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Thursday, February 28, 2013

No Holds Barred: Kevin Jackson on Iowa State Going To NCAAs and Big 12s, Saving Olympic Wrestling, and King Mo 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Coach Kevin Jackson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion freestyle wrestler, who is the head wrestling coach for the legendary Iowa State Cyclones.

After a slow start to the 2012-13 college wrestling season, Iowa State reeled off eight wins in their final nine dual meets, with the team now ranked 20th in the nation. Several wrestlers are also individually ranked in the top 20, including redshirt sophomore Kyven Gadson, who is ranked seventh at 197 pounds.

"Were happy with the last few months," said Coach Jackson in this interview, which was recorded by phone Wednesday. "It's just the way our guys are competing. The wins are coming. The dominating performances are coming. The major decisions, the falls, the tech falls are all falling into place."

This all comes at the right time for Iowa State. The regular season is now over, with the Big 12 Duals and Championships slated for March 8-9 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the NCAA Div. I National Championships March 21-23 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Coach Jackson added, "We're still a young team. We have four sophomores and three freshman starting in our lineup. So we're really excited about our future. But also we think for a lot of these guys the future is now, and that there are great opportunities for them at the Big 12s next week, and then at the NCAA tournament a few weeks later."

While college wrestling in the U.S. prepares for these championship tournaments, the entire worlds of wrestling and sports were rocked by the recent decision of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee to drop wrestling from the program of the 2020 Olympics. We also discussed this with Coach Jackson.

"I don't know exactly what went wrong, besides I think our leadership within our international governing body [FILA] was flawed, and we weren't staying ahead of the game," he said. "We weren't staying ahead of what we needed to do to show the IOC that we were worthy of being in the Olympic Games, and the great things that we have done throughout the history of the Olympic Games, and how we are an integral part of those Games. And I don't think our international governing body did that."

Besides going over what changes international wrestling needs to make and what we can do to help save Olympic wrestling, we also discussed the recent loss in the Bellator MMA organization by "King" Mo Lawal, who had trained for years in freestyle wrestling with Coach Jackson at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Coach Jackson was also a professional MMA fighter in the 1990s in both UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting, so he offered some friendly advice to "King" Mo.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

No Holds Barred: Carlos Carvalho on 2013 ADCC North American Qualifier 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Carlos Carvalho, the executive officer of the USA ADCC Federation.

The most important grappling tournament of 2013 in North America is about to happen: the final North American qualifier for the 2013 ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships. This is the last chance for North American grapplers to qualify for the 2013 ADCC World Championships. This qualifier will take place this Saturday, March 2, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the annual Arnold Sports Festival.

The winners in both the five men's weight classes and the two women's weight classes will receive official invitations to compete in the 2013 ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships, which will be held later this year at a date and location to be announced.

We spoke with Carlos Carvalho Wednesday by Skype about this important event.

"It is such a big event. You can't imagine," he said in this interview. The logistics involve bringing competitors from the 48 ADCC Federations around the world, plus the officials and staff, to the event.

"The ADCC is the Olympics of grappling, because we are as big as the Olympics. I don't see any other organization that runs something like this big, except the Olympics."

We discussed the international growth of the ADCC Federations especially in Europe, the high level of athletes who will compete in the North American qualifier, the ADCC rules, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Monday, February 25, 2013

No Holds Barred: Zee Vjesalicu on Ronda Rousey and Women in MMA 


(Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with women's MMA pioneer Zee Vjesalicu.

With a background in judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Zee Vjesalicu turned to MMA in the 1990s, won the International Fighting Championships' women's light-heavyweight title, and had a record of 7-0 with seven submissions (and one no contest) before retiring as a fighter. Along with Becky Levi, Zee is one of the true pioneers of women's MMA in North America. She now lives in Brazil, where she trains people in self-defense and protection, including professionals in that field.

Zee also still follows MMA, and watched Saturday night's fight between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche at UFC 157, won by the unbeaten Rousey by first-round arm bar. Based on what she saw, while she is impressed with Rousey, she believes that she can be beaten.

"I think anybody can," she said in this interview, which was recorded by Skype Sunday. "The thing is, you got to study the videotape. You got to sit down, you got to pick apart all the videotapes. Everything I've seen, is, she rushes in, she gets you around the head, she hip tosses you, she gets on top of you, and she arm bars you." Key to defeating her, then, is "if you can defend the takedown."

Zee also stressed that there is a bad tendency for women fighters to be judged on their looks and not on their talent as athletes and fighters. "If I want to see a beauty contest. then I go to watch Miss America," she said.

We also discussed her career as a fighter, why a fight with the much bigger Becky Levi never happened, whether she would even be booked to fight today if she were still fighting, how a good judo player could beat Ronda Rousey, how she would train Liz Carmouche, the buildup of Ronda Rousey, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

No Holds Barred: Amanda Lucas on Robot Combat League and DEEP 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with MMA fighter and Robot Combat League competitor Amanda Lucas.

Besides mainly fighting in Japan and holding the women's open weight title in the DEEP promotion, Amanda Lucas is a robo-jockey on the first season of the Robot Combat League.

The Robot Combat League features 12 giant state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of the Robot Combat League, which premieres Tuesday, February 26, on Syfy in the U.S., has already been filmed. There will be nine weekly episodes of the Robot Combat League for this debut season. Two of the 12 robo-jockeys, Andrew Montanez and Amanda Lucas, are professional MMA fighters.

We spoke with Amanda Lucas by phone Wednesday both about her participation in the Robot Combat League and about her MMA career.

Discussing the Robot Combat League, she said in this interview that this show is "like nothing that's ever been done. It was a really cool experience. You've got these giant metal machines that can really do some damage. There was this crazy level of excitement." She also explained, "We're the first people to ever do this. You're also working with a teammate who you just met," referring to the robo-tech.

We also discussed how this show will likely appeal both to combat sports fans and those who do not watch combat sports, to what degree robot fighting represents the future of combat sports, her experiences and plans for fighting again for DEEP in Japan, women's MMA in Japan and the U.S., and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

No Holds Barred: Dr. Shaka Zulu on the African Origin of Martial Arts 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with martial artist, and producer and co-host of the Official True School Radio Show on WHCR 90.3 FM in New York, Dr. Shaka Zulu.

Dr. Shaka Zulu is also part of the Universal Zulu Nation, and is an organizer of the 11th annual Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts.

Kemet, as he explained in this interview, is the original and indigenous name for what is now called Egypt.

This event takes place this Saturday, February 23, at the National Black Theatre at 2033 5th Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets in Harlem, New York. It will feature a special picture presentation by Dr. Shaka Zulu, live demonstrations in numerous styles and disciplines of the martial arts, a hip-hop dance showcase, holistic health information, and more. All are welcome.

We spoke with Dr. Shaka Zulu by phone Wednesday night, and discussed this event and the African origin of the martial arts and combat sports.

A lot of people, he said in this interview, tend to think of the origins of martial arts "as coming from out of China or Japan." This is historically inaccurate, he said.

"The root of martial arts actually comes from out of Africa, or Nubia, or Kemet."

We discussed the mountain of historical evidence for this analysis, including some of the remaining drawings and artifacts from ancient days, such as the tomb drawings from at least 4000 years ago depicting hundreds of wrestling positions and martial arts techniques. We also discussed the program for the Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts event, Malcolm X and the martial arts, the need to know the real history of the martial arts including MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how martial arts and combat sports should promote positive values and not thuggery, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Monday, February 18, 2013

No Holds Barred: Jorge Martinez, Phil Doig, John Potenza on Return of Catch Wrestling to New York 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with coach John Potenza and wrestlers Jorge Martinez and Phil Doig of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

On Sunday, February 17, for the first time in almost a century, real catch-as-catch-can wrestling matches were held at a public event in New York City. The setting was the MMA World Expo at the Jacob Javits Center, as the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association put on three matches as well as a demonstration of the techniques and rules of catch wrestling. In this storied style, wrestlers can win by pin or submission, the matches are two out of three falls, and there are no judges or points.

All three matches featured constant back-and-forth action, skillfully executed techniques, and decisive finishes.

In the opening match, at 145 pounds, Jorge Martinez, who had wrestled at Highland Park High School in New Jersey, faced Mike Robinson, who had wrestled at Sandlewood High School in New Jersey. Mike Robinson won the first fall by pin, but Jorge Martinez came back to win the second fall by rear naked choke submission and the third fall by pin. Thus, Jorge Martinez won the match, two falls to one.

Next up was a 160 pound match between two wrestlers from different backgrounds. It pitted Teddy Pericleous, who had wrestled at Colonia High School in New Jersey, against Jack Cordero, who had no wrestling experience prior to training at the Snake Pit USA Catch Wrestling Association, but who holds a record of 4-0 in amateur MMA. Their divergent backgrounds were evident, as Jack Cordero won the first fall by rear naked choke submission, while Teddy Pericleous won falls two and three by pin, thus winning the match.

The third and final match, at 155 pounds, had Mario Perricone, who had wrestled at JP Stevens High School in New Jersey, facing Phil Doig, who had wrestled at Potsdam High School in New York. This one featured submissions, as Phil Doig won, two falls to none, with a heel hook submission in the first fall and a toe hold submission in the second fall.

We spoke with Jorge Martinez, Phil Doig, and John Potenza right at the conclusion of the catch wrestling.

"I was really, really happy with the turnout," said Coach Potenza. "The guys fought amazing matches. The pins and submissions were great, the transitions, the near submissions, the near pins. It was really good. A lot of action. There was constant mobility. Guys were always moving, grinding, looking for something to take. It was a really, really impressive match. I was really happy with all the matches today."

Besides the matches, we also discussed the potential for catch wrestling to grow, the future plans of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association, catch wrestling and MMA, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Saturday, February 16, 2013

No Holds Barred: Chris Jericho and Mark Setrakian on Robot Combat League Conference Call 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the unedited and complete audio from the February 14 media conference call for the Robot Combat League.

The Robot Combat League features 12 state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of the Robot Combat League, which premieres Tuesday, February 26, on Syfy in the U.S., has already been filmed. There will be nine weekly episodes of the Robot Combat League for this debut season. Two of the 12 robo-jockeys, Andrew Montanez and Amanda Lucas, are professional MMA fighters.

The main speakers on this conference call were WWE performer Chris Jericho, who hosts the show, and robotics expert Mark Setrakian, who designed and created these robots.

The question, of course, which comes to mind for those in the combat sports, is whether or not some day, like in the fictional movie "Real Steel", robot fighting can become sophisticated and popular enough to replace human combat sports.

Asked about this on this conference call, Mark Setrakian replied, "As a culture, we don't lose sports. We add sports to our repertoire. So I think robot combat is a new sport that's going to be added to what humans do. I don't think boxing or wrestling or any of those things are going to go away."

The discussion on the conference call also focused on many details of this new show, and provided a lot of answers as to what to expect when it debuts February 26.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

No Holds Barred: Mukai Maromo, The Afrikan Assassin 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Maximum Fighting Championship fighter Mukai "The Afrikan Assassin" Maromo.

Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, and now based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Mukai Maromo will be fighting for the vacant MFC lightweight title this Friday, February 15. His opponent will be Graham Spencer, who defeated him by decision in 2010. Since then, Mukai Maromo, now 8-2, has won five straight fights, while Graham Spencer, 9-1, has also been undefeated.

This fight will be the co-main event of the MFC 36 card which will be held this Friday at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, and televised live on AXS TV.

We spoke with Mukai Maromo by phone Monday.

Mukai Maromo is known more as a striker, having won four of his eight victories by KO or TKO, while Graham Spencer is known more as a grappler, having won four of his nine victories by submission and none by KO or TKO. Although Graham Spencer has never been knocked out, Mukai Maromo is very confident that this will change in their rematch.

"I think it has the makings of a very exciting fight," he said in this interview. He believes that his opponent has never been knocked out because he is mainly a grappler who "has managed to drive his opponents down to the ground and beat them on the top. In that situation it's very hard to get knocked out when you're the one in the top position on the ground."

But he said that it is also because his opponent has not faced a top-level striker. "It's not like he's fought somebody who's landed a couple of hard shots off his chin and taken it and kept on trucking." And he stressed that he is a far improved fighter since their first fight in 2010.

In this rematch, he predicted, "I'm going to put a couple of hands on his chin. If he can take that, I'll put the knee on his chin. If he can take that, I'll put my shin on his chin. With one of those three things landing on it, it's guaranteed to be a knockout." And he added, "He's never been knocked out YET, but I'm definitely coming to do that right now."

We discussed his progress as a fighter since that loss to Graham Spencer. He only started fighting professionally in 2010, at age 27, and took some time to find his bearings. But he said he is now dedicated to becoming "the best" and has also been training at the respected Tristar Gym in Montreal. This is his "new home" and he said he has improved all aspects of his fighting technique since training there.

We also discussed how he became a mixed martial arts fighter, how he would like to help spread and develop MMA in his home country of Zimbabwe and in more of Africa than has it now, the great potential for MMA in Africa, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

No Holds Barred: International Olympic Committee Drops Wrestling for 2020 Summer Olympic Games 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the decision by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop wrestling from the program of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

Many people in the wrestling community have long criticized the poor and sometimes nonexistent promotion and marketing of wrestling, as well as the poor communications skills of many of those in charge of it. Now, it appears, the chickens have come home to roost, as other Olympic sports and those vying to get on the Olympic program have passed it by.

While the IOC could still reinstate wrestling for 2020 at its Executive Board meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, in May, or at its full IOC Session September 7-10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that is highly unlikely unless wrestling makes some dramatic changes in the few months before those meetings.

We also play the audio of the February 12 press briefing with the IOC Communications Director, Mark Adams, which officially announced that wrestling was being dropped by the IOC.

Here is the February 12 news release by the IOC announcing that wrestling was being dropped:

IOC Executive Board recommends 25 core sports for 2020 Games

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today agreed on the 25 sports it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

The 25 sports are: athletics, rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, hockey, judo, swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball.

The EB recommended that wrestling, governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), not be included on the list of core sports. Wrestling will now join the seven shortlisted sports – baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu – vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.

The eight sports are scheduled to make presentations to the Executive Board at its meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, in May. The EB will select which of the eight sports to recommend to the 125th IOC Session for inclusion as an additional sport on the 2020 programme.

In an effort to ensure the Olympic Games remain relevant to sports fans of all generations, the Olympic Programme Commission systematically reviews every sport following each edition of the Games.

Golf and rugby sevens were added in 2009 as additional sports to the 2016 Olympic programme.

The 125th IOC Session will take place from 7 to 10 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

No Holds Barred: Andrew Montanez of Robot Combat League and MMA Surge 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Andrew Montanez, the host of the online video show MMA Surge.

Andrew Montanez has a strong background in the combat sports. He wrestled at Mineola High School in Long Island, New York, and then at Nassau Community College, as well as wrestling freestyle at the Empire State Games. He is currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Although he is not currently an active fighter, he has fought numerous times in professional MMA, including Strikeforce where he was 1-1.

His latest foray into combat sports, however, was something quite different: Andrew served as a robo-jockey for an eight-foot tall robot named A.X.E. in the first season of the new Syfy network TV series called Robot Combat League.

The Robot Combat League features 12 state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of the Robot Combat League, which premieres Tuesday, February 26, on Syfy in the U.S., has already been filmed.

We spoke with Andrew Montanez about the Robot Combat League and its relation to combat sports by phone Saturday.

"That's the main reason why I did the show. I saw the same vision. The sport's getting violent. We kind of need something else," he said in this interview. "I know a lot of girls that can't watch MMA because they can't watch people getting hit. But I brought a couple of them to the robot fights and they were like, 'This is awesome.' Because no one's actually getting hurt."

He continued, "The main reason I did this show was because I saw the potential and I wanted to be part of it," and to "try to see if we could start a new combat sport."

He did caution that there will be many factors determining the success or failure of the Robot Combat League, including the editing of the show, how the audience reacts to it, and how the fights actually look on television. "It's going to be a little bit of a process."

Still, he, along with many other people, are optimistic that the Robot Combat League can establish itself as a successful venture, be it as a replacement for combat sports involving humans or as a show existing alongside them.

We discussed what his tasks were as a robo-jockey, how he had an advantage over other robo-jockeys because he could utilize his combat sports skills to control his robot, why he believes that many fans of combat sports will enjoy the Robot Combat League, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Thursday, February 07, 2013

No Holds Barred: J.P. Reese 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter for former University of Missouri wrestler J.P. Reese.

On January 31, J.P. Reese fought Dave Shepherd on the Bellator MMA card in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and won a three-round unanimous decision. This fight, fought at lightweight, was on the undercard of this event. It upped his record to 9-4, and 3-0 in Bellator, but he still has not gotten a slot in a Bellator championship tournament.

Now 32 years old, and having fought professionally only since June 2010, J.P. Reese believes it is time for him to make a change.

"To be honest with you, I actually have intentions of probably going to 145 pounds," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Monday. "I wrestled 141 in college. I'm getting it everyday at the gym from my training partners and from my coaches, 'Hey, when are you going to drop down to 145?'" While he may not drop to that weight whenever his next fight is, he added, "Down the road I'm really anticipating going to 145 pounds."

Even if he drops to 145, however, he will still have to wait for a slot in a Bellator tournament. The Bellator season eight featherweight tournament is set to start February 7, with the season eight lightweight tournament having started a week earlier. It may not be easy to be patient at age 32 while waiting for a tournament spot, but, especially if he keeps winning his fights, this could be the year it happens for J.P. Reese.

Meanwhile, he trains at American Top Team's facility in Coconut Creek, Florida, and prepares for his next fight, which has not been set yet. He also maintains his ties with wrestling, and is an assistant wrestling coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one of the top schools for wrestling in that state.

In our interview, we also discussed when he trained with other former Missouri wrestlers who are now MMA fighters, including Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren, and former Strikeforce and now UFC fighter Tyron Woodley. In addition, we discussed how he made the transition from wrestling to MMA, his most recent fights, the state of wrestling in Florida, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Wednesday, February 06, 2013

No Holds Barred: Bellator and Spike Conference Call on New Fight Master Show 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete and unedited audio from the Bellator MMA and Spike TV media conference call of February 5 to announce the new reality series "Fight Master: Bellator MMA," which will premier this summer. This conference call took place during a live Bellator-Spike press conference in Santa Monica, California.

Participating in both the press conference and the conference call were the four coaches slated for "Fight Master": MMA legends Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock, well-respected trainer and coach Greg Jackson, and former Greco-Roman wrestling world champion and former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren. Also participating were Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, Spike TV president Kevin Kay, and Sharon Levy, the Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV.

Also announced was a multi-year partnership between Spike TV and Randy Couture. This includes his participation on "Fight Master," as well as another series called "MMA Rescue," where he tries to save failing gyms, and other projects still to be developed.

On the surface, the format of "Fight Master: Bellator MMA" seems similar to that of other MMA reality shows. 32 fighters, all welterweights (170 pounds), will be divided into four camps, each led by one of these four coaches. The fighters will then compete in a tournament to win a $100,000 cash prize and to earn a slot in a regular season Bellator tournament. The show will also focus on the backgrounds, personalities, and training of these fighters.

All this will unfold over 10 one-hour, pre-recorded episodes, all shot in Louisiana. The executive producers are Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, whom the Spike TV press release call "the visionaries behind 'The Amazing Race.'"

What will set this show apart from other reality shows, however, is that it is not positioned as a spectacle with all sorts of antics and absurd behavior, but rather as a springboard for developing real future stars in the sport of MMA.

Speaking on the conference call and at the press conference, Spike TV's Sharon Levy said the show will aim at both diehard and new MMA fans.

"Strategy, technique, when these guys size up these fighters and really pinpoint what's missing in their game, and what they can bring to improve their game," will be a focus of this show, she said.

"It's not going to be a bunch of drunk guys running around and acting like idiots. That's not how we're looking at the show."

Besides the speakers, there were numerous questions taken and answered, both from those in attendance at the press conference and those listening in on the conference call.

We also open with some commentary on the significance of the positioning of this new show and what it means for MMA.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Tuesday, February 05, 2013

No Holds Barred: Will Brooks 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA fighter Will Brooks.

A little over a month ago, although he had an undefeated record in MMA, the 26-year-old Illinois-based Will Brooks was not well-known internationally as a fighter. That all changed on December 31, 2012, when he faced the far more experienced Japanese submission master and former Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka on the Dream 18 New Year's Eve card in Saitama, Japan. While Kitaoka tried for submissions, Will Brooks outfought him and pulled off the upset with a second-round TKO win, thus exploding onto the international MMA scene.

That high profile and convincing win led to him being entered in the Bellator MMA season eight lightweight tournament. Just a month after his win in Japan, Will Brooks was matched up once again with yet another more experienced opponent, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Bellator veteran Ricardo Tirloni, in the tournament quarterfinals on January 31 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. While Tirloni also tried to win this fight with submissions, Will Brooks outboxed and outwrestled him to take a three-round unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-27 in his favor.

The victory over Tirloni advanced him to the lightweight tournament semifinals, where, according to the posted brackets, he will face Saad Awad. While it has not been officially announced, that fight may take place March 7 in Temecula, California, at the Pechanga Resort and Casino, and be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

Yet even with all this new-found notoriety and attention, Will Brooks has a larger vision of what he wants to accomplish.

"MIxed martial arts, I love the sport, I love competing, but also I want to be an ambassador," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Saturday. "I want to show people that you don't have to just be an athlete. You don't have to just be a winner. You can affect people in other ways. Plus, you can use this as a way to do that."

Of course, his goals as a fighter are to go as far as he can.

"I'm looking to be a champion at some point in my life," he continued. "Right now I think I'm on the road to doing that. I'm going to be doing this for a long time. Nothing against any of the other guys in the lightweight division, but I believe that I'm going to be a dominating force and a threat for a very long time to come."

We also discussed his transition from wrestling to football to MMA, his need to work on submissions, his training at the Midwest Training Center and with American Top Team, his boxing training for MMA and understanding of the importance of throwing straight jabs, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Sunday, February 03, 2013

No Holds Barred: John Potenza and Joel Bane of Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with coaches John Potenza and Joel Bane of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

Catch wrestling, which was one of the most popular sports in the world in the early twentieth century, is making a comeback in many places around the world. The development of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association is an important step in that process.

We spoke with coaches John Potenza and Joel Bane by phone Thursday about these developments and the plans of the organization.

Coach Potenza very forcefully explained the main goals of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

"We just want to unite as many catch wrestlers as we can and build one strong family," he said in this interview. "I think a big problem in the past with attempts of bringing catch back was too many people wanted to be the lead guy, and, 'Look at me, I'm the top catch wrestler.' But they lose sight of the real task, and the real task is to get us all united together, so there is no internal bickering, and who's who and what's what. We need to get all the catch wrestlers together, unite them all as one, and then bring it back into the spotlight where it belongs."

Once the people in catch wrestling are united and more people become aware of this style, he said, "There's no telling where it can go. It very well could be equal to or surpass anything else out there."

All this, of course, is still in the beginning stages, as many people are still not familiar with what catch wrestling is and how it differs from other styles such as folkstyle or freestyle wrestling, no-gi grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, sambo, etc.

To further this process, the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association will be at the MMA World Expo in New York February 16-17. On Sunday, February 17, from 10:30 AM to 11 AM, they will have a demonstration of what catch wrestling is, what the rules are, and more. Right after that, from 11 AM to 12 noon, there will be a few actual catch wrestling matches. In these matches, which are two out of three falls, the wrestlers can win by pin or submission. The Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association will also have a booth at the Expo both days so people can talk with them.

"It's a very big first step for catch wrestling right now," noted Coach Potenza about their participation at the MMA World Expo.

In addition, we discussed how the term "No Holds Barred" is actually an old catch wrestling term, the Association's curriculum and certification of individuals and gyms in catch wrestling, working with people who have come from other styles and disciplines of grappling and combat sports, their impressive board of directors which includes head coach Billy Robinson, Erik Paulson, Jake Shannon, Greg Nelson, and others, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Friday, February 01, 2013

No Holds Barred: Dr. Alex Eingorn and John Perretti on the Practical Martial Art That Failed 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues our discussions exploring the origins and evolution of mixed martial arts, with our senior correspondent John Perretti and one of his many martial arts students from the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Alex Eingorn.

Dr. Eingorn, considered by many to be the best chiropractor in New York, founded one of New York City's first multi-disciplinary health care centers in 1989 that later became Better Health Chiropractic, which he still runs.

Our discussion was recorded by phone Monday night.

Dr. Eingorn first met and began training with John Perretti in New York in 1977. The techniques taught by John were officially known as Tao Jutsu Do, combining the best techniques of the martial arts and combat sports. Even in the 1970s and '80s, Dr. Eingorn recalled, Tao Jutsu Do was also known by a term which would later eclipse it: mixed martial arts.

The training included everything from grappling to use of weapons to kickboxing to running gauntlets while blindfolded. The emphasis, Dr. Eingorn stated, was on "the practicality of everything" rather than style. The training not only focused on these many techniques of fighting, but also on how to "repair people" from any injuries they suffered, something which reinforced Dr. Eingorn's career choice.

Along the way, however, something went wrong. While Dr. Eingorn said he used to follow professional MMA and has attended several live events, he no longer follows MMA like he once did.

"In my opinion, it's evolved into a totally different animal," he said in this interview.

Discussing his training from 1977 to 1983 with John Perretti, he said, "We had rules. We couldn't just get somebody on the ground and keep pummeling them in the head. You know, you get somebody on the ground, you land a punch, you know it's solid, you stop the fight."

He continued, "Initially, when John was starting this, it was all about stopping your opponent and discouraging them from continuing, whether it was through an arm bar or a choke hold or some other technique. And then it stopped. What I see now is that the damage is relentless." And he said, "These people are coming out injured, more than they need to be, in my opinion." When asked what he wants to see in MMA today, he responded, "more technique and less violence."

He concluded, "When we were working on this, we were trying to create a practical art, a practical martial art, that will do no harm, that will just develop the person's ability, it will teach them honor, it will teach them boundaries, it will teach them discipline, and teach them all the beauty that the martial arts has to offer, without the devastating trauma and lasting injury." But that, in his opinion has not occurred with professional MMA.

"And I think, unfortunately, we failed. I think the powers that be took that to a totally different level."

We also discussed some of the style vs. style challenge fights of the 1970s and 1980s, the issues of head injuries and brain trauma in combat and contact sports, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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