Thoughts of Muay Boran, Krabi-Krabong, and Kung Fu

So, I've been doing some more research on Muay Thai and other martial arts, primarily surfing on youtube for techniques and demos. In my searching I stumbled across Muay Boran/Muay Thai Boran, which is far more of a martial art than straight up Muay Thai. After looking at some videos I found it to be strangely pretty while also quite deadly, as most martial arts are. So I am thinking about training myself in a little bit of Muay Boran (I can only find Muay Thai schools in my area!)

What is of real interest to me from my youtube galavants is Krabi-Krabong, basically Thai swordfighting or Muay Boran with sharp pointy things ZOMG SO AWESOME. Alot of the technique I've seen in Krabi-Krabong is with single-hand swords (Daab) that are dual-wielded, and for some reason the videos make me want to shell out moneys for a set of Daab and lessons.

A set of Daab. What is interesting about Daab is that their handles should be long and used as counterbalances, since they are meant to be wielded in one hand.

preeetttyyyy Daabs.....

aaand a video I found on youtube, Krabi-Krabong sparring starts at 2:20

I really hope one day to learn Krabi-Krabong so I have absolutely no excuse anymore to not own swords, particularly an eastern ones (....unfortunately, I can't pull off swords in MMA, so there you go.)

Also, I am thinking about learning Kung Fu to round out my severely lacking defense. Having only two months of formal, rudimentary Muay Thai training, I can sorta punch, elbow, knee, and roundhouse my way through sparring, but defensively, I'm pretty lame. A lot of that probably stems from my brawler approach to fighting (see my Cyborg vs Yamanaka post,) but more of that is from slow reflexes and lackluster core strength. Kung Fu appears to be an incredibly effective defensive art, and if I want to avoid banging up my face I need to do something to round out my skill sets. Luckily, there is a Kung Fu place about 15-30 minutes walking distance from the Cabell Library bus stop in Richmond, so, if their rates aren't too bad, I may enroll in a few classes.

So, anyways happy New Year everybody!

photo creds: Macao Museum of Art website and this blog that gets awkward in 2011 so don't look at those posts.

Cyborg vs Yamanaka reactions

Okay.

So.

Cyborg vs Yamanaka last night.

All I can say about this fight is:

A) AH MAH GAWD CYBORG

B) Yamanaka, why you so unprepared?

C) This fight just did not last long enough.

A) You can just tell that Cyborg was itching to get back in the cage after having a year-long hiatus because of contract difficulties and some uncertainty with the Zuffa purchase of Strikeforce. She just went straight to the point in this fight: "I am Cyborg, #1 pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world, and you are not."

After some thought, reflection on sparring, and feedback from training/sparring friends, I think I might decide to base my fighting style on Cyborg's. While I highly doubt I will ever be able to have the muscle power of Cyborg, I admire her quickness and controlled aggression (I'm sure by now you all have pretty much noticed that I'm a fan of her.) I've been told I have good intensity and heavy hands (and apparently a good fighting face,) and I mainly need improvements to my cardio, defense, and fight awareness. So yeah, I think I'm going to apply Cyborg's fighting style to what I do

B) At this point, I would think it should be obvious to any fighter challenging Cyborg that they should be prepared for the woman's aggression and power. I have no doubt that Yamanaka was studying Cyborg's fights and preparing herself, but it just didn't seem to show in this fight. Maybe Yamanaka was not expecting Cyborg to jump right into the fight as she did - the overall style of fighters in Jewels, the Japan-based fighing organization Yamanaka came from, appears to be a quieter, more-calculated, counter-strike type creature, which contrasts with Cyborg's Chute Box training and style. The Jewels fighters also do not appear to have the stiff, heavy hands of Cyborg, so Yamanaka may not have been prepared to take the power strikes that the 145-lb champion was dishing out. Still, Yamanaka should have been expecting the explosiveness from Cyborg, and her tall, leggy frame would have been perfect to keep Cyborg at a distance. Whatever preparations Yamanaka no doubt made, either it did not seem to show in this fight, or she was far outmatched by Cyborg.

C) I know how important it is to get a fight done as quickly as possible, but at the same time... entertainment value, guys. Women's MMA fights are still too few and far between, and seeing such exciting fighters get finished before it even gets to the 2 minute mark in the first round... well, its a little disappointing, especially in this case for me. I was hoping to see a good challenge for Cyborg's first fight in a year, and I was hoping to see some exciting counter-striking and technique on display from Yamanaka. I don't know - I feel like this particular fight should have gone on a little longer.

In any event, exciting fight still, and I hope to see more from Strikeforce in 2012 (yes they will be putting out fights all year! Score!)

Thoughts on Upcoming Strikeforce "Melendez vs Masvidal"

December 17th is the next Strikeforce event, the main card being the lightweight title fight between champion Gilbert Melendez and challenger Jorge Masvidal. Following that will be the women's featherweight championship fight Cyborg vs Yamanaka, with light heavyweights Mousasi vs St. Preux and lightweights KJ Noons vs Billy Evangelista afterwards.

According to Sherdog, the MMA site I go to occasionally, the main fight should be an exciting one as long as it stays a stand-up battle. From what I've seen, both Melendez and Masvidal are good strikers with very polished technique, which, from personal taste, I prefer watching over an all-out brawler. Sherdog predicts Melendez will win after Masvidal gets tired in the final rounds. With UFC keeping an eye on Melendez, I'm sure he's gonna work extra hard to outshine and KO his challenger. However, I'd like Masvidal to win based purely on the fact I like his face more I'm allowed to be shallow every once and a while.* 

But as you all should expect from me by now, the point of real interest to me, and the fight I know more background about, is the women's fight. Cyborg is gonna fight!!!! She hasn't had a challenger since June of last year, so the world of women's MMA is itching to see Cyborg in the ring again. Following the Melendez vs Masvidal fight is the featherweight championship battle between title holder Cris "Cyborg" Santos and her challenger Hiroko Yamanaka.

Cyborg is a fast and aggressive fighter without sacrificing too much technique. Thought not as technical a fighter as Gina Carano was, her strength lies in her ability to properly channel aggression and in her raw power that most women fighters cannot match. Not only is her stand-up striking game impressive (8 of her 10 wins have been from TKOs,) the woman is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and if you take her to the ground, she will make you pay.

Elaborating on properly channeled aggression, compare Cyborg to Zoila Frausto, who is a Bellator fighter. Frausto is aggressive and throws devastating power strikes; but Frausto's aggression appears uncontrolled and her technique is sloppy (WHY does she have a title belt, Bellator? WHY?) Cyborg has just as much, if not more, aggression than Frausto, but her strikes remain clean and, despite the brute force she delivers, she seems controlled, balanced, and alert.

Ranked #2 featherweight fighter in the world and standing at 5'11", Yamanaka has a height and reach advantage over Cyborg, which she will have to exploit in order to keep the champion out of striking range. Reviewing Yamanaka's fights, she is a very technical Muay Thai fighter who does indeed know how to use her height to her advantage. She will have to be able to take punishment from Cyborg, however, if she intends on winning.

Sherdog predicts Cyborg will TKO Yamanaka in the first round, but because we all know Dana White the UFC will be watching, I hope, for more than just entertainment's sake, they fight for longer. While it would be interesting to see an upset, and probably beneficial to give Cyborg a worthy opponent since Gina Carano's been so woefully absent, I can see Yamanaka being overwhelmed by Cyborg's aggression.

I might paper-view pay-per-view and watch the events on Showtime this weekend, but I'm not sure. If not I can always youtube the fights, because Strikeforce has never really seemed to mind having people put their fights on the internet.

I'll post my reactions when I get the chance to watch!



*(I also used to root for the Baltimore Ravens because I liked their jerseys more than anyone else's in the NFL, but now I do because they Ball So Hard. Fan's gotta start somewhere.)

311 at the National 11/30/2011

First off.

OH MAH GAWD!!!!!!!! I JUST SAW 311!!!!! IT WAS AWESUMMMM JAFIEWJFKSDLFKSGJIEQ!!!!

I'd been planning this for a whole month! Spent the past week psyching myself up with 311 on repeat on my ipod, yes indeedy.

I went with two of my friends from back in the (540) and we decided to do the Early-In program with Gibson's Grill, the restaurant that is attached to the National. Basically, you show your ticket and a reciept for $10 of food per person (minimum total purchase of $15) and they let you in 15 minutes before the doors of the National open.

This here was our meal - margherita pizzas and nachos

We may have waited an hour before anything started, but it was totally worth it, I mean....

...This is the spot we got, front row and dead center. Be jealous, guys.

"DJ Soulman" opened for 311 that night. It was quite good dubstep, he even scratched well, though I was wanting more scratch than dub at that point.

Using a Mac, of course, because that's how it's done.

Then, finally, after an hour and 45 minutes, came the part we were all waiting for:  P-Nut  SA's dance moves Nick Hexum 311!!!! (and yes I did get to touch Nick Hexum's hand and high five SA)

Welcome to the Nick Hexum gun show. That'll be $47.

Chad Sexton's drum set looks like a small Borg collective

It was so hard to get a good shot of SA, he was rocking out so much!

P-NUUUUUUUUT

Highlights from the night: Amber, Down, Come Original, All Mixed Up, Beautiful Disaster, Count Me In, and Homebrew... they played Homebrew, guys!!!

SA rocks the tambourine

So pretty much, best night I've had for a while! They may not have topped No Doubt at Nissan on my 17th birthday, but I'm pretty sure true love couldn't top No Doubt, and 311 was most definitely a close second.

Good times, guys, good times.