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TUESDAY, November 26th, 2002, AT 5:30 PM, PT

AMATEUR
SAN SHOU FIGHTER
NEEDED!

With less then a month until showtime the IKF is scrambling to assist IKF Promoter Lou Moua in placing an Amateur San Shou Fighter for an IKF Amateur Intercontinental Title fight this December 28th in Fresno, California, USA. The two top contenders are San Shou Welterweight Vang Moua of France (46-0/25) and San Shou Super Welterweight San Song Moua, also of France (28-1/4). One thing hampering the booking is the timing." As anyone can see, December 28th is sandwiched between the Christmas and New Years holidays and very few fighters want to fight at that time of the year, and we can't blame them." Says IKF President Steve Fossum.

The event is to celebrate Hmong New Year and will be a feature attraction at the Hmong Festival in Fresno, CA. The last time the IKF sanctioned this same event they had a crowd of around 1,800 people. So far only one of the bouts has been matched. It will be for the vacant IKF Amateur San Shou Intercontinental Light Welterweight Title between Zang Moua (France) and Robert King of Houston, Texas, USA. However, the IKF and the promoters have had no luck in finding a qualified opponent for the Amateur San Shou Intercontinental Super Welterweight Title (147.1 lbs. - 153 lbs) against San Song Moua.

Two time IKF USA Amateur San Shou Champion (Welterweight and Super Welterweight) Santos Soto (17-2/12) of San Jose, California, USA will be taking a break during the holidays as will several other top ranked IKF Amateur San Shou fighters from the USA such as Max Chen of New York, NY, Mike Norman of Boston, MA and Richard Acosta of New York, NY. However, an acceptable contender/opponent would not be limited to the United States. "We've had some great help from some of the top san shou trainers here in the USA such as David Ross and others, but we have all found it difficult to find fighters for an event at this time of year." said Fossum.

If you are an amateur san shou fighter or a trainer of one who weighs between 142 and 159 lbs and has an amateur san shou record that would qualify for such a title shot, please contact the IKF as soon as possible to be considered for this bout. The IKF phone number is (916) 663-2467, fax (916) 663-4510 or easier yet, by e-mail at Main@ikfkickboxing.com

SUNDAY, September 1st, 2002, AT 7:50 PM, PT

Ott & Marinoble Are
GLADIATORS!
Win-River Casino
Redding, California, USA!
Photos By Cat Fields

It was suppose to be a show between two styles, San Shou Vs Full Contact Rules between two Champions. However, as each round unfolded it proved to be a bout against 2 "GLADIATORS" representing all of us in the ring in the sport of kickboxing right down to the end instead.

It was what everyone wants in a Main Event and what Everyone wants in a Title bout, especially a WORLD TITLE BOUT! IKF Pro San Shou Intercontinental Champion Rudi Ott of San Jose, CA, USA was the number 1 contender for the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Rules Middleweight World Title. With only a month to go to this event, matchmakers were still having trouble finding a worthy opponent. Enter IKF Pro Full Contact Rules Middleweight World Champion Dave "Madman" Marinoble. Marinoble saw an opportunity for another World Title to add to his FCR World Title and an addition to his other 6 IKF Title belts (3 Amateur & 3 Pro) and formally requested to be selected as the challenger for the Title against Ott. A week later, after a lot of background checking of Marinobles Mixed Martial Arts and Sport JuJitsu experience the IKF Title Board finally approved Marinobles (Right with trainer Greg Kirkpatrick) challenge request.

In the beginning the odds heavily favored Ott. with an overall "SAN SHOU" fighting record of 26 wins against only 3 loses with 8 wins coming by knockout many thought this was easily Ott's Title to win. Why? Although Marinoble entered the challenge with a perfect 16-0 record with 2 draws and 8 wins by TKO/KO, none of his wins were in bouts that had leg kicks let alone knees to the body and worse yet, the explosive THROWS of San Shou. However, what others didn't know was Marinobles experience in Mixed Martial Arts and Sport JuJitsu where he fought mostly as an amateur complying a 20 win record against 6 loses along with a 6-1 amateur boxing record. The question was, "Was Marinobles additional experience enough to overcome Ott's experience as a veteran San Shou Style fighter?"

As fight time came closer and closer we had the pleasure of reviewing some video of Marinoble's past experience. By Friday morning, a day before the bout, we had the two fighters at even odds to win the title, that is, if we were ones to set odds. This surprised many, especially those in the San Shou world where some expected Ott to, quote - unquote, "Throw Marinoble around like a rag doll." These words were not from Ott's camp. Ott's camp, like Marinobles had great respect for their opponent. With this all being said, Saturday nights IKF Pro San Shou Rules Middleweight WORLD Title finally came. Here's a round by round rundown of the action.

  1. In round 1, it was clear both fighters wanted to establish their ability to execute a throw on the other. However it was to everyone's surprise that only 2 takedowns were scored in round 1, a 2 pointed to Ott and a 1 pointer to Marinoble. Two of the judges (Marcos Rosales & Art Gitlin) thought Marinoble's stand up fighting scored high enough to give him the round while the third judge (Susan Thomas Gitlin) gave the round to Ott. So after 1, Marinoble led on 2 of the 3 judges cards 10-9.
  2. In round 2, Marinoble tried harder to execute a throw on Ott however it was Ott's skill that led to counters and points. Marinoble was scoring with his boxing skills but for some reason kept going for the clinch with Ott and while there Ott scored big with knees. Somewhere in the round Ott was cut above one of his eyes by a head-butt. The cut was a scare to many since it appeared to be pretty bad. NO ONE wanted this bout to end on a cut and especially this early in the fight. Despite the cut and the blood, as round 2 ended, all 3 judges gave it to Ott 10-9. The ringside physician checked Ott out and allowed the bout to continue.
  3. Round 3 was one of those rounds where you could have tossed a coin in the air and any fighter could have been given the win. If we were doing the judging it would be justifiable to say this was a 10-10 round. Although only 2 throws were execute, 1 for each, Ott and Marinoble had a slugfest that went toe to toe throughout the entire round. Marinoble was landing some strong shots to Ott's head but Ott shrugged each one off and continued strong. In the end, Marinoble had avoided Ott's throwing skills once again and won out in the stand-up game giving him the round on all 3 judges cards 10-9.
  4. Round 4 was where Ott started to get to Marinoble. Although the stand-up game as far as hands go appeared to remain rather even, Ott scored heavily on leg kicks and knees. Where the deciding factor came in though was in Ott's throws where he shut Marinoble out for the round winning it easily 10-9 on all 3 judges cards.
  5. As we entered the final round the scores on judges Marcos Rosales and Art Gitlin's cards had both fighters even while judge Susan Thomas Gitlin had Ott in favor 39-37. It was still either fighters Title and it would appear that endurance would be the deciding factor. There were no excuses here, both fighters had plenty of time to prepare for the fight. Both are professionals who are both in great shape. However the inside word was that Ott thought he had overtrained for the fight and was worried of fatigue before the bout started. Marinoble was known for a fighter who wanted to go into the late rounds where he felt fresher as the rounds went by. Would this be the case again or would Ott reach down inside and "Bring It ON!?" As the bell rang, Marinoble came out of the corner with his hands low. Both he and Ott looked like Gladiators who were willing to fight to the end no matter what the cost. Marinoble worked to try and establish his stand-up boxing game scoring again with head punches, but after a couple of punches went into a clinch with Ott. It was here that Ott waited like a coiled snake ready to strike. Once Marinoble locked in Ott went to work with knees to Marinobles body and when he felt he gave enough he would attempt a throw. However in round 5, the throws were not what won it for the Champion, it was endurance. While one faded down the final minute the other stepped up whatever he could. Ott only had 3 throw points in round 5 to Marinobles 1. In the to some the winner seemed clear because of the final round, but we all awaited the announcement. Judge Marcos Rosales and Art Gitlin scored it 48-47 while judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 49-46. The winner of the vacant title and now the new IKF Pro San Shou Middleweight World Champion went to the Red Corner, Rudi Ott by unanimous decision! All 3 judges gave the final round to Ott. Congratulations to Rudi but more so to "TWO" great IKF Gladiators!

To the fight fans who knew these two, both thought the victory would be one sided. However in the end, this was not to be. Some of us before the bout thought if Ott won, many would say, "No big deal, you beat a Full Contact Rules Fighter." With that, we thought some would tell Marinoble, "Hey Dave, you looked like a rag doll out there." However, we say to the critics... "SHUT-UP!"

Ott won this title against probably one of the best challengers there could have been! Marinoble surprised a lot of people Saturday night and probably Ott a little as well. He fought strong and hard and stayed with Ott till the end without a blink. NEITHER said a negative word towards each other. They had their chances at the Friday night press conference but both opted to offer their appreciation and respect that the other came to "Walk The Walk" against them. There was no one sided easy victory here. This was what everyone wants a World Title to be!!! Ott can hold his head up proud knowing he "DID" fight a TOP CONTENDER! On the other side of the ring Marinoble as well can walk proud because he knows he fought his best against the Best and never gave up! Words alone cannot say enough about this bout. The fight fans of kickboxing truly missed a spectacular WAR!

Hey ESPN!!! Where were you for this one instead of those bouts we see today? This fight is what our sport is all about which is why we need to see IKF Kickboxing on TV! Where REAL Champions win REAL Titles against REAL Contenders! PERIOD!

Rudi, Dave, the IKF and the sport of kickboxing are very proud of you both today. It's too bad your show won't be on the big screen, where our sport truly deserves to be, as you do with the many other great kickboxers around the world.

Before the Ott and Marinoble Gladiator War there was plenty of undercard action. The semi Main Event featured 2 highly skilled Full Contact Rules fighters contending for the vacant IKF Pro United States Welterweight title between number 2 ranked Welterweight Erik Marshall (26-5) of Bradenton, Florida, USA and number 6 ranked Light Welterweight Heath Fonnest (11-1) of Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA. Here's how the bout unfolded;

  1. In round 1 this looked like it was going to be a "CLASSIC" Full Contact Rules bout. Fonnest (Landing the kick at right) came out charged up throwing 19 kicks to Marshall's (Landing his kick below) 10. Fonnest appeared to be winning round 1 until all of a sudden out of no where with about 8 seconds left in round 1, Marshall unloaded a spinning backhand that sent Fonnest to the canvas. From what we thought up until the knockdown, Fonnest had did enough for 9/10 of the round that the scores should have been 10-9, Marshall, giving him the mandatory 10 since he did score a knockdown. However all 3 judges gave it to Marshall 10-8 instead.
  2. Fighting from behind now in round 2, Fonnest regained his composure and came out kicking again. However he injured his leg somehow and how was still unclear at ringside. Some said he caught an elbow on his shin or the top of his foot while others said he was kicked in his hip. After the allowed 5 minute recovery period the bout continued and Fonnest was back kicking as if nothing happened. However Marshall wasn't far behind with his kicks either but opted to mix in his hands more. At the end of 2, judge Art Gitlin gave the bout to Fonnest who outkicked Marshall again 25-16. However judges Susan Thomas Gitlin and Dan Stell gave the round to Marshall 10-9.
  3. Round 3 started strong for both fighters. Fonnest continued to press his kicks more but this round went to work with his hands more as was Marshall. At the 1:46 point of the round Marshall executed a boot to boot sweep that took Fonnest to the ground. Somehow the fall had re-injured his leg and as Referee Marcos Rosales counted up, Fonnest choose to bow out due to the leg pain. The stop gave Marshall the vacant IKF Pro U.S. Welterweight title and thoughts of a possible rematch are already being discussed. Congratulations to Erik Marshall on the win.

Before the two Pro title bouts was plenty of IKF amateur undercard action. Here's the results;

  1. FCR: Matt Spencer, Roseville, CA, USA, 1-0/1, 140, 5'8", 19, 4-9-83, Greg Kirkpatrick, (916) 663-1022, defeated C.J. Raul, San Rafael, CA, USA, 0-1/0, 139, 5'10", 20, 4-21-82, (415) 479-1318, by TKO at 1:40 of round 2.
  2. IR: Brendon Kochan, Redding, CA, USA, 1-0/1, 158, 5'7", 29, 9-19-72, Dusty Wade, (530) 246-7950 defeated Valintine Monroy, Turlock, CA, USA, 0-1/0, 158, 6', 17, 2-14-85, Gene Fields, (209) 669-8522 by TKO at 1:45 of round 1.
  3. IR EXHIBITION: Danny Morello Vs Andrew (Last name not given to IKF)
  4. IR: (Mohamad) Ali Baaloucch, Roseville, CA, USA, 1-0/0, 170, 5'8", 25, 8-2-77, Nasser Niavaroni, (916) 782-2457 defeated Stephen Simmons, Greeley, Colorado, USA, 0-1/0, 166, 5'7", 18, 12-15-83, Mike Simmons, (970) 356-4410 by unanimous decision 30-27 on all 3 judges cards.
  5. MTR: Antonio Dela Cruz, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2-0/0, 139, 5'6", --, Fairtex, --, defeated Kengo Sogawa, San Jose, CA, USA, 4-2/2, 139, 5'6", 28, 4-26-74, Cung Le, (408) 729-4468, by split decision 29-28, 30-27 and 28-29.
  6. FCR: Paul Powers, Fairfield, CA, USA, 1-1/0, 156, 5'6", 22, 10-13-79, (925) 209-3206 defeated Kelly Smith, Nevado, CA, USA, 0-1/0, 160, 5'7", 17, 5-12-85, (415) 883-9243 by unanimous decision 30-*26 on all 3 judges cards.
  7. FCR EXHIBITION: Jerico Lane Vs Glen Haley both of Redding. This was a GREAT SHOW and would also make a GREAT Real bout.....
  8. MTR: Jose Palacios, San Jose, CA, USA, 6-0/3, 146, 5'8", 19, 11-10-82, Cung Le, (408) 729-4468 defeated Ira Myrick, Modesto, CA, USA, 1-4/0, 149, 5'4", 27, 5-7-75, Gene Fields, -- by TKO at the break of round 1 & 2.
  9. FCR: Raul Rodriguez, Bakersfield, CA, USA, 4-3/2, 154, 5'8", 20, 10-23-81, Abe Belardo, (661) 834-5871 defeated Cory Rhodes, Redding, CA, USA, 3-1/2, 149, 5'6", 22, 3-3-80, Eli Gonzales, (530) 275-3938 by unanimous decision 30-27, 29-28 & 29-28. Rodriguez was scheduled to fight in an International Rules bout but his opponent fell out and so did Rhodes'. So the two fought under full Contact (above the waist) rules. It was Rodriguez first FCR bout as he out kicked Rhodes in all 3 rounds, 8-6, 15-8 and 14-6.
  10. FCR EXHIBITION: IKF Head of officials Dan Stell showed that at the age of 38 and after a 7 year lay-off from the ring, he still had championship form, speed and snap and no problem kicking above his head and higher. The former 4 time kickboxing champion Stell sparred with current Pro Kickboxing World Champion Larry Jarrett of Florida for 2 rounds to the excitement of the crowd.
  11. MTR: Santos Soto, Jr., San Jose, CA, USA, 17-2/12, 157, 5'9", 18, 9-17-83, Cung Le, (408) 729-4468, defeated Mike Morello, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 3-4/1, 158, 5'10", 30, 5-29-72, Steve Morello, (805) 569-3288 by split decision 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29.
  12. IKF Pro FCR United States Welterweight Title: Erik Marshall, (Right) Bradenton, Florida, USA, 37-5/23, 146, 5'7", 29, 9-1-72, Mike & Vickie Hollobaugh, (941) 726-6202 defeated Heath Fonnest, Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA, 11-2/0, 146, 5'10", 26, 2-17-76, Tom Sullivan (218) 349-4644 by TKO at 1:46 of round 3 due to leg injury.
  13. IKF Pro San Shou Middleweight World Title: Rudi Ott, San Jose, CA, USA, 9-1/8, 164, 5'8", 29, 9-16-72, Cung Le, (408) 729-4468, defeated Dave Marinoble, Roseville, CA, USA, 16-1-2/8, 165, 5'11", 33, 9-17-68, Greg Kirkpatrick, (916) 663-1022 by unanimous decision, 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.

Special thanks to TKO Fight Gear for providing the event gloves.

For more event info please Contact Dan Stell at (707) 372-0882 or Win-River Casino at 1-800-280-8946 or (530) 243-3377.

This event was co-promoted by Win-River Casino and LTD Productions.

MORE PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ARTICLE LATER IN THE WEEK

FRIDAY, August 30th, 2002, AT 12:15 PM, PT

Win-River Casino and LTD Productions Present
"HOT AUGUST FIGHTS!"
IKF SAN SHOU WORLD TITLE!
Ott Vs Marinoble In Redding CA, USA!

The time is NOW for Rudi Ott (L) of San Jose, California, USA. Ott (who is featured with IKF San Shou World Champion Cung Le in this months Black Belt Magazine) is looking for his final chapter in San Shou before venturing into other styles of fighting. The IKF WORLD Title!

Ott will enter the ring to fight for that goal this Saturday night, August 31st at the Win River Casino in Redding California USA. He won the IKF Intercontinental Title at last years United For The Children Event in San Jose, CA, USA when he defeated Peter Kaljevic of Montenegro, Yugoslavia (After victory with Kaljevic at left) by unanimous decision. Although we all knew little of Kaljevic at the time, we all know his opponent for Saturday nights bout very well.

IKF Pro FCR Middleweight World Champion Dave "MADMAN" Marinoble (Below Left & Right) is no stranger to the fight game and he's certainly no stranger to IKF Kickboxing. He's only a stranger to the rules that he's fighting under Saturday night. However, there's a reason he's called "The MADMAN!"

As an amateur Marinoble won 3 IKF US Titles. As a Pro, along with his IKF Middleweight World Title he also currently holds the IKF Pro FCR Super Middleweight North American Title. One thing we found out though is kickboxing has not been Marinoble's only game. He's competed in mixed martial arts as well as won the Silver Medal at last years (2001) World Ju-Jitsu Championships in the Channel Islands in sport combat JuJitsu. Why didn't he win the GOLD? Because he was disqualified for excessive contact and lost the title he was clearly winning for simply hitting too hard...

Hitting too hard won't be an issue for "The Madman" on Saturday night. It will be a chance for Marinoble to open up his arsenal against a seasoned veteran in the throwing fight game of San Shou, Ott.

On the other side of the ring, Ott welcomes the challenge and could care less what Marinobles background has been. This is Ott's game and according to his San Shou peers, it's his title to win. The San Shou crowd believes Ott will fling Marinoble around like a rag doll while Marinoble says "Feel free to TRY."

The bout will be fought under FULL SAN SHOU RULES which include ALL types of throws, leg kicks and KNEES. Yes KNEES. So not only will Marinoble be new to the leg kicks but very new to knees as well, at least to us. According to Marinoble he's fought many times with leg kicks and knees over the past 5 years in the sport of mixed martial arts which has provided him with some fight opportunities that he feels will help him in San Shou. However, that's the same thing UFC Veteran Shoni Carter said before facing Cung Le in their World Title bout at last years United For The Children Event before Le "Flung him around like a rag doll!" However, Le's throwing skill wasn't what made him standout against Carter. It was his stand up striking skills that surprised everyone as he hit Carter at will with pretty much everything he threw from right hands (Left) to kicks (Right). Knowing that Le trains Ott should make this a very interesting bout. What we think one may lack in (Ott in stand up striking and Marinoble in throwing) they both claim to be strong in. It makes picking a winner for you fight fans a lot harder. We must say, this is the only bout we have EVER sanctioned where we TRULY have NO IDEA who to give even a slight favor to, regardless if we would be wrong or not. It's all going to depend upon who is the most rounded fighter for the fight rules of FULL SAN SHOU. We don't think it will be won by strikes or throws alone, but who are we to think this. Again, this one's a tough one to pick and as of today, after what we've learned of Marinoble, Ott isn't as highly favored as believed to be. In fact, if we had to offer them, we have the odds on this match-up at 50-50.

So with that being said, we feel sorry for those of you who didn't buy a ticket to this one. As of last night there were only about 120 tickets remaining for the 1,200 seat venue. So if your planning on just showing up and grabbing a ticket at the door, you may want to call ahead to Win-River Casino to reserve one of those few remaining tickets with the ol charge card. To see a seating chart click HERE.

Not only will you be sorry you missed the Ott - Marinoble match-up but your also going to miss a GREAT undercard as well. Topping the undercard bill will be the quest for the vacant IKF Pro U.S .Welterweight Title between number 2 ranked Welterweight Erik Marshall (36-5) of Bradenton, Florida, USA and number 6 ranked Light Welterweight Heath Fonnest (11-1) of Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA. Some of you west coast fight fans may remember Marshall when he was out right robbed of another organizations world title last year in San Jose. Regardless, he's looking to start with the IKF US Title and work his way to an IKF World Title shot. That title is currently held by Paul Biafore. Although Biafore has not fought since winning the title in May of 1999 he said he's open to an offer from the winner. We'll see how that plays out when the time comes. Biafore is currently living in Los Angeles CA, USA.

Fonnest and Marshall won't be traveling across the country to go to sleep in the ring for the fight fans. These two are sure to put on an exciting show that will be plenty of build up for the nights Main Event World Title bout. While Marshall's record of 36-5 speaks for itself, Fonnest is no friend to the losing column at all. Although he's only had 12 fights he's only walked out of the ring with 1 loss in his career. He may lack in experience as compared to his opponent Marshall, but he doesn't plan to put loss number 2 on his record Saturday night. Which is exactly what Marshall plans to give him.

Here's the nights undercard bouts (In no particular order) which includes some Exciting Amateur match-ups!

The event gloves have been provided by TKO Fight Gear.

For more event info please Contact Dan Stell at (707) 372-0882 or Win-River Casino at 1-800-280-8946 or (530) 243-3377. Win-River Casino is located at 2100 Redding Rancheria Rd. Redding, CA, USA.

This event is a Win-River Casino and LTD Productions Event.

WEDNESDAY, August 14th 2002, AT 12:10 PM, PT

SAN SHOU WORLD TITLE
OTT Vs MARINOBLE!

On the same card as above, at the Win-River Casino in Redding, CA, USA (August 31st) IKF Pro Middleweight World Champion Dave Marinoble (Left) will venture into unchartered territory as he walks into his first San Shou match of his life to challenge #1 contender Rudy Ott (Right) for the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Middleweight World Title. "A fighter who NEVER fought San Shou is fighting for a WORLD TITLE??? Yes, we too had our doubts of this however, as many know, San Shou opponents are not easy to come by as proven in many past San Shou Title Bouts of the past.

Marinoble was selected for 2 reasons, 1: Because he actually made the call to the IKF asking for the shot against Ott and 2: Because of his background in Both Sport JuJitsu and Mixed Martial Arts, not to mention his impressive undefeated kickboxing record and holder of 2 IKF Pro titles (IKF Super Middleweight FCR North American and IKF World FCR Middleweight Title).

Marinoble's background is as equal to if not more than past San Shou title contender Shoni Carter of Chicago, Illinois, USA who lost his quest to an IKF San Shou World Title to IKF World Champion Cung Le (Right) back on December 15th, 2001 in San Jose California, USA. Carter's throwing background, if any, came from mixed martial arts as a UFC fighter. However he never even came close to throwing Le in their bout which was due in part to Le's greatness as a San Shou fighter as well as Carter's lack of skill in San Shou style fighting.

Originally Ott was to fight a fighter from Russia, however after a background check was done the IKF discovered the challenger only had 1 Pro fight and had no experience in any throwing styles at all. More information was asked to be sent to the IKF by his trainer but as the weeks went by, nothing was ever received.

The outcome between Marinoble and Ott is really unknown to all of us. However on paper, it's clear Ott will have the obvious advantage. We say this because everything Marinoble is good at, Ott will be able to counter with his throwing skills. If we were Marinoble's manager, we'd tell him not to take the fight, but it was Marinoble who approached the IKF "asking" for the fight, the IKF didn't ask him. The promoters of the event were surprised Marinoble stepped up as well. As a Full Contact Rules World Champion with an undefeated record he has only his ego to lose. A win will surprise many but a loss may never be questioned since he's venturing into an unchartered style for him. Some may call him brave while others will call him crazy. On the other side of the ring though, of Ott wins, some may question his opponent and his skill as a San Shou fighter. If he loses, Ott will be questioned even more. However the fact is, Ott is an "Excellent" San Shou fighter and whether it's Marinoble in the ring with him or anyone else, Ott will come to fight as well as put on a SHOW!

One thing to question is if Marinoble is not realizing Ott's skill level as a San Shou fighter? We've seen Ott improve tremendously over the last few years and there's no question he's "THE" top contender for this World Title in the minds of the IKF! If Marinoble is overlooking his skill, Ott may give Marinoble a lesson in San Shou he will never forget, and Ott has the ability to do it. But who knows what Marinoble (Ring name, The Madman) will come to the ring with. He may have just enough knowledge and skill in throwing and defense of throwing to hang with Ott. If so, we're sure to see a war. If not, it may be a wake-up call for any other fighter who is so eager and ready to change rule styles in the future just to get a fight. Whatever happens, a precedence will be set from it...

TUESDAY, April 2nd, 2002, AT 10:20 AM, PT

"A bit of San Shou History"

Can you identify the two fighters in this picture? OK, it isn't the best picture in the world and really you'd have to be a historian of San Shou in the United States to take even an educated guess so I guess we have to tell you. The fighter on the left, blocking, is Josh Bartholomew of Boston San Shou. Josh was one to top amateur San Shou fighters in the country and a member of the US National San Shou team. Currently, he is the trainer of many of the country's top amateur and professional San Shou fighters. The fighter on the right, throwing the jab, is USKBA Full Contact World Champion Tommy "Bee" Bottone. Tommy is known today for his Full Contact fights but he came up in the Chinese fighting arts. Tommy held titles in both Kuoshu Lei Tai fighting and San Shou.

Josh Bartholomew and Tommy "Bee" Bottone fought in 1995 at the New York San Shou Championships. The event, promoted by Steve Ventura and David A Ross, was organized as part of the publicity campaign for the 3rd World San Shou Championships, which was held in Baltimore, MD that year. It was also the very first time in history that a San Shou event was run as a carded event with pre-set matches. At the time, the idea was scoffed at. Of course, today carded events are not only a regular part of San Shou, they are the "big draws" in the sport. The 1995 New York San Shou Championships are an important part of San Shou's history and both Josh Bartholomew and Tommy "Bee" Bottone (Left) were part of this historic event.

Currently, negotiations are under way for Tommy "Bee" Bottone to return to San Shou. He will return to face another legend and pioneer of the sport, Josh's own trainer Jason Yee (Right) and quite possibly for the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Super Middleweight Title. The under card figures to have a number of high profile San Shou matches as well.

For more information, visit www.angelfire.com/sd2/kingofsanda

MONDAY, March 18th, 2002, AT 4:00 PM, PT

New York San Shou Tournament
30 Fighters From Across the Country, Standing Room Only, and the Women Steal the Show!

New York, NY, USA: On Saturday, March 16, 2002 the New York Kung-Fu and Kickboxing (43 W 24th Street between 6th avenue and Broadway, #3B (212) 242-2453) hosted the NYC San Shou Tournament, an all amateur event. While San Shou is a growing sport in the United States, it still does not offer as many opportunities to compete as some of the other kickboxing styles. It is especially true for the beginner. For this reason, promoters Steve Ventura and David Ross decided that a small, in house tournament with a particular focus upon the newer athletes might be a good idea. Apparently, it was an excellent idea because 30 fighters from across the country attended and thrilled a sold out audience at the NYKK Gym last Saturday night. The event was also memorable because of the female athletes in attendance. Not only did they fight with intensity and technique, but showed character and unity by making an agreement by which they all got their opportunity to show their stuff. But more on that in a minute!

The tournament followed the basic international format. Fighters fought in full gear including the IWUF chest protector and the winners were determined by the best of three rounds. That is, if you won the first two rounds, you advanced without having to fight a third. However, more than a few of the fights were so close they indeed were decided with third round decisions. David Ross and Boston San Shou trainer Josh Bartholomew served as center referees. Judges in attendance were Kickboxing world champion Tommy "Bee" Bottone, professional San Shou fighter Marvin Perry and Fernando Calderon of Yee's Hung Ga, NY NY.

60 KG DIVISION
In the men's 60 KG division Patrick Yee (Progressive Martial Arts, Queens, NY) faced Hiroaki Morita (City Gym, Boston MA) in a two round war. Morita, a protégé of professional Muay Thai and MMA fighter Jimmy Hattori, was aggressive and moved forward but Yee countered and took every opportunity presented to him. Yee won by decision (2 rounds). Eric Ruiz is Patrick Yee's team mate and thus was conflicted as he watched the match. Obviously, he wanted his team mate to win but knew if he did he would not get to fight. As Yee's hand was held up, the two team mates agreed to share the first place spot.

65 KG DIVISION
In the men's 65 KG division, Jeremy Bellrose (Vision Quest, Queens, NY) faced Richard Ruiz (Progressive Martial Arts). Ruiz hoped to follow in his team mate's winning ways but found that Bellrose was a man determined to win his division. Ruiz won the first round but Bellrose rallied to win the second, forcing a rare third round. Bellrose won by decision (3 rounds). In the finals, Bellrose faced Bradley Souders (Total Martial Arts, York, PA). Bellrose won by decision (2 rounds).

70 KG DIVISION
Mike Norman of Boston San Shou is clearly one of the top fighters in the 70 KG class. Norman holds a record of 11 wins with his only loss by split decision to very tough NY fighter Nardu Debrah. Thus, as the promoters had agreed in advance, Norman was the "seeded" fighter. He would face the winner of the 70 KG division. In the first match in the 70 KG division, Eric Mortorff (Total Martial Arts, York, PA) faced Brian Klingborg (Yee's Hung Ga, NY NY). Mortorff was a tough customer, but Klingborg's record (1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw) didn't tell the whole story. Klingborg has trained a long time and his three fights have all been against top San Shou fighters from "Big 6" teams. Klingborg used his experience to win by decision (2 rounds). Klingborg's team mate, Jean Petit-Homme, also used his experience against top opponent's (Homme fought Boston San Shou fighter Rob McFayen to a draw at one of the New York Showdown events) to win a decision in two rounds over James Battle (NYKK Gym, NY, NY). Homme injured himself in that victory and could not continue. Thus, Klingborg alone was left to face Norman. However, Klingborg's experience was not enough against Norman. Mike Norman wins by decision (2 rounds).

75 KG DIVISION
The first round of the 75 KG division featured two athletes who had never fought but which trained with two of the top San Shou teams in the country. Peter Deluca is trained by Boston San Shou and Josh Beauregard is trained by NYKK. The crowd expected and received a very technical fight, with Josh using a quick side kick and movement to win a decision in two rounds. Probably after viewing Beauregard's first fight, Stanford Tecun (Yee's Hung Ga, NY NY) decided to be aggressive and attempt to fight in close. At the beginning of the first round he was successful, catching Josh's side kick and sweeping him off his feet in a beautiful kick catch. Thus, training and preparation became crucial. NYKK fighters are known for their excellent preparation, use of strategy and ability to adapt. Josh fought Tecun differently than he had Deluca, shifting to heavy punching combination and round kicks with both legs. Beauregard wins by decision (2 rounds).

80 KG DIVISION
In the 80 KG division, Andras Gal (NYKK Gym, NY, NY) faced Christopher Gully (MA). Gal fought more of a power game at first, landing selective but heavy shots in the first round. Gully took advantage, by throwing more kicks and edging Gal on points to win the first round. As Gal sat on his corner in between rounds, his coaches explained to him the need to be more active. The result was a flurry of heavy blows which resulted in a victory by TKO 1:57 or Rd 2. The only other fighter in the 80 KG class was Gal's team mate, Xavior Ross. Gal stepped aside so that Ross could claim the gold.

85 KG DIVISION
The 85 KG division was another class in which seeded fighters competed, one rather unexpectedly. David Whiltshire (Yee's Hung Ga, NY NY) is a local favorite and had just won the national Kuoshu tournament in Maryland. Whiltshire had pre registered and was the likely choice to win the division until a last minute entry. Adam Resnick hadn't fought in a year, having lost to Boston San Shou fighter and US Team member Ray Neves at the "Full Contact War" show in Florida last year. However, Resnick is the NYKK team captain, one of the most experienced amateur San Shou fighters in the country and the 2000 USA WKF National San Shou champion. His decision to enter the tournament, literally a few minutes before the weigh in, changed to whole face of the tournament. For years, New York fans had talked about a possible Resnick vs. Whiltshire match and it finally looked like it might happen. The two fighters were seeded and placed on opposite ends of the brackets. With formidable competition facing them, the regular draw fighters began the 85 KG division.

Bradley Burrick (Bethany Karate, Sterling Heights, MI) faced Derek Szmyt (Boston San Shou). Burrick appeared a strong fighter and it appeared as if Boston San Shou decided the best course of action was to keep it clean and fight with technique. Szmyt won by decision (2 rounds). Denis Molloy (Yee's Hung Ga, NY NY) faced Carl Funkenhauser (Charlestown, MA) in the second match of the first round. Carl came in with a pre existing shoulder injury that became a problem in the clinches. After two incidents of the shoulder popping, the match was called a TKO victory 1:36 Rd 1 for Molloy. Injury also claimed Derek Smyt, who was unable to face Whiltshire. It appeared as if Whiltshire would have an easy road to the finals, and perhaps the gold medal. Who he would face would be decided by a match between Molloy and Resnick. Adam Resnick is known to have KO power in both his hands and his legs. As the first round began, Resnick caught Molloy with a spinning back fist which dropped him to the canvas. Molloy is tough, and rose to his feet to finish the round. But the tone of the match had been set. In the second round, Molloy was tentative. Resnick looked for the opening and dropped Molloy with a cross. Resnick wins by KO, 41 seconds in Round 2. The "dream match" of Whiltshire vs. Resnick was about to happen. But Resnick had a year's worth of ring rust and Whiltshire hadn't yet fought. David Whiltshire, fresh because he did not have to fight to advance to the finals, took early advantage. Resnick's ring rust showed and he has always been a slow starter. The first round went to Whiltshire. Resnick was a bit nervous but his coaches adjusted his strategy and focused him on fighting cleanly and working for points. Resnick also had a trick up his sleeve. In the second round, Resnick used a full floor sweep, a 3 point maneuver which also up ended Whiltshire head over heels. Resnick won the second round on all three judges' cards. The third and final, the championship round, was about to begin. In the third, Whiltshire appeared tired and Resnick used experience to win important points. Resnick wins the division by decision after three rounds and proves he is still a major force in US San Shou.

35 & OLDER
The New York San Shou tournament offered an executive (age 35 or older) division. Only Michael Brown of Boston San Shou registered. He was awarded his medal in the center of the ring while the audience howled its approval to a true warrior. In previous New York Showdown shows, Brown had fought men half his age!

There was a time when women's San Shou competition was unheard of in the United States. Fortunately, that has changed but the women's divisions have certainly not grown as quickly as the men's. At the New York San Shou tournament, five female athletes were in attendance, actually a strong number, especially for a regional event. The problem was the weight difference between them. It could have been a disaster or a circus, but the female athletes got together in a show of unity that the entire kickboxing community should take note of. They also all fought with fierce hearts and great technique! In the end, the women stole the show!

WOMEN'S DIVISION
Three of the women were within an acceptable weight range to conduct a standard tournament. Sohah Iqbal (Boston San Shou) was 126, Nelly Yusupova (Yee's Hung Ga, NY NY) was 122 and Shirley Garcia (Progressive Martial Arts) was 129. Yusupova, the lightest of the group, was given the bye. Training with a "Big 6" San Shou team often is the deciding factor in San Shou events.

Garcia was strong and fought with heart but Iqbal knew how to win the points and how to play to her strengths. She followed her corner's advice to a hard won decision after 2 rounds. Yee's Hung Ga may not considered a member of the "Big 6" (primarily because they have not competed at the USA WKF nationals) but is a strong San Shou team which has faced Boston San Shou many times in New York events. Their experience helped Yusupova counter many of Iqbal's techniques and forced one of the few three round fights of the tournament. Round 1 went to Iqbal but round 2 went to Yusupova. The momentum often goes to the fighter who wins the second round, but Boston San Shou has been in that situation many times before. Good coaching helped Iqbal edge out Yusupova in the final round. Sohah Iqbal by decision (3 rounds).

The women's lightweight division had been relatively straight forward, but what to do with the remaining two female athletes? Alison Moore (NYKK Gym, NY, NY) weighed in at 143 and Sheila Gallagher (Boston San Shou) had weighed in at 172. A decision was made that showed how true athletes behave. Shirley Garcia, only 129, agreed to fight Alison Moore for a middleweight title. In return, Alison Moore agreed to fight Sheila for the heavyweight title. Everyone would get a chance to fight, no one would walk away empty handed. The crowd roared when the situation was explained. These were true champions, regardless of the outcome. Alison Moore (NYKK Gym, NY, NY) defeated Shirley Garcia by decision (2 rounds). Sheila Gallagher (Boston San Shou) defeated Alison Moore by decision (2 rounds).

The New York San Shou Tournament gave the amateurs, especially those new to the sport, their moment in the spot light but the developing professional circuit was still a topic of discussion at the event. A number of the amateurs were asked to participate in under card matches for the "King of San Da: USA". More importantly, it was revealed that a major match which may be used to launch the promotion is already being negotiated. USKBA full contact rules world champion Tommy "Bee" Bottone (Left) will face Jason Yee (Right). Both Bottone and Yee hope one of the sanctioning bodies will offer a world title for this match. More details as we learn them.

FULL RESULTS

The event was co-sanctioned by the
International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) and the United States of American Sanshou Kungfu Federation (USASKF).
The equipment sponsor for the event was Fairtex Gear Inc., "Top Training, Top Gear".

WEDNESDAY, March 6th, 2002, AT 11:30 PM, PT

The IKF Steps UP to Support San Shou...
AGAIN!

New York, NY: Whether you do American kickboxing, International Rules, Muay Thai or San Shou you probably know the legends of our sport. People like Maurice Smith, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Rick Roufus, Duke Roufus, and a host of other great athletes who became great champions. What most people seem to forget is that everyone of these legends once had to step into the ring for the first time. Fortunately for us, someone gave them a shot, someone believed in them and someone supported them. All amateur shows, especially for raw beginners, don't have "big names" and often don't draw the big crowds, but they are an integral part of our sport. Often, sanctioning bodies ignore these small shows. Then there are those who think about the future.

On Saturday, March 16, 2002 the NYKK Gym will present the NYC San Shou Tournament, an all amateur event open to all interested athletes. It will be a unique opportunity for those who either aren't prepared for the "big time" or can't get on a big card to get much needed experience. In the past, these "small" events have featured the future stars of our sport. It may very well help promoters of the future "King of San Da: USA" events iddentify possible talent for these high profile shows. So the NYC San Shou Tournament isn't just any show and that's why the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) has stepped up to sanction an event which otherwise would have gone ignored by a lot of others. The sanctioning not only gives the event a little more opportunity to be known, it will also help each and every athlete directly. All participants will be listed in the IKF Rankings as a result of their participation.

The NYC San Shou Tournament would like to thank the IKF for supporting it and San Shou. We would also like to thank Fairtex Gear, who is sponsoring this event in part.

NYC San Shou Tournament
Saturday, March 16, 2002
Starting at 10 AM at NYKK Gym
43 W 24th street between 6th ave and Broadway
For Info, Call: (212) 242-2453
or Mr. Ross' e-mail by clicking Here.
Spectators $10, Late registration still open, only $35

FRIDAY, March 1st, 2002, AT 4:20 PM, PT

Titles & Regulations
There's more to ANY Sanctioning Body than just the Letters... At least one would Hope So..

On July 21st, 2001, the IKF sanctioned an Amateur San Shou Event in San Jose California, USA where there were two talented San Shou fighters who fought for IKF "AMATEUR" San Shou Titles. However it was later discovered that 2 of them were not only Professional fighters but had been for sometime. Upon finding this out, we were put into a very ugly situation where we were forced to vacate their IKF U.S. Amateur Titles.

The two fighters were James Cooper, of Houston, Texas, USA trained by Mike Altman (Left) and Marvin Perry of Boston, MA, USA trained by Jason Ming Yee (Right). Both fighters showed excellent skill at the event and for the obvious reasons.

Fighting for the vacant IKF Amateur San Shou Cruiserweight U.S. Title on that night was Cooper (Right) who informed us at weigh-ins the night before the event that his fight record was 20 wins and 2 loses. Unknown to the IKF, having not been informed this by the event promoter and matchmaker, Cooper had made his Pro debut in in the late 90's in the "Art of War" events on the US Team Vs the China Team in Pro San Shou. Adding to this, he had fought in Texas as a Pro Kickboxer. Worse yet, he was at the 5th US San Shou Open 2 weeks earlier on July 7th, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia claiming a different record. On the event, Cooper fought for a Pro San Shou World Title with the July 21st event promoters present. He was defeated by Yousef Taghizadeh of New York, NY, USA. At the time, Cooper was the USA WKF national champ and the #1 ranked San Shou fighter in the 187 lb class in the United States. At that event, he claimed his fight record was only 7 wins and 1 loss with most of those wins by KO before the fight. On the July 21st, San Jose, CA, USA event Cooper defeated Brian Madigan, who had a fight record of 8 wins with 2 loses, by unanimous decision to win the vacant IKF Amateur San Shou Cruiserweight U.S. Title. Madigan is trained by Brent Hamby of EBM Kung-Fu Academy in Oakland, CA, USA.

On that same night on July 21st, 2001, the Main Event of the night was for the vacant IKF Amateur San Shou Heavyweight U.S. Title. In the bout, Marvin Perry (Left) of Boston Sanshou Academy, Boston, MA, USA, with a fight record of 23 wins, 1 loss and 7 wins by KO/TKO defeated Adam Caldwell of Oakland, California, USA with a fight record of 6 wins and 2 loses by TKO at :26 seconds of the 3rd round. Perry impressed everyone with the tremendous power he had in both his front and rear round kicks that seemed to rock Caldwell through his own gloves. No wonder why, he had already been fighting as a pro fighter for some time.Perry had already made his Pro debut in November, 2000 as a Full Contact Rules fighter when he won the USKBA New England Super Cruiserweight Title by a first round TKO of Jason Benacorsi. Six months later in May 2001 he won the USKBA Northeast Super Cruiserweight Title after beating Ruben Colon. Perry's a very accomplished fighter having won several titles which include;

With this being said, there was no questioning Perry's talent. The question is, "Why would a promoter match him up with an Amateur Fighter for an Amateur Title?" The other question here is "Who's to blame? The promoter or the fighter and trainer for not informing us here at the IKF at the official weigh-ins?" As much as these questions need to be addressed, we figured this post would be sufficient as to our decision here as the sanctioning body involved. We fault ourselves because we went on the trust of those involved and as everyone can see, simply trusting in someone was just not enough. We hope to do a better job next time but this error on our part to us, is totally unacceptable for several reasons.

What prompted this post was the recent death of a kickboxer, Derek Clements (Right) last weekend in a Pro World Title bout. (See IKF News Page or scroll down below) From what we've been told, Clements was fighting for a Pro World Title in what appeared to be his FIRST Pro bout against a very seasoned Pro fighter who did not only pro kickboxing but pro boxing as well. With this in mind, we're only thankful that Brian Madigan and Adam Caldwell didn't meet the same fate against their seasoned competition. What may have saved them was the IKF's rule for all amateurs to wear headgear. Something Clements didn't have the pleasure of wearing. But what if Madigan and Caldwell didn't have headgear in their bouts? what if they would have fought for another sanctioning body that didn't require headgear for amateur fighters? Worse yet, the California State Athletic Commission does not require amateur fighters to wear headgear. What if the IKF wasn't involved on these bouts? Even the State Athletic Commission couldn't have saved them. But the IKF here is not far from fault.

Sure, we made all the amateur fighters on that night wear headgear, but why did we only put our trust in the promoters who informed us that all these fighters were AMATEURS? Why didn't we do our own research? Can you see the seriousness of this entire issue here? It's a problem we have with our sport still. The regulation of AMATEUR Fighters and the "ALLOWING" of just anyone, no matter what experience, to fight for big World Titles. Was KICK (The Sanctioning body involved it the Clements bout) to blame in Clements death? Did they research his record to assure he was a qualified fighter to be matched up against such a seasoned Pro fighter? Maybe, maybe not, but it appears they they probably did the same as we did. They trusted their promoter/matchmaker as to if he was qualified or not. However, this was a PRO World Title, not an amateur title bout.

What makes all this worse is how many promoters respond to the discipline involved in such things. When we or any world organization that has earned their stripes, make strong regulations as to who can fight for what title or the regulations of amateurs and pros, safety gear etc. etc. instead of following the rules we lose them as promoters. Where do they go? Well sure, we could lose these promoters to other organizations. But worse, as in this case they walk away and start their own sanctioning body. Great, another ABC organization that regulates itself so they don't have to follow any of what they feel are stupid or silly rules.

As 10 time world champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson once said to us in a conversation about sanctioning bodies, "A sanctioning body has one main important reason to exist. To establish strong rules and regulations to protect the fighters who fight under their organization and to always enforce those rules no matter what the cost" We here at the IKF have always tried to maintain this rule to the strongest level. However, did we fail in the San Shou bout above? Maybe so. One things for sure, we made this all public so you, the IKF readers would be able to be more aware of such things. We need your help too. If you see a pro fighter matched up against an amateur for an amateur bout, we need to hear from you. Your not a "Snitch." Instead, you may very well be saving a fighters life...

The post was started for 2 reasons. One, as stated, the recent death of Mr. Clements and two, since several IKF readers have questioned us about why these two great fighters were no longer listed as Champions? Not to mention the many in the San Shou community that had pointed out to us here at the IKF after the fact that these two were Pro Fighters. Regardless, what's done is done and these two very talented fighters have now been placed where they need to be. In the PRO San Shou Rankings.

For more info about San Shou, "The Sport" click HERE!

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