The annual S-Cup tournament commenced on 11/24/08, with 2 mma artists joining the card including former IFL light weight champ Chris Horodecki and Chute Boxe Luiz Azeredo, 2 shoot boxing pioneer veterans current S-Cup World Champion Kenichi Ogata, S-Cup Japan Qualifier Hiroki Shishido, S-Cup Europe qualifier Edvin Kibus, David Schneldmiller a pupil of Andy Souwer all with their sites on an opportunity to face the favored tournament contender, WMTA, ISKA, WKA, 2 time K-1 Max and 4 time S-Cup World Champion Andy Souwer.

Chris Horodecki vs. Hiroki Shishido

Luiz Azeredo vs. David Schneldmiller

Semi Final 1

Continue reading "Shootboxing S-Cup 2008 Highlights"

The 4th installment of the Shooto Tradition series was headlined by
several veterans including Lion Takeshi Inoue recapturing the 143lbs
Shooto Featherweight title from Hideki Kadowaki. Headlining the card
was, Hatsu Hioki of Alive Academy vs. Rumina Sato of K'z Factory
??(Moon Wolf). The TKO Featherweight champ made easy work of Shooto
pioneer veteran Rumina Sato. The end game arrived when Sato was
overpowered by Hioki's over under middle clinch bating Sato into a
underhook fight then immediately offbalancing into a kosoto gari leg
trip into a side mount take down. The disparity in Hioki's ability to
pass a virtually non existent rubber guard of Sato is perplexing

Continue reading "Alive Academy Update Hatsu Hioki Crushes Rumina Sato Shooto Tradition 4"

Seiya Kawahara

P's Lab Yokohama

As we see a new wave of NCAA all american wrestlers and BJJ champions taking the MMA scene by storm, we observe stronger foundations and integration of a higher order of grappling, pounding, striking prowess by Team Quest - Mo Lowal(King Mo), Mark Layman BJJ - Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Extreme Couture - Jake Rosholt, anticpated debut of Robert Drysdale, UJJ - Xande Ribeiro, and former Penn State University No. 1 @ 197lbs - Phil Davis.

Across the pacific, a similar trend is ocuring as we see a new wave of amateurs making their pro come ups, as we take a closer look at a new life of artists from Japan. Seiya Kawahara, currently undefeated with a 6 fight winning streak since making his debut in GCM, now representing Pancrase out of P's Lab Yokohama, captures a 5/6 KO and TKO percentage streak, formidable upcomer.

Continue reading "Seiya Kawahara - New Blood From Pancrase Ps Lab Yokohama JPN"

This Chubu region Kyokushin champion posesses the complete package, with powerful combinations of boxing, kickboxing and kyokushin karate sharp shoots, with phenomenal footwork and offensive timing off of defensive postures on counter sharp shoots and set up combinations by doubling and tripling jabs. With a brutal TKO victory against Daizo Sasaki in the quarter finals of the K-1 final 8 with a russian hook left switch high kick and right cross left hook, right upper cut combination, Kusakabe will face Masato's prodigy Hiroya in the K-1 Koshien Final 4 at K-1 Dynamite this winter 2008. Dropping a split decision to 2007 K-1 Under 18 champion Yudai, Hiroya faces his toughest opposition to date. 

Continue reading "Chubu Kyokushin Champ Ryuya Kusakabe To Face Hiroya At K-1 Dynamite 2008"

Based out of Nagoya, The Alive Academy is a cross between JiuJiutsu Academy and sanctioned official Shooto gym.  There are subtle differences stylistically with respect to other official Shooto Gyms across the Kanto region. They all marshal variations of the core Shooto philosophies which include a full spectrum approach to MMA tying in effective striking, pounding, wrestling, catch, MMAgrappling, Judo, BJJ concepts. One defining characteristic of the Alive camp is their ability to incorporate and adapt their strong BJJ base into concepts usable in the MMA rules, integrating striking as faints to set up greco clinches, trips, and improving ground positions to ippon finishes or TKO's. Takesuke Kume a byproduct of the Alive Academy is a bright prospect with a strong accolade crowned as the 2006 Shooto Middle Weight Amateur Champion. Although the accessiblity of his amateur bouts are limited online, Kume now 4-0 is known most notably for his beautiful pounding transition to standing RNC of Takuya Sato last October at Shooto GiG Central 13. Breaking into the Shooto Class A ranks unscathed, Kume is a promising addition and hopeful for a thining Shooto middle weight (under 67 kg/167 lbs) division.

Continue reading "A Look Into Alive Academy Nagoya Japan"