Saturday, January 30, 2010

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Zaromskis Review



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.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wishful Martial Artists

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.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Even the Baddest Man on the Planet Can Joke Around



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.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Martial Arts Quotes

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

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Pride of a Nation



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.