O tira-teima entre o paraense de coração Lyoto Machida vs o curitibano de nascimento Maurício Shogun Rua foi confirmado pelos dois atletas.

Lyoto anunciou ontem via twitter os planos de encarar Shogun mais uma vez. O campeão meio-pesado do UFC está se recuperando de uma cirurgia na mão e só retornará aos treinos em janeiro.

Do twitter do Lyoto:

– @ruycohen @diegotunisi: está certo a luta contra Shogun para o dia 1o. de Maio sim!
6:12 AM Nov 23rd from web

Portanto, uma das lutas mais polêmicas do MMA moderno terá um novo capítulo. No primeiro duelo entre eles, Lyoto venceu, mas não convenceu.

A vitória por pontos depois de uma luta igual durante 5 rounds foi ofuscada pelas sonoras vaias de fãs descontentes com o resultado.

Parte dos críticos também achou injusta a vitória de Lyoto. Dana White, presidente do UFC, prometeu a revanche para Shogun horas depois da derrota dele.

Palavras de Shogun a propósito da revanche:

- To muito feliz com a confirmação da revanche. Já vou começar a me preparar e vamos que vamos.

- O UFC já confirmou com o meu empresário que eu luto contra o Lyoto de novo. Só falta agora assinar o contrato. Mas tá feito o acordo verbal.

- Não pensei ainda se seguirei a mesma estratégia da luta anterior ou se vou mudar de plano. Ainda vou sentar com a minha equipe para resolver isso.

- Essa revanche é muito desejada porque é uma disputa de cinturão, é pelo título mundial. Esse é meu maior interesse.

- Com certeza to preocupado primeiramente em concretizar meu sonho, que é o de ganhar o cinturão. Vingar a derrota para o Lyoto está em segundo plano, em primeiro plano está o cinturão.

- Com certeza fiquei engasgado pela derrota contra o Lyoto. Mas ele não tem culpa. Quem tem culpa são os juízes que foram as únicas três pessoas do mundo que viram que ele ganhou.

Ed’s note: This preview was written by GASB MMA writer Tony Silipigno.

As far as top-to-bottom UFC pay-per-views go, this is a solid effort. While most people would agree when I say that main event leaves much to be desired, the undercard more than makes up for it. I would consider this a must-buy event. All the match-ups are pretty straightforward style vs. style, but I bet that we see some fireworks Saturday night.

THE MAIN EVENT:

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz:

Finally, the rematch that absolutely no fans were clamoring for.

In one corner we have Forrest Griffin, a comically oversized light heavyweight fresh off of his incredibly embarrassing loss to middleweight king Anderson Silva. Across from him, another comically oversized light heavyweight fresh out of surgery and a loss to light heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. I will give the UFC a pass this time due to the amount of injuries that have plagued the main events of this fight card, but nothing makes me more heated than a card headlined by two guys coming off losses.

"THIS IS A GOOD LOOK, NO?"

The only reason I care to watch this fight is to see how Tito Ortiz looks after finally surgically repairing his body. Tito has been complaining about nagging injuries for as long as I can remember and it is finally time to show us the new Tito. We all remember when Ortiz had the capacity to beat people not named Ken Shamrock, and it would be wonderful to see him back to his old form.

His previous win over Griffin was underwhelming to say the least and it came at a time when Forrest was still relatively green. This time he is hoping to remove the doubt and silence the critics.

His opponent, Forrest Griffin, is also in an interesting position. After somehow managing to snag the 205 lb belt, (something that baffles me to this day) it has been nothing but disappointment.

After being soundly blown out by Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva, Forrest is staring right in the face of the dreaded three straight losses. While I am sure that Griffin is nowhere near the UFC chopping block, it is still certainly something he must consider.

I see this fight playing out much like the first. Forrest Griffin isn’t particularly good at anything and Tito Ortiz is particularly good at taking people down and elbowing them in the face while making no attempt to pass their guard. I’m sure Tito will take Griffin down in round one and spend five minutes trying to fillet his face with his elbows. The question is whether or not he will falter in the second round like he did in their first meeting.

"YOU'RE DONE SHAMRO... GRIFFIN."

If he does, I believe he and Forrest will have a sloppy kickboxing match for two rounds and make it interesting. Neither guy has the power to finish the other standing so expect a decision.

My prediction: Tito has two good rounds of elbowing Griffin’s face and they re-enact a toughman competition in round 3. Tito by UD.

THE UNDERCARD:

Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson:

After making me look like a complete idiot at UFC 104, Anthony Johnson comes right back to face Josh Koscheck. If Johnson takes this fight like he did his last, he should be in line for a title shot.  His opponent is considerably more dangerous this time around though. I really hope that Koscheck keeps his head on and uses his incredible wrestling and cardio advantage to win, but I don’t think he will.

Josh gets into a firefight in the first round and Johnson makes him pay for it with a KO for the highlight reel.

Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni:

Finally, the “New York Badass” is back in the UFC.

FULL OF BARONI

This fight is tailor-made for Phil to get submitted almost instantaneously as the opening bell rings, but I would love to see him make it interesting. I’ll do this — 90% chance Amir snags an arm in the first round. 10% chance he comes out, chin in the air, throws a jab, and gets concussed by Baroni for his troubles. Either way I hope Baroni gets some mic time afterwards. Also, Dear UFC: Please give me Baroni vs. Marcus Davis next. PLEASE!

Luis Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira:

This is easily the fight I am looking forward to the most.

Both of these guys are right up at the top of the 205lb heap.  Luis Cane has heavy hands, but didn’t look great in his last fight. Rogerio has all the advantages of his brother minus the enormous amount of ring-wear. I see “Lil” Nogueira out pointing Cane on his feet en route to a third round submission and setting himself up for the winner of Griffin-Ortiz.

As I write this, Karo Parisyan has pulled out of UFC 106. I hope they find a suitable replacement to face Dustin Hazelett, or move Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders to the televised card. The dark matches should be pretty good, hopefully Davis-Saunders and Grove-Rosholt make it to the televised card since I think they will be the most entertaining.

That does it for this UFC 106 preview. I will be back for UFC 107, and if anyone was wondering what I think, the judges robbed Brandon Vera last Saturday, just like they did Shogun the card before.

I hope this isn’t a developing trend in the UFC.

I dare you to do better.

Sonic fuckin' BOOM!!

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua are set to go another five rounds on May 1st. Kind of a long wait for a rematch, but after five rounds of battle it’s safe to say they probably have some wounds to heal (and by they, I mean Machida). In the meantime we’ll just have to find ways to keep ourselves furious over the results of the first fight, hopefully NOT by watching other upsets occur in the near six-month wait. Though, who am I kidding, with this guy around we’re in for a few more.

UFC’s May1st event is set to take place somewhere in Montreal, Canada.  Hopefully they’re not left with the same sour taste the Los Angeles fans were

[ Descargar aquí ]

12. Poison, The Knife Or The Noose

Don’t let this ruin all that I thought that I could be
A life amidst entropy is a fate I refuse to see

As the flames lick our feet
Coaxing us to make the leap
Cerberus drools at the knell
Come join the wicked inside Hell

Fall fast down from grace, the world tries to make me evil
Punished in this corrupt place, life’s so fucking medieval

As the flames lick our feet
Coaxing us to make the leap
Cerberus drools at the knell
Come join the wicked inside Hell

They will try to pull us down
But we won’t cave in
We have something that they can’t take
We know the truth inside
‘Cause I will fight this by all means
With poison, the knife or the noose at me

Our world
Is a minefield
With explosives ready to eviscerate the living
Sabotage
The devious blindfold
You’re helping cut a hole from here to here below your mouth
A battlefield
This fucking battle’s right here
With man killing man we’re only fueling our own extinction

[solo: MKH]
[solo: CKB]

Our world
Is a minefield
With explosives ready to eviscerate the living
A battlefield
This fucking battle’s right here
With man killing man we’re only fueling our own extinction

Die if in apathy your submissiveness their weapon
Turn inertia into rage and ram it through like a spear

As the flames lick our feet
Coaxing us to make the leap
Cerberus drools at the knell
Come join the wicked inside Hell

They will try to pull us down
But we won’t cave in
We have something they can’t take
We know the truth inside
‘Cause I will fight this by all means
With poison, the knife or the noose at me

Traducción:

“Veneno, el cuchillo o la soga”

No dejes que esto arruine todo lo que pensé que podría ser
Una vida entre la entropía es una suerte que me niego a ver

Mientras las llamas nos lamen los pies
Persuadiéndonos para dar el salto
Babea Cerbero tocando a los muertos
Ven y únete al malvado infierno interno

He dejado de ser inocente, el mundo trata de hacerme malvado
Castigados en este lugar corrupto, la vida es tan jodidamente medieval

Mientras las llamas nos lamen los pies
Persuadiéndonos para dar el salto
Babea Cerbero tocando a los muertos
Ven y únete al malvado infierno interno

Ellos tratarán de derrumbarnos
Pero no cederemos
Tenemos algo que ellos no pueden tomar
Ya sabemos la verdad en el interior
Porque voy a luchar contra esto por todos los medios
Con veneno, el cuchillo o la soga a mí

Nuestro mundo
Es un campo minado
Con los explosivos listos para destripar a los vivos
Sabotaje
Tú, el que tiene vendados los ojos
Estás ayudando a cortar un agujero de aquí hacia aquí debajo de tu boca
Un campo de batalla
Esta pinche batalla es justo aquí
Con el hombre matando a otros hombres sólo estamos alimentando nuestra propia extinción

[solo: MKH]
[solo: CKB]

Nuestro mundo
Es un campo minado
Con los explosivos listos para destripar a los vivos
Sabotaje
Tú, el que tiene vendados los ojos
Estás ayudando a cortar un agujero de aquí hacia aquí debajo de tu boca
Un campo de batalla
Esta pinche batalla es justo aquí
Con el hombre matando a otros hombres sólo estamos alimentando nuestra propia extinción

Morir si en la apatía de su sumisión a sus armas
Transforme la inercia en rabia y la azote como una lanza

Mientras las llamas nos lamen los pies
Persuadiéndonos para dar el salto
Babea Cerbero tocando a los muertos
Ven y únete al malvado infierno interno

Ellos tratarán de derrumbarnos
Pero no cederemos
Tenemos algo que ellos no pueden tomar
Ya sabemos la verdad en el interior
Porque voy a luchar contra esto por todos los medios
Con veneno, el cuchillo o la soga a mí

13. Upon The Shores

Wandering endlessly upon the shores
For something that I will never attain
Banished here for a life of nothingness
My only comfort is the sand I bleed on

Hope is gone, it will never be the same
All I feel are the repeated stings of pain
Pungent stench of the sins of the worthless ones
Faithless cries of the sins of the godless ones

Marching on in deathly silence
Upon the shores we go
Crashing tides applaud the violence
Upon the shores we go

I’m dying endlessly upon the shores
For something that I will never attain
Tortured here for a life of nothingness
My only comfort is the sand I die on

Hope is gone, it will never be the same
All I feel are the repeated stings of pain
Pungent stench of the sins of the worthless ones
Faithless cries of the sins of the godless ones

Marching on in deathly silence
Upon the shores we go
Crashing tides applaud the violence
Upon the shores we go

Charon, is this the fate for me
Is the Obolus all I pay
Cursed to wander the shores of Acheron
My eyes must have been missing silver coins

[solo: MKH]

Maggots drinking the blood of me
Insects licking the tears I weep
Hornets piercing, while wasps are breaking
Every single fucking inch of skin on me

[solo: CKB]

Hope is gone, it will never be the same
All I feel are the repeated stings of pain
Pungent stench of the sins of the worthless ones
Faithless cries of the sins of the godless ones

Marching on in deathly silence
Upon the shores we go
Crashing tides applaud the violence
Upon the shores we go

Traducción:

“En las costas”

Vagando sin cesar en las costas
Por algo que nunca voy a alcanzar
Desterrado aquí para una vida de la nada
Mi único consuelo es la arena sobre la cual sangro

La esperanza se ha ido, nunca será lo mismo
Todo lo que siento son las picaduras repetidas de dolor,
El hedor acre de los pecados de los seres sin valor,
Los gritos desleales de los pecados de los impíos

Marchando en silencio sepulcral
En las costas vamos
Mareas aplastantes aplauden la violencia
En las costas vamos

Me estoy muriendo sin cesar en las costas
Por algo que nunca voy a alcanzar
Torturado aquí para una vida de la nada
Mi único consuelo es la arena sobre la cual muero

La esperanza se ha ido, nunca será lo mismo
Todo lo que siento son las picaduras repetidas de dolor,
El hedor acre de los pecados de los seres sin valor,
Los gritos desleales de los pecados de los impíos

Marchando en silencio sepulcral
En las costas vamos
Mareas aplastantes aplauden la violencia
En las costas vamos

Caronte [Charon], es este el destino para mí
Es el óbolo todo lo que pago
Condenado a vagar por las orillas del Aqueronte
Mis ojos deben haber perdido las monedas de plata

[solo: MKH]

Los gusanos beben mi sangre
Los insectos lamen las lágrimas que lloro
Los avispones me perforan, mientras que las avispas me rompen
Cada pinche centímetro de mi piel

[solo: CKB]

La esperanza se ha ido, nunca será lo mismo
Todo lo que siento son las picaduras repetidas de dolor,
El hedor acre de los pecados de los seres sin valor,
Los gritos desleales de los pecados de los impíos

Marchando en silencio sepulcral
En las costas vamos
Mareas aplastantes aplauden la violencia
En las costas vamos

14. Iron Maiden

[Paul Di'Anno]

Won’t you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can’t be fought, Iron Maiden can’t be sought.

[Chorus]
Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden’s gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won’t you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can’t be fought, Iron Maiden can’t be sought.

Traducción:

“Iron Maiden”

¿Quieres venir a mi habitación? Quiero mostrarte toda mi mercancía.
Sólo quiero ver tu sangre, solo quiero estar parado y mirar fijamente.
Ver la sangre comenzar a fluir a medida que cae en el suelo.
Iron Maiden no se puede luchar, Iron Maiden no se puede buscar.

[Coro]
Oh bueno, dondequiera, dondequiera que estés,
Iron Maiden te va a atrapar, no importa lo lejos.
Ver la sangre fluir, mirarla vertir por encima de mi cabeza.
Iron Maiden te quiere por muerto.

¿Quieres venir a mi habitación? Quiero mostrarte toda mi mercancía.
Sólo quiero ver tu sangre, solo quiero estar parado y mirar fijamente.
Ver la sangre comenzar a fluir a medida que cae en el suelo.
Iron Maiden no se puede luchar, Iron Maiden no se puede buscar.

Midnight can’t come any sooner. This game is gonna be the mother of games. I’ll be so stoked after my 10 mile bike ride back home from the shop at midnight has finished and I can get this badboy on my Xbox.

Long time no type I guess. College is going good, pretty heavy workload but I’ve been managing so far. All my works been getting top marks so I must be doing something right!

Not much has been going on, just work and shit. I went to Manchester the other week to see BMTH since I haven’t seen the cunts in a while. I was pretty stoked because I finally got to see August Burns Red and they didn’t dissapoint. I would have rather seen them in a smaller venue but they still sounded fucking massive in a 5000 capacity venue. We went to Satans Hollow (or Satans Crevice), it was pretty good but I overspent and fucked myself up for going to London two days later which was part of the plan. Other than that I’ve just chonged and watched the Haye vs Valuev boxing match and Macheda vs Rua in MMA, both fights were incredible, although it’s a fucking disgrace that Shogun Rua isn’t the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Haye on the otherhand managed to pull off what every cunt seemed to think was impossible and rock that 7ft bastard in the 12th round, I reckon he would have dropped him too if the ref hadn’t pranced through the middle of them!

Quick Results from UFC 104:

• Lyoto Machida defeats Mauricio Rua-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Cain Velasquez defeats Ben Rothwell-2nd Round TKO (Punches)
• Gleison Tibau defeats Josh Neer-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Joe Stevenson defeats Spencer Fisher-2nd Round Submission (Elbows)
• Anthony Johnson defeats Yoshiyuki Yoshida-1st Round TKO (Punches)
• Ryan Bader defeats Eric Schafer-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Pat Barry defeats Antoni Hardonk-2nd Round TKO (Punches)
• Chael Sonnen defeats Yushin Okami-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Jorge Rivera defeats Rob Kimmons-3rd Round TKO (Punches)
• Kyle Kingsbury defeats Razak Al-Hassan-3rd Round Decision (Split)
• Stefan Struve defeats Chase Gormley-1st Round Submission (Triangle Choke)

I wasn’t able to catch the fights on Spike TV, so this review will only consist of the fights shown on the live pay-per-view broadcast. Overall, a pretty solid night of fights with some controversy in the last 2 main event fights which I will discuss later. I correctly predicted 9 out of the 11 fight results which means I’m awesome. Sorry for getting this out so late once again. Check out Jason Chan’s blog for more coverage.

Light Heavyweight Title – Machida/Rua

Very, very impressed by Shogun Rua in this fight. I was very surprised to see how well he did against Machida. I totally had him winning this fight and it’s a damn shame the judges couldn’t see that. I totally underestimated Shogun’s striking skills in the fight, and he put on the performance of his life against Machida. He was lighting up Machida with body and leg kicks as Machida would try to circle to his left. Shogun had a very smart strategy in that he didn’t really try to punch Machida in the head, as Machida keeps his head very far back. He went after Machida’s body and legs with well-timed counter kicks. Definitely had Shogun winning this fight. It was a close a fight though, and Machida did have his moments with well-timed knees and some decent kicks and punches of his own. The fact is though, Shogun had the harder strikes and landed just as much, if not more than Machida. Machida was the guy with red ribs, legs, and the cut on his face. The UFC has already announced an immediate rematch between the two, which is the right call. I’m sad that Shogun is going to have to perform a perfect fight again to win a title he should have already won. I am excited to see the rematch and to see the adjustments in both men’s games as this first fight was extremely technical and cerebral, which is not surprising in a typical Machida fight, but very surprising in a Shogun fight.

Velasquez/Rothwell Fight

This was Cain Velasquez’s breakout performance. Complete domination by Velasquez in this fight as he repeatedly took Rothwell down over and over and blasted him with punches as he got up. The crowd really reacted to Velasquez like a star in this fight. The only downside was that the fight was prematurely ended. Rothwell should have been given a chance to continue, as he was displaying heart and was not at all finished. The finish came when Rothwell was eating shots to his unprotected face as he was standing up. The fact that Rothwell was standing up as the referee stepped in is just terrible refereeing on Mazzagatti’s (sp?) part. Maz really is a terrible ref. Rothwell really had nothing for Velasquez in the fight and he was suppose to be Velasquez’s toughest opponent. Looking around the rumor mill, it seems as if Velasquez’s next fight will be in the main event against Nogueira at UFC 108 in January. That should be a terrific fight. Rothwell probably gets bumped down to the prelims as he really didn’t show much in this co-main event fight.

Neer/Tibau Fight

Not much to say in this one. Tibau took Neer down over and over, but never really hurt him. Neer would find his way back to his feet and Tibau would slam him down again. Tibau is a pretty boring fighter as he looks to positionally dominate people on the ground and can’t submit high level guys. It looks like one more loss for Neer and he will probably be booted from the UFC. I’d like to see Tibau face Sean Sherk in his next fight, especially since they were originally suppose to fight at this event.

Okami/Sonnen Fight

The UFC has to be thrilled about this result as Sonnen put on the fight of his life in beating down Okami to a unanimous decision victory. The UFC has always thought of Okami as a boring fighter and I’m sure they’re glad to see him lose. In retrospect, Sonnen was the perfect type of fighter to beat Okami, as Okami relys on being a superior, stronger wrestler than his opponents that likes to ground and pound from the top. That didn’t work against Sonnen, as he took the fight to Okami and didn’t let him dictate the pace of the fight. I’d like to see Sonnen get a top contender in his next fight as he was really impressive. Okami probably gets stuck on the prelims in a loser leaves town type of match.

Stevenson/Fisher Fight

Stevenson did what he should have done. He exploited Fisher’s weaknesses in wrestling and on his back and pounded him out with elbows for a victory. Ever since Stevenson has started training with Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico, he has fought a lot smarter and looked a lot better. This is probably Stevenson’s most impressive victory, as Fisher is a tough fighter to finish and yet Stevenson made him tap from elbows. Fisher will probably be nothing more than a gatekeeper in the UFC if he doesn’t improve his wrestling quick. I’d like to see Stevenson against Frankie Edgar or Sean Sherk in his next fight.

Johnson/Yoshida Fight

The fight went how I thought it would. Johnson is a really bad match-up for a guy like Yoshida, as he has great wrestling, size and is more athletic. It didn’t help that Johnson came in way over weight for this fight and because of that looked huge next to Yoshida. Johnson lit up Yoshida on the feet and didn’t let him touch him or even come close. Yoshida really needs to work on his striking to set up the clinch and Judo toss if he ever wants to be successful against the top notch wrestlers in the UFC. Johnson gets Josh Koscheck in his next fight at UFC 106 in November which should be an outstanding fight between two of the more athletic guys in the UFC.

(mf) Besser als Shogun, schrieb der San Francisco Chronicle als Takashi Matsuokas Romandebüt 2002 in den amerikanischen Handel kam. Nun, wer wäre besser geeignet das zu überprüfen als der legendäre, sagenumwobene, als Shogunexperte weltweit anerkannte PixelRobota?

Ich habe Shogun ungelogen an die zehn Mal gelesen, weil ich a) ein absoluter Japanverrückter bin, b) mich die Samurai seit je her begeistern und c) ich ein großer Bewunderer von James Clavell bin. Clavell hat es in seinem zurecht “Der Roman Japans” untertitelten Werk geschafft, historische Tatsachen mit spannendem thrillerartigem Handlungsverlauf und einem nie dagewesenen (zumindest in nicht-japanischer Literatur) Einblick in die japanische Kultur und Lebensweise, während des Edo-Zeitalters, unter einen Hut bzw. zwischen zwei Buchdeckel zu bringen. Shogun hat uns, wie kein Roman zuvor, Einblick in die japanische Denkweise und sogar sprachliche Finessen verschafft. Matsuokas Erstlingswerk als “besser als Shogun” zu bezeichnen, sah ich deshalb, bevor ich zu lesen begonnen hatte, bestenfalls als anmaßend an.

Die Stunde des Samurai schildert, ähnlich wie der Film The Last Samurai mit Tom Cruise, die Zeit kurz vor dem großen Umbruch, im Zuge dessen Japan sich, unter den modernen Einflüssen der westlichen Welt, radikal gewandelt hat. Obwohl die Japaner ihre Kultur und Gedankenwelt Jahrhunderte lang erfolgreich gegen Einflüsse von außen isoliert hatten, brach mit dem Ende der Satsuma Rebellion 1877 endgültig der westliche Einfluss und dessen Wertvorstellungen über Japan herein und als “antiquiert” geltende Traditionen wie die der Samurai verschwanden in der Versenkung.

Die Handlung von Matsuokas Roman setzt an einem Januarmorgen im Jahr 1861 ein. Drei Amerikaner betreten in der Bucht von Edo (heutiges Tokyo) das fremde, faszinierende Land. Der religiöse Eiferer Cromwel will zusammen mit seiner verlobten Emily eine Mission errichten und heidnische Seelen durch Bekehrung zum Christentum vor der ewigen Verdammnis bewahren. Der Dritte im Bunde ist Matthew Stark, der ganz eigene Pläne verfolgt. Obwohl die als “Barbaren” verschrienen Ausländer auf allgegenwärtige Ablehnung stoßen, finden sie in dem jungen charismatischen Fürsten Genji einen generösen Fürsprecher und Beschützer, der sie mit offenen Armen empfängt. Jedoch hat selbst Genji erbitterte Feinde, die ihm als letzten Nachkommen des Clans der Okumichi nach dem Leben trachten. Und so geraten die drei ahnungslosen Neuankömmlinge zusammen mit ihrem neuen Verbündeten in einen leidenschaftlichen, blutigen Konflikt um Tradition und Macht, um Liebe und Verrat.

Schon im ersten Kapitel vermisse ich die Vielzahl an japanischen Begriffen, wie Rangbezeichnungen und Umgangsformen, die Clavell mir in Shogun so spielerisch wie eindrücklich nähergebracht hatte. Erstaunlicherweise schafft es Matsuoka auch ohne japanische Begriffe vortrefflich die Gegensätze der westlichen Gesellschaft mit der japanischen Gesellschaftsordnung aufzuzeigen. Und auch, wenn ich mich anfangs vielleicht ein wenig dagegen gesträubt hatte, werde ich unweigerlich in die dichte Atmosphäre gezogen und fühle mich Absatz für Absatz mehr ins feudale Japan zurückversetzt. Am Anfang jedes Kapitels begrüßt mich Matsuoka mit einer auf das Folgende passenden Weisheit, die mit Suzume-no-Kumo unterzeichnet ist und aus dem 15. Jahrhundert stammen soll. Erst am Ende offenbart sich, dass es sich hierbei um die niedergeschriebenen Äußerungen des Okumichi Hironobu, Vater von Genji, handelt, dessen Geschichte Genji mit Emiliys Hilfe ins Englische überträgt. Diese Hagakure-ähnlichen, in typisch japanischer Ausdrucksweise verfassten Weisheiten, tragen enorm zu der typischen Japanatmosphäre bei und lassen Kapitel für Kapitel mein Samuraiherz höher schlagen.

Auch nimmt der Roman Kapitel für Kapitel mehr an Fahrt auf und entwickelt sich immer deutlicher zu mehr als nur einem historischen Roman. Matsuoka inszeniert Seite für Seite einen immer rasanter werdenden gut inszenierten Thriller. Mit jedem Detail, das man durch Rückblenden über die handelnden Personen erfährt, fördert Matsuoka gekonnt Sympathien und Antipathien und lässt den Leser Freud und Leid der Figuren nachempfinden. Er springt so gekonnt zwischen einzelnen Zeitabschnitten hin und her, dass ich kaum Glauben kann, dass dies wirklich sein erster Roman ist. Die von den Antagonisten gesponnenen Intrigen, bleiben bis zum Schluss weit verästelt und dennoch nachvollziehbar, weil der Autor haarklein die Motivation für die jeweilige Handlung mitliefert. Auch wenn ich eigentlich undurchsichtige Murakamieske Geschichten bevorzuge, ist es besonders im Falle politischen Ränkespiels, zumindest für mich, eine Genugtuung Vorgehensweisen begreifen zu können – viele Romane und auch Filme ließen mich diesbezüglich allzu oft im Dunkeln tappen.

Mein Fazit:
Als ich das Buch zugeschlagen und zur Seite gelegt habe, musste ich erst einmal Luft holen und das Ganze sacken lassen. Das tue ich nur bei wirklich guten Büchern – Bücher, bei denen man ein Stück weit bereut, dass sie schon zuende sind. Die Stunde des Samurai ist von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite ein Meisterwerk. Warum ich mir eine derartige Bezeichnung erlaube? Das hat zweierlei Gründe. Zum einen möchte ich damit würdigen, dass Takashi Matsuoka mit seinem Debüt als Romancier gleich einen derart “reifen”, komplexen Roman schaffen konnte. Und zum anderen würdige ich damit die Beharrlichkeit und Leidenschaft, mit der sich Matsuoka offensichtlich mit der Vergangenheit und Tradition seines Herkunftslandes auseinandergesetzt hat. Nämlich wurde der kleine Takashi zwar in Japan geboren, wanderte aber bereits im zarten Alter von zwei Jahren mit seinen Eltern nach Amerika aus. Obwohl er dort nach japanischer Tradition erzogen wurde, wuchs er dennoch Quantensprünge von der eigentlichen japanischen Kultur entfernt auf.
Die Stunde des Samurai ist natürlich nicht besser als Shogun, aber auch nicht schlechter. Es ist wie mit Äpfeln und Birnen; sie sehen ähnlich aus, schmecken beide gut, aber sehr verschieden. Da ich auf beides allergisch bin lasse ich das – außerdem hinkt der Vergleich. Shogun ist für mich eines der besten Bücher aller Zeiten und der Schatz meiner Jugend, aber Takashi Matsuokas Die Stunde des Samurai braucht sich nicht dahinter zu verstecken. Ihr solltet sie beide lesen.

Iceland’s hardcore band Shogun are looking for a new singer after former singer Asgeir leaves the band. The band has this to say about the loss:
“Hello, we regret to inform you that we have parted ways with our singer Ásgeir. This is a decision we all made together and a decision we all felt was best for the future of the band. We are still god friends, and he has filled this band with a lot of enthusiasm that will never go away. He will be truly missed. We will not give up and a search for his replacement is on the way. We will hopefully soon have a new singer and be stronger than ever…..”
Hopefully they find a new singer and are able to carry on with their musical adventures.

Make sure you follow VisiONtheNet on twitter!

#10 A six figure contract and a glass TUF trophy from a future season.

#9 The same eye surgery Wandi got, performed by a ring girl of his choosing.

#8 A signed autograph from Rampages next big film “Heat 2″.

#7 A chance to pick an opponent for the lackluster 108 card.

#6 A thank you card from Anthony Johnson for distracting everybody from his weight cutting fiasco.

#5 An angry letter from Yoshida who is still confused about what happened Saturday night.

#4 He gets to be the first one to sign Machida’s leg casts.

# 3 A lifetime supply of Lyoto flavored Bony Acai.

#2 All the left over pride belts.

#1 A rematch with Mark Coleman.

Sayz the great Wikipedia:

Samurai Champloo (サムライチャンプルー, Samurai Chanpurū^?) is a Japanese animated television series consisting of twenty-six episodes. It was broadcast in Japan from May 20, 2004, through March 19, 2005, on the television network, Fuji TV. Samurai Champloo was created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, whose previous work, Cowboy Bebop, earned him renown in the anime and Japanese television communities.^[1] The show was produced by studio Manglobe.

The series is a cross-genre work of media, blending the action and samurai genres with elements of slapstick comedy. It is also a period piece, taking place during Japan’s Edo period. The series is interwoven with revisionist historical facts and anachronistic elements of mise-en-scene, dialogue and soundtrack. The series’ most frequent anachronism is its use of elements of hip hop culture, particularly rap and the music it has influenced, break dancing, turntablism, hip hop slang, and graffiti. The show also contains anachronistic elements from the punk subculture and modernism, but less prominently. It is one of the first anime TV shows based on hip-hop (Afro Samurai is the other, having been released in 2007. Only Afro Samurai completely sucks [Ed.]).

As the wise wiki points out, Samurai Champloo mixes samurai and hip-hop. It does so primarily with an excellent down-beat soundtrack, featuring the beats of Fat Jon, Tsuchie, Force of Nature, Nujabes (featured in last weekend’s World Government Edition as well as at the beginning of part 1 of this episode), and a few other, mostly Japanese hip-hop artists. The 4 or 5 disks which comprise the soundtrack are highly recommended, but also not in print in the USA. Download the Impression disk here for an indication.

Above and below you have one of the series’ best episodes (#23), particularly for American audiences, and particularly during the World Series. See how Japanese hipsters viewed the good ole USofA during the Bush Years. One of the best satires of American culture and Japan/American syncretism I’ve seen, ever.

Author : James Clavell
Judul : Shogun
Penebrit : Gramedia
Tahun :
Penerbit :
Tebal Buku :
Ebook by syauqy_arr, convert to pdf achyarman

Shogun tahun 1975 adalah novel karya James Clavell. Novel menceritakan kehidupan feodal masyarakat Jepang pada tahun 1600 beberapa bulan sebelum pertempuran Sekigahara, dan memberikan penjelasan tentang kebangkitan daimyo “Toranaga” (analog dengan kehidupan nyata Tokugawa Ieyasu) menjadi Shogun Jepang, yang terlihat melalui mata seorang pelaut Inggris yang kapalnya terdampar di perairan Jepang

John Blackthorne, seorang Inggris dari kapal perang Belanda Erasmus, yang terdampar di pantai Jepang. Dia dan beberapa yang awak selamat dari kapal Belanda diambil tawanan di bawah arahan samurai lokal Kasigi Omi dan disekap pada sebuah lubang selama beberapa hari, hingga, di mata penculik mereka, mereka mulai bertindak seperti ‘beradab laki-laki,’ yaitu, ketika mereka berhenti mengeluh, menuntut kebebasan mereka, berteriak, dll. Daimyo yang menjadi tuan Omi, Kasigi Yabu, datang dan atas saran Omi, Yabu berencana untuk menyimpan senjata dan harta emas perak yang tersimpan di kapal Blackthorne untuk meningkatkan pengaruh sendiri, tapi dia dikhianati oleh seorang samurai yang telah memberitahu tuan Yabu, Daimyo Toranaga, yang mengirim jenderalnya Toda Hiromatsu untuk menyita kapal Erasmus, dan Yabu berkewajiban untuk mengantar Blackthorne, kapal, dan isinya ke Toranaga. Sementara itu, oleh karena orang Jepang tidak bisa mengucapkan namanya Blackthorne diberi nama Anjin, yang berarti “pilot,”

Blackthorne yang diwawancarai oleh Toranaga, dengan imam Yesuit sebagai penerjemah. Blackthorne mengungkapkan ke Toranaga bahwa negara-negara Eropa lainnya bermaksud untuk berlayar ke perairan Asia karena Armada Spanyol telah dikalahkan. Wawancara berakhir ketika saingan utama Toranaga, Ishido, masuk, ingin tahu tentang orang ‘barbar’ Blackthorne. Toranaga kemudian memasukkan Blackthorne ke dalam penjara untuk menjaga dirinya dari Ishido. Di penjara, Blackthorne berteman dengan seorang biarawan Fransiskan, yang mengungkapkan rincian lebih lanjut tentang penaklukan Jesuit dan perdagangan Kapal Hitam. Kebutuhan Jepang terhadap sutra cina, tapi tidak dapat berhubungan secara langsung dengan Cina. Portugis bertindak sebagai perantara, pengiriman barang oleh Kapal Hitam menghasilkan keuntungan besar. Dengan bantuan si pastor, Blackthorne mulai belajar dasar bahasa Jepang….

Novel ini juga menceritakan perebutan kekuasaan antara Toranaga dan Ishido, dan manuver politik dari Gereja Katolik Roma, khususnya para Yesuit. Ada juga konflik antara daimyo Kristen (yang sebagian didorong oleh keinginan untuk melestarikan dan memperluas kekuasaan Gereja mereka) dan daimyo yang menentang orang-orang Kristen yang mendukung pribumi Shinto, Budha, dan agama lain.

Nobel ini dibagi menjadi 8 Buku dengan plot yang sangat rumit, diwarnai kisah cinta, seks, keberanian kewajiban, dan drama politik. Kesaksian seorang pelaut Inggris yang menjadi saksi sejarah tampilnya Toranaga dalam panggung sejarah keshogunan Jepang setelah berhasil mengalahkan para daimyo saingannya dalam perang Sekigahara….

Link Download

* Prolog
* Bab 1
* Bab 2
* Bab 3
* Bab 4
* Bab 5
* Bab 6
* Bab 7
* Bab 8

Got a new pair of skis today! They are Salomon’s newest addition to the ski line up, The ShoGun. Be sure to check back for a full review on them once the season starts!

I want to take a second and publicly apologize to Shogun promoter John Rallo. Despite 1st Mariner not knowing how to handle an event like this, all reports from Baltimore have been overwhelmingly positive.

John, a trainer by trade, promoted an arena show attended by more than 4,000 fans and pulled it off without any glaring issues. I’m sure there are some back stage things he’s thinking about. But from what I’ve heard, it was a top notch event. A true show.

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (15-0) vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-3).

Cain Velasquez (6-0) vs Ben Rothwell (30-6)
Gleison Tibau (17-7) vs Josh Neer (25-8-1)
Joe Stevenson (30-10) vs Spencer Fisher (23-4)
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (7-2) vs Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (11-3)

Antoni Hardonk (8-5) vs Patrick “Get Hype” Barry (4-1)
Yushin “Thunder” Okami (23-4) vs Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera (22-4) vs Rob “The Rosedale Reaper” Kimmons (22-4)
Ryan “Darth” Bader (9-0) vs Eric “Red” Schafer (11-3-2)
Kyle Kingsbury (7-2) vs Razak Al-Hassan (6-1)
Chase Gormley (6-0) vs Stefan Struve (17-3)

Download link:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Prospect Watch: Cody Donovan and Carey Vanier 28 yr old MN LW

The first Mixed Martial Arts card ever in the state of Maryland featured two local MMA prospects outside of state lines making a name for themselves at Shogun Fights.

Stock Up – Greg Jackson trained Cody Donovan continued his progression as a complete MMA fighter with his win over Joe Stripling.

The 28 year old Donovan got a late start to his MMA career turning pro in the fall of 2008. Backed by a solid amateur career where Donovan went 5-0, the Colorado prospect has all the physical tools to make some noise on the local MMA scene.

Donovan put on a Muay Thai on clinic with his opponent Joe Stripling becoming the unwilling case study. A series of knees to the body caused the fight to end at the 1:16 mark of round two.

Stock Up – To the surprise of no one, another Greg Jackson MMA fighter also put on one of the more impressive performances of the evening. Minnesota lightweight Carey Vanier recently moved to Albuquerque, where he has served as one of WEC’s lightweight contender Donald Cerrone’s sparring partner.

Vanier 7-2 has fought pro MMA on and off since 2003 with a notable loss coming at the hands of five star prospect and current UFC 155 pounder Nik Lentz. Vanier took control of Paul Mann in the second round, working knees to the body and repeated takedowns to wear down his opponent. The end came when Vanier unloaded with punches on a fallen Mann until the referee called the bout a TKO finish.

With the win Vanier is now 3-0 in 2009.

Shogun Fights Full Results

Binky Jones def. Jason McLean by unanimous decision
Ryan Mackin def. Joe Kelso by submission Keylock 1:57 R2
Dave Daniecki def. Wade Drake by submission D’arce choke hold 2:25 R1
Mike Paschal def. Scottie Ayers by TKO 0:40 R2
Jacob Kirwan def. Brad Pole by submission Guillotine choke 1:05 R1
Joey Kirwan def. Dan Root by submission Rear-naked choke 1:30 R1
Carey Vanier def. Paul Mann by TKO (strikes) 2:09 R2
Cody Donovan def. Joe Stripling by TKO 1:16 R2
Jim Hettes def. Steven Baker by submission Armbar 1:35 R1
Brett Thomas def. Rick Desper by split decision
Steve Deangelis def. Lazar Stojadinovic by unanimous decision

Ear Punch.

In a five round bout that got closer most would’ve anticipated, Lyoto Machida defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104 when the fight went to the scorecards. The throw-down occurred at the Los Angeles Staples Center. Even though the above photo shows Rua as the aggressor, Machida pulled out the win. I only posted this photo ’cause I thought the nigga Rua shoulda won too. The win allowed Machida to retain his light heavyweight championship, which he won from Rashad Evans, when he dropped em’ and made him do the stanky-leg….Machida’s win Saturday was largely contested by many fans who thought Rua fought well enough for the win and booed the judge’s decision.

Mode Bial on* Salve guerreiros da nave Belhiêza Brother! Mode Bial off*

Ante ontem eu fui ver lá na Hamburgueria Rock’n Roll Circus a luta do Lyoto Machida contra o Shogun.

Bom, não estava NA hamburgueria e sim na praça do Arsenal bem na frente, porque eles colocaram um telão lá (que sorte!), e a minha galera ficou de boa lá, já que todo mundo é pobre pra sentar no Circus e isso é ralado

Me disseram que a luta começava 11 Horas e eu fiquei lá esperando na praça com todo mundo. Caramba, mas a luta esperada do Lyoto só foi começar 1:20 da madruga e eu já tava ficando meio maluco.

Tocou o gongo!

Eu vi o Machida todo com cara de mal lá e o Shogun super concentrado se encarando, um pronto pra dar um torpedo na cara do outro.

Aí foi passando luta, os dois se davam umas trancadas e ficavam se joelhando, mas nada que chamasse muito minha atenção. O pessoal do Circus tava tenso, ainda mais quando passava uma kombi e parava bem na frente do telão e o povo começava a reclamar! O Arturzão prometia hamburguer pro Lyoto de vez em quando!

Passou o tempo, começou o último round!

Lyoto nem conseguia mais levantar a guarda, dava umas reboladas de vez em quando e o Shogun tava fraco também mas não demonstrava tanto. Me dava uma ansiedade quando eles chegavam um no outro e ficavam batendo a mão, batendo a mão e batendo a mão (imaginei que daqui a pouco eles estariam brincando de adoleta).

Socos pra lá e pra cá, aí acabou a luta!

Alvoroço na praça. Quem será que ganhou?

O juiz ou o sei lá o quõ começou a falar em inglês um bando de coisa e então o resultado: LYYYYYYYOOTO!

Muita festa no Circus e na praça! O povo todo ficou alegre e meus amigos começaram a xiar sobre o desempenho do Lyoto e do Shogun falando que devia ter algo errado o Lyoto ganhar.

Mas pra mim, o Lyoto tomou muito açaí e ganhou do cara como bom paraense!

Issaê!!!

On Saturday night, I barely made it in time to sink into a massive couch with an awesome BBQ dinner and a cute boy to watch the fights. (Orange Country traffuck – I shake my fist at you.) A few years ago I was that person bitching about crazy bloodsport and testosterone bullshit and then without warning, I went nuts for the stuff. These two Brazilians matching up for the title promised to be fucking insane. They define the term martial artist and I was really excited to see them together*, not really pushing for either one to win so much as staring wide-eyed and wishing I had their conditioning. They are unlike many other fighters, namely American fighters, in their skill set and their dedication to the art. (Machida was a black belt at thirteen, after training since he was three. He also drinks his urine every morning, which has to say something, though I have no idea what.)

*Although not a whole lot happened in five rounds but I am PUMPED for the rematch!

I’ve fancied a kick boxing lesson or a muay thai spar in my head but never gotten around to trying either. Watching the fights on Saturday I really understood how far off limits something even sort of kind of resembling this sport if you squint and cock your head to the left side is for me.

If someone so much as tried a foot stomp on me, I’d be out. If they looked at me with the gleaming intention of hyperextending any one of my precious limbs, I’d call it quits and check the fuck out immediately. If my skin was ever smashed so hard against my orbital bone that it split open from sheer blunt force, I’d crumble and cry and wonder who in the fuck ever talked me into this and why my real friends hadn’t yet stepped in to save my life, which is clearly at stake, as I’m bleeding from the face, you fuckers, HELP ME. I want badly to say I’m tough and I’d train with the determination I usually reserve for beating my six-year-old at Jenga but I would absolutely, positively puss out of any sort of organized combat, where I’d have the time to freak out before hand and watch my own demise in slow motion over and over before the bell rang. I would be, hands down, the scardest little pansy shit that ever set foot in an octogon and I had no idea until this weekend.

So that’s fun.

-CJ

Lyoto comemora a vitória sobre Shogun no UFC 104.

Quem esperou até a madrugada de sábado para domingo sabia que algo fora do normal estava para acontecer no UFC 104. Com a disputa dos cinturões dos meios pesados, a luta entre o atual campeão Lyoto Machida Carateca (invicto no evento) e o desafiante Maurício “Shogun” Rua, dono de um Muay Thay excelente, deixaria os fã e torcedores com o coração na mão.

Isso foi um fator predominante nos cinco rounds da disputa. No primeiro round, Machida que era aclamado pelo público, manteve a estratégia abordada em combates anteriores e saiu vencedor, no segundo, jogando no contra ataque, Lyoto conseguiu encaixar bons golpes que lhe garantiram a vitória, no terceiro round, Lyoto começou a apresentar sinais do castigo que o Curitibano Maurício Shogun aplicava em suas pernas, com chutes sempre que era atacado

No quarto round, a pedido de seu corner, Shogun manteve a agressividade encaixando bons golpes e bloqueandos os ataques de Lyoto e saindo vencedor . Quando o gongo soou para o quinto e decisivo round, Shogun continuou o castigo e algo até então raro aconteceu no UFC. Lyoto, que nunca havia sangrado no Octagon, mostrava sinais do castigo imposto, além das fortes dores nas pernas e sua boca que sangrava.

Após 25 minutos frenéticos de trocação, a disputa foi decidida pelos juízes, que deram a vitória a Lyoto Machida por 3×2, provocando certo descontentamento do público que vaiou a decisão. Dentro do Octagon Lyoto, graças às vaias do público, aceitou uma revanche.

Aqui fica nossa torcida para que a luta aconteça logo no UFC.

Assista aqui os cinco rounds deste combate.

Fonte. Graciemag, UFC e Globosat

UHAUEHUEAHAEUHAEUHAE

Koé Nerdzada! Putz, sou um grande fã de lutas, faço Kickboxing a um tempo e tenho vontade de fazer jiu-jitsu também, vi a luta ontem do UFC entre Lyoto Machida e Maurício Shogun, PORRA, acho que o Shogun venceu mas o  Lyoto defendeu o cinturão e segue como campeão dos meio-pesados do UFC. Após o combate, Dana White concordou com os fãs. “Acredito que o Maurício foi vitorioso nesse combate”, confessa o presidente do UFC, explicando a pontuação que daria no combate.

” Lyoto venceu o primeiro, o segundo e o começo do terceiro round. Só que o terceiro já foi vencido por Shogun, assim como o quarto e o quinto. Às vezes existem discrepâncias nas decisões dos árbitros, mas temos de respeitá-las. Mas vi o Shogun campeão do Pride aqui”, disse Dana. Depois dessa luta maneira pra caralho, o UFC já está planejando uma revanche entre eles. “Os dois parecem já estar de acordo com esse reencontro”, disse White.

Campeão do UFC, Lyoto disse não ter problemas para enfrentar Shogun novamente, mas sabe que terá de trocar toda a sua estratégia para a luta. “Vou voltar para casa e estudar tudo que fiz nesse combate. Vou assistir à luta inteira e desenvolver uma nova estratégia em cima dela”, disse Lyoto, que deixou o octagon com cortes no rosto, o que nunca havia acontecido. Por outro lado, Shogun comemorou a excelente performance.

“Meu córner foi me avisando que estava ganhando a luta, então fui ficando mais tranquilo e apenas administrei o último round. Estou muito feliz com meu desempenho, mas decepcionado com o resultado”, disse o desafiante, que entrou vaiado pelo público, mas saiu ovacionado de Los Angeles. “Não mudaria nada na minha estratégia e vou fazer a mesma coisa se lutarmos novamente. Dana aceitando e adversário aceitando, enfrento o Lyoto novamente em qualquer hora, dia ou local “, finalizou.
Se você fosse um dos juízes do UFC, para quem daria a vitória? Lyoto venceu? Shogun foi injustiçado? Deu empate? Comenta aê!

(Texto com ctrl+c, ctrl+v, e com algumas modificações daqui: Clique aqui!)
Quem quiser ver o vídeo da luta, tá aqui o link: Clique aqui!
Abaixo tem algumas imagens: