NO HOLDS BARRED

In April, I was saddened to learn that martial arts legend and one of the main proponents of the African fighting sciences in America, Kilindi Iyi, had passed due to Covid-19. I had planned to do a tribute to him then, but my own health problems prevented that (more on that at another time). I had conducted an extensive interview with him in July 2013 for No Holds Barred, so given all the circumstances, I am reposting a link to that original show.

You can play or download this show at here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

A GoFundMe page was also set up to support his family, at https://www.gofundme.com/f/baba-kilindi.

Labels: Africa, African, Ahati Kilindi Iyi, boxing, Detroit, Eddie Goldman, fighting sciences, grappling, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC, wrestling

They are both available now! Ringside Seat 9 has my article on the Joshua-Ruiz 2 fight. The Feb.-March 2020 Black Belt has my article on the African Warriors Fighting Championship. For No Holds Barred combat sports journalism, get them both!

Labels: African Warriors Fighting Championship, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Black Belt, boxing, Dambe, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Ringside Seat, wrestling

Coming out very shortly: Ringside Seat 9 with my article on Joshua-Ruiz 2, and the Feb./March 2020 issue of Black Belt with my article on the African Warriors Fighting Championship. Subscribe to each -- the perfect gifts for a family which fights!

Labels: African Warriors Fighting Championship, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Black Belt, boxing, Dambe, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Ringside Seat, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Balogun Ojetade, the founder, director, and master instructor of the Afrikan Martial Arts Institute.

Our main topic was an event scheduled for next year, on October 9-11, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia, called WarriorCon.

We spoke with Balogun Ojetade by phone Wednesday.

"WarriorCon is a convention that is comprised of panel discussions and workshops, and features the indigenous martial arts of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas," he said.

"We're going to have 52 Blocks, Laamb, some of the northwestern and possibly northeastern African martial arts," and training and demonstrations of many other styles and systems as well.

We discussed the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for WarriorCon, how the recent rise of interest in African and African-American martial arts and self-defense is related to the rise of white supremacy, the importance of the African Warriors Fighting Championship, the use of these techniques shown at WarriorCon in various combat sports, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available at Apple Podcasts.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Africa, African-American, Balogun Ojetade, Caribbean, Eddie Goldman, indigenous, martial arts, No Holds Barred, self-defense, WarriorCon

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Wise Morrow, one of the founders of 52 Blocks ATL.

There is a revival of interest in the fighting techniques known as 52 Blocks, and we discussed exactly what it is and what those teaching it have planned.

We spoke with Wise Morrow, who is now based in the Atlanta area, by phone Tuesday.

"52 Blocks is an African-American art form," he said.

"When we fought in our neighborhoods as young boys, it's about our defense, how much we didn't get hit, or if you got hit at all, that right there is what made you a good fighter," he said. "So 52 Blocks really comes from the way you defended yourself during a fight."

We discussed more on the techniques associated with 52 Blocks, how its connection to street fighting and prison fighting means 52 Blocks is "battle-tested", how a non-profit organization is being formed to bring 52 Blocks "to the masses" as well as teaching life skills, the use of these techniques in boxing, plans for WarriorCon in 2020 in Atlanta, the use of social media and an upcoming documentary on 52 Blocks, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available at Apple Podcasts.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: 52 Blocks, African-American, ATL, Atlanta, boxing, Eddie Goldman, fighting, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Wise Morrow

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with martial artist Mahaliel Bethea AKA Professor Mo AKA Sensei Mo.

Our main topic was the urban self-defense system known as 52 Blocks.

We spoke with him by phone Wednesday.

52 Blocks, he said, is an "urban self-defense system, because it's not a traditional martial art. Some people connect it with prison, and the researchers really connect it all the way from Africa. And because of mass incarceration obviously, prison becomes a breeding ground, a kind of gladiator, where people are able to try out their skills in the 52 Blocks.

"And the 52 Blocks evolved. It evolved from the Virginia Shuffle," he continued. "The slaves came into Virginia, so obviously Virginia was the first port. And it's called the Virginia Shuffle. And then later on it became wall fighting. And then it became stato. And then some people called it Jailhouse Rock. And now it's called the 52. And the 52, because there's a little more playing with the cards, and the 52 cards in the deck.

"So that's why the 52 Blocks became popular."

Because of its history as a grassroots and underground self-defense fighting system, mainly centered in the African-American community and under incredibly brutal and oppressive conditions, 52 Blocks has lacked any common curriculum or organization.

That also is starting to change, as Professor Mo will be hosting a 52 Blocks certification seminar in Harlem, New York, on Saturday, October 19. While details of how to register will be posted shortly, plans are also in the works for a 52 Blocks Federation.

But, as he stressed, 52 Blocks is a self-defense system and not the same as a sport. Even with a more developed curriculum, however, it still will largely be an "improvisational art".

The 52 Blocks curriculum will include defense against weapons, including sticks, knives, and guns, and also against dogs.

We also discussed more on the plans for the October 19 seminar, how his Fight Back MMA school in Harlem is the only one in New York instructing people in 52 Blocks, more on the self-defense techniques of 52 Blocks, how 52 Blocks is related to boxing, how instruction in the 52 Blocks is expanding to more places in the U.S., recent coverage of 52 Blocks and an interview with Professor Mo in Black Belt magazine, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available at Apple Podcasts.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: 52 Blocks, Africa, African-American, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Harlem, Mahaliel Bethea, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Professor Mo, self-defense, Sensei Mo

It was in Africa that the martial arts and combat sports originated. And it was Africa that gave these to the world. The tomb paintings of wrestlers and martial artists in the Ancient Egyptian cemetery site now called Beni Hasan from over 4000 years ago are perhaps the most famous surviving illustrations of this history.


For as many millennia as human civilization has existed and developed, African martial arts and combat sports have continued to be taught, practiced, and handed down from generation to generation.

Yet today, owing mainly to the systems of colonialism and imperialism and their all-around subjugation of the African continent, the African martial arts and combat sports have not achieved the worldwide notoriety and recognition that Asian martial arts have had for over a century. Outside Africa, mainly just serious martial arts and combat sports aficionados are even aware of their existence.

That, however, may be beginning to change.

Earlier this year in April, the first event of the African Warriors Fighting Championship (http://africanwarriorsfc.com) was held in the village of Eha Amufu in Enugu state in southeastern Nigeria. This village is known as one of the centers of Nigerian traditional wrestling, which was one of the two sports contested in this debut event. The other sport was Dambe, a traditional form of boxing popular in West Africa where the back hand is wrapped and used for striking while the front hand is used for defense, along with kicks and sweeps being allowed.
(https://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/taking-african-combat-sports-village-world)


While the name African Warriors Fighting Championship may sound similar to those of various mixed martial arts promotions, its plans, according to founder and CEO Maxwell Kalu, who is of Nigerian heritage and based in London, are quite unique.

In an interview on No Holds Barred, he stated, "There's such a rich culture of them, and rather than be the sort of poor African cousin of the UFC, of ONE, or of Cage Warriors, or whatever, I'd thought, I'd love to do something totally, totally different that really speaks to the uniqueness of Africa, starting with Nigeria, and really plays to our strengths."
(https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/nhbnews/episodes/2019-08-30T01_53_40-07_00)

After this debut event in April, their next event, called "The Battle for Lagos", is scheduled for September 14 at the Jalisco Stadium, Oshodi, Lagos. A third, larger event is also planned for December in Lagos. If all goes well, future plans include expanding throughout Africa and other parts of the world, and getting TV and streaming distribution.


But it is not only in Africa that these martial arts and combat sports are gaining in influence and popularity. Particularly in the African diaspora in the U.S., and also among the broader martial arts and combat sports community, interest in them is growing and flourishing.

One example of this is the renewed interest in the fighting system known as 52 Blocks. This uses boxing and other techniques in large part for defense in street fights rather than for sport in the ring. 52 Blocks is a loose and ever-changing system that has been handed down for countless generations, primarily among African-Americans, and is taught and practiced differently in different locales and by different trainers.

What each variation of 52 Blocks has in common, however, is its African origin.

As Harlem-based martial artist and instructor Mahaliel Bethea AKA Professor Mo said in a recent cover story in Black Belt magazine, "Most masters of 52 Blocks will tell you that it's a martial art from Africa."
(https://blackbeltmag.com/arts/western-european-arts/professor-mo-everything-to-know-about-52-blocks)


Besides Professor Mo, who is returning home this week from Ghana's "Year of Return" events, many others are training people in 52 Blocks.

On September 8 in Atlanta, Georgia, veteran martial artists Balogun Ojetade of the African Martial Arts Institute and 52 Blocks trainer Wise Morrow will be holding "A Day With The Masters" focusing on 52 Blocks and African martial arts.
(https://www.facebook.com/events/362721771095731)


Another trainer, Lyte Burly, has also conducted numerous 52 Blocks seminars across the U.S., and holds regular training sessions in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park and elsewhere. He is also a boxing trainer. On YouTube, he regularly posts short videos demonstrating these techniques.
(https://www.youtube.com/user/52blocksinfo/featured)

Besides many other practitioners of 52 Blocks, many people are studying and exploring the history of African martial arts. On the weekend of May 17 of this year in Austin, Texas, the Council of HAMAA, the Historical African Martial Arts Association, held its first gathering "to celebrate Historical African Martial Arts". According to their web site, the "HAMA community gathered in solidarity to feast, study, and compete in the first ever HAMAA Tournament of Champions."
(https://hamaassociation.wordpress.com/media/hamaa-the-gathering-2019)


While a new generation is moving forward with the African martial arts and combat sports, some veteran African-American martial artists of earlier generations are still active. Founded in that turbulent year of 1969, the Black Karate Federation recently commemorated its 50th anniversary, with some members continuing to train younger people.
(https://www.facebook.com/Brotherhoodofthebkf)


All these developments are occurring while there is a vacuum forming in the martial arts and combat sports worlds. For example, the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has become politicized as it uses white nationalism and racism as marketing tools to secure its primarily white, cultish fan base. Instead of penalizing athletes who have publicly made all sorts of racist, white supremacist, misogynist, anti-working class, and anti-LGBTQ remarks and statements, as almost all legitimate sports organizations do, UFC's management has encouraged and rewarded people who have done this, like Chael Sonnen, Conor McGregor, and Colby Covington.
("The UFC Has A Race Problem")

By importing the "good guy vs. bad guy" schtick of the fake wrestling groups, and even going as far as making a propaganda video praising Donald Trump, UFC is alienating many people who have been part of the martial arts and combat sports worlds.

In contrast, both in Africa and among African-Americans, learning the martial arts and combat sports has been seen as part of the overall freedom struggles.

For example, Malcolm X famously said on March 29, 1964, at New York's Audubon Ballroom, "If you're interested in freedom, you need some judo, you need some karate, you need all the things that will help you fight for freedom."
(http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/texts/malcolmx0364.html and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blvoRFIPwM8)


And with these freedom struggles reviving in the 21st century, so is interest in the African martial arts and combat sports.

The door, thus, is open fairly wide for the African martial arts and combat sports to step through and explode in popularity. But even with all the compelling stories briefly outlined above, one would have to hunt through a series of Facebook, YouTube, WordPress, and similar pages just to find and process them.

What is needed, then, are major media projects to tell these stories to a wide international audience. If done well enough, such media can help the African martial arts and combat sports burst into the general public's consciousness. The dramatized martial arts films of the 1970s played a major role in popularizing Chinese martial arts, so media today has the potential to popularize African martial arts and combat sports with a new generation.

So is this the year in which African martial arts and combat sports take their rightful, prominent place on the world stage? At minimum, they have already taken major steps in that direction. It is up to all of those who study, support, teach, and practice the African martial arts and combat sports to work to continue and assist this ongoing process.

Labels: 52 Blocks, Africa, African Warriors Fighting Championship, boxing, combat sports, Dambe, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, No Holds Barred, wrestling

Go to the article on Patreon:

Is This The Year African Martial Arts And Combat Sports Explode Onto The World Stage?

Labels: 52 Blocks, Africa, African Warriors Fighting Championship, boxing, combat sports, Dambe, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Matthew Gelfand, an instructor and coach at Shuai Jiao Evolution.

Based in New York, he will be traveling to California this coming weekend for the 2019 TCAAT Shuaijiao Tournament of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hosted by USA Shuaijiao, this tournament will take place Saturday, July 13, at Cupertino High School, 10100 Finch Ave., Cupertino, California 95014.

We spoke with him by phone Sunday.

Shuai Jiao, the Chinese traditional style of wrestling, is clearly recognized as being one of many styles of wrestling taught and competed in by many people who also are involved in countless other styles of wrestling, martial arts, and combat sports. He mentioned American Lavell Marshall, a Shuai Jiao instructor and wrestler, who is currently training and competing in China.

"The way we all look at is wrestling is wrestling," he said, "so as an example Lavell out in Mongolia doing Bokh, or Mongolian wrestling."

Even this upcoming TCAAT tournament is trying to go beyond the traditional Shuai Jiao rules, where wrestlers must wear special jackets. At the July 13 TCAAT event, "there's even going to be a non-jackets division in order to hopefully entice people who are interested in playing the rules but aren't used to the jacket," he said.

"I think people don't necessarily understand, especially in America, what the differences and the similarities are between the arts," he noted. He hopes, as a "pet project", to demonstrate exactly what the similarities are between styles such as Greco-Roman wrestling, Shuai Jiao, judo, sambo, etc., so that "people can get the idea about the fact that we're all kind of cousins."

And, he reiterated, "Wrestling is wrestling," and that "there's so many different things you can learn from each art, there's so many different ways of doing the same thing, that a lot of times people just kind of stand at their own place and they don't want to blend with other styles, but the fact is there is something to be learned from everywhere."

We also had a wide-ranging discussion about the often confusing array of national and international Shuai Jiao organizations and how most groups are finally starting to work together. We also discussed how he got interested in Shuai Jiao; how in China there are "four or five" professional Shuai Jiao tournaments a month; why much of what goes on in China involving Shuai Jiao is not known in the rest of the world and how that is starting to change; upcoming tournaments in Brazil in October and in Brooklyn next January; and much, much more.

Note also that I am reviving my Patreon page. This is a crowdfunding site where people post all sorts of content and ask that this work by funded by what the site calls patrons. This will allow me to continue with the kind of unbought and independent, intelligent combat sports journalism that I have been providing for almost three decades now. My page is at https://www.patreon.com/eddiegoldman, and you can make a monthly contribution of any amount you wish. All contributions, no matter how small or great they may be, are greatly appreciated.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: China, Chinese wrestling, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, Matthew Gelfand Shuai Jiao, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke Lavell Marshall.

While proficient in many types of martial arts, he mainly focuses as a trainer and competitor in Shuai Jiao, the Chinese traditional style of wrestling.

We spoke with him Sunday, right after a seminar he conducted in New York.

There are several different styles and rulesets of Shuai Jiao, although in general it is all standup wrestling with no groundwork or par terre. Although some styles include striking and joint locks, they are all done from the from standing position.

Though not well-known in the U.S., interest in Shuai Jiao is slowly starting to grow around the world.

"Shuai Jiao is something that in China, it's gaining a lot of popularity, in places like Mongolia and Europe, especially in Russia," he said. "But in the West in general, especially in the USA, it's still kind of low-key. It's unknown. It's kind of behind sambo when it comes to just recognition. But it's growing in popularity and it's something I think is going to blow up in the next ten years."

While Shuai Jiao is "my main style that I study and compete in," when he does compete in other competitions such as jiu-jitsu, he said he represents Shuai Jiao to show its effectiveness.

We discussed the differences between combat and sport Shuai Jiao; why he decided to focus on Shuai Jiao; some of its history and development in China; how schools there are now training students in Shuai Jiao; governance and organization of the sport, including the recent establishment of one governing body in China; the need to amp up the level of competition and attract more athletes; and how the small U.S. community is divided by "politics" and the need to work together.

In about two months, Lavell Marshall will be moving to China. His goals there are to train to become "one of the best there is in Shuai Jiao." That would also facilitate him helping him spread it widely in Europe and America. Getting Shuai Jiao out to the West is essential because he said that in China, many in the Shuai Jiao community don't care about showing it to the West.

"if we don't spread it, it dies," he insisted.

We also discussed Shuai Jiao as self-defense, especially combat Shuai Jiao; how in the U.S., Shuai Jiao needs more money, more competitions, and may require changing the existing rulesets; how already in China, some competitions are allowing the wrestlers to go to the ground; the importance of getting more exposure for Shuai Jiao by competing in multi-style events like the World Nomad Games; and much more.

"Stay tuned for Shuai Jiao, because I promise you, great things are coming and it is worth it," he said.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: China, Chinese wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Lavell Marshall, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Shaolin, Shuai Jiao

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the international media conference call featuring MMA fighter Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, who just signed with ONE Championship following an unofficial "trade" from his previous organization. He was the first UFC flyweight champion, holds the record for the most number of UFC title defenses, and was undefeated for seven years before dropping a close split decision in August. He is regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound MMA fighters of all time, and arguably the best at any weight of the past decade.

On this call, which took place Sunday U.S. time and Monday Singapore time, he was joined by Chatri Sityodtong, the chairman and CEO of ONE Championship. They both answered questions from the international media.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Asia, Chatri Sityodtong, Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, Mighty Mouse, MMA, No Holds Barred, ONE Championship, Singapore

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the international media conference call for the ONE: Heart Of The Lion card. This call took place Thursday (Wednesday in the U.S.) to preview this show, which takes place Friday, November 9, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

In the main event of this card, ONE women's strawweight champion Xiong Jing Nan of China will defend her title against ONE women's atomweight champion Angela Lee of Singapore, who is moving up in weight and trying simultaneously to hold two belts. In the co-main event, ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil will defend his title against ONE interim bantamweight champion Kevin Belingon of the Philippines in a unification bout.

On the call were ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, Xiong Jing Nan, Angela Lee, Bibiano Fernandes, Kevin Belingon, and multiple-time MMA champion Eddie Alvarez of the U.S., who just signed with ONE Championship.

After the opening remarks, there were questions from the international media.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Angela Lee, Bibiano Fernandes, Chatri Sityodtong, Eddie Alvarez, Eddie Goldman, Kevin Belingon, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, ONE Championship, Singapore, Xiong Jing Nan

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with human right activist Malaak Shabazz, who is the youngest daughter of Malcolm X.

With February being designated Black History Month, she has been traveling to many events which have provided information and analysis on the life and times of her father.

She has just returned home to New York from Washington, D.C., from the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, where there was a screening of the new documentary "The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X".

This documentary will begin airing on TV February 26 on the Smithsonian Channel.

Next up is Los Angeles for the Pan African Film Festival, where on February 9 there will be the first of three screenings of the documentary film "Malcolm X: An Overwhelming Influence on the Black Power Movement".

This highly acclaimed film, directed by Thomas Muhammad, had its public debut in December at the the African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York. It features original interviews with veterans of the civil rights and Black liberation movements of the 1960s who discuss Malcolm X's influence and participation in these struggles in the South at that time.

Then it is back to D.C. for two performances on February 22 of A. Peter Bailey's play "Malcolm, Martin, Medgar".

She is the narrator of this imaginary and contemporary encounter between Malcolm X and civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers. A. Peter Bailey was one of the closest associates of Malcolm X at the time of Malcolm's passing in 1965.

We spoke with her by phone Friday.

"Most people," she said of her father, "just think he was just here in New York or Brooklyn, when he was all over the United States, as well as London, France, Africa.

"So, I was raised as a global child. He was an advocate for the African diaspora on a global level.

"And I think these two films, and many others that are going to be coming out, will show that he was an advocate for the African diaspora."

Documenting and disseminating accurate information on this history is especially essential in today's era of Trumpism with its open promotion of racism and white supremacy.

One area of that history, however, that has not yet been particularly thoroughly well-documented is Malcolm X's role and influence in the martial arts. His autobiography goes into detail about the importance he attached to training in the martial arts. After his passing, his widow, Dr. Betty Shabazz, made sure that all of their six daughters had some training in different forms of martial arts. We thus discussed the need for some type of media project documenting Malcolm X's influence in the martial arts in depth.

We also discussed Malcolm X's emphasis on reading and education, the key contributions of Dr. Betty Shabazz, the setting up of the Shabazz Center in New York on the site of the old Audubon Ballroom, how there will also be more events for Black History Month in which Malaak Shabazz will participate which will be announced shortly, and much, much more.

(Photo of Malaak Shabazz, Thomas Muhammad, Qubilah Shabazz, and A. Peter Bailey at African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York, by Eddie Goldman.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Trans Boxing, organizing boxing training for transgender and gender non-conforming people, for fitness and self-defense. For more information, go to TransBoxing.org.

Labels: Black History Month, Eddie Goldman, Malaak Shabazz, Malcolm X, martial arts, No Holds Barred

My piece on the "Black Fist" Russian troll scam has been posted on the web site of the National Writers Union, of which I am a member.

The “Black Fist” Affair: Russia’s Failed COINTELPRO Operation Against the Black Community in America, by Eddie Goldman
https://nwu.org/the-black-fist-affair-russias-failed-cointelpro-operation-against-the-black-community-in-america

Labels: Black Community, Black Fist, boxing, COINTELPRO, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Robin Thede, Russia, self-defense, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the "Black Fist Self-Defense Project", a Russian troll operation which paid for self-defense classes to be held in the Black community in America in 2017. Explained are the background to their engaging legitimate and unknowing people in this scam, the objectives of the Russian trolls, and how this was part of a broader campaign that was Russia's failed version of COINTELPRO, the notorious program of the American FBI to disrupt, discredit, infiltrate, and destroy numerous anti-war, Black Liberation, civil rights, women's, progressive, leftist, and revolutionary organizations in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Also explained are how the media in Russia and the U.S. exposed "Black Fist" including the Russian site RBC and the U.S. TV show "The Rundown with Robin Thede", why this scam failed, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Black Community, Black Fist, boxing, COINTELPRO, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Robin Thede, Russia, self-defense, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with former boxer, kickboxer, and MMA fighter, and current trainer, nutritionist, and activist, Omowale Adewale.

We spoke with him by phone Tuesday.

The December 14 episode of late-night hit TV show "The Rundown with Robin Thede", shown on BET in the U.S., had a feature on a Russian troll operation known as "Black Fist". We discussed this with Omowale, how they tricked him into being associated with it (and how I was tricked into covering "Black Fist"), how all he did was conduct self-defense and martial arts training he was already doing and still does, how Black people were being used as a "pawn" in it, and the political implications of this scam. We also discussed the treatment of this scam by the media, and how shows by Black women such as Robin Thede and Karen Hunter provided the best coverage.

Now that he is retired as a fighter, he has had more time to devote to training people, both adults and youth, in fitness, combat sports, and self-defense.

"In terms of fitness, I'm training people mornings and evenings, which started in November. This is a few months after I stopped fighting. I just started training people more often," he said.

"Now I'm doing a Brooklyn Boxing Boot Camp."

This is all part of a greater effort he has been involved with for many years.

"My organization, which has been around for 16 years, we're a small group of folks, Grassroots Artists MovEment, G.A.ME Inc., we have a space in Bed-Stuy, and what we do is focus on addressing the socio-economic conditions of Black and people of color in our community, particularly poor working class."

He also has initiated a vitally important project called "Black Men Dismantle Patriarchy and Misogynoir", where Black men meet to discuss how to fight misogynoir (which is misogyny directed towards Black women), and to support and protect Black women and girls.

We discussed how all this is part of the struggle against white supremacy, how his work helps the community get various resources and nutrition information, the need to fight "toxic masculinity", why people need to get organized and get skilled and get fit, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Black Fist, boxing, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, misogynoir, No Holds Barred, Omowale Adewale, Robin Thede, Russian trolls, self-defense

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Balogun Ojetade, the founder, director, and master instructor of the Afrikan Martial Arts Institute, and co-chair of the Urban Survival and Preparedness Institute (USPI).

They will be hosting a Youth Survival Open House event Sunday, December 11, at the Northwest Atlanta Library at Scott's Crossing, 2489 Perry Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia 30318. It aims to start to teach survival tips and practical survival training for children, tweens, and teens. This event is free and open to the public.

We spoke with Balogun Ojetade by phone Tuesday.

"The Youth Survival Open House is an event to teach the youth how to survive during these trying times," he said.

"We're going to deal with how to handle police brutality. We're going to deal with human trafficking. In Atlanta, Georgia, where the open house is taking place, Atlanta, Georgia, is number one in the country in child sex traffic. So we decided to teach children how to be safe and avoid abduction.

"And then we're dealing with bullies, also. How to deal with, avoid, and if you can't avoid, how to physically manage a bully."

There will be three sessions on these topics at the Youth Survival Open House, from 2 PM to 5:30 PM.

Of course, this event can only be the start of this type of education and training. Successfully dealing with them, he said, requires training in the martial arts.

While this event will show to the youth in attendance just a few martial arts techniques, "Hopefully they will enroll in a self-defense class somewhere or enroll in an ongoing martial arts class to help themselves.

"I fully believe that the key to ending bullying is for the victim and the bully to study martial arts."

We thus discussed a lot about the martial arts, including why studying disciplines like judo and muay Thai is essential, the importance of grappling and how African martial arts are based in grappling, wrestling takedowns for self-defense, how good throws can stop bullies, and why the goal here is first to avoid danger.

"There's an absolute need, always has been, a strong need for people to learn to defend themselves. This is a dangerous world that we live in," he said.

That need has become even more immediate with the rise of openly racist and fascist elements in both the U.S. and the world.

"But the climate now," he stressed, "if you're not training now, you really are either ignorant of what's going on or lazy or you're just playing with your own life."

And he cited an open gathering in April of white supremacists not far from Atlanta.

"That tells me that there's something really bad coming."

In addition, we discussed the need for every woman to take a self-defense course; the role of Nzinga Mbande, sometimes known as Queen Nzinga, the 17th century leader of the Mbundu people in modern-day Angola, in developing the martial arts; the drawings on the walls of the ancient tombs of Beni Hasan in today's Egypt, made some four to five thousand years ago, which show training in wrestling and martial arts techniques; and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.com.

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

Labels: Africa, Atlanta, Balogun Ojetade, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, No Holds Barred, self-defense, urban, youth survival

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with MMA legend Frank Shamrock.

Now retired as a fighter, he is focusing on many entertainment projects, including acting. He is currently starring in a new horror short film called "Everlast". Mainly shot at YouTube Space LA, it is showing on BlackboxTV, one of YouTube's most popular horror channels, and for free, at https://youtu.be/6hAUjD3MZj0.

We spoke with Frank Shamrock by phone Friday about this film and what else he is doing.

In this film, Frank plays MMA fighter Nikolai Faust.

"I'm actually dead. I've crossed over to another world," he said of his character. "I've actually done a deal with the Devil about a decade ago to become the greatest fighter in the world. And that sort of traps me in this little parallel universe where I have to sort of live in that inter-hell and have to fight every comer that comes along, until someone takes my place, I guess. And that's what happens in the movie."

The film climaxes when Faust must take on the undefeated Angel Shepard, played by Kevin McNamara.

We discussed this film, and to what degree its underworldly theme is an allegory about the real world of MMA. We also discussed how today's movie fighting is utilizing realistic MMA techniques, how the future of martial arts and combat sports may change with a new generation becoming much more aware of the dangers of head trauma than earlier generations, what role scripted film fighting can play in satisfying the desire of many to watch fights, how this more educated next generation of fighters will change martial arts for the better, how he would "love to see" catch wrestling grow, 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:

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 AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: catch wrestling, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, Everlast, film, Frank Shamrock, martial arts, MMA, movie, No Holds Barred, YouTube

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reposts a commentary from May 2013 about the legacy of Malcolm X and its meaning for the martial arts and combat sports.

Plus, added is a new introduction which discusses Malcolm X's emphasis on continuing to learn, adapt, and change, and how this applies to the martial arts and combat sports, especially for the reviving sport of catch wrestling and for those sports which produce repetitive head trauma and brain injuries.

On March 29, 1964, at a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York, Malcolm X repeated what he had said many times about the importance of the martial arts: "If you're interested in freedom, you need some judo, you need some karate, you need all the things that will help you fight for freedom."

That building now houses the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, at 3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032, where one of the many celebrations of the 89th anniversary of Malcolm's birth will take place this Monday, May 19.

Malcolm X also explained the importance of martial arts training in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X", and how the values they teach are part of the overall training in values which "are vital in a person, a home, a community, a nation, and a civilization," and not only the aspect of training in self-defense. The book also discussed his relations with Muhammad Ali, when he won the heavyweight boxing championship of the world from Sonny Liston in 1964.

But the type of positive values which Malcolm advocated are today often not being promoted, particularly in combat sports like MMA and wrestling, and this is discussed.

So the lessons taught by Malcolm X about the martial arts and combat sports are still valid. It is up to us to learn this legacy, and to apply it to what we do today.

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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City July 26 and 27, 2014, for the fifth annual MMA World Expo, featuring the Fighters Source U.S. Nationals amateur MMA tournament, two days of ADCC no-gi and gi grappling tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, 2014, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This invitational event will be held under catch wrestling rules, where you can only win by pin or submission. It will take place Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, California. For more information, go to catchwrestlingalliance.com.

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/.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to http://takedownradio.com.

Labels: autobiography, boxing, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, judo, karate, Malcolm X, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the latest tragedy in boxing involving brain-damaged fighter Magomed Abdusalamov; how the sports world is changing in regards to concussions and head trauma, while MMA is racing down the same dangerous path as boxing, including emphasizing head strikes and de-emphasizing grappling; Saturday's Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts event in Harlem, New York, and the need for catch wrestling in New York City; the growth of non-combat sports like baseball and arm wrestling; corruption and the uncertain future of the Olympic Games; the continuing education going on about concussions and head trauma in films such as "Head Games", which is showing for free in New York this Thursday, February 27; 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.

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/.

Labels: arm, baseball, boxing, brain damage, catch, concussions, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Magomed Abdusalamov, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Olympics, wrestling