and Koscheck's fingers ended up in Johnson's eyes in Round Two. All that aside, Johnson had some phenomenal kicking combos in this fight, switching up stances and throwing kicks like a real pro. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop Josh's takedown, elbows from the top, and eventual submission.

Forrest Griffin def. Tito Ortiz (Split Decision)

Amazing fight. I think Tito won the first two rounds with his power takedowns and great ground-and-pound, but Griffin definitely owned the third with some beautiful Muay Thai. Lots of kicks from Forrest on the feet, something I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of in the future.

UFC 106 Preview

2009-11-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

I'm actually not too jazzed about this card.

Tito and Forrest doesn't feel like a super-fight, as Ortiz is coming out of retirement, and Griffin is coming off the worst loss of his career. I suppose it'll still be pretty good, but I feel like it's lacking some magic. Maybe watching the countdown will hype it up?

Koscheck and Johnson, another sort of gatekeeper fight. Both have done well, but aren't exactly big draws. Haven't heard anything of Koscheck for while, and I didn't even know Johnson existed until he came in 6 lbs overweight for his last fight a month ago.

Amir and Baroni is probably the best fight on the card. Amir is looking to get his career started in earnest, and Baroni is trying to keep his from ending. Should be interesting.

Cane and Lil Nog is cool, but Rogerio will forever live in Big Nog's shadow. Shame, really.

Karo and Hazelett sounded good at first, but then I realized Karo's been injured forever, then was suspended for painkillers after that. I'm as big a Karo fan as they come, but I feel like he's been out of the picture for far too long. Now with Karo out of the picture, I really can't think of any fights I'm excited for.

UFC 105 Review

2009-11-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

Only caught the end of the night after the Pacquiao fight finished, but some great action from the main events.

Dan Hardy had a dominant fight over Mike Swick, taking the number one challenger position with relative ease. For some reason, he kept shooting for a takedown, even though he was dominating the stand-up and clinch game. I can only imagine that he felt he had something to prove by taking the fight to the ground. I think Swick has a significant advantage on the ground, so it wasn't surprising when Swick shot in for takedowns. Still, Hardy delivered a good performance, and will rightfully be taking on GSP for the title in the near future. I don't see Hardy winning, but he might be the one to upset the Canadian's unquestioned reign at 170.

Couture and Vera had an interesting fight. Vera dominated most of the fight with great kickboxing, but the two were pretty even in terms of the clinch. Couture worked his dirty boxing game, but I think it evened out as Vera worked his Muay Thai clinch game. I suppose I might give the edge in the clinch to Couture, but they still didn't spend enough time there to tip the fight in Randy's favor. I don't agree with the judging of this fight, but it doesn't speak for both of the fighters that Vera couldn't finish Couture off, and vice-versa. While both are still good fighters, I don't think either of them are in the same league as Machida, Evans, or Rua to contend for the title.

Pacquiao/Cotto Recap

2009-11-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

Absolutely gorgeous fight. If they can't put Pacquiao/Mayweather together after this, I think we can officially say that Floyd Jr. is ducking Manny in an effort to protect his "unbeatable" status. That said, I think Pacquiao lost some of his mystique last night as well.

Cotto was surprisingly fast as the fight started. The accuracy and power of his sharp jab was frightening to say the least, and would have made for a very dangerous fight if he managed to capitalize on it. But Manny managed to adapt to Cotto's timing by the third round, and countered the most dangerous weapons the Puerto Rican brought to the fight. Pacquiao's right hook and left uppercut proved to be devastating, and send Cotto to the canvas twice in the early rounds.

For the rest of the fight, Manny dominated the ring with amazing combinations, catching Miguel with an amazing variety of power punches, coming in at every angle. Cotto's massive heart kept him going, and kept landing that sharp jab, but in the end it just wasn't enough. The referee asked him at the end of the 11th if he wanted to continue, and Miguel want to keep fighting. But in the middle of the 12th and final round, Miguel just couldn't keep up with the pace Pacquiao was setting, and the ref closed down the fight.

The Mayweather/Pacquiao fight seems closer than ever. If Floyd was watching this fight, he might be wondering if he can use his jab as well or better than Cotto against Manny. If he can push for it, I can think of no reason why this fight couldn't, shouldn't, or won't happen.

Know Thine Enemy

2009-11-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

In two days, Manny Pacquiao, the Pound-for-Pound top boxer in the world, will fight Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight belt. Having a lot of Filipino friends, it's only natural that I'll be rooting for Manny this Saturday. Still, let's take a closer look at his upcoming opponent.

Cotto is strong, and has lots of heart, which makes him a difficult opponent for anybody. He's tough to keep down, and has only one loss in his professional career. Furthermore, he's a downright terrifying in-fighter, and his body hooks can easily take the wind out of Manny's sails if our man isn't too careful. Still, as you can see from the video, there are significant holes in his game.

He gets hit a great deal, often relying on his tough chin to break through his opponent's punches in order to deal damage. This may not work on Manny too well, who's known for his blinding hand speed and agile footwork. Watch out for Pac-Man keeping him at bay with quick jabs to the face, followed by side-step and cross punches to the temple.

His main weapons are his Left Hook and his Right Straight. This is actually dangerous for Manny, being a southpaw (left-handed) fighter. A southpaw's right body side is closer to the left hook, and right straights are best for closing the distance against lefties. However, whereas Manny utilizes a variety of punches to confuse his opponent, Cotto has specialized these two weapons and used them in every fight. I have no doubt that Coach Roach has prepared Pacquiao to defend against them well. Watch out for some nasty counters against them.

Lastly, Cotto's shown himself to be a volatile fighter. When emotions run high, fight plans crumble. If Manny can frustrate him early in the fight, I see Cotto making serious errors in the later rounds. Capitalizing on these, a stellar knockout seems imminent.

I predict a 6th round KO by my man, the National Fist, the Fighting Pride of the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao.

Movie Review: Blood and Bone

2009-09-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Blood and Bone

USA, 2009

Genre: Dramatic Action, Gangster

93 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346631/

Michael Jai White stars as an ex-convict fighting his way through the underground martial arts circuit, hoping to fulfill a deathbed promise.

“Blood and Bone” markets itself as a gritty MMA movie for the next generation of fighters, billing popular stars like Bob Sapp and Gina Carano. However, it fails to live up its own hype, and presents the same flashy kung fu choreography we have seen time and time again with some flashy groundwork thrown in as an afterthought. By the climactic fights, the pretense is dropped completely to make way for spinning jump kicks and a katana vs. Chinese jian battle. The fights themselves aren’t too bad, although only the last two really last long enough for any satisfaction.

The film is mostly well-shot and edited, although it feels like it’s trying very hard to come off as edgy and street bred, hoping to identify with the no-nonsense-tough-guy-raised-on-the-streets-but-is-still-a-good-person demographic out there. Sarcasm aside, it becomes difficult to identify with White’s hero, who is an amalgam of characters played by David Carradine, Steven Seagal, and Jet Li; cool and in control under all circumstances, capable of playing with the mom and kids one minute, then breaking a man’s arm with no regrets in the next. White does have some chemistry with Dante Basco’s Pinball, an underground fight promoter, manager, and announcer rolled into one very fashionable street thug. Still, White seems to only display his acting skills when, ironically, his character is acting in a role of his own. The talented Eamonn Walker, on the other hand, does extremely well portraying the bushido-obsessed villain James, who demonstrates a very discernible character arc throughout the film. Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice, who became selling points for the film, are present for only one scene each and Carano speaks only one line, which is to be expected for an MMA-sploitation film as this. Bob Sapp, however, plays a thick-headed villain through most of the film. As in his fights, he plays a two-dimensional heel perfectly, and is subsequently vanquished by our hero during the rising action.

“Blood and Bone” doesn’t really present us with anything new, but it is a quick and entertaining romp through the tough and dirty streets and pit fights. If you don’t expect too much from the story, action, or acting, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the above-average quality of production put into the film. The decision to go straight to DVD was probably a smart one, and makes for great pre-UFC entertainment with popcorn and a good group of friends.

103 Re-Cap on the Way

2009-09-20T02:06:00.001-07:00

Some solid fights, three out of five isn't too bad. Recap and analysis will be on the way, probably posted over the coming week. After that, I've got a review of the new MMA movie, "Blood and Bone," starring Michael Jai White and featuring Gina Carano and Bob Sapp.

UFC 103 Predictions

2009-09-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, a whole week without posting! It’s been pretty busy, I suppose. Anyway, with only hours to spare, here are my picks for UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort.

Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort

Franklin, Rd. 2 by T/KO

People have been talking up Belfort, but honestly Franklin’s just been through tougher battles. The Phenom is good, but I can’t see him breaking down Franklin’s methodical striking and staying power. Fighting in smaller shows for the last couple years and against lower caliber opponents might put him at a disadvantage to Rich, who’s fought five incredible opponents in a row, losing only to the current champion and former Pride champion. I see Belfort gassing out early in the second, then Franklin going to town with strikes from the clinch.

Mirko Filipović vs. Junior dos Santos

Dos Santos, Rd. 1 by T/KO

As much as I love CroCop, I feel like dos Santos is younger, stronger, and hungrier for UFC action. It’s his first big fight, and we’ve seen that he’s more than willing to stand and trade strikes. I see him rushing in and breaking CroCop’s range, keeping the pressure on him while Mirko tries to create space. Junior will either get the takedown and finish there, or will find an opening and knock the Croatian out standing.

Martin Kampmann vs. Paul Daley
Kampmann, Rd. 1 by T/KO

Daley’s tough, but it’s his first outing in the UFC, and Kampmann is looking for a spectacular win to solidify his position as the number one contender for GSP’s belt. Kampmann might very well take the fight to the ground, where Daley seems to have some weaknesses in his game and where Martin has solid submission victories.

Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg

Koscheck, Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision

I’ve never liked Koscheck much as a fighter, and his performances have been shaky over the last few fights. That said, Trigg’s been out of serious competition for the last couple of years, and has only been able to win decision victories over his last four opponents. I think he’ll be able to hold Koscheck back from doing serious damage, but I still see a dominant performance by Josh Koscheck.

Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca

Griffin, Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision

Griffin is a tough competitor, even if he lacks finishing power. Another Couture camp fighter, I see him using a strong clinch and takedown game to keep Franca on his back, probably in half-guard ground-and-pound. Franca’s been out injured for a long time, whereas Griffin has been getting Fight of the Night honors almost regularly for a couple years now. Griffin will keep the pace high and Franca will fold under the pressure.

Movie Review: Choke

2009-09-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Choke

USA, 1999

Genre: Documentary

98 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251637/

A behind-the-scenes look into the lives of three fighters competing in the 1995 Japan Open Vale Tudo Tournament, director Robert Goodman follows kickboxing champ Todd Hayes, shootfighter Koichiro Kimura, and defending champion Rickson Gracie as they prepare and fight for the world championship.

The first thing that struck me about this film was its emphasis on the lives of the fighters and the lives of those around them. Goodman keeps himself behind the camera and scarcely makes himself known at all as he captures the all characters involved in the free-fighting tournament, from the fighter’s family, coaches, and fellow competitors, like the unsung hero Yuki Nakai, who fought through giants to reach the finals while weighing a paltry 135 lbs. The motivations for fighting are broad, and all three of the fighters have incredibly contrasting reasons for entering the tournament.

Kimura, the shootfighter and amateur wrestler, is the youngest and has the least screentime. Still, he has a particularly tender moment with his parents as they learn of his involvement in a tournament with no rules. His reasons for fighting aren’t completely clear, but we get the impression that he’s fighting solely for the enjoyment of doing so, having won several tournaments and trophies in limited rules competition, and now seeks higher and higher levels of competition.

A champion kickboxer, Hayes is fighting for another dream: the 1998 Winter Olympics, where he hopes to win enough money to fund his bobsledding season. His coach, Apollo, is a bit of a tool, and I felt like he was more interested in using Hayes to promote his own martial arts than he was in helping Hayes reach his Olympic dreams. Still, Hayes knows what he wants, and is more than willing to do what he needs to do to get it.

But of course, the hero and selling point of the movie was the pride of the Gracie family, Rickson. He fights not for money or for glory, but to bring credibility to his family’s fighting style. A bit of a diva outside the ring, his athletic prowess is nonetheless terrifying to behold. In the prime of his life, just watching him compete is a phenomenal experience. I think in the modern world of MMA, at times we forget just how good some of the older fighters were, especially after they vanish from the public scene like Rickson did.

The hands-off style of Goodman’s work is fitting for the world of fighters, where actions speak louder than words, and where sometimes life just happens. Touching, terrifying, and inspiring all at the same time, “Choke” is meant for fans and fighters alike, reaching beyond the glitz and the glamour to find the true human stories that take place within the ring.

Movie Review: Ong Bak 2

2009-09-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning

Thailand, 2008

Genre: Action, martial arts epic

93 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0785035/

Tien, an orphaned prince, is rescued and trained by a band of pirates from all over Asia, each a master of a different fighting style. Tien becomes the master of all the styles and seeks revenge against the king who killed his family.

Tony Jaa returns in this epic spin off of his breakout hit, “Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior.” Not a sequel really, the film takes place in the ancient Thai kingdoms of Ayuutaya and Sukothai. Using some absolutely gorgeous cinematography, Ong Bak 2 draws from the rich cultural history of Thailand to distract from the mediocre dialogue, bland acting, and contrived story. Beyond the mostly forgettable plot, Jaa steps into a directing role for the first time, following a falling out between him and Prachya Pinkaew, the director of Jaa’s first two films. Jaa’s acting hasn’t expanded too greatly from “The Protector,” but he does get to have some tender moments with Cher Nung, Tien’s pirate adoptive father.

Saving the film, of course, is the amazing action sequences and choreography, making full use of Jaa’s phenomenal athletic abilities. He shifts from style to style with impressive ease and believability, keeping the fight scenes fresh and varied. At the end of the obligatory training/aging montage, he fights a Japanese swordsman, a Chinese kung fu fighter, and what I believe is a Shan wrestler. There is also one scene where he uses a combination of drunken boxing and Indonesian Silat to defeat a band of slave traders. To cap off the movie, the climactic fight scene showcases Jaa’s skills against an army of ninjas wielding a variety of weapons and fighting styles (yes, those are ninjas and Tien was raised by a group of pirates, the irony is not lost on me). Not only is the fight fun to watch, Jaa demonstrates a fantastic command of multiple weapons, including the three-section staff, the Chinese jian, rope dart, and his native krabi krabong style.

While not a great piece of cinema, both the cheesy and intense scenes are equally enjoyable, although for different reasons. The ending lands on a cliffhanger, however, which is unsatisfying, but it does leave room for the sequel, Ong Bak 3. I know I’ll be waiting for it in the next couple of years, even if I can’t remember what happened in the last movie.

Movie Review: The City of Violence

2009-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Jjakpae

“The City of Violence”

Korea, 2006

Genre: Pulp action, mobster

92 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0821470/

A group of childhood friends return home after one of their own is murdered. Having all went their separate ways, Tae-Su, now a detective, decides to investigate Wang-jae’s death, uncovering a dangerous mobster plot.

Definitely one of my favorite action movies to date, it’s fast, funny, and full of great fights. Doo-hong Jung is one of Korea’s top fight choreographers and action stars. Playing the lead alongside Seung-wan Ryu, the director, the duo’s on-screen chemistry perfectly defines the buddy action dynamic. While I can’t speak too much for the dialogue using only subtitles, the plot is engaging and exciting. All the actors fit well into their roles, Jung as the no-nonsense cop, Ryu as the fast-talking tough guy, Beom-su Lee as the charismatic gangster. It’s a bit of a throwback to 70s cop and action films, with gratuitous violence everywhere.

Doo-hung Jung is pioneering South Korea’s action cinema, choreographing and starring in films like “Natural City” and “Fighter in the Wind” (those will get their own reviews soon!). As to be expected of a former National Tae Kwon Do Master, his fights are full of kicks and acrobatics, but don’t expect to see anything flowery. The choreography, while stylized and full of flair, hit hard and hit fast, sometimes ending before you have a chance to pick your jaw up off the floor. “The City of Violence,” is no exception, and I consider it his finest work yet. It’s a rather short film, so there aren’t very many fights, but it more than makes up for the lack of quantity with plenty of quality. The ending fight scene has Jung and Ryu barrel through hordes of knife-wielding henchmen, all building up to a final confrontation with the big boss. Jung goes over the top with blood and injuries in an almost playful manner, but don’t think for a second it detracts from the fight. Pushing boundaries in the way only a B-movie can, “The City of Violence” satisfies the thirst for entertaining violence every time the craving strikes.

UFC 102 Analysis Part 5: Couture vs. Nogueira

2009-09-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira

Prediction: Couture, Rd. 3 by T/KO

Result: Nogueira, Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision

Finally, the main event!

Coming into this fight, Nogueira was looking for redemption, to make up for his rather poor performance against Frank Mir. Everyone thought it would be a great match up to see the best Pride submission heavyweight to tangle with the best UFC submission artist. However, an injured knee and a staph infection were apparently the reason he couldn’t deliver the performance we were all expecting. Coming into the main event in Oregon, Nogueira looked fit, he looked healthy, and he looked dangerous. Training with Cuba’s national boxing team drastically improved his hands, and he used his size and reach to significant advantage all throughout the fight. Randy kept looking to close the distance, but Nogueira kept him outside for the better part of the exchanges.

I can’t say for certain what Couture was looking for in this fight. He was relaxed, happy even. He’s said that at this stage in his life and his career, he’s fighting solely for the enjoyment of the sport. And after signing a new six-fight deal with the UFC, it looks like he’ll be doing it for quite a while in the future. It looked like Couture’s main objective was to take advantage of Nogueira’s (seemingly) limited stand-up game, similar to Frank Mir’s fight with the Brazilian. Unfortunately, Nogueira’s boxing looked incredible, even compared to Randy’s dangerous hands. Couture managed to break the range a few times to land hard shots to Nogueira’s head, but Minotauro took the hits without backing down. He went on to land several amazing combinations to Randy’s head and body, throwing a few leg kicks in for good measure.

When striking didn’t work, Couture took things to the cage with his legendary Greco-Roman clinch game. He got the better of Nogueira by pushing him up against the cage and using his dirty boxing to wear out the younger fighter, but this never happened after the first round. Nogueira sunk in a ridiculously tight D’arce choke earlier, but Randy managed to survive through it on what appears to be sheer willpower alone. However, it was not without its toll. By the second round, Randy’s clinches lasted only seconds before Nogueira shrugged him off and started firing punches. The fight went to the ground a few times, b

ut it’s hard to say if any fighter really initiated a takedown attempt. Early in the second round, Couture more or less fell into Nogueira’s guard, then was promptly swept and put on his back.

Nogueira landed some good ground-and-pound of his own, and was almost able to cinch in another choke, this time an arm-triangle. Randy defended it well, though, and managed to get to his feet once again.

In the third round, Nogueira knocked Couture down early with a strong right, then proceeded to dominate the wrestler on the ground with strikes. At one point I though the fight would be stopped, but Randy managed to hold on yet again. After an unbelievable amount of punishment, having his back taken, and defending a rear-naked choke, Couture somehow slipped into Nogueira’s guard, and proceeded to launch his final offensive. It wasn’t able to do much damage, but he did manage to land several hard elbows to the Brazilian’s head. I feel as though Couture should have been trying to pass to half-guard, where his damage potential would have been much higher, but he definitely looked too tired to think of it or execute the maneuver. At the last second, Nogueira swept him again, and the judges awarded him the fight.

Nogueira did prove his worth in the cage with a dominant victory over Couture, and you can bet that his next fight will draw on even larger crowds to witness his return to glory. A rematch with Mir, perhaps, or a title shot against the winner of Lesnar-Carwin. In either case, a healthy and well-rounded Minotauro is a force to be feared.

Couture, even in defeat, still looked incredible as a fighter, regardless of his age. After going toe-to-toe with a man-mountain like Brock, he held off a former Pride champion for three rounds, surviving through two dangerously close submissions and multiple power punches. While he may not feel the need to push for the belt, I’m sure that his fighting days are yet to be numbered, and I pity the opponent that decides to take him lightly.

UFC 102 Analysis Part 4: Jardine vs. Silva

2009-09-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

A real quickie, the main event should be up tomorrow!

Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

Prediction: Silva, Rd.2 by KO

Result: Silva, Rd. 1 by KO

The co-main event didn’t quite live up to its billing, and Silva performed as powerfully as I expected him to. Jardine looked like he hoped to win the fight early by rushing in with a lot of punches, but none of them looked hard or fast enough to put Silva down. A single leg kick from the Brazilian, however, seemed to keep Jardine on the outside for the rest of the fight. Jardine keeps his hands low and open as he fights, I’m still not sure if it’s just his natural style, or if he’s trying to bait his opponents into rushing in and capitalize on their offensive. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t work with Silva, who moved in quickly and efficiently, countering a body kick easily and taking the fight to the ground.

Jardine is said to have a good ground game, but Silva passed to half-guard relatively easily. Jardine did manage to turn Silva over and bring the fight back to their feet, but it looks like he began feeling frustrated with the way things were going. He began to close the distance and exchanging punches with Silva, which I immediately thought was a bad idea. Swinging wide and not protecting his head, he was floored by a hard left hook counter by Silva. Pouncing on his chance, Silva fell into a sort of open guard position and started laying punches into Jardine’s face, knocking him out on his back.

While he fought hard, I don’t see Jardine as ever being more than a gatekeeper for the light-heavyweight division. He doesn’t have the powerful stand-up game that the top-tier 205ers have, and even if his ground game is underrated, he’s never been able to put it on display for us to see. Really, I can’t imagine a situation where he would ever be in the position to fight for the belt, much less wear it. It’s unfortunate, but unless Jardine can really improve his boxing ability to fight with the likes of Silva and Machida, he’ll be stuck in the middle of the pack for the rest of his career.

UFC 102 Analysis Part 3: Marquardt vs. Maia

2009-09-05T00:31:00.000-07:00

Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia

Prediction: Maia, Rd. 1 by Submission

Result: Marquardt, Rd. 1 by KO

And that’s pretty much the entire fight right there. But, I will say right now that I’ve got a lot to talk about for this short little fight. Even if it was only 20 seconds long, a fight is a fight, and as Sun Tzu says, battles are determined before anyone even sets foot on the field.

So what happened? Maia opened up with leg kicks, Marquardt got the rhythm, then timed a perfect counter. In terms of technical skills, it was a great counter, and Maia really needs to keep his hands up when throwing those kicks. Some Muay Thai coaches have their student drop their arms to add more momentum and force to the kick, but I don’t agree with this for the exact reason shown above. We evolved to have a lot of important things on our face, protecting it should always be priority number one. Obviously, it you’re ridiculously talented like Anderson Silva you don’t have to keep your hands up to do so, but we can’t all be Anderson Silva.

I predicted this fight for Maia for a couple of reasons, the first being my impression of Marquardt during his interview, where he kept asserting that his submission game was just as good as Maia’s. This led me to believe he would try grappling with Maia, not getting angry and just punching him in the face. I also thought that Maia’s specialized skill set would prevent him from taking significant damage on their feet, since his past matches have always resulted in him weathering the early storm of strikes to get onto the ground. I overestimated Maia’s chin or I underestimated Marquardt’s power, but it should be known that in this sport, it’s true that anything can happen. If we’re on the subject of Anderson Silva, anyone can just Google up his fight with Ryo Chonan, where a single move makes the difference between victory and defeat.

So why else did I give the fight to Maia? To be honest about my own biases, yes, I tend to favor the grapplers. It’s a belief of mine that skill should beat power, brains should be brawn. This is not to say that Marquardt isn’t skilled or brainy. Simply by looking at the result, Marquardt definitely displayed amazing skill and brains by using a technique he said he had only learned the week before.

What really dazzles me about Maia is a combination of his style and his philosophy behind it. He’s not a violent person, not for a fighter, anyway. He’s said again and again that he’s not interested in hurting people, and you can tell by the way he fights that he wants to win in the least violent way possible. I admire this kind of attitude, a refreshing and welcome change to fighters like Brock Lesnar or Kimbo Slice, who use their power and strength for the express purpose of winning matches violently. I think that Maia’s beliefs about fighting, in addition to his amazing talent for Jiu-jitsu, is what makes him such a favorite of mine.

But this brings up the hard truth of the matter: Maia lost, and lost violently. Does this mean that his style, his philosophy, is wrong? Should we shrug our shoulders and say it was nice while it lasted? Hardly! Maia’s loss means nothing more than that Marquardt saw an opportunity and capitalized on it. It doesn’t discount Maia’s previous fights and victories, and it certainly doesn’t invalidate his way of fighting. Maybe he’ll win his next fight, maybe he’ll be canned from the UFC. Maia, after all, is only human, and humans make mistakes, hit obstacles. But his ideas, on the other hand, will continue to live on, especially as Maia continues to do what he believes in. Regardless of whether it works or not, I think it’s important for fighters like Demian Maia to stay in the limelight. He reminds us that martial arts don’t have to hard-hitting, don’t have to be aggressive. It is, after all, more than just violence.

UFC 102 Analysis Part 2: Leben vs.Rosholt

2009-09-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Moving right along to the Middleweights!

Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt

Prediction: Rosholt, Rd. 3 by Unanimous Decision

Result: Rosholt, Rd. 3 by Submission, Arm Triangle

As I thought, Rosholt did have the better of the wrestling game, and didn’t have enough power to finish Leben off with his fists. However, instead of continuing to pound away, I was surprised to see Rosholt come out with some submission attempts! They weren’t as clean or technical as Maia or Nogueira, but he’s still new and still improving. And even if it wasn’t a beautiful choke, we can clearly see it was very effective.

The fight began with both of them just feeling each other out, neither willing to be aggressive right off the bat. It was good to see the kicks being used, both Leben and Rosholt were working low kicks right from the start. Neither seemed to use them at full strength, but we did see some damage to Leben’s shin as the fight wore on. I’m not sure if those were from kicking or being kicked, they looked more like scratches than bruises to me.

Rosholt eventually started warming up to the fight, getting inside to throw some punches, then some kicks as Leben backed away. Leben nabbed a leg in the first round, though, and managed to topple Rosholt over. I hesitate to call it a real takedown, but it got the job done. Leben had a tough time posturing up, Rosholt kept him down pretty easily, although he ate a lot of body punches. I’m not sure how effective those must be, seeing as very few fighters seem to be affected by them, and I’ve never seen a fighter tap out or get TKO’d from them. Rosholt was quick to get out from underneath as well, working that wrestling explosiveness in the scramble. Leben tried to clinch it up, but Rosholt quickly got the takedown. He got on top and tried working a choke, this was probably the first indicator that his submission game was better than I gave him credit for.

As round two got started, Leben managed to find his range and knocked Rosholt down with some good straight punches. Leben doesn’t use his jab as well as he could, and if he did I think his striking would improve drastically. He was moving it in and out as a range finder, using his leg kick more like a jab than a kick. It’s certainly a different strategy, and it’s not without its benefits, as we’ll see. However, a lead jab is undeniably quicker and more accurate; it would probably increase his chances of landing that big left he loves to throw.

Back to flicking that leg kick out: Leben did use it very effectively, especially as he switched it off with a high kick, followed up by a powerful left straight.

As they clinched up, Leben also utilized the foot stomp a lot, something I think isn’t used as much as it should be in the UFC. I’ve heard stories about people walking out of fights with broken toes and feet from those strikes, although it should be noted that I don’t recall ever seeing someone limp after getting some. As a judoka, I wonder if it would be good to use foot stomps to get people on one foot and set them up for throws. I have yet to see it in MMA competition, but it could work in theory.

Aside from the couple big shots, though, Leben couldn’t hurt Rosholt very much at all. On the bottom, Rosholt kept Leben’s posture down throughout the fight, preventing him from mounting any significant offense from guard or half-guard. Turn it around, though, and Rosholt shoots and scores for the takedown with ease, once at the end of the second round, then again at the top of the third. The third round one was an incredible counter to one of Leben’s low kicks, a great display of timing and execution.

As Rosholt moved effectively through Leben’s half-guard, mount, and side-mount, he was landing big punches from the top and I already knew the fight was going to end soon. Leben was turning his back, a sure sign that the punches are starting to hurt. Then he started putting his arms up in and effort to stop the punches higher up, another signal that the fighter is hurt. Safe fighters “intelligently defend themselves,” meaning that they cover up and keep moving to find a better position. Putting your hands up like Leben was doing is a natural response to pain that humans have, even if it puts us in a more vulnerable position. Rosholt capitalized on this vulnerability and caught one of Leben’s arms, trapping him in the arm triangle and easily moving into side-control.

As for referee Yves Lavigne’s lack of action at the tap, I don’t think he’s entirely at fault. The rule for tapping out is three taps in quick succession and Leben (and if you look back, Brock too in his first fight against Mir) only tapped twice. Then you have to consider Leben’s kicking legs right after the taps. Lavigne is clearly seen getting out of the way, either to protect himself or to allow Leben room to escape (which it may have looked like from the ref’s position). Either way, it was unfortunate that Leben got put to sleep, but it’s not like it’s a real injury. You tap, you nap, then you wake up and everything’s better.

Next time: Marquart and Maia!

UFC 102 Analysis: Vera vs. Soszynski

2009-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Going to be posting these one fight at a time, here's the first!

Brandon Vera vs. Krzysztof Soszynski

Prediction: Vera, Rd.3 by Unanimous Decision

Outcome: Vera, Rd.3 by Unanimous Decision

As expected, Vera’s superior boxing skills were on display for Portland. Soszynski was too slow to land any punches and was unable to close the distance effectively. Vera used his reach to a decisive advantage, putting together some great combinations of punches and kicks, head and body shots. The first kick he landed early in the fight looks like it his Soszynski right in the liver, which could have contributed to the lack aggression and endurance by the Polish fighter.

Vera caught a couple of punches throughout the fight, but none of them did enough damage to keep him down for good. Most of Soszynski’s punches, however, were easily slipped and countered. Vera looked much bigger than Soszynski during the fight, in weight and height. It’s possible that Soszynski had a difficult weight cut for this fight, which also would have contributed to him running out of gas during the third round.

Unable to fight Vera on the inside, Soszynski rushed in to clinch a number of times during the match. Looking for strikes, Vera seemed to neutralize Soszynski’s punches and elbows with some great Greco-Roman clinchwork. Soszynski managed to get the Thai plum (double collar tie) a few times, but the first couple of times were with his back against the cage, restricting him from being able to throw knees effectively. The other times he nabbed the Thai clinch, he seemed just too tired to launch attacks. He went to shoot for takedowns from both in the clinch and from outside, but Vera stuffed them easily. Part of this is Vera’s great wrestling ability (he got a wrestling scholarship to Old Dominion University), and part of this was that Soszynski was absolutely terrible at takedowns that night, reaching down with his hips all the way back, unable to utilize his leg strength.

I’m not sure if it’s because he was tired or because he was frustrated, but whatever the reason, he was neutralized on all but one takedown. The one takedown he did land he managed to power through with upper body strength alone, but Vera got to his feet within seconds. Soszynski was clearly outmatched in all aspects of the fight, from Vera’s clever striking (and beautiful spin combo in round three!) to his powerful clinch game to his newly improved conditioning program. Vera almost had a couple of standing submissions as well, but none were tight enough to put Soszynski in any real danger.

So why couldn’t Vera finish the fight? Soszynski has a solid chin, for one. He ate a number of punches and knees to the face, and a couple of elbows from in the clinch too, probably. Vera also used a lot of body shots to keep him gassed and unable to mount any offense beyond rushing in for a useless clinch game. Vera may have been pulling his punches a bit, afraid to get too close to Soszynski’s powerful hands. However, working in the clinch, I would have liked to see Vera establish a solid Thai plum of his own and work a series of knees. Vera used some knees from over-under positions as he pummeled with Soszynski, but those can only reach up to the thighs, which isn’t as valuable as throwing knees to the midsection or the face.

Regardless, it was a dominant victory for Vera, even if he couldn’t properly close out the fight. Hopefully this newer, tighter, and fitter Vera sticks around and works his way up to the top of the division.

UFC 102 Results

2009-08-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

I managed to get a live audio stream of the fight online, pretty great night for the UFC. Event breakdown and fight analysis will go up after I watch the fights, probably within the next couple days. For now, here are the basic results.

UFC 102 Preliminary Fight Card Results:
Evan Dunham Defeated Marcus Aurelio via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Mark Munoz Defeated Nick Catone via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Todd Duffee Defeated Tim Hague via TKO at :07 in Round 1
Mike Russow Defeated Justin McCully via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
Gabriel Gonzaga Defeated Chris Tuchscherer via TKO at 2:27 in Round 1
Aaron Simpson Defeated Ed Herman via TKO at 0:17 in Round 2

UFC 102 Main Fight Card Results:
Brandon Vera Defeated Krzysztof Soszynski via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nate Marquardt Defeated Demian Maia via Knockout at 0:21 in Round 1
Jake Rosholt Defeated Chris Leben via Technical Submission at 1:30 in Round 3
Thiago Silva Defeated Keith Jardine via Knockout at 1:35 in Round 1
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Defeated Randy Couture via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Just a few quick words:

Rosholt can tap people out!

Maia needs to keep his hands up.

Couture's will and heart is second to NONE.

UFC 102 Predictions

2009-08-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

With UFC 102 on the horizon, I figured this would be a good time for my inaugural event prediction. While I’m certainly not a professional (at least, not yet), I like to consider myself pretty knowledgeable on fighters, camps, and mixed martial arts in general. I’m only going to go ahead and do the main card, because I’m not particularly familiar with a lot of the undercard fighters. Maybe when I know more of these guys I’ll do the undercard along with the main card. These picks are based on my own opinions, and you’re free to debate them with me in the comments.

Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt

Rosholt, Rd. 3 by Unanimous Dec

I’m not terribly fond of Leben as a fighter, I don’t think he’s ever really impressed me too much technically. He’s got a good wrestling base and can certainly bang it out, but I don’t think his wrestling is good enough against Rosholt’s, who is a three-time NCAA champ, and has been training with Xtreme Couture for a couple years now. On the other hand, Leben’s got tons more experience than Rosholt, and this will probably help him survive most of the fight. I see Rosholt dominating in the clinch, probably getting a lot of takedowns and some ground-and-pound, but I don’t think it’ll be enough to finish Leben off.

Brandon Vera vs. Krzysztof Socynski

Vera, Rd.3 by Unanimous Decision

Socynski is a very dangerous challenge for Vera, who’s just getting out of a huge slump in his career. Socynski hits hard, has a great top game, and even if he doesn’t have the best jiu-jitsu, he’s probably got the Kimura as good as any black belt. Vera, however, is no stranger to hard-hitters, going the distance against Tim Sylvia, who’s one of the biggest fighters the UFC has ever seen. I think Vera’s kickboxing is better than Socynski’s, and I don’t know if Socynski will be able to power through for a takedown. I think the fight will stay standing, and we’ll see Vera pull off a dominant victory.

Nate Marquart vs. Demian Maia

Maia, Rd.1 by Submission

If you asked me a week ago about this fight, I would have told you that Marquart would keep the fight standing and maybe even score a TKO or decision victory. But after watching UFC’s 102 Countdown, I think Nate’s got a bit chip on his shoulder about people disrespecting his ground game. It’s not that his jiu-jitsu is bad; it’s just that Maia’s is so much better. I think he’s going to try and prove something by tangling with Maia on the ground in the first round (probably after a Maia sweep or takedown), and then getting caught by a submission. If Marquart keeps his cool, I do think he can pose a big threat to Maia with his big power and clinch fighting.

Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

Silva, Rd.2 by KO

Jardine’s a great fighter, and is very difficult to train for, but I really do see Silva just walking right through him. Silva went on a 13-fight winning streak (with 10 knockouts and 2 submissions, one to ground-and-pound) before finally losing to Lyoto Machida, who happens to be the current champion and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

A lot of people talk about how Jardine’s beaten some of the best in the world, with wins over Griffin, Liddel, and Vera, but he’s also lost to top fighters like Jackson, Wanderlei, and Houston Alexander. All of the fighters he lost to were very similar to Silva, packing big power in the hands and constantly pushing the action. Silva may not have faced the very best in the division, but judging by his record, I’d say he belongs up there with them.

Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira

Couture, Rd.3 by T/KO

Tough fight to call, for sure. Two living legends, the very best of the sport. On one hand, Couture has incredible power in his hands and is one of the best wrestling-style fighters in the world. Incredible endurance and conditioning, coupled the ability to use the Greco-Roman clinch to wear down his opponents, makes him the winner of just about any war of attrition. No one doubts the fighting ability of this 46 year old, and anyone who does should try spending even just one round wrestling with him.

However, even after all that’s said and done, Nogueira is probably the only person able to take everything Couture can dish out, and then still throw some crazy armbar or leglock for a tide-turning victory. If you’ve seen his fights in Pride, Nogueira has taken punches from people like Dan Henderson, Fedor, and Tim Sylvia, and even a full-on head kick from Mirko Cro-Cop, and still can keep on fighting. The first time that Nogueria was ever knocked out was by Frank Mir last year, after ten years and 37 fights. Granted, we haven’t seen Nogueira at the top of his game lately, and it’s possible that all the punishment he’s taken is catching up with him. But if we do see a strong and well-conditioned Nogueira tomorrow night, I can guarantee that Couture will have his hands full trying to stop this man. I think Couture has the tools and conditioning to beat Nogueira eventually, but I feel like it’s going to go all the way down to the wire before he can finish him, if he can at all.

Fedor's Fighting Philosophy

2009-08-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

Fedor isn't what you'd expect of a top caliber fighter. He's chubby and round, hardly physically imposing. He's soft-spoken and articulate, and he's always smiling. Looking at him, you half-expect him to be greeting you at Best Buy or bagging your groceries, not hitting mitts or throwing armbars. If you’ve seen him train, or heard him comment about his training, it’s not particularly spectacular. A little boxing, a little grappling, then some push-ups and pull-ups, a fair bit of running. Definitely not the vicious conditioning and sparring you’ll see on UFC’s Countdown shows. He's disarmingly unassuming, shy even. People expect fighters to be like Brock Lesnar, fierce and powerful, more mountain than man. Fighters should be bold and adventurous, proud and sensational.

So what makes Fedor Emelianenko such a big deal?

He doesn’t fight with the jaw-dropping talent of Anderson Silva, nor does he have the flawless technique and execution of Georges St. Pierre. He’s not the super-athlete like Lesnar or Shane Carwin, he’s not the caged tiger like Wanderlei Silva or Sean Sherk. He walks to the ring calmly, even as chaos surrounds him. If you’re lucky you might catch him crack a smile here or there as he prepares for battle, but mostly his face is blank and unreadable. Truly, the only person who knows what Fedor Emelianenko is thinking at those moments is Fedor himself.

So what makes this man the most feared fighter in mixed martial arts?

The answer lies in those exact moments. He likely knows that he’s not the biggest or strongest, not the most skilled or even the most aggressive. It’s likely that it is because he knows all this that he pushes forward, to fight against the steepest of odds, to come back from the deepest of dangers, to throw punches until his hands break. His determination to always fight back, to never give his rivals a moment to rest—this is what makes him a dangerous fighter. He uses controlled aggression in one solid burst beginning when the bell starts and ending only when the ref pulls him off the limp body of his opponent. And as soon as it’s over, he’s the first one to shake hands with the man he’s beaten, a smile on his face once again.

It’s been said that Fedor’s never been truly tested by the top competition, but I contend that this is untrue. If you watch his fights, even the short ones, it rarely looks like he has an easy night. He gets hit frequently, and often finds himself in dire straits as his opponent starts working the game plan. But somehow, by constantly pushing the pace and forcing the action, he finds his one opening, his one chance at victory, and he pounces on it as soon as he can.

There’s a lot we can learn, as fighters and as people, from this method, because as unsophisticated as it seems, it continues to win him fights.