Sunday, June 26, 2011
No Holds Barred: Stephen Koepfer on Sambo, Physical Culture, and Battle to Legalize MMA in New York
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Stephen Koepfer, the head coach at New York Combat Sambo and the co-founder of the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York.
Having recently returned from the Spartak Olympic Training Center in Ukraine, we spoke with him about why sambo continues to be such an important discipline and combat sport in Eastern Europe. Training in sambo is also seen as a way of promoting health and physical culture among the population.
We also gave a post-mortem on the attempts this year to get the New York legislature to re-legalize mixed martial arts. After once again being passed in the Senate, the bill was bottled up in committee in the Assembly and never reached the floor for a vote. We thus discuss why we must continue our efforts, the strengths and weaknesses of the battle for MMA in New York, why MMA fighters should be provided the same legal protections as boxers have under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
M-1 Global. Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has staged over 100 mixed martial arts events worldwide including the M-1 Selection tournaments and M-1 Challenge events, in Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia. While discovering and developing the world's next generation of superstar fighters, M-1 Global's greatest asset is the number one heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. Make sure to catch their shows from around the world, including on Showtime in the U.S., and visit their web site, M-1Global.com, and the M-1 Facebook page for news, videos, and live streaming events.
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/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, Legalize, MMA, New York, No Holds Barred, sambo, Stephen Koepfer
Friday, February 04, 2011
No Holds Barred: Good News for MMA in New York at Roundtable Meeting
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the entire audio from the historic roundtable meeting called by the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York (http://nymmanow.blogspot.com) to discuss strategy and tactics in the grassroots fight to re-legalize the sport of MMA in New York. The roundtable meeting was held Thursday, February 3, at New York Combat Sambo.
The participants were:
The participants were:
1) Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C-East Patchogue): Ranking Minority member of the New York State Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.
2) Kevin Malloy: Assemblyman Murray's Chief of Staff.
3) Kevin Morello: Office of Senator Lee Zeldin (R, C, I - Long Island). Co sponsor of the Senate MMA bill.
4) Justin Klein: Member of the NY Bar Sports Law Committee and writer for MMA Payout.
5) Peter Lampasona: MMA journalist, US Combat Sport and host of Cage Radio.
6) Jim Genia: MMA journalist, Editor at Full Contact Fighter.
7) Eddie Goldman: MMA journalist, No Holds Barred.
8) Bruce Kivo: MMA journalist, MMA Confidential.
9) Steve Katz: Queens gym owner/amateur MMA promoter.
10) Steve Kardian: Westchester gym owner, security expert, and national media consultant.
11) Stephen Koepfer: Manhattan gym owner, President of the American Sambo Association.
12) Paula Romero: MMA insider.
13) Kahleem Poole: MMA documentarian.
This meeting revealed some very good news for mixed martial arts. Just days ago, there was what appeared to be disastrous news for the sport. Not only did the newly-elected Governor Andrew Cuomo not include re-legalizing MMA in his 2011-12 budget proposal, but he also called for eliminating the salary of the chair of the New York State Athletic Commission. That would effectively gut the ability of the commission to protect properly the health and safety of all combat sports athletes, and prevent it from having enough staff to regulate the rapidly-growing sport of MMA.
The good news came from Assemblyman Murray. In past years, re-legalizing MMA has been approved in the State Senate but not the Assembly. Now, as the ranking minority member of the New York State Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, he is working with his Democratic colleague and committee chair, Steve Englebright, to mobilize bi-partisan support for passage of such pro-MMA legislation.
"I'm very confident," said Assemblyman Murray at the roundtable. "I'm more confident than I've been in years." Both Assemblymen Englebright and Murray believe that if the bill to re-legalize MMA were put to a vote in the Assembly, with support from many members of both political parties, it would achieve a majority and pass in the Assembly. Passage in the Senate and then signature by Governor Cuomo would also be required for the bill to become a law, but again, it has been in the Assembly where it has been held up in the past.
Still, grassroots action is needed to get MMA re-legalized in New York. That is why the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York will have a rally on Tuesday, February 8, at 250 Broadway in lower Manhattan, across the street from City Hall and outside the district office of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, beginning at 12 noon.
You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-02-04T16_35_08-08_00.
You can also download No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?3epq2ll3r6g2vv6.
If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com).
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
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 (http://americantopteam.com). 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.
The American Sambo Association (http://www.ussambo.com), which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com (http://www.ussambo.com).
BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
2) Kevin Malloy: Assemblyman Murray's Chief of Staff.
3) Kevin Morello: Office of Senator Lee Zeldin (R, C, I - Long Island). Co sponsor of the Senate MMA bill.
4) Justin Klein: Member of the NY Bar Sports Law Committee and writer for MMA Payout.
5) Peter Lampasona: MMA journalist, US Combat Sport and host of Cage Radio.
6) Jim Genia: MMA journalist, Editor at Full Contact Fighter.
7) Eddie Goldman: MMA journalist, No Holds Barred.
8) Bruce Kivo: MMA journalist, MMA Confidential.
9) Steve Katz: Queens gym owner/amateur MMA promoter.
10) Steve Kardian: Westchester gym owner, security expert, and national media consultant.
11) Stephen Koepfer: Manhattan gym owner, President of the American Sambo Association.
12) Paula Romero: MMA insider.
13) Kahleem Poole: MMA documentarian.
This meeting revealed some very good news for mixed martial arts. Just days ago, there was what appeared to be disastrous news for the sport. Not only did the newly-elected Governor Andrew Cuomo not include re-legalizing MMA in his 2011-12 budget proposal, but he also called for eliminating the salary of the chair of the New York State Athletic Commission. That would effectively gut the ability of the commission to protect properly the health and safety of all combat sports athletes, and prevent it from having enough staff to regulate the rapidly-growing sport of MMA.
The good news came from Assemblyman Murray. In past years, re-legalizing MMA has been approved in the State Senate but not the Assembly. Now, as the ranking minority member of the New York State Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, he is working with his Democratic colleague and committee chair, Steve Englebright, to mobilize bi-partisan support for passage of such pro-MMA legislation.
"I'm very confident," said Assemblyman Murray at the roundtable. "I'm more confident than I've been in years." Both Assemblymen Englebright and Murray believe that if the bill to re-legalize MMA were put to a vote in the Assembly, with support from many members of both political parties, it would achieve a majority and pass in the Assembly. Passage in the Senate and then signature by Governor Cuomo would also be required for the bill to become a law, but again, it has been in the Assembly where it has been held up in the past.
Still, grassroots action is needed to get MMA re-legalized in New York. That is why the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York will have a rally on Tuesday, February 8, at 250 Broadway in lower Manhattan, across the street from City Hall and outside the district office of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, beginning at 12 noon.
You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-02-04T16_35_08-08_00.
You can also download No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?3epq2ll3r6g2vv6.
If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com).
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
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 (http://americantopteam.com). 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.
The American Sambo Association (http://www.ussambo.com), which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com (http://www.ussambo.com).
BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Labels: Coalition, Eddie Goldman, Legalize, MMA, New York, No Holds Barred
Monday, December 27, 2010
Rally on February 8, 2011, to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York State
For Immediate Release
Rally on February 8, 2011, to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York State
NEW YORK, December 27, 2010 -- On Tuesday, February 8, at 12 noon a rally will be held for the support of legalized and regulated mixed martial arts in New York State*. We will gather at 250 Broadway, Manhattan, New York, 10007 (Across the street from City Hall).
This rally is being organized by the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York, a non-partisan volunteer group of organizations, gyms, business owners, and individuals who support the legalization and regulation of mixed martial arts in the state of New York.
In 2010, with the support of Governor Paterson and former Governor Pataki, legislation to legalize and regulate mixed martial arts was approved by the New York State Senate, but not the Assembly. We thus have chosen to rally at 250 Broadway, which houses the district office of Sheldon Silver, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly.
We ask that you bring picket signs (please keep your comments and images respectful) and, if possible, a pair of focus mitts. Please DO NOT bring any audio projection equipment.
"If you are a fan, fighter, gym owner, business owner, or organization official who wants to start the 2011 New York State legislative calendar by letting our government know we want legalized and regulated mixed martial arts in New York State, please come show your support! Let's gather together to show our legislators that New York State is not respecting the wishes of its voters! Let's remind our legislators that mixed martial arts is a professional sport and in need of regulation in our state! Let's remind our legislators how much business our state loses and how many jobs are lost to neighboring states where mixed martial arts is properly sanctioned! Let's remind our legislators that we care about the safety of our athletes! Let's remind our legislators that it is the people of New York State who vote for them, and that WE WANT LEGALIZED AND REGULATED MIXED MARTIAL ARTS IN NEW YORK STATE!"
-Stephen Koepfer of the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York.
For more information please contact Stephen Koepfer at NYMMANOW@gmail.com or 718-728-8054. Be sure to subscribe to our blog: http://nymmanow.blogspot.com and join our Facebook group.
*Snow date for the rally is Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.
Rally on February 8, 2011, to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York State
NEW YORK, December 27, 2010 -- On Tuesday, February 8, at 12 noon a rally will be held for the support of legalized and regulated mixed martial arts in New York State*. We will gather at 250 Broadway, Manhattan, New York, 10007 (Across the street from City Hall).
This rally is being organized by the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York, a non-partisan volunteer group of organizations, gyms, business owners, and individuals who support the legalization and regulation of mixed martial arts in the state of New York.
In 2010, with the support of Governor Paterson and former Governor Pataki, legislation to legalize and regulate mixed martial arts was approved by the New York State Senate, but not the Assembly. We thus have chosen to rally at 250 Broadway, which houses the district office of Sheldon Silver, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly.
We ask that you bring picket signs (please keep your comments and images respectful) and, if possible, a pair of focus mitts. Please DO NOT bring any audio projection equipment.
"If you are a fan, fighter, gym owner, business owner, or organization official who wants to start the 2011 New York State legislative calendar by letting our government know we want legalized and regulated mixed martial arts in New York State, please come show your support! Let's gather together to show our legislators that New York State is not respecting the wishes of its voters! Let's remind our legislators that mixed martial arts is a professional sport and in need of regulation in our state! Let's remind our legislators how much business our state loses and how many jobs are lost to neighboring states where mixed martial arts is properly sanctioned! Let's remind our legislators that we care about the safety of our athletes! Let's remind our legislators that it is the people of New York State who vote for them, and that WE WANT LEGALIZED AND REGULATED MIXED MARTIAL ARTS IN NEW YORK STATE!"
-Stephen Koepfer of the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York.
For more information please contact Stephen Koepfer at NYMMANOW@gmail.com or 718-728-8054. Be sure to subscribe to our blog: http://nymmanow.blogspot.com and join our Facebook group.
*Snow date for the rally is Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.
Labels: City, Legalize, mixed martial arts, MMA, New York, rally, State
