Sunday, November 09, 2008

Atama Open Fights and Houston Chronicle Interview   Woodlands to host Jiu-jitsu tournament By KIMBERLY STAUFFER HOUSTON CHRONICLE Nov. 8, 2008 WANT TO COMPETE? What: Atama Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament For more information or to register, visit lonestartournaments.com. WANT TO PARTICIPATE? What: Jiujitsu seminar featuring Dean Lister from Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter For more information or to register, visit lonestartournaments.com. Fighters of all ages and skill levels are invited to test their Jiu-jitsu mastery at the first Atama Open tournament Nov. 8 at Legends Sports Complex. The event, hosted by Lonestar Tournaments and Atama, will feature Gi, also known as kimonos, and No Gi divisions, as well as two super fights between black and brown belt competitors representing local mixed martial arts schools. Dean Lister, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor, will conduct his first seminar in Texas Nov. 7, prior to the tournament. Brett Boyce, owner of Lonestar Tournaments, said the popularity of mixed martial arts “has increased dramatically” within the last three years with the emergence of the UFC. “Mixed martial arts puts it into two disciplines: one is stand-up, Muay Thai or kickboxing, and the other one is grappling, wrestling or Jiu-jitsu,” Boyce said. “A lot of people who are very interested in watching UFC and mixed martial arts are starting to get into it themselves. They might train both disciplines, but less step into a full contact ring with the stand-up art. A lot more are interested in the Jiu-jitsu end of it.” With few tournaments held in the Houston area, Boyce said competitions like the Atama Open allow “people spending countless amount of hours in a gym training to put their skills to the test.” The tournaments are also an opportunity for the public to learn more about a sport dramatized as violent brawling. “It’s taken the brutality out of a bar fight and molded it into a sport,” he said. “It’s very skillful. It’s not as brutal as people want to make it out to be. The more people recognize it takes skill to step into the ring, not just brute force and strength, the more recognized the sport will become.” Super fight competitor Chad Kight, a brown belt instructor at Elite Mixed Martial Arts in The Woodlands, said the tournaments are a chance for competitors to step out of their comfort zones. “I’m always telling my students they need to compete to bring up their level,” he said. “It’s good to test yourself against other guys. I lead by example; if I tell my students to compete, I have to go compete.” Acknowledging the inherent violence, Kight said while fighters will do anything to make their opponent tap out or submit, the sport provides a way to control anger and violence, leading to a positive outcome. “As far as people looking to do what we’re doing, treat this as a fun thing,” he said. “It’s a lifelong road. You’re never going to learn it all.” The seminar with Dean Lister will be held 7-10 p.m. Nov. 7, and the Atama Open will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at Legends Sports Complex. The super fights will feature three-time world champion Andre Monteiro against Brandon Mullens and Kight will face off against Patrick Head, an instructor from Nederland, Texas. For more information and to register for the seminar or to compete, visit lonestartournaments.com. kimberly.stauffer@chron.com

Elite MMA at the Atama Open 2008            Jacob Jorgenson working an armbar.    Kight walking off from a tought 10 minute war with Patrick Head, who pulled off the win with a gaurd pass point victory.  Congrats on a great match to both of these guys in an entertaining Super Fight; Patrick for the win and Kight for pressing the action with an onslaught of attacks… Good work guys!             1st Place goes to Elite MMA Kids Team & 3rd Place goes to Elite MMA Overall Team    Atama Open ‘08   Congratulations to our team at Elite MMA for a strong showing this weekend at the Atama Open… The effort in training and competition was displayed in our performance and results.  I’m so proud of everyone and look forward to seeing us do it again next month in Dallas for the NAGAs!    Congrats to Gracie Barra and Relson Gracie’s schools for 1st and 2nd place Overall Team Awards.           Elite MMA – The Woodlands Chad “Robo” Head Coach  Quick Links MMATheWoodlands   Elite West

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was made popular in the U.S. by the Gracie family.  It is now one of the fastest growing martial arts in the country.  The art is comprised of four components: self-defense, vale tudo (anything goes), sport jiu-jitsu, and takedowns.  The techniques of Jiu-Jitsu help a smaller and weaker person defend against a larger, stronger opponent of greater physical attributes.  Students will get a great strength and conditioning workout while learning one of the world’s most effective martial arts.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will take you deep into the world of grappling and you will begin to understand the intricisies of ground grappling.  Each move and technique must be done with precision and proper timing.  The emphasis of base and leverage is to enable the smaller, weaker, person to take a bigger, stronger, more aggressive opponent out of his element and submit him.  Jiu-Jitsu was created so that the small guy can survive and win regardless of  the size and strength of any opponent.  It invloves using every element of the body and mind to win.  Technique, timing, endurance, strategy, sense of touch, element of suprise, sight, sensitivity of weight, balance and feeling the intentions of your opponent.  You need to use your legs, arms, fingers, feet, and toes.  Jiu-Jitsu is using every element of your body to defeat your opponent.  The mind must remain clear and be connected with the body transitions going on.  It involves total use of your mind and body reacting to the ever changing moment to moment actions in the fight.  It is like a chess match where you can capitalize on your opponents mistakes or trick him to make a mistake.  In Jiu-Jitsu it is not only a physical fight but you must be mentally on top of your game as well. 

A message to freinds from Royce Gracie,

Helio Gracie
October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009.

Friends,

Today my father, Helio, at the age of 95 passed on. I am honored to be the son of such a great man! He was an inspiration to me throughout my life. As a Grandmaster of Jiu-Jitsu and the father of “Vale Tudo” he brought Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the forefront of martial arts. He was a man of small stature but his heart was that of a giant. He proved with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu that even a small man could overcome a bigger stronger opponent by using leverage and technique. He was truly an innovator. Just look around and you can see how his success gave birth to the sport of mixed martial arts that we all enjoy today.

Many of you may think that the greatest thing my father ever gave me was Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. But I want all of you to know that I will remember him most for what he taught me off the matt. He taught me how to be a man, a husband and a father. He showed me how to be honorable, respectful and diligent. He taught me how to be a whole person.

I ask that together we celebrate the remarkable life of my father, Helio Gracie. The greatest tribute you can to pay to my father is to continue to train and share Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, remembering to never lose sight of the fact that what you do off the matt counts more than what you do on the matt. Face life’s challenges with confidence, dare to pursue your dreams and live to the fullest just as my father did.

God bless us all!

Royce

The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in modern times — Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the “father of mixed martial arts”[2]. Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of MMA because of its synteric nature. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD “Combat Ranges“. A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA.

Bruce Lee said:

I have not invented a “new style,” composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from “this” method or “that” method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see “ourselves”. . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don’t, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one’s feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one’s back.

– Bruce Lee^[2]