Down Syndrome, MMA fighter

Here's 23-year-old Garrett. He's an MMA fighter who also happens to have Down Syndrome. His parents have apparently taken quite a lot of flack for letting their son fight in mixed martial arts against someone without a disability.

Although these concerns are understandable, I'd argue that there is no easy way to hold a real fighter down when he wants to fight. And Garrett here undoubtedly is just that: a real fighter.

And as this great, inspirational video says: "What do we see in a reflection?" Are we looking at an individual with a disability, or someone with possibilities? If Garrett doesn't label himself, why should we?

Make sure you visit Garrett's fight to read more about a young man who is a role model for other people with disabilities, and who also have begun teaching MMA.

Here's 23-year-old Garrett. He's an MMA fighter who also happens to have Down Syndrome. His parents have apparently taken quite a lot of flack for letting their son fight in mixed martial arts against someone without a disability.

Although these concerns are understandable, I'd argue that there is no easy way to hold a real fighter down when he wants to fight. And Garrett here undoubtedly is just that: a real fighter.

And as this great, inspirational video says: "What do we see in a reflection?" Are we looking at an individual with a disability, or someone with possibilities? If Garrett doesn't label himself, why should we?

Make sure you visit Garrett's fight to read more about a young man who is a role model for other people with disabilities, and who also have begun teaching MMA.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Crappy "krotty" drivers

Car crash - Illustration from Wikipedia

Really hope we don't see any crappy "krotty" drivers trends here...

First you had the wild story of the karate (aka. krotty) parent from Ohio who drove his two young children to karate practice, while under influence ... and managed to be an hour late to boot.

Then you had another one - from Ontario, Canada this time. Karate parent late for his son's class. Windsorstar.com reports:

A 26-year-old man has been charged with careless driving. Police reports show he was late getting his son to Karate class.
The two-car collision happened just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday night.
A 2004 Chevrolet, driven by the 26-year-old man, was travelling southbound on Bernard hit a 2009 Pontiac travelling eastbound on Seminole, causing the Chevrolet to slam into the wall of Trevi Pizza.

Guys, take it easy... please. Karate and other martial arts is supposed to be fun and all that ... nothing to risk anyone's life or health over.

Car crash - Illustration from Wikipedia

Really hope we don't see any crappy "krotty" drivers trends here...

First you had the wild story of the karate (aka. krotty) parent from Ohio who drove his two young children to karate practice, while under influence ... and managed to be an hour late to boot.

Then you had another one - from Ontario, Canada this time. Karate parent late for his son's class. Windsorstar.com reports:

A 26-year-old man has been charged with careless driving. Police reports show he was late getting his son to Karate class.
The two-car collision happened just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday night.
A 2004 Chevrolet, driven by the 26-year-old man, was travelling southbound on Bernard hit a 2009 Pontiac travelling eastbound on Seminole, causing the Chevrolet to slam into the wall of Trevi Pizza.

Guys, take it easy... please. Karate and other martial arts is supposed to be fun and all that ... nothing to risk anyone's life or health over.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Used jiu-jitsu to protect sister

Honolulu - Illustration from Flickr.com

It's always great to have a big brother protecting you, as case here from Hawaii is a shining example of :-)

11-year-old Jonah Yano used his years of jiu-jitsu training - as well as his brotherly love - to help fight of an attempted carjacker in Honolulu.

The incident occurred in November 2011, according to kitv.com. Go there to read the whole story and watch the video.

Jay Yano didn't have the day after Thanksgiving off, so he planned to take his two young children towork with him. As his kids loaded into his truck, parked right outside their home in Honolulu, Yano left the vehicle running as he quickly walked to the truck's rear.
"That's when I noticed the guy walking from across the street, coming over," said Jay Yano.
Yano said within a split second, his truck began to pull forward, with his 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son inside. He ran to the driver's side door.
"(When) I opened the car (door), I saw my son holding the guy down with his left hand," said Yano.

Apart from the happy ending and brave actions of Yano, the case clearly shows how quickly bad things can happen.

Honolulu - Illustration from Flickr.com

It's always great to have a big brother protecting you, as case here from Hawaii is a shining example of :-)

11-year-old Jonah Yano used his years of jiu-jitsu training - as well as his brotherly love - to help fight of an attempted carjacker in Honolulu.

The incident occurred in November 2011, according to kitv.com. Go there to read the whole story and watch the video.

Jay Yano didn't have the day after Thanksgiving off, so he planned to take his two young children towork with him. As his kids loaded into his truck, parked right outside their home in Honolulu, Yano left the vehicle running as he quickly walked to the truck's rear.
"That's when I noticed the guy walking from across the street, coming over," said Jay Yano.
Yano said within a split second, his truck began to pull forward, with his 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son inside. He ran to the driver's side door.
"(When) I opened the car (door), I saw my son holding the guy down with his left hand," said Yano.

Apart from the happy ending and brave actions of Yano, the case clearly shows how quickly bad things can happen.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

No kung fu for you!

No, it is not the "Soup-Nazi" speaking, just a father of a young Chinese boy realizing that it was probably not a master plan after all to send his son. Chinadaily.com.cn reports about the incident:

A 12-year-old boy sent by his father to learn martial arts at a Buddhist temple ran to police for help after a few days when he found the monks there to be in poor condition.
The boy, surnamed Lu, from Chenjiafang village in Shaoyang, Hunan province, said his father took him to the temple in nearby Yueyang on Jan 23 claiming he could become a kungfu master. Instead, Lu found the temple shabby and that the monks in ragged clothes were incapable of teaching anything.

Kung fu monastery - from Wikipedia.org

It may appear to the casual observer that a lot of places are trying to "cash in" on the current kung fu craze. Parents should as always do some preliminary checks before sending their kids to any martial arts school or institution! Agree?

Feel free to add your comments and experience into the matter.

No, it is not the "Soup-Nazi" speaking, just a father of a young Chinese boy realizing that it was probably not a master plan after all to send his son. Chinadaily.com.cn reports about the incident:

A 12-year-old boy sent by his father to learn martial arts at a Buddhist temple ran to police for help after a few days when he found the monks there to be in poor condition.
The boy, surnamed Lu, from Chenjiafang village in Shaoyang, Hunan province, said his father took him to the temple in nearby Yueyang on Jan 23 claiming he could become a kungfu master. Instead, Lu found the temple shabby and that the monks in ragged clothes were incapable of teaching anything.

Kung fu monastery - from Wikipedia.org

It may appear to the casual observer that a lot of places are trying to "cash in" on the current kung fu craze. Parents should as always do some preliminary checks before sending their kids to any martial arts school or institution! Agree?

Feel free to add your comments and experience into the matter.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Accused: Top karate coach

Karate training - From Wikipedia.com

Here's another case of an alleged sexual assault case against a well known and respected karate coach, this time from Botswana.

Below, you will see parts of what thevoicebw.com has to say about the matter.

And by all means, let us be clear that being accused is not the same as a guilty sentence..

Police are investigating allegations against well-known karate instructor Andrew Dobolo, accused of sexually assaulting two young girls in his charge during last month's Botswana Games.
Dobolo, a Presidential award winner and viewed as one of the country's shining sports personalities, was the manager of the Gaborone karate team during the competition when the alleged incidents occurred.
Filing charges recently the girl's parents contented that on two separate occasions Dobolo lured the two girls aged 13 and 15 to his house where he sexually molested them.

So, what's your take on this? Does it appear that the number of cases is actually growing, or do you believe it's more a case of more cases being known to the public? Feel free to leave your comment below.

Karate training - From Wikipedia.com

Here's another case of an alleged sexual assault case against a well known and respected karate coach, this time from Botswana.

Below, you will see parts of what thevoicebw.com has to say about the matter.

And by all means, let us be clear that being accused is not the same as a guilty sentence..

Police are investigating allegations against well-known karate instructor Andrew Dobolo, accused of sexually assaulting two young girls in his charge during last month's Botswana Games.
Dobolo, a Presidential award winner and viewed as one of the country's shining sports personalities, was the manager of the Gaborone karate team during the competition when the alleged incidents occurred.
Filing charges recently the girl's parents contented that on two separate occasions Dobolo lured the two girls aged 13 and 15 to his house where he sexually molested them.

So, what's your take on this? Does it appear that the number of cases is actually growing, or do you believe it's more a case of more cases being known to the public? Feel free to leave your comment below.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Closing martial arts schools

When martial arts businesses are closing down with little or no warning, it puts a bad name on the martial arts community as a whole and students and parents alike are left in the dust.

What is even worse is that some of these closed schools is down to criminal activities of the operators, or quarrels and disagreements among instructors and owners - often times "political" issues over power, control or money.

The following two cases are recent examples:

South Dakota -- A Sioux Falls martial arts school abruptly closed its doors Monday morning. Now, the owner of the school and parents of students taking lessons are accusing each other of wrongdoing.

Each side says the other took money and failed to live up to various obligations. And it's the kids who are being caught in the middle of a very different kind of fight.

The first word many parents of those students received about this dispute was notice during the school day that the vehicle that normally picks up their children to take them to classes wouldn't be showing up.

The Elite Martial Arts Academy was officially formed on August 1. Back in April, when it was called the Sioux Falls Martial Arts Academy, owner Tom Werner asked for $35 membership fees for students to join USA Taekwondo.

That membership allows kids to travel to national competitions. But according to former instructors, as well as some parents, those applications haven't been processed more than five months later.

----

South Carolina -- When a Boiling Springs mom went to drop off her children at a popular martial arts business last Thursday she found a sign on the door that said "no more classes."

The woman (...) says she paid $1,132 to All-American Martial Arts Center in Boiling Springs on August 31. The money was paid as a six-month advance, but she says her children received only two and a half weeks of classes before the place closed.

The woman says another mother at the facility told her, "The owner's been arrested, and they're closing, and I said wait a minute. I just paid for six months! ... I paid in full.

Spartanburg County deputies did arrest (the owner) on August 16 and charged him with 2nd degree burglary, petite larceny and obtaining goods under false pretenses. Deputies say (the owner) stole jewelry from the home of one of his clients and later pawned it.

----

What's your take on situations like this? Any experiences about martial arts businesses closing down you care to share with the rest of us? Feel free to comment below!

When martial arts businesses are closing down with little or no warning, it puts a bad name on the martial arts community as a whole and students and parents alike are left in the dust.

What is even worse is that some of these closed schools is down to criminal activities of the operators, or quarrels and disagreements among instructors and owners - often times "political" issues over power, control or money.

The following two cases are recent examples:

South Dakota -- A Sioux Falls martial arts school abruptly closed its doors Monday morning. Now, the owner of the school and parents of students taking lessons are accusing each other of wrongdoing.

Each side says the other took money and failed to live up to various obligations. And it's the kids who are being caught in the middle of a very different kind of fight.

The first word many parents of those students received about this dispute was notice during the school day that the vehicle that normally picks up their children to take them to classes wouldn't be showing up.

The Elite Martial Arts Academy was officially formed on August 1. Back in April, when it was called the Sioux Falls Martial Arts Academy, owner Tom Werner asked for $35 membership fees for students to join USA Taekwondo.

That membership allows kids to travel to national competitions. But according to former instructors, as well as some parents, those applications haven't been processed more than five months later.

----

South Carolina -- When a Boiling Springs mom went to drop off her children at a popular martial arts business last Thursday she found a sign on the door that said "no more classes."

The woman (...) says she paid $1,132 to All-American Martial Arts Center in Boiling Springs on August 31. The money was paid as a six-month advance, but she says her children received only two and a half weeks of classes before the place closed.

The woman says another mother at the facility told her, "The owner's been arrested, and they're closing, and I said wait a minute. I just paid for six months! ... I paid in full.

Spartanburg County deputies did arrest (the owner) on August 16 and charged him with 2nd degree burglary, petite larceny and obtaining goods under false pretenses. Deputies say (the owner) stole jewelry from the home of one of his clients and later pawned it.

----

What's your take on situations like this? Any experiences about martial arts businesses closing down you care to share with the rest of us? Feel free to comment below!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Judo worries parents

Japan -- From 2012, martial arts such as judo will be compulsory in schools across the country, according to english.aljazeera.net.

The program will help preserve the country's national sport of judo according to Japanese government officials, and for people who love all martial arts like we do, it comes as an apparently great decision.

However, many Japanese parents and also experts are voicing their concern - something which is understandable from the following numbers.

It is shown that 114 students have died (it is even said at least that number) and another 261 have been seriously injured while practicing the sport in school over the last 30 years, a number which is claimed to be five times higher than those shown in other large sports.

Is judo a dangerous sport? Of course not. Under safe guidance and qualified instruction it is way less dangerous than most other sports. If you take a country like France, where judo is a huge sport, there has been no reported deaths among children practicing the sport.

The point here is rather that you have no safety instructions in the Japanese school judo as well as non qualified, highly inexperienced teachers/instructors. Some of them apparently have been given just a basic three days of training before being set to teach children judo.

Combine that with a (Japanese judo) sports culture that is said to celebrate toughness, and you may have yourself an unfortunate road to more serious incidents.

Japan -- From 2012, martial arts such as judo will be compulsory in schools across the country, according to english.aljazeera.net.

The program will help preserve the country's national sport of judo according to Japanese government officials, and for people who love all martial arts like we do, it comes as an apparently great decision.

However, many Japanese parents and also experts are voicing their concern - something which is understandable from the following numbers.

It is shown that 114 students have died (it is even said at least that number) and another 261 have been seriously injured while practicing the sport in school over the last 30 years, a number which is claimed to be five times higher than those shown in other large sports.

Is judo a dangerous sport? Of course not. Under safe guidance and qualified instruction it is way less dangerous than most other sports. If you take a country like France, where judo is a huge sport, there has been no reported deaths among children practicing the sport.

The point here is rather that you have no safety instructions in the Japanese school judo as well as non qualified, highly inexperienced teachers/instructors. Some of them apparently have been given just a basic three days of training before being set to teach children judo.

Combine that with a (Japanese judo) sports culture that is said to celebrate toughness, and you may have yourself an unfortunate road to more serious incidents.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fight for kisses

Ha, ha, a brilliant commercial here - totally worth seeing. A diaper-dan fighter for sure :-)

Ha, ha, a brilliant commercial here - totally worth seeing. A diaper-dan fighter for sure :-)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Acquitted of rape charge

Colorado -- A former member of the U.S. Olympic judo team has been acquitted by a jury of raping a 15-year-old girl in Colorado Springs in 2008, according to gazette.com.

He was however found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of having oral sex with a juvenile who was at least 10 years his junior.

The man will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the misdemeanor convictions. He is facing up to two years in the county jail when he is sentenced February 8, 2011.

Also, a civil lawsuit the girl and her parents filed against him and the girl's judo team is still pending.

Colorado -- A former member of the U.S. Olympic judo team has been acquitted by a jury of raping a 15-year-old girl in Colorado Springs in 2008, according to gazette.com.

He was however found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of having oral sex with a juvenile who was at least 10 years his junior.

The man will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the misdemeanor convictions. He is facing up to two years in the county jail when he is sentenced February 8, 2011.

Also, a civil lawsuit the girl and her parents filed against him and the girl's judo team is still pending.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Kama killer

Oklahoma -- A 21-year-old man accused of slaying his mother in Durant with martial arts weapons will have to undergo another round of mental evaluations. One doctor reportedly ruled him competent to stand trial and another said he was incompetent, according to durantdemocrat.com.

The young man was charged in April with first-degree murder after authorities said he killed his  54-year-old mother at an apartment in Durant with a pair of kama. He was also charged with animal cruelty because he also mutilated the family dog, according to investigators.

Police said the young man was found hiding inside a closet, armed with a sword. A police officer shot him with non-lethal shells from a shotgun, ending the stand-off.

Oklahoma -- A 21-year-old man accused of slaying his mother in Durant with martial arts weapons will have to undergo another round of mental evaluations. One doctor reportedly ruled him competent to stand trial and another said he was incompetent, according to durantdemocrat.com.

The young man was charged in April with first-degree murder after authorities said he killed his  54-year-old mother at an apartment in Durant with a pair of kama. He was also charged with animal cruelty because he also mutilated the family dog, according to investigators.

Police said the young man was found hiding inside a closet, armed with a sword. A police officer shot him with non-lethal shells from a shotgun, ending the stand-off.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad