Training with Team Wolf Pack

Muncie, Indiana

Donny and Jason this time would travel to Indiana where Jason's manager, Chas Bowling, trains team Wolfpack. Most of the guys out there are known for there Wrestling, being golden glove boxers, and brawlers. In other words they know how to throw down and they win a lot of MMA matches.Day 1 - We would start the day by MMA free roll for a couple hours in a huge Karate Dojo that was lined in mats. At night we would Spar in a ring that was in a building that looked like something out of a Rocky movie for about 2 hours. Then we went next door where there waw a basketball court full of mats. Chas would have one of Indiana's best Wreslter's work take downs with us. Our goal was simple try to stop the takedown. Then to end the day we would run non-stop sprints up and down the court for three five minute rounds. That night ended by everyone coming over to Chas's and watching The Ultimate Fighter show. Good times.Day 2 - The second day would prove to be more of a conditioning day. We would MMA free roll for a couple hours to start the day again. That night we started sparring a couple rounds each to make sure we got to spar with some of the guys that did not make it out the night before. After that the conditioning began. We would do a lot of jump roping, pummeling, positioning drills, sprawling, and striking on pads. After all of that it was back to the sprints again to end the day.We would like to thank Chas Bowling for having us a place to stay and his father for letting us to use his Dojo. Also we would like to thank Team Wolfpack for good training. All together it was a good and intense 2 days and we look forward to coming out here again and hopefully have them come out to our gym sometime.Written by:Donny Walker

Training in Florida with Dan Rawlings

Brooksville, Florida

Getting ready for his big King of the Cage match on February 25th Jason headed south to visit GriffonRawl Florida. GriffonRawl Florida is on the grow! Dan and Becky recently took over a martial arts gym in Brooksville, Florida. They offer Muay Thai classes to adults and, children and lease space to other martial arts instructors during off hours. Never sitting idle Dan and Becky are set to open the GriffonRawl Tampa gym this Monday January the 24th. The Tampa gym is about an hour south of the Brooksville gym. Dan and Becky are leasing space from Hitmasters Gym, located just 5 minutes north of Tampa International Airport. Next time you head to the sunshine state, don’t forget to stop by and say hi and wish them well! Jason had plenty of warm weather to run, work out, spar, learn some new techniques and even share some of his own skills with Dan and the GriffonRawl Florida crew. Thursday and Friday were set aside for training. Saturday afternoon Jason accompanied Dan to Ocala Florida for a kids martial arts event. Sunday night included some free rolling and more training before heading back to the snow and cold of Cleveland on Monday. Seeing old friends, great training, and warm weather…couldn’t ask for much more. The next time you’re in Tampa, stop by GriffonRawl Florida!Hopefully once the weather breaks we can get Dan and Becky to Cleveland for a Muay Thai seminar in Mentor. Look for details on the website!Written by:Rich Catalano

South Leauge Extreme Kickboxing

Atlanta, Georgia

Ryan Madigan vs Melvin GuillardGoing into the fight I heard alot of people say that Melvin will come out hard and tire in the later rounds. In the first round I would cover up and be patient picking my shots he was very busy throwing everything from flying knees,punches, and kicks but never landing anything that hurt in the first round. He was busier but I still thought I landed cleaner shots, but he would win that round on all three scorecards. The second round would be different I had alot more energy and would land alot of good combonations, a few right hands and a right round kick to the face as he was ducking down. Second round all three judges would give it to me. Third round was a battle I would start out throwing more combonations and backing him up alot. He would work some leg kicks landing one or two good ones. He would land a good right hand that did knock me down but I got right back up to recover and no knock down was called. I then came back even backing him up toward a corner and landed 3 or 4 punches and thought I should have gotten the round. Two judges would see it for him and one for me. The fourth round I simply was dominating with more combonations and backing him up. With 30 or 40 seconds left in that round he would catch all my weight on my front leg as I was throwing a right hand and catch me right above the knee my leg went numb and swolled up. It was like a "monkey bubble from hell" I could not stand and Melvin won the bout by tko.I hope to get a rematch!!! I vow to be back stronger than ever!! "The Lion"Written by:Ryan Madigan

Extreme Combat Challenge "Ho - Ho - Ho - KO ! "

Muncie, Indiana

The Delaware County Fairgrounds was the site of Saturdays latest installment of Extreme Combat Challenge. GriffonRawl team members Donny Walker (4-3), Mike Russo (7-5), and Jason Dent (12-4) were all on the card. Mike was involved in an 8 man 170 pound tournament, Donny in a single bout at 155 and Jason fought for the ECC 145 pound title. The night for the team started off with a bang as Mike made short work of his first opponent Kreg Lajoy, tapping him out with a armbar 36 seconds into the first round. They exchanged leather briefly before it went to the ground and Mike took over. Mike’s second bout was against a very game Reinhart Fighting Systems member. However, Mike made short work of him tapping him out early in the first via rear naked choke. In his third and final fight of the night Mike was matched against a jiu-jitsu fighter. Mike showed his superior striking skills pummeling his opponent for nearly two rounds until he slapped on a rear naked choke to end the fight and capture the 170 pound tournament championship. Mike showed why his nickname is “The Bull”. Donny however, hit a snag in his fight. Matched against hometown boy Adam Bass(9-1), Donny got caught by a straight right in the first round and never quite recovered and the referee stepped in after a series of stomps by Bass. Donny, like the true warrior he is, will fight another day.Jason was matched against a huge 145 pound competitor named Joe Voisin for the ECC 145 pound title. The first round was pretty even back and forth. Jason did find himself on his back most of the round but showed his skills defending strikes and nearly catching Voisin in an armbar. The second round however, was all Jason. After a brief exchange on the feet Jason got the clinch and threw some great knees. Voisin countered by scooping one of the knees and taking Jason down but landed right in Jason’s triangle. Jason locked it in and forced him to tap, capturing the title. So, between Jason winning the title and Mike winning not 1, not 2, but 3 fights in dominating fashion to capture the tournament championship, GriffonRawl had a good trip to Muncie for ECC: Ho Ho Ho KO.Written by:Josh Burton

Training in OC with Team Next Generation

Los Angeles, California

GriffonRawl globe trotters Jason Dent and Richard Catalano recently headed west to visit Chris Brennan’s Next Generation Team located in OC, CA. After battling two hours of LA traffic during rush hour we knew the hitting the gym would be a would be a much needed break and stress reliever.Russ Miura, a recent brown belt taught an advanced Jiu-Jitsu class Wednesday evening. Jason had no problem keeping up with the advanced boys from OC. Later that evening we crashed at Zack and Jakes Brennan’s place.We got up early Thursday and met Chris Brennan at his Lake Forest Gym and finalized the details of our seminar NOW set for Feb 25&26th, 2005 right here in MENTOR! (Book your space NOW as the seminar is limited to just 30 students each day). Chris and Jake plan to sell NoGi wear (http://www.nogiindustries.com/) at King of the Cage Friday the 25th at the CSU Convocation Center as well as during seminar hours at GriffonRawl. Our first class was kickboxing covering many combination and blocks taught by Chris. Right after class Jason spared with Adam Lynn a Next Generation Team member from Pittsburgh, PA. The second class also taught by Chris, Jiu-Jitsu we did a few drills, escapes and counters. Later rolled with Chris and other students of the Next Generation team. That afternoon we headed to the Pacific Coast Highway to what Chris refers to as 1000 Steps… www.chrisbrennan.com/steps.htm . Steps so steep when you look down from the top you can’t see the bottom step. It’s a challenge everyone should try given the opportunity. After the “Steps” some relaxation was in order. We headed over to Venice Beach to check out the vendors, other tourists and So. Cal sights. Later that evening we went to Hollywood and Vine to see the ECC fights in the Henry Fonda Theater. Congrats to Josh Smith of Next Generation on his 27 second KO win in the cage. Early Friday morning we headed back to Cleveland after an action packed few days in OC. Thanks to the Brennan family for their hospitality. Written by:Richard Catalano

Team Quest - Training Camp

Portland, Oregon

Jason Dent and Richard Catalano ventured all the way across the country to Portland Oregon where they would get to train at Team Quest for a three day camp. The Team Quest group is made of many great fighters in the MMA game. Randy “The Natural” Couture, Matt “The Law” Lindland and many other top rated fighters make up one of the countries best fight clubs. Couture, Lindland, and Robert Follis gym president instructed the camp. Each instructor presented the material in a prolific and professional manner. The Team Quest facility is under construction and amidst a huge expansion to allow for a kickboxing area, a new locker/shower area, and even more mat space. The former auto showroom is rapidly being transformed into a state of the art MMA training facility. Classes began Friday evening with an introduction, take down ideas, and thoughts on getting up off your back. Being on your back can be a offensive place to be but you can benefit from being able to get back to you feet when you want to. Robert Follis also stressed the importance of muscle memory. Don’t be discouraged if at first you don’t do a move with perfection. The move may be NEW to your body and the brain needs to “teach” the muscles to move and react. This process takes time; be patient with it. The first night of camp was a great introduction and two hours of education from 8-10pm.Saturday morning brought three hours from 9am-12noon educating and training which included one hour with Robert, Matt, and last but not least Randy. During each one of these hours each instructor taught a series moves. The major strength of Team Quest is obviously thier wrestling credentials, now don't get me wrong they have good Jiu-Jitsu, and kickboxing skills too boot. Most all three hours were either takedowns, getting off of your back with out using your guard, and we spent a lot of time discussing about using angles with your clinching and takedowns.After a three hour break Saturday afternoon from 3pm-6pm we were given the opportunity to dawn gloves and work on striking techniques. This included getting off the ropes or fence, and closing the distance to obtain the clinch when being struck at. Saturday evening concluded with some interesting relaxation and positive affirmation techniques Randy learned while training with the US Olympic wrestling team in Colorado Springs. Sunday morning brought us to the last two hours of the weekend; Randy, Matt, and Robert presented a question and answer period, followed by nutrition, and some kicking ideas. Randy stressed blocking the punches and kicks he said that you better have it in your mind that you are going to get hit because if you try to fight without getting hit you will get hit worrying about it to much. Jason had the chance to do some free rolling with a member of the Quest team before it was time to jet back to Cleveland.Every technique over the weekend was followed by a chance to try each move; we also traded partners through out the weekend in order to sharpen our game. Each instructor floated around the room, making suggestions, instructing and participating with the students.Quest camp is held every few months in Portland anyone looking to strengthen their game and train along side UFC vets should check out the camp. Its adventure worth your time and will surely prove invaluable.Written by:Richard Catalano

Walter "Sleeper" Michalowski Muay Thai Seminar

Grove City, Ohio

Ryan Madigan, Jason Dent, and Mike Russo all attended this seminar with Walter. Ryan and Jason participated while Mike took notes. Mike had just competed in the KOTC show on the previous night and needed to rest his bones a little. Walter covered everything from clinch drills, thai pad combinations, and we even got to work on the Wai Kru/Ram Muay rituals. The school that hosted the seminar was the International Martial Arts Academy that is owned and operated by Mike Gross. Everybody at the seminar was very cool.Written by:Jason Dent

King of the Cage 41 "The Octagon is here"

Dayton, Ohio

The Hara arena was the place to be this past weekend as King Of the Cage once again hit the Buckeye state with another high caliber MMA show. Over 3000 fans showed up to cheer on their favorite KOTC fighters and get a glimpse of the sport that is exploding nation wide. Fifteen fights were on the card and capped by the main event of Mike "Boom Boom " Buckovich verse Brandon Quigby. Buckovich KO 'd Quigby to stay unbeaten at 10-0 with all ten wins coming via KO, however Buckovich would not be the only fighter to extend his undefeated winning streak. Cincinnati's Team Jorge Gurgel posted a 5-0 record with its five fighters on the KOTC card (Swift, Souder, Tony, Hazlette, Workman) and showed fans why they are considered one of the top Jujitsu camps in the country. KOTC also announced their plans on a potentially huge show set for Cleveland this coming February, which will be available across North America via Pay Per View.Official Results:Josh Souder over Donny Walker – submission (leg lock) rd 2Dustin Hazlette over Justin Hons – tapout rd 1Dan Swift over Matt Horning – submission (choke) rd 1Jason Gillian over Dwight Decker – TKO rd 1Jamie Tony over Drew Longshore – ref stoppage rd 1Dorian Price over Salazar Sanchez – submission (choke) rd 1Brandon Workman over Dave Stone – submission (choke) rd 1Thomas Jones over Leo Sylvest – TKO rd 1David Hieth over Doug Sour – TKO rd 1Ryan Stout over Mike Russo – ref stoppage rd 1Jay Estrada over Luke Spencer submission (RNC) rd 1Jeff Cox over Jake Short – submission (choke) rd 1Sean Hoffman over Eli Ayers – unan decJohn Dixson over Don Richard – submission (choke) rd 1Mike Buckovich over Brandon Quigby – KO rd 1Results from: http://www.prokarateweekly.com/

XFO gives sellout crowd long night of MMA

Lakemoor, Illinois

Donny Walker wins again & Jason vs. Curran was an all out WAR!It started 20 minutes late, but nobody in the sellout crowd was complaining when the Xtreme Fighting Organization finished its third show more than four hours later. The event featured 16 bouts -- eight of them going more than one round, and five of them going into the third round. 'This was one of those shows where everything came together... the fights we thought were going to be good were great, and the ones we thought were going to be OK were also great,' said Monte Cox, one of the event's promoters. Jeff Curran and Jason Dent put on a 15-minute war that left both fighters bloody and with broken noses. Curran showed solid standup and good ground skills en route to a unanimous decision victory. Dent, making his first fight at 145 (he normally fights at 155), showed he can be a top competitor at the lower division. 'Promoters always hope that the main event lives up to its hype and we certainly got that out of Curran and Dent,' Cox said. 'It was a perfect way to finish a great show.' Cox added that the event was a complete sellout. The next XFO event is expected to be in early December. OFFICIAL RESULTS: - Eric Schafer def. Rich Seldel, 2:29 Rd. 1, rear choke. - Kit Kieu def. Omar Choudhury, 3:00 Rd. 3 (9:00), split decision. - Donny Walker def. Jim Calazante, 1:20 Rd. 2 (4:20), rear choke. - Rory Markham def. James Warfield, 1:12 Rd. 2 (6:12), verbal submission. - Sebastian Helon def. Sal Calazante, 2:51 Rd. 1, triangle choke. - Matt Williams def. Rob Mrotek, 1:51 Rd. 1, knockout. - Mark Miller def. Tavaris Hunter, :19 Rd. 2 (5:19), knockout. - Sean Huffman def. Steve Dau, 5:00 Rd. 3 (15:00), unanimous decision. - Troy Guida def. Leo Sylvest, 2:55 Rd. 1, armbar. - Mike Kelly def. Jon Friedland, 3:00 Rd. 3 (9:00), unanimous decision. - Alisa Cantwell def. Adrienna Jenkins, 1:17 Rd. 1, verbal submission. - Mark Wallen def. Troy King, 1:54 Rd. 1, rear choke. - Henry Matamoros def. Chris Moore, 2:11 Rd. 1, rear choke. - Bart Palaszewski def. Jay Estrada, 4:31 Rd. 1, triangle choke. - Terry Martin def. Bill Hill, :19 Rd. 3 (10:19), knockout. MAIN EVENT: - Jeff Curran def. Jason Dent, 5:00 Rd. 3 (15:00), unanimous decision.

South Leauge Extreme Kickboxing

Atlanta, Georgia

Ryan “The Lion” Madigan makes successful return in AtlantaAfter spending over a year away from the ring, Ryan “The Lion” Madigan once again showed why he is widely considered to be one of the top kick-boxers in the170 lb class. Madigan gained a unanimous decision victory over Jeff Perry (6-3) at Lane Collyer’s Extreme Kickboxing Challenge (USMTA sanctioned) this past weekend in Atlanta, GA. Madigan now 6-1 (3 KO’s) as a pro and the current IKF East Coast Super Middleweight Champion, is scheduled to take on Rasheed Lee on October 23rd for the USKBA Super Middleweight title. After a very accomplished amateur career (18-2), Madigan was slowed by a leg injury which kept him out of action for nearly 18 months but now at one hundred percent Madigan says it’s time to make his run to a world title. Trained by legendary boxing coach Lorenzo Scott and former K-1 star Mark “The Shark” Miller, the 27 year old Madigan has his sights set on a future ISKA title but is taking it one fight at a time in the process. Counting his October title fight in Michigan, Madigan may fight as many as three more times in 2004. Ryan credits his trainers and sponsors (Real Fight Gear, Griffon-Rawl Gym) for a successful run so far, but promises he is far from finished.For tickets or event info on the October 23rd USKBA fight card in Michigan, email info@prokarateweekly.com. Ryan Madigan will be making a LIVE appearance this Wednesday night on PKW to discuss his recent win and upcoming title fight with Rasheed Lee. PRO KARATE WEEKLY (PKW) can be heard live exclusively on http://www.sportstalkcleveland.com/ and/or http://www.prokarateweekly.com/ Wednesday nights from 9 to 10:30 pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they have missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors, and all of the latest martial arts news are available daily by logging onto http://www.prokarateweekly.com/.Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show by calling during live broadcasts to 1-866-371-4STC on our national toll free hotline or email PKW live at Studio@sportstalkcleveland.com. For all other Pro Karate Weekly questions please email info@prokarateweekly.com. Written by:Greg Kalikas - SportsTalkCleveland.com Regional Director Marketing & SalesPro Karate Weekly - Executive Producergkalikas@sportstalkcleveland.com (330) 324-3034