THE GOD FATHER OF MMA: BRUCE LEE

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Bruce Lee was a Chinese-American movie star and martial artist who became one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. Bruce Lee was born in SanFrancisco’s China town district and moved to Hong Kong at an early age. Bruce Lee started his martial arts training at the age of thirteen when he became immersed in the teachings of Wing Chun under master Yip Man in 1954. When it was later discovered that Bruce Lee was part caucasian the Chinese community frowned upon him learning the art of Wing Chun, but he continued on with his practice of the form.

Later on in life Bruce Lee opened up his own martial arts school in Seattle called the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, where he taught Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu). His teachings were based on his personal take on Wing Chun.

Jeet Kune Do originated in 1967. After filming one season of The Green Hornet, Lee found himself out of work and opened The Jun Fan Institute of Gung Fu. The controversial match with Wong Jack Man influenced Lee’s philosophy about martial arts. Lee concluded that the fight had lasted too long and that he had failed to live up to his potential using his Wing Chun techniques. He took the view that traditional martial arts techniques were too rigid and formalistic to be practical in scenarios of chaotic street fighting. Lee decided to develop a system with an emphasis on “practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency”. He started to use different methods of training such as weight trainingfor strength, running for endurance, stretching for flexibility, and many others which he constantly adapted, including fencing and basic boxing techniques.

Lee practiced what he called “the style of no style”. This consisted of getting rid of the formalised approach which Lee claimed was indicative of traditional styles. The idea of his martial art was to exist outside of parameters and limitations. Borrowing and implementing techniques and moves from other styles of martial arts and fighting to fit into the unpredictable nature of street fighting which has now been converted into the sport known as MMA or Mixed Martial Arts. Thanks to Bruce Lee’s revolutionary way of approaching martial arts and passing his teachings on to western society the world has benefited by paving the way for a new breed of athlete, the 21st century gladiator, the MMA FIGHTER.

(SOURCE: WIKI)

MMA HALL OF FAME: CHUCK LIDDELL

ALIAS: “ THE ICEMAN”

DIVISION: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (205)

WINS: 21

LOSSES: 8

LAST FIGHT: UFC 115

NATIONALITY: AMERICAN

ACHIEVEMENTS: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION (UFC 52, UFC 54, UFC 57, UFC 62, UFC 66) INAUGURAL COACH OF ” THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER” REALITY SERIES ON SPIKE TV(2005), INDUCTED INTO UFC HALL OF FAME (JULY 10, 2009)

STYLES: KICKBOXING, WRESTLING (NCAA), BJJ(PURPLE BELT), KENPO KARATE(5TH DAN BLACK BELT), KOEI KAN KARATE(BLACK BELT)

ABOUT: Liddell is associated with John Hackleman and The Pit fight team and earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Liddell has a brother, Sean, who also competes in MMA, fighting last in the WEC. He also has a brother named Dan and a sister named Laura. Liddell continues to train in San Luis Obispo, California, where he attended college. He has two children, a daughter named Trista, with female MMA fighter Casey Noland, and son Cade.Chuck once dated the female host of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Willa Ford. Liddell is no longer engaged to his longtime girlfriend Erin Wilson. He is a former part owner of two bars in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dillinger’s and NZone. He also owns a store called “Ultimate Iceman”, a memorabilia store in San Luis Obispo. Liddell endorsed John McCain in the 2008 United States presidential election. Liddell proposed to his girlfriend Heidi Northcott on November 4, 2010. The couple had a first child together, a daughter, in 2011.

Liddell began studying Koei-Kan karate at the age of 12; the tattoo seen on his scalp reads “Koei-Kan”. Liddell was a four-year starter on the football team at San Marcos High School. While growing up in Santa Barbara, he often frequented the infamous Del Playa Drive, the middle of the party scene of the college town of Isla Vista, where he often found himself in fights with drunk college students. He also claims to be 3rd generation Irish in his autobiography. He became a Division I wrestler at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Accounting in 1995. He holds an amateur kickboxing record of 20 wins and 2 losses, with 16 of his wins coming by way of knockout.

When Liddell started his MMA career, he began to train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Lewis in Las Vegas, Nevada. Liddell made his UFC debut in 1998 during UFC 17 in Mobile, Alabama, with a decision victory over Noe Hernandez. Despite a Technical submission loss to top contender Jeremy Horn shortly after, Liddell began establishing his reputation as a top contender with dominant victories over Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, Amar Suloev, Jeff Monson, Renato Sobral and Tito Ortiz. Liddell was also the first UFC fighter currently on the roster to go fight in Pride where he represented the organization against fellow kickboxer Guy Mezger, knocking him out cold in one of the most exciting fights in the earlier days of MMA.

With the opinions and considerations of his family and friends in mind after losing three consecutive fights by knockout, Liddell decided to end his fighting career on December 29, 2010. At the UFC 125 press conference, Liddell announced his retirement and stated he would be taking the position of Vice President of Business Development within the UFC. Liddell was visibly emotional at the announcement, acknowledging his retirement and an end to his fighting with words of farewell: “Most of all I want to thank my fans and my family. I love this sport and I’m excited to go to this new stage in my life and keep promoting the best sport in the world, the sport I love… now that I’m retired.” (SOURCE WIKI)

MMA CORNER NOTE: A UFC Hall of Famer, The ICEMAN finished his career with the 2nd most knockouts in UFC history. This man is a true champion, holding onto his title for 5 consecutive title defenses. Liddell was famous for his haymaker which leveled several opponents in the octagon including some infamous names in MMA such as Alistair Overeem, Randy Couture, Kevin Randleman, Tito Ortiz, and Guy Mezger. Chuck Liddell can also be accredited with bringing the sport of MMA to mainstream America. ICEMAN, Sir we salute you for your dedication and stewardship of the sport we all have come to LOVE.

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MMA HALL OF FAME: RANDY COUTURE

ALIAS: “CAPTAIN AMERICA” or “THE NATURAL”

DIVISION: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (205) & HEAVYWEIGHT (205+ LBS)

WINS: 19

LOSSES: 11

LAST FIGHT: UFC 129

NATIONALITY: AMERICAN

ACHIEVEMENTS: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION (UFC 43, UFC 49,)  & HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION (UFC 13, UFC JAPAN, UFC 28, UFC 31, UFC 34, UFC 68, UFC 74)

STYLES: BOXING, GRECO ROMAN, CATCH WRESTLING.

ABOUT: Randy Duane Couture ( D.O.B. June 22, 1963) is an American actor, retired mixed martial artist, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestler. During his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Couture became a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, an Interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and was the UFC 13 Heavyweight Tournament Winner.^[2] Couture is the first fighter to hold twoUFC championship titles in two different divisions (heavyweight and light heavyweight). Couture has competed in a record 15 title fights. He holds the most title reigns in the UFC with five. His last fight with Lyoto Machidamarked his 24th fight in the UFC, the third largest number of fights in the UFC (Tito Ortiz is first with 27 and Matt Hughes is second with 25). Couture is the fourth member of the UFC Hall of Fame. He is the only person over the age of 40 to have won a UFC championship fight, having done so four times.

Couture was an Olympic wrestling alternate and has lived in Corvallis, Oregon, throughout much of his career, where he served as an assistant wrestling coach and a strength and conditioning coach for Oregon State University.^[3] He established Team Quest with Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson, a training camp for fighters, based out of Gresham, Oregon, and headed by coach Robert Folis. In 2005, Couture moved to Las Vegas, where he opened his own extensive chain of gyms under the name Xtreme Couture. He currently trains at his Las Vegas-based gym. Couture partnered with Bas Rutten in the opening of Legends Gym in Hollywood, California.

Couture is generally recognized as a clinch and ground-and-pound fighter who uses his wrestling ability to execute take downs, establish top position and successively strike the opponent on the bottom. Couture has displayed a variety of skills in boxing and catch wrestling and has submitted four opponents using different chokeholds. Couture is the only athlete in UFC history to win a championship after becoming a Hall of Fame member and is the oldest title holder ever (in the UFC and MMA). (SOURCE WIKI)

MMA CORNER NOTE: Humble, Respectful, Gracious. A few words that represent this Hall Of Famer. Randy Couture is man who represented what a true champion is all about. This man grew with the sport from it’s days of infancy (Back in the days when the UFC still had semi-finals) and showed the world the that MMA is not a reckless human cock-fight, but a sport that can high light an athlete’s most amazing qualities. I salute you Captain America!

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