Recently, I saw a Facebook video of a grappling competition, between a freestyle wrestler and a Brazilian Jujitsu practitioner. There are a lot of Youtube videos with titles like “Muay Thai vs. Kyokushin” or “Kung Fu vs. MMA” but what I liked about this particular video was that both practitioners were wearing the clothing appropriate […]
Sensei Gary Rasanen, an 8th degree grand master of judo grabs my sleeve and my lapel, similar to a grip used in Chinese shuai jiao wrestling. He pulls me into his hip, sits down slightly, while pulling my arm across his chest, and suddenly, I am airborne. I slam, hard on the mat, as his body […]
For the first time in about a year, I had no classes, no work, and no wrestling team practice for three days. So, I took my san da training mates and my wrestling teammates from Shanghai University of Sports to Fighters Unite MMA gym. In one night, we did boxing, san da, MMA, muay Thai, […]
It’s no secret that MMA in the US is dominated by former wrestlers. In fact, 8 of the 10 current UFC champions are former collegiate or high school wrestlers. In China, MMA is dominated by san da fighters. MMA in China pays a lot better than san da, which attracts a lot of fighters, even […]
The world’s first, ever, book dedicated 100% to Cambodian martial arts. In this rare work you will find stories about the three Khmer martial arts: Bradal Serey (kick boxing), Jap Bap (wrestling), and the ancient fighting system of Bokator. The book includes interviews and profiles with most of Cambodia’s living masters and some of Cambodia’s […]
Background: Mayhem II is an MMA (mixed martial arts) tournament held in Selangor, Malaysia, sponsored by Muayfit, on September 11, 2011. The event was historic because, with over 60 fighters taking part, it was the largest MMA tournament ever held in Malaysia. For the Cambodian team this was an extremely important event because they represent […]
On day six of training, with two K-1 Fight Factory instructors pushing me, I broke my personal record, 10 sets of Randy Couture speed weightlifting routine, each in just under a minute. On the first day, my average had been two minutes. These are the kinds of insane results you can get training three times […]
Martial Arts Odyssey: Movie Stunt Fighting 3D Part 1 Learning to fight in the movies! In Bangkok, Thailand, Antonio Graceffo finds John Ledalski a veteran of more than 50 films. Sifu John is a martial arts master, an experienced stuntman, and a respected stuntman trainer. Antonio asks John to help him prepare for his upcoming […]
There is a mystique surrounding martial arts; rumors and legends about secret styles, hidden schools, and mystical masters. People ask me all the time about learning from old men, living alone in the swamp, like Yoda. And this is my answer: If you want a traditional, cultural experience, go train with a master who lives […]
My first experience, training with a Vietnamese boxing and Muay Thai team didn’t workout very well. A bigger boy picked on me, and smashed my innards into jelly. After it didn’t hurt to pee or think anymore, I began looking for a new place to train. Luckily, my Vietnamese teacher found me a Muay Thai […]