The first rule of  fight club is you do not talk about fight club… the legendary dialogue from the movie Fight Club. Hollywood has made some  really cool and awesome movies on Mixed Martial Arts… Fight Club, Never Back Down, Red Belt, each of these leave one awe struck!

All the awesome workout sessions, your head automatically has the Rocky Balboa, “Eye of the Tiger,” playing…  Shootfighters have all of these amazing training sessions, that would transport you to any one of these flicks… strengthening exercises, conditioning, free- running… all of that you can ask for!

But there is a catch! When it comes to Shootfighters, there is more than what meets the eye… there is always something new and exciting to be offered by Shootfighters… While speaking of MMA, we have, taken this term very seriously and to the point!

Ashwin has been practising martial arts for over 2 decades now… and these arts range from Karate, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jujutsu, a bit of Sambo, Taekwondo, Aikido, Jujutsu, Kalaripayattu, Tamil Kalaripayattu, Wing-Tsun, Kenjutsu, Garadi, Vajramushti, Judo, Tai Chi, Baghuazhang, Various types of Kung Fu- Eagle Claw, Tiger, Snake and a bit of Manthis… and each of these forms have been blended in Shootfighters…

This unique blend makes the classes, complete fun and totally exciting. Martial Arts has a huge history, and there are wide array of arts… each place has adapted and taken an art form to suit their own needs and requirements. Thus, the existence of this melting pot of so to say, martial arts under one roof… makes it a complete martial treat!

“One needs to enjoy what they teach… and I would personally find only striking pretty boring… after sometime plain old kickboxing without grappling, take-downs… gets very boring. It is not even practical in a real fight, where you are grabbed, pushed, clawed, slapped. Also, in most cases, you are up against more than one opponent… where one person does the hitting, while the others do the holding.” Says Ashwin.

Hmmm, only strikes and kicks seem like so much of a constriction here… one needs to know different techniques and ways to get out of any attack situation. Shootfighters Inc, takes in all the useful martial arts and makes it a part of their course curriculum.

Sounds fun right! Different martial arts, being blended and taught with some really cool moves… but behind all of this is a serious effort made, with tremendous hard work, and passion for Martial arts.

Ashwin has been in constant touch with different people in the world of Martial art, making friends, getting to know their art forms. Many masters do not teach you some art forms that easily… they need to know whether one can handle it. Ashwin had to go through years of patient waiting before he was introduced into numerous arts.

“It is a complete course you need to go through, most teachers do not teach you what part you want and leave the rest… you need to wait it out patiently and get the useful information out. Every martial art has some very useful and amazing techniques, and some may not work.”

With real-time experience of numerous fights, Ashwin knows that one needs to have a multitude of techniques that work.

“My instructors like Siddarth are very good fighters, because they have only learnt techniques that work and nothing else.” Adds Ashwin.

The most tough to capture have been the Indian Martial Arts… these seem to be very well hidden and shrouded, many have been lost and left only to a chosen few., as they need to make sure whether one can wield the power given by the arts.

The organization is doing a lot to preserve and document lesser known Indian martial arts such as Garadi, Vajramushti, Varmakalai, Silammbam so that they don’t die out entirely.

“I had this curiosity to understand and know, why an agriculture based civilization would need Martial Arts. Hunters and gatherers, it is understandable, but Indus Valley Civilization, the first civilization to develop a deep cultural setup of Martial arts was something I wanted to learn about.” Says Ashwin.

The great sages of India like Agastyar, Thirumular, Boghanathar… all of them have made huge contributions to Martial Arts, also incidentally the word ‘Chi‘ is derived from Chivaya (a tamil way of saying Shiva). The insights provided by them in Martial arts is very profound and deep. It set a base for the growth of martial arts all over the world.

“Martial arts, is about being strong, self-defence and all of that… but then there is more to Martial arts… it has a deeper ethereal meaning. When many students had signed up for self-defence or fitness, they continued classes even after achieving fitness and self-defence. Out of sheer curiosity I enquired, and found out that they felt a sense of achievement and strong confidence while be a part of our classes.” Says Ashwin.

Thus, martial arts works directly on the mind of the person, which in turn reflects in the body. “Martial arts is like Kundalini Yoga, where the aim is to achieve enlightenment, thus sages like Agastyar practised the arts. In order to see a mental change, physical vigour need to be done, once there is a mental change it is seen in the spirit… all of them are interconnected. “ Adds Ashwin.

The best part about these arts are, they are very nicely blended and gelled in to make a perfect school for martial arts- Independent Shootfighters Inc.

Francisco Rodriguez was born in Mexico, but grew up in Chicago where he became a 5 time Golden Gloves Champion.  In 2004, Rodriguez advanced to the U.S. Olympic trials by outpointing opponent Teon Kennedy.  Years later the two would once again meet in the ring, but this time as professionals.  In the 10^th round, Rodriguez was knocked out by Kennedy and never regained consciousness.  He was taken to Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia where he was immediately rushed into brain surgery.  And although this is another tragic story, this one seems to have somewhat of a happy ending.  Rodriguez’s family donated eight of his organs, including one of his kidney’s to his own uncle who has been on the waiting list for several years.  Francisco’s Brother went on to say, “My family is desperately grieving the loss of Paco, but there is some comfort knowing that he will save at least eight lives and benefit so many families.   “My brother was so strong and healthy. … His heart and lungs were in perfect condition. It would have been a terrible waste not to share his life with others. How could we not help another family?”  This adds to a long list of boxers who have died due to blows suffered in the ring.  And although it is the risk one takes when entering into such a profession, it is comforting to know that others will benefit from the tragic and premature loss of Francisco Rodriguez.  Donations can be made to the Francisco Rodriguez Estate fund account #707331062 at any Chase Bank location.

One of the biggest mysteries of the martial arts is internal energy. Wudan arts, like Tai Chi Chuan and Pa Kua Chang and Hsing i claim it. Supposedly it takes lifetimes to build, but when you get it you can defeat attackers with just a sigh and a brush of the palm.

Well, the truth of the matter is that internal energy is in many arts, and if it is not, it can be put into any art easily. The principles of internal energy, you see, are easy to understand. So if you study kenpo or tae kwon do, or even boxing, then the door is hereby opened for you, this article is going to lay out those principles and shove you through the door.

First, you have to have phenomenal basics, not just good, but phenomenal. What this means is that you must drop your weight when striking or blocking, and do so with such awareness that you actually create a beam of energy down your leg. You must align the parts of your body so that they form an unbroken line of intention, but are relaxed, very important that they are relaxed, because intention and energy will flow easier through a body that is relaxed.

Now, you must make sure that you move the parts of your body at the same time. Everything starts together, and everything stop together, this is called Coordinated Body Motion. Analyze your body so that when it swings into alignment all of the pieces are moving in harmony, and with consideration for their mass and size and shape and so on.

Now, you’ve got basics, and here comes the internal energy. Fill a pipe half with sand and cap it. Move that pipe in such a way that when you stop it all the sand strikes the inside of the pipe at the same time.

This is what internal energy is and does. It is energy swirled on the inside of your body in such a way that it hits the inside of the block, or strike, or foot, or whatever, at the same time. We used to develop this type of energy in karate all the time, but we didn’t call it internal because it didn’t have any undue significance, it was just the way you moved.

It is helpful if you move slowly, concentrating on feeling the motion of energy inside your body. And, to be truthful, the internal Wudan martial arts have arranged their forms so as to help the process. But you can feel it in Karate, or tae kwon do, or any striking art, if you just take the time to appreciate what you are doing.

The real key is that this method, and, to be truthful, all methods, rely on awareness. It is an idea that moves awareness, and the path of this awareness can be called Chi, or Ki, or Prana, or pneuma, or intention. Now, the real question here is whether you can take the time to invest your movements with chi, or intention, or whatever you want to call it, do you have the patience and the awareness to make something significant out of your martial art.

In the martial arts, I don’t care if it is mma, Pa Kua Chang, Shotokan, or whatever, there are three key ingredients. These three ingredients are what makes an art an art, and they are why people study the arts. Oddly, one of the ingredients is almost totally ignored.

One of the ingredients is the pursuit of strength. Muscle mags are filled with strength advertisements, and everybody obsesses on strength. Oddly, strength is the least important of the three essential techniques of the martial arts.

Another ingredient is technique, and this is the most important of the three essentials. Technique is measured by how little effort you need to make a move work. If you need a lot of strength, then your technique is not very good.

The second most important essential to good martial arts, and the one most people ignore, is speed. Interestingly, at least in the beginning, speed is very necessary to make a technique work. Yet strength is what everybody chases.

Yes, people try to get fast, a little bit, but it is an individual effort, and usually put aside in the pursuit of strength. People believe that strength is going to make them faster, you see. Well, it will, but there are flexibility drawbacks, and the speed gained is not always enough.

Speed must be developed in a fashion which tailors it to the technique. As knowledge of technique rises, so should the escalation of speed. In my over 40 years of martial arts I have found only one technique which develops speed in the proper manner.

The Speed Drill is based on a simple slap and grab motion. It makes all techniques as easy to enter as it is to slap a fly. And every technique can be entered using this slap and grab Speed Drill.

So practice the strength of Uechi, and build the technique of Aikido. Work the sticky hands of Wing Chun and focus your concentration into the great nothingness through Tai Chi Chuan. But if you want sheer, raw, powerful speed…you need to practice The Speed Drill.

Big Wins

• Detroit defeats Cleveland 38-37

The Detroit Lions got their second win of the season with an amazing comeback and a touchdown pass with 0 seconds on the clock.  Matthew Stafford had a career game as he was 26 for 43 with 422 yards and 5 touchdown passes.  Stafford hit Calvin Johnson 7 times for 161 yards and one td, as all of his touchdowns passes went to different receivers.  A critical pass interference call on a Hail Mary pass, gave Detroit 1^st and goal, and Stafford came through with a 1 yard pass to rookie Brandon Pettigrew.

• New York Giants defeat Atlanta 34-31

The Giants had a 17-7 lead going into the 3^rd quarter, and then had a 31-17 lead in the fourth, only to see the game tied at 31 with 28 seconds left in regulation.  Eli Manning, who had 384 yards on 25 for 39 passing and 3 touchdowns, put Lawrence Tynes in range who drilled a 36 yard field goal in overtime to give the Giants a much needed win after 4 straight losses.

• Indianapolis defeats Baltimore 17-15

Peyton Manning keeps his Colts team undefeated with a huge win over the Ravens on the road.  Manning was 22 for 31 with 299 yards and 1 td, as he exposed a weakness in the Raven defense hitting Garcon 6 times for 108 yards.  The win now has the Colts at 10-0, with an even 5-0 mark both on the road and at home.

Other Notable Wins:

Miami defeats Carolina 24-17

Green Bay defeats San Fran 30-24

New England defeats New York 31-14

Tennessee defeats Houston 20-17

Bigger Losses

• Oakland upsets Cincinnati 20-17

Down 14-0 early in the second quarter, Bruce Gradkowski rallied his team for a touchdown before half time.  With only 33 seconds left in the game, Gradkowski hit Louis Murphy for a 29 yard touchdown pass to tie the game.  On the ensuing kickoff, Andre Caldwell fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Brandon Myers, who also caused the fumble.  Janikowski then connected on a 33 yard field goal with only 15 seconds remaining in the game which gave the Raiders the win.

• Kansas City upsets Pittsburgh 27-24

After a 97 yard kickoff return by Jamaal Charles  on the first play of the game, Kansas City found themselves down 17-7 at half.  After a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope from Matt Cassel and a 27 yard field goal, the game was tied at 17.  Mendenhall gave the Steelers the lead again with an 8 yard touchdown run, but Cassel connected for the second time to ties the game at 24.  In overtime Ryan Succop hit a 22 yard chip shot to give the Chiefs the stunning win.

Come and party with UFC’s Anthony “RUMBLE” Johnson and KNOXX tomorrow at Slide in San Francisco!! Come and have a drink with us…. Lets get him drunk tomorrow!!

Source: PWTorch.com & MMAScoops.com
According to a source, WWE executive Shane McMahon is looking to buy a financial interest in the UFC. As noted earlier, Shane McMahon will officially leave his WWE position as VP of Global Media on January 1st, 2010.

McMahon would bring to UFC the marketing know-how and relationships in the marketplace. He would also help UFC in their international expansion.

There was a meeting between Shane McMahon and UFC officials including Dana White several weeks ago. When asked about the meeting, Dana White simply stated “no comment”. We’ll keep you posted as we get more.

Big Wins

• Texas Tech defeats Oklahoma 41-13

Taylor Potts led the Red Raiders to a crucial win over the Sooners as he threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 35 of 53 passes.  They got a solid rushing performance from Batch who finished with 136 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.  The Red Raiders gained 549 total yards of offense against an above average defense and limited the Sooner’s running game to only 48 total yards on the ground.

• Penn State defeats Michigan State 42-14

This was a game where many experts were picking the Spartans to pull off the upset against a Penn State squad said to be overlooking this game.  But nothing could be further from the truth, as the Nittany Lions held Michigan State to only 333 yards of total offense and caused two key turnovers.  Darryl Clark, often criticized for his lack of passing accuracy, was 19 for 27 with 310 yards passing and 4 touchdowns.

• Oregon defeats Arizona 44-41

The Ducks may have needed double overtime to get past Arizona, but they came through on a Masoli 1 yard touchdown run to end the game.  Jeremiah Masoli was 26 for 47 with 3 passing touchdowns to go with his 3 rushing td’s as well.  6 total touchdowns for the Oregon quarterback who also had 284 yards passing and 61 yards rushing.

Other Notable Wins:

BYU defeats Air Force 23-13

Iowa defeats Minnesota 12-0

Ohio State defeats Michigan 21-10

Florida State defeats Maryland 29-26

Bigger Losses

• Northwestern upsets Wisconsin 33-31

The surging Wildcats added another big win to their resume as they defeated #16 ranked Wisconsin.  Northwestern racked up 437 yards of total offense with Mike Kafka leading the way.  Kafa was 26 for 40 with 326 yards and 2 touchdown passes, while getting no help from the running game who only could muster 73 total yards.  Stephan Demos, Northwestern’s field goal kicker, was also a significant part of their win as he was 4 for 4, including hitting from 45 yards in the first quarter.

• Syracuse upsets Rutgers 31-13

Rutgers came into this game as a huge favorite and left getting embarrassed by the Orangemen.  Syracuse was winless in Big East play before this game and outgained Rutger by 294 total yards.  The Scarlett Knights only gained 130 total yards on offense with Savage throwing for 66 yards and two interceptions.

Other Notable Losses:

Connecticut upsets Notre Dame 33-30

California upsets Stanford 34-28

Kentucky upsets Georgia 34-27

Take one a day and you will KNOXX out all your opponents!

November 23, 2009 by Ares-mma.com staff

With Thanksgiving upon us, there is a short lull in mixed martial arts action that gives the opportunity to visit the top 10 pound-for-pound list. Here’s how it breaks down from 10-6. . . .

10. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves

Before Thiago Alves got his title shot against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100, he was coming off 7 consecutive victories – his last three over contenders Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck. Alves is one of the biggest and strongest welterweights in the division. He is known primarily as a striker, and his ground game was considered a weakness before he demonstrated outstanding takedown defense against both Hughes and Koscheck, both former Division I All-American wrestlers. At UFC 100, Alves was able to compete with St-Pierre for all 5 rounds before losing a unanimous decision. Alves has a loss to Jon Fitch, who did not make the cut, but that loss came over 3 years ago, and Alves has improved his game at a faster pace than Fitch since then. Thiago Alves is the #10 mixed martial artist in the world pound-for-pound.

9. Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz might be the most technically sound fighter in mixed martial arts.  Diaz has won his last five fights impressively – stopping all 5 opponents.  Diaz is a Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt, under Cesar Gracie, and Nick Diaz has outstanding boxing skills; he has been training under former world boxing champion Luisito Espinosa.  Diaz has been competing outside of the UFC since November of 2006.  There seems to be a personal conflict between Diaz and those in power in the UFC, but in time, maybe MMA fans will get to see a matchup between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz. Nick Diaz is the #9 mixed martial artist in the world pound-for-pound.

8. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (UFC Light Heavyweight Champion)

Lyoto Machida is the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion and would be higher on the list, but in the fight business you are only as good as your last fight. Machida was given the decision against Shogun in his last fight, but Shogun controlled that fight. Before his fight with Shogun though, Lyoto Machida was undefeated (15-0) with quality wins over Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans in his previous two fights. Machida’s karate style seemed to be a puzzle that could not be solved. Every fighter who came against Machida was walking directly into a buzz saw. With a convincing win over Shogun in their rematch in May of 2010, Machida could leap directly back into the top 5. Lyoto Machida is the #8 mixed martial artist in the world pound-for-pound.

7. Brian Bowles (WEC Bantamweight Champion)

Brian Bowles is the reigning WEC Bantamweight Champion. Bowles is undefeated (8-0), and his last win came against Miguel Torres at WEC 42. Bowles stopped Torres, and took his title, with a first round knockout. Although Bowles is only 8 fights into his professional mixed martial arts career, the first round knockout of Miguel Torres propels him onto this list. He is the undefeated WEC Bantamweight Champion, and until someone proves otherwise, Bowles is the #7 mixed martial artist in the world pound-for-pound.

6. Brock Lesnar (UFC Heavyweight Champion)

Mixed martial arts had never before seen anyone like Brock Lesnar. He is an athletic 6′3” and 280 lbs (has to sweat down to make the UFC’s 265 lb heavyweight limit). Lesnar was the 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, and those skills have begun to translate to mixed martial arts in a way that has have become scary to the rest of the UFC’s heavyweight division. Lesnar’s dominating performance at UFC 100 over Frank Mir has quickly become a thing of legend. Frank Mir is a big, strong heavyweight, who is skillful on the ground, and Lesnar was able to take him down and force him into a completely helpless position before landing devastating punches over and over again. Lesnar currently has a serious illness that has rendered him unable to defend his UFC heavyweight title. Until an official announcement that Lesnar will no longer be able to compete, he will remain on this list. Brock Lesnar is the #6 mixed martial artist in the world pound-for-pound.

Check Ares-mma.com tomorrow for 5-1 of the top 10 pound for pound list.

Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will face interim champion Gilbert Melendez in a five-round rematch at Strikeforce “Evolution” on Dec. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The bout, which will unify the promotion’s two lightweight titles, had been twice scheduled and cancelled due to injuries sustained by Thomson in 2009.

Thomson’s shutout decision over Melendez in June 2008 is considered one of the high points of the San Jose fighter’s career.

As a 3-to-1 underdog, the American Kickboxing Academy product established confidence with the Pride Bushido star early, and actively used lateral movement to keep Melendez at bay throughout the 25 minutes. The loss marked only the second in the highly touted Melendez’s career, and solidified what many suspected of the Thomson’s potential in the lightweight division.

In his last performance in September 2008, Thomson, 31, made quick work out of an overmatched Ashe Bowman in a non-title bout, cutting down the Lion’s Den prospect in only 74 seconds at Strikeforce’s second event at the Playboy Mansion.

Melendez earned the interim title with a second-round technical knockout of Rodrigo Damm in April 2009. The voracious 27-year-old wrestler defended the title in August when he demolished Mitsuhiro Ishida with strikes inside three rounds. Melendez also holds key victories over standouts Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Thomson-Melendez II joins a previously announced roster that includes a main-event middleweight bout between Cung Le and Scott Smith, as well as the promotional debut of Muhammed Lawal against Mike Whitehead at heavyweight.

Strikeforce “Evolution” will be broadcast live on Showtime.

Welcome to my 11^th week of NFL picks. I went 9-6 with my picks, bringing my total for the season 93-51. Here is a recap of last week (the X stands for the picks I got wrong):

Miami kept their playoff hope alive. They beat Carolina but will have to make do without their star running back Ronnie Brown. He is out for the year with a broken foot. Here are all of my picks for Week 11. The teams that are NOT crossed out are my picks. The s.o. stands for shutout, and the * stand for upset. Both logos will be next to the TV stations:

Now it’s time for the game that should be the best one on TV this week.

Game of the Week:

The Colts have a tough opponent to face this week: the Ravens. Baltimore has the home-field advantage and the better defense, but they came off a less-than stellar victory over Cleveland this past Monday.

Prediction: Colts 24-14

We also have a huge fight from mixed martial arts. Time for the magic man to take over!

Pure Magic:

UFC 106: “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin (10PM EST on PPV)- this light-heavyweight rematch is a must win for both fighters. Griffin is coming off an embarrassing loss against Anderson Silva. Ortiz, on the other hand, returns after a two-year absence and back surgery. They went the distance in their last outing, but both were different fighters. Ortiz was not 100%, while Griffin was merely getting his feet wet in the Octagon. This fight will NOT go the distance, but it will be close. VERY close

Prediction: Griffin in 3 via TKO

Well, that’s all the time I have for today. If you disagree with anything I say, leave a comment below or email me at spidey23us@yahoo.com. You can also contact me via Facebook. Thanks for reading and good luck with your teams.

Yours Truly,

Sebastian Maldonado

Copyright @ 2007

Heavyweight Top Ten for November, 2009:

1.. Fedor Emelianenko

2.. Brock Lesnar

3.. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

4.. Frank Mir

5.. Josh Barnett

6.. Brett Rogers

7.. Cain Velasquez

8.. Junior dos Santos

9.. Alistair Overeem

10. Andrei Arlovski

Whew! I hustled hard to get this up. But it was a good time. As the title suggests, I give my thoughts on how I reckon UFC 106 will play out. I’d have to say Koscheck/Johnson was the toughest to call. I am a fan and a believer in Kos, but I don’t think the guy often makes the best use of his skills. He loves to slug and just doesn’t seem to incorporate his wrestling into his game plan as much as I’d like. Hopefully he’s got his mind right this time ’round ’cause Johnson is for real.

All my picks are in bold.

Tito Ortiz v Forrest Griffin

I don’t know how much of a “Bad Boy” you can be, coming from Huntington Beach, but maybe he steals surfer’s boards while they’re showering. Harshing everyone’s buzzes by head-butting them with his giant orange on a toothpick. In any account, I think it will be a pretty good fight, until Forrest gets crazy and KO’s him. Then he’ll mug like an adorably beat-up Keebler Elf and I will know that reading his book was a good choice. Actually, win or lose, I recommend his book. It’s pretty darn funny, but also really helpful.

Josh “Kos” Koscheck v. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson

As I have stated before, bleached hair is a big contributing factor to my decisions. So no Kos, I hope Rumble can bring the pain. Wrestler versus a striker, we shall see.

Paulo Thiago v. Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann

He’s coming from a loss from one of the friends of boring, so he’s hungry to win again. On the other hand, Mr. Xmas is brand new and ready to show us that he’s in it for keeps.

Luiz “Banha” Cane v. Antonio “Minotouro”  Noguiera (or as he is referred to in my house: “Little Nog”)

Luiz isn’t built to battle a Nog. Minotouro han’t lost a fight in three years. Plus, Banha enjoys throwing illegal kicks. You gotta play by the rules if you’re going to win.

Amir Sadollah v. Phil “New York Bad Ass” Baroni

Despite that he didn’t feel like his usual bad-mouthing, trash-talking, I still think he’s got some steam for another great hit. Sadollah might try to gas him early, but with only two wins in his UFC career to Baroni’s 13, he’s as green as you could grab.