Students, family and friends:
This has been in the works for some time, but due to our schedule and several others events, this particular event was put on hold. I would now like to bring it back to light and out in the open for those both previously involved and potentially involved with the project in the near future.
What's going on? Well, it has always been a goal of mine to set some sort of record. Why not do it within the realm of what I truly love? Martial Arts. Due to confidential reasons, I cannot (at this time) go into dramatic detail about the event, but what I can tell you is as follows...
Where: Location: West Manchester Mall (pending) - adjacent to Elicker's Kenpo Karate
When: A Saturday to be later determined (12:00pm - 2:00pm) 1/2 hour Uke registration, 1 hour record attempt, 1/2 hour awards and appreciation
Who: Coach George McGinnis, Team YMMAA and dozens of other schools and participants
What: Coach George McGinnis to set the first Judo based world record in the history of 'Guinness Books'
How: One Tori (person performing throwing techniques), countless Uke's (person receiving the technique), 1 hour time limit, mats, sponsors, media, crowd, friends and family and good old fashioned camaraderie as it was meant to be.
This event is going to be awesome. Its purpose is to obviously not only bring some advertising to our academy, but much more importantly, it is an opportunity to give back to the community and our instructors. Martial Arts has saved my life and I wish to share its beauty and culture. Judo is highly effective and functional yet so many people dismiss it from their training and arsenal. This will also give us (schools and club owners) a chance to work together and expose our students to an atmosphere that isn't primarily based on competition.
WHO'S IN???!!!
I will need to know the following...
(A) Would you like to attend and or participate in the event?
(B) Would you like to be listed as an Uke (oh yes, you will be thrown), or as a helper (event support / assistant)? If you are a YMMAA member, don't even think about option 2 of (B), ha ha...
(C) School owners - Can you attend the event and bring students to participate?
(D) This is a great sponsorship opportunity as well. If you are a business owner or know someone who is, this is a cheap and easy way to get involved with the MMA community while supporting an event that will not only make the books but will have a decent amount of media.
(E) There will be prizes at the event. One -->lucky<-- participant will receive a high end Gi (company pending) during a raffle towards the end of the event. Each Uke participant will receive a (ticket) upon completing their registration form. A number will be called, if its yours, you win!
More details to come soon. Please contact me with feed back, questions, concerns, interests, suggestions, etc. Thanks for your time...
Sincerely: Coach George McGinnis
York Mixed Martial Arts Academy
Contact # (717) 650 - 0500
www.YMMAA.com
Recently in York MMA Category
Got a message on facebook from York fighter Anthony Dick recently, saying that he started training with Daniel Beleza at York's Academy of Combative Arts.
"Since starting with him I finally won my first fight in Massachusetts. They are so awesome there the school is great and the trainers top notch."
Congrats on the win, Anthony. Hope it's the first of many.
I went over to the Academy of Combative Arts in York today for their open house, and had a great time. The academy, located in the Greyhound Bus Station, is home to many MMA fighters, as well as others who are interested in getting (or keeping) in shape or learning self-defense.
Unfortunately, I was late in getting there, so I missed the exhibition that owners Joe Duffey and Frank Nguyen had planned. But I have to say, everyone was accomodating in doing it again, just so I could get a little footage, which will be edited and put up here sometime soon.
In addition to Joe and Frank, head BJJ instructor Daniel Beleza was there, as well as Muay Thai instructor Kham and a guy he's been training with for a couple years now, Kaensak Sor. Pleonjit. Kaensak, who now trains in New Jersey, was champion at both Lumpinee and Ratchadamnoen stadiums, which I'm told are the two biggest and most prestigious stadiums in Thailand. He was in York for a seminar at ACA in August and hopes to do it again soon.
Last week I posted details of George McGinnis' great run at the UGC recently in Mcungie, Pa. Now you can take a look. Here's George's comments from the Youtube entry: "This is a compiled video of 6 out of my 7 matches this weekend. Missed match number to because they added the match last minute. I decided to hit the tournament to tune up for several other events that I have lined up over the next couple of months. Finished the day with 2 No Gi Gold Medals and 2 Absolute Championship belts... "
Make sure to hit George up at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy.
Video was sent to me by Brad Souders. George McGinnis then sent his comments to me:
"My boy Genki is at it again. I received an email from Coach Brad Souders that listed a link to one of Genki Sudo's music video's in which he wrote, performed in and produced. One thing I love about the guy is that he doesn't allow himself to be bound by the laws of any one style in regards to MMA or personality. We could all learn a lot from him not just on the mat and MMA, but how he chooses to live in general. I can really appreciate the fact that he isn't afraid to express himself creatively and through his passion for music. You would honestly be surprised how many fighters have a hidden knack for music. Some quick names that come to mind is Oscar Del La Hoya (Boxing World Champion), Kaensak (Muay Thai World Champion), Genki Sudo MMA legend and pioner and I do believe during my travels that GSP has expressed an interest in the music industry as well. Who woulda knew right?..."
Sincerely Yours: George McGinnis
York Mixed Martial Arts Academy
www.YMMAA.com
Brett Myers trains the Muay Thai clinch with Hanover Academy of MMA's Jay Haas.
Talked with George McGinnis, owner and head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion, tonight about several topics. We'll start with his brother Brett Myers' training. Brett is gearing up for a 170-pound title fight against Justin Krebs at Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III on Oct. 23 in Lancaster. The title was vacated by Justin Scott, who won it at CPWC I in April and defended it at CPWC II in July (against Krebs). Scott will make his debut as a pro at CPWC III.
Anyway, about Brett, George said, "Training's going good, Brett's healthy. We've stepped up a few things (his diet and conditioning) Brett's looking strong."
"No matter where this fight goes, I'm pretty confident that's Brett's capable of handling the situation," George said. "We wish Justin Krebs a healthy camp and good luck."
George said he has continued to work with Hanover Academy of MMA head trainer Bob Bitner on striking, both for himself and Brett. George has also logged time at Jay Haas' new school in Lewisberry.
It's George's hope that Brett wins the title, defends it several times, and then moves on from there. "We're looking at the future for Brett; we're not just concerned about what's going on right now."
George also said that he competed in the recent Grapplers Quest tournament in Lancaster. George, a purple belt under Rogerio "Tatu" Taborda, entered the no-gi advanced division, which meant he was going up against purple, brown or black belts. taking on a member of Maxercise, one of Philadelphia's best academies, George lost by rear-naked choke, he said. Putting on his gi, George took another high-level opponent, a brown belt, who was at least a weight class above him. George was able to hold off any submission attempts by the Team Balance member, but lost on points.
I talked with Mark Jovich, owner and matchmaker of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. With two successful events in York Township at Wisehaven Banquet Hall, Jovich moved his end of the year show to a bigger venue, the Lancaster Convention Center. Mark said at this point, things are going well for the Oct. 23 event, ticket sales are brisk, and the card is complete. We've got a lot of local, exciting fighters on the card, so it no doubt will be a great show. Looks like 19 fights, including the return of local pro Biff Walizer. Click here for the Web site and click here for the card.
Here's an email I received from George McGinnis, head trainer at York Mixed martial Arts Academy:
This article was sent to me by one of our top students (Tom Fleming) yesterday. I personally read the article twice because I thought it was that informative. Though most of us have been instructing for some time and have likely developed our own style of teaching, this article could still benefit you (as well as the students) in more ways then one.
It reminds us of the three most common styles of learning and reception (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic). Though I feel that our facility commonly accommodates for all three types of learning behaviors, I decided to adjust last nights class out of curiosity. To be completely honest, last night was probably one of the most responsive classes that I have ever tought. Students were asking twice the amount of questions, getting more involved, changing their angles of view and complying to the outline. I am also receiving emails and text messages about how great of a class we had. Give it a read. You could too be missing one or two angles of curriculum that could benefit one or more students.
Fight for your mind from tap or sleep on Vimeo.
This past weekend, Eric Moore, of Hanover Academy of MMA, entered the cage at Legend Cage Fighting in Manassas, Va. for his debut fight. He ended up in the main event, with fight of the night honors, and a title. How'd it happen?
According to Bob Bitner, Hanover's coach, "Believe me, it shocked us just as much as anybody." Prior to the fight, they went through two opponents - the second pulling out at weigh-ins. Legend's 155-pound champion, Jason Valle, also had an opponent pull out.
Despite Moore's inexperience - and based on Hanover's reputation of producing top-notch fighters - the promoter asked Bitner if Moore wanted the title fight.
"After probably five seconds of thinking about it," Moore and Bitner "jumped at the chance," Bitner said.
After three five-minute rounds, Moore was declared the winner by unanimous decision. "He laid it to this kid," Bitner said. "It was 100 percent Eric, all three rounds. We were very, very proud of him."
Not one to sit back on any laurels, Bitner said now it's time to live up to the title. No doubt Moore will do just that.
Just got an update from Joe, co-owner of Academy of Combative Arts:
The Muay Thai seminar was a success. I'm thankful for all who participated. I'd also like to thank George McGinnis and a few of his guys for participating. Also, we just participated in the New Jersey BJJ gi an no-gi tourney sponsored by Frankie from Dead Serious and won 3rd place in the team division. I am very proud of my guys! Finally, we have 5 guys fighting Oct 23rd in Lancaster: James Chappell, Mike Oberdick, Josh Kessler, Jon Tuxford, and I'll be making my MMA Amateur debut against Joshua Aarons.
Casey Bush
Joey "The Kid" Elmore
On Saturday, Sept. 19, local fighter Casey Bush will make his amateur debut - at 145 pounds - at Barbarian Fight Club's Dire Conflict event, to be held at the Virginia Sports Complex in Ruther Glen.
Casey's got a great amateur wrestling background, and has been training at Hanover Academy of MMA, where is part of the team, but also has trained at George McGinnis' York Academy of Mixed Martial Arts in Red Lion in the past.
Casey is 27, stands 5'7" and Casey's opponent, Joey "The Kid" Elmore, is 25, stands at six feet, lists boxing, grappling and submission as his styles and has a 1-2 record. He is from Great Mills, Md., and says he is an independent fighter, i.e., no school/team affiliation.
Stay tuned here to find out how Casey did.
Just wanted to let everybody know that Jay Haas, a pro fighter with Hanover Academy of MMA, has opened an affilated academy in Lewisberry Pa. at 689 Yorktowne Rd. Jay has fought twice in the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, and numerous times in Virginia. He went 4-1 as an amateur, and is now 1-2 as a pro with one no-contest. He is trhe reigning Operation Octagon 145-pound champion. jay is sponsored by Hanover-based mma clothing company Tap or Sleep.
Here are some things about the academy to keep in mind: All non-members pay a 10.00 mat fee before being allowed to participate. Private lessons are available at both locations, (Lewisberry or Hanover at 398 York St. (suite 9), )please contact one of the numbers below for more detailed information. If interested, please feel free to contact: Bob Bitner 717-528-4038, 717-253-5540 or bitnerbob1@embarqmail.com or Jay Haas at 717-315-4276
Here's the schedule for the Lewisberry academy:
Monday - mma 6-8pm
Tuesday - Kickboxing (ladies only) 5-6 pm; mma 6-8 pm, Wrestling 8-9 pm
Wednesday - mma 6-8 pm
Thrusday - Kickboxing (ladies only) 5-6 pm; mma 6-8 pm, wrestling 8-9 pm
Friday - mma 6-8 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday - wrestling 5-6 pm
By George McGinnis
Hi. My name is George McGinnis. I wanted to set aside some time today to discuss how to decode various MMA programs and the vital importance in selecting a legitimate Martial Arts / MMA academy that will be handling your educational and competitive needs. First things first. The key word in that sentence was your needs. Countless schools out there (Nationwide) are so concerned with promoting themselves, that they often allow students to attend advanced training before they are ready, or their fighters to take a fight long before they actually have the arsenal to do so. How does this affect you? It's simple. In the world of MMA, first impressions are critical. When a fighter steps through that gate for the first time, they (in my opinion) have to leave a lasting impression with the promoter, fighters, other surrounding teams, as well as the crowd. You have to let people know (win or lose) that you've got game and come from a school that clearly has worked diligently with you and has your best interests in mind. Listed below are some key things that you should be looking for and considering before settling in with any one mixed martial art academy.
Damon's Grill Hanover
375 Eisenhower Dr.
Hanover, PENNSYLVANIA 17331
Phone: 717-632-5600
Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based MMA fightwear company, Tap or Sleep, annoucned today that TOS, along with Bob Bitner's Hanover Academy of MMA will be sponsoring the first-ever UFC PPV at Damon's in Hanover. In this case, it's tomorrow night's UFC 102 - Couture vs. Nogueira.
Tap or Sleep, the first mma clothing company to come out of York County, offers clothing for the fan and the fighter - both men and women. Phillips sponsors tremendous competitors like Biff Walizer, Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman, Jimmy Hettes and Duane Bastress.
Hanover Academy of MMA made an impact on the MMA scene in Virginia long before Pennsylvania legalized the sport, producing several amateur champions. Bitner, who comes from an extensive striking background, recently partnered with BJJ purple belt George McGinnis of York Mixed Martial Arts Academy to give his fighters a more well-rounded game.
The fights start at 10 p.m., but if I were you, I'd get there early to get a good seat. Jerod said he'll have a table there, selling TOS merch and doing free giveaways. Local fighters will be on hand as well, so get out there and support the sport!
Tom and I talk UFC 102, and the Pennsylvania MMA scene.
Word around the cage was that Big Dan was going to ref at UFC 101 in Philly but had never done any reffing in the state, so to get sanctioned, he did all the fights at CPWC II on July 28. From Mark Jovich's myspace. And head over to warriorchallenge.info to buy tickets for CPWC III on Oct. 23 in Lancaster.
I had a question the other day from someone in the office about Muay Thai. He had been watching some UFC and heard the term, knew it was a component of MMA, but beyond that, wasn't sure what it was all about. Rather than explain it here for those who don't know, you can head to the extensive wikipedia entry and/or take a look at one of the best ffighters out there today, Buakaw Por. Pramuk:
And for anyone interested in taking a MT seminar from another top fighter - if you missed my post yesterday - look no further than this Sunday at Academy of Combative Arts in York.
Here's a note I received from Joe Duffey, co-owner of York's Academy of Combative Arts, on Chappell's recent win: "Jimi won via armbar 1:40 in the first round. I am very proud of him and our group that drove out there to support him."
Muay Thai Seminar with World Champion Kaensak
August 23rd, 2009 11AM-3PM
Location: ACA
53 E North St York, PA 17401
Cost: $65.00 Per Person
Contact Frank at 717-841-4077
All Levels and Non-Members Welcome
A longtime BJJ paractitioner, Brad used to live here in York and roll with George McGinnis of York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion. Brad's now down in West Virginia, I believe.
... Quite nicely, I might add. There's five pro fights scheduled at this point:
Randy Smith vs. Braden Bice
Biff Walizer vs. TBD
Sean Santella vs. Jay Haas
Justin Scott vs. Dan Woodruff
Lewis Rumsey vs. TBD
And 13 amateur fights:
Joshua Aarons vs. TBD
Ben Moser vs. Justin Rios
John Andel vs. Ray Eltringham
Eric Steppe vs. Adam Dull
James Chappell vs. Mark Cugliari
Dustin Keener vs. Jeff Runk
Brett Myers vs. Justin Krebs
John Flock vs. Duane Bastress
Mark Schneider vs. Brian Tucker
Josh Kessler vs. Robert Haley
Mike Oberdick vs. Don Cioffi
Joe Acquino vs. Zachary Hescox
Mike Stoltzfus vs. Job Tuxford
The event will be held Oct. 23 at the newly-built Lancaster Convention Center. Click here to go to the Warrior Challenge Web site, then click "Ticket Information" to order tickets.
Tom and I discuss UFC 101, Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, Tim Boetsch, Jimmy Chappell, and CPWC III.
York fighter Jimmy "Shrapnel" Chappell was ready for Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II last month, but circumstances out of his control prevented the fight from occurring. Well, Chappell has another chance this Saturday at New Breed Fighters' latest event, against John Hollister. Good luck Jimmy. Maybe we'll see a sub like this one:
I blog regularly about local MMA academies like MACE, York Mixed Martial Arts Academy, Hanover Academy of Mixed Martial Arts and the Academy of Combative Arts, but I wanted to let everyone know about Sibora Chan's American Kenpo Karate Studio. I met Master Chan several months ago at Hooters and mentioned it here, but never said anything further.
Chan is a 6th degree black belt in Kenpo, carrying on the tradition of Ed Parker, the man credited with bringing the art to the U.S. from Hawaii. Parker was the man who held fights in California where Bruce Lee displayed his own art, Jeet Kune Do.
CPWC II Highlights:
Friday, Oct. 23 is the date, Lancaster Convention center is the place for the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III. Click here to go to the Web site, then go to "Ticket information" on the left-hand side for tickets, available for $35, $55, $65 and $75.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 2009 Pennsylvania Grappling Championship and Karate Tournament.
Lancaster Marriot at Penn Square, 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602 USA Phone: 1-717-239-1600
Compete Free
Anyone that attends Friday night's MMA event competes free at Saturday's events.
For more information contact us at:
jovichm@msn.com or call (717) 250-8841
Just received the latest email from York Mixed martial Arts Academy in Red Lion. And here we go:
Hello everyone. This is Coach George bringing you more exciting news about the academy.
1: Brett "Night Crawler" Myers is on good pace and is currently prepping for his title bout in October. To mix things up a bit we have added on (Aaron Hubbard) as Brett's dietary advisor and strengthening coach. Muay Thai instructor Bob Bitner will be working with Brett to focus on different stand up tactics and I will continue to push Brett's ground game. Tickets are now available. Both general admission and v.i.p are on hand, please contact us to purchase your tickets for the Oct 26th event. Don't miss out!
Hello and welcome to the 5th edition of the TATTOO FIGHTWEAR Newsletter. In this edition, we will recap the recent Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II and preview the upcoming Warrior Challenge III. We will also provide an update on our sponsored fighters and introduce some new TATTOO FIGHTWEAR products.
RECENT EVENTS:
On July 23, 2009, Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II (CPWC II) once again entertained a sell-out crowd of fight fans. Tattoo Fightwear proudly continued its sponsorship of this event and held a very visible presence throughout the venue on both the backs of fans and our sponsored fighters.
Tattoo Fightwear sponsored eight fighters for CPWC II and they all put on a great performance. John Andel from Central Pennsylvania Mixed Martial Arts (CPMMA) led off the night with an impressive three-round decision. Kevin Flinchbaugh from Hanover Martial Arts Academy found an opponent at the last minute and was able to pull off a win in the short notice match. Justin Scott from CPMMA won his last amateur fight by tap out and has now joined the pro ranks. Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey from Team Vicious pulled off a submission in the second round after laying some impressive first-round ground work; he has also turned pro. Chad Strawbridge from CPMMA once again TKO'd his opponent in the second round. Duane Bastress from CPMMA gave up a substantial amount of weight to his opponent, but still pulled off the win to continue his unbeaten streak and become pro. Troy Jensen and Adam Hostetter put on great performances, but came up short in the end.
Here's a wrestling club you should check out: Gang Green, a club for youth level through college, run out of York College of PA. Their mission statement reads, "Gang Green Wrestling Club is a group of dedicated coaches, parents, and volunteers committed to educating the overall person through the lessons learned in wrestling, thereby improving York Country wrestling and bringing prestige to the region."
Watch the video and you'll see a familiar face: local fighter Duane Bastress, who won his most recent fight on July 18 at Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
here's the Web site for more info.: http://sites.google.com/site/ganggreenwc
Now this is a slick promo right here, giving you a little bit of what to expect for the third installment of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. CPWC II, and the one before it - the first sanctioned MMA event in state history - have shown what great fighters we have in little ol' York County. Guys give their all, most of them for no money at all, to show their love for the sport. As far as I know, no other MMA promotion in Pennsylvania has staged as many events as Mark Jovich has in the few months MMA has been legal here.
I talked to Mark today, and he said he had just come from the new Lancaster Convention Center, where CPWC III will take place on October 23. "It's the best, the place is beautiful," he said. "It's just unbelievable." The venue for the event, a 4,000-capacity hall, will have four 10-foot-by-10-foot screens hung above the cage, in addition to 36 lights suspended above. And how about this - shades of PRIDE - a 50-foot catwalk to the cage. And as for the fighter rooms backstage - nothing short of top-notch, Mark said. Mark's working hard to bring the best match-ups, featuring local fighters and maybe even some nationally-known pros. Click here to get more info. on the event.
Chad Strawbridge - who had a thrilling KO victory over Ty Krebs at Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II on July 18 - posted these pics on his facebook page. Props to Ty for battling it out with Chad - that was a brawl.
Entering the cage.
Posing afterwards with cage babes.
Just found these pics from CPWC II on MMAMelee, the MMA community for fighters and fans - anyone and everyone associated with MMA.
Justin Scott and Tap or Sleep's Jerod Phillips
Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey
Larry "The Living Legend" Novak, Justin Scott, flanked by the guys from MMAMelee, I believe.
Justin Scott, Jerod Phillips and the MMAMelee guys.
Larry Novak of Tattoo Fightwear sent me these pics of what he has to offer the ladies. Him him up here to order.
Dear students, family and friends:
Brett Myers: Brett recently took on M.A.C.E academy fighter (Mike Blackwell) at CPWC II and earned the first round win via arm bar @ 1:45.00 of the first round. The fight started with Blackwell throwing a kick to the calf, Brett would soon after answer with a right cross that put Blackwell on his back. Brett closed the distance, passed the open guard and went to work. Near the end of the first round, Blackwell mistakingly stood up in Brett's closed guard which sealed the deal...
Talked with George McGinnis, owner/trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion and he tld me that he and several of his students would be at the Lancaster Family Martial Arts Center for a BJJ tournament today. Not sure when it's over, so I'll have to check in with him next week.Site address - http://www.lfmac.com George has a purple belt in BJJ.
The next day, Sunday, he'll more than likely be Keystone Games at the York Fairgrounds competing in judo as a brown belt.
You might have seen the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge highlight video (below this one), which has spots from a number of Saturday's fights at Wisehaven. But, unfortunately, we weren't abel to get all of them. One in particular that stands out in my mind is Mike Oberdick's win over Rob Haley. Oberdick, who had a tough ground-war loss to Lewis Rumsey in the first CPWC, came back with a venegance, tapping out Haley in 17 seconds with an RNC. I know there's only been two CPWCs, but that 17 seconds record is going to be hard to beat. After the bell rung, was it me or did I see Oberdickpointing to hsi wrist, like where a watch would be, as if to say, "Hey, anybody got the time on that one?"
amateur fights:
135: John Andel beat Ryan Heflin by spilt decision. A great back-and-forth battle.
145: Eric Steppe beat Shea Banks by doctor stoppage in the second round.
145: Kevin Michael Flinchabugh won by uananimous decision over Danny Signor.
170: Justin Scott went 7-0 as an amateur by beating Justin Krebs with an RNC.
170: Dustin Keener beat Shaun Kepner by guillotine.
170: Brett Myers beat Mike Blackwell by armbar.
185: John Flock used a guillotine to secure a win over Troy Jensen.
205: Duane Bastress won over Josh Kessler by unanimous decision.
205: Chad Strawbridge beat Ty Krebs by TKO.
205: Mike Oberdick beat Rob Haley by RNC.
205: Lewis Rumsey used an armbar to beat Keith McDonald.
265: Mike Stoltz won over Matthew Munoz by referee stoppage (strikes).
265: Jon Tuxford beat Adam Hostetter by majority decision.
145: Jenn Martin beat Danielle Martinez by unanimous decision.
pro fights:
145: Preston Marks won over Jay Haas by RNC.
185: John Buck beat Lou Armezzani by referee stoppage (strikes).
Tom Joyce and I had the extreme pleasure of sitting cageside for the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II on Saturday. What a night of fights, people! Truly amazing from start to finish is all I can say. And since I can't say anymore, check out this highlight Tom and I put together. Sorry if I sound a little sleepy, this is after hours of editing video, but well worth it considering the effort all of the fighters put forth. Congrats to all of them and promoter Mark Jovich, his sponsors and the state athletic commission for another successful MMA event in Pennsylvania.
Just click the banner above.
Jerod Phillips of Tap or Sleep, a Hanover-based MMA clothing company, said he'll be at today's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, to support another of his fighters, Jay Haas.
Although Jay lost his pro debut at the first CPWC by kneebar, he won against Doug Sonier at WKU Warrior Challenge last month by armbar. From all accounts, he's been training like mad, and is one of two pro fights on today's card. Good luck Jay, from all of us at MMA Explosion.
Announcing the first-ever CPWC/York Daily Record/MMA Explosion live stream and chat. If you wanted to get to the CPWC II but can't make it, just click the banner above and tune in at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. You can view the entire event live, and also chat with other viewers at the same time. The streaming is free, and the chat doesn't require any sign-up. What's better than that? Remember to keep the chatting clean, people. Thanks, and have fun.
Here is the card for the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, taken from mixedmartialarts.com. Twenty, count 'em, 20 fights, two of them women, two pros, and the rest amateur. Talk about bang for your buck. Web site for last-minute ticket sales, click here.
Tom Duffey Vs. Joshua Aarons
Ryan Heflin Vs. TBD
Eric Steppe Vs. Shea Banks
Logan Estep Vs. James Chappell
Kevin Flinchbaugh Vs. Danny Signor
Justin Krebs Vs. Justin ""Skiz"" Scott
Brett Myers Vs. Michael Blackwell
Shaun Kepner Vs. Collin Sharpe
Troy Jensen Vs. John Flock
Kevin Killian Vs. Adam Dehart
Duane Bastress Vs. Josh Kessler
Robert Haley Vs. Mike Oberdick
Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey Vs. Keith McDonald
Ty Krebs Vs. Chad Strawbridge
Matthew Munoz Vs. Mike Stoltzfus
John Tuxford Vs. Adam "Hoss" Hostetter
Jessalee Kline Vs. Danielle La Rosa
Jennifer Martin Vs. Danielle Martinez
Preston Marks Vs. Justin Haas
Johnny Buck Vs. Louis Armezzani
Click on the site, then go to the left-hand column and click on "Ticket Information."
Meant to write something about this earlier, but, better late than never ...
So, I got to Hooters really late. I'd been following the event's play-by-play on sherdog while I was at work, but it's just not the same as seeing it. Lesnar was finishing the first round pummeling Frank Mir when I walked in the door.
I saw Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based MMA clothing company Tap or Sleep, who was with York County pro Biff Walizer and amateur fighter Casey Bush. Biff was his usual smiling self, despite enduring a recent operation on his face, following his last fight. Casey, a bit frustrated by his debut fight(s) getting cancelled, was looking ahead to future prospects of getting in the cage.
I also ran into Jimmy "Shrapnel" Chappell, who trains with Daniel Beleza at Academy of Combative Arts in York. Jimmy won at the first Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, pulling the fastest submission of the night. At WKU Warrior Challenge in the Poconos, he won with another armbar, this one also in the first round. Next, he takes on Logan Estep this Saturday at the CPWC II at Wisehaven.
George McGinnis, purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and owner of York Mixed Martial Arts Academy, put on a great MMA seminar at Elicker Kenpo Karate Academy in West Manchester Township in February. And tomorrow - Friday - he's going to do it again.
The seminar will be from 6-8 p.m. at the academy, located inside the West Manchester Mall. From Elicker's Web site: "Lesson includes grappling, ground techniques, and locks and more. Cost is $20 if registered and paid by July 1st OTHERWISE $25 registration after July 1st."
Hanover Academy of MMA's Jay Haas
On the subject of the MMA academies in the area cross-training and helping each other grow, I talked with George McGinnis from York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion a couple weeks ago on the subject.
As I had reported before, Jay Haas, from Hanover Academy of MMA, had been training at YMMAA. George gave me an update, saying Jay had been there for the last month or so, stopping by about once a week.
George said his role was to "Help him focus on his already established ground game. ... We're simply helping Jay fine-tune."
A purple belt in BJJ, George said that he had been training stand-up with Hanover trainer Bob Bitner. "Bob is an outstanding coach. I'm really enjoying working with him." George said of Haas, "Jay has good, clean, pure muay Thai."
It looks as though the extra groundfighting training paid off. Although Jay lost his pro debut at CPWC by kneebar, he won against Doug Sonier at WKU Warrior Challenge last month by armbar.
"Thsi kid being only 18, it's disturbing what he's capable of," George said. "Jay is easily one of the coolest kids I've worked with - he's humble, he's modest, he just has a great attitude."
Jay is scheduled to fight on the upcoming Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II on July 18 - as is George's brother, Brett Myers.
Tom and I give our UFC 100 predictions and talk about the upcoming Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II. The Technique of the Week is brought to you courtesy of george McGinnis at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion.
Brett Myers sprawling on a shoot attempt from brother and trainer George McGinnis.
Brett "Night Crawler" Myers, of the York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion is set to fight at the next Warrior Challenge scheduled to take place next Friday, June 26, in the Poconos. Myers was originally to fight at the Central Warrior Challenge debut in April, but did not due to his trainer (George McGinnis) pulling him from the card due to ongoing scheduling conflicts.
Myers (1 - 0 - 0 ) is an accomplished and well-respected ground fighter in the York County/Central PA area, and is looking to showcase his skills next Friday while also having plans to compete in a few local events. Myers won his amateur debut in Virginia in September 2008 with a triangle-armbar combination.
According to McGinnis, "I hated to have to pull Brett from the first event seeing as how it was literally in our own back yard, but with it being Mr. (Mark) Jovich's first event, and the athletic commission seeming to make him jump through pyro hoop's, it just made the most sense for us to just take a sideline approach and let some of the dust settle from all the 'MMA in PA' madness."
Ted's Take: Well, I'm glad it was able to be worked out for Brett to get on the Poconos event and I hope we see him again at more local shows ... Hey George, if Brett pulls off another quick sub, would it be too much to ask to get him in the Wisehaven show on July 18? Whattayathink?
Larry Novak, owner of New Cumberland-based Tattoo Fightwear, sent me the local fighters his company is sponsoring and where they'll be fighting. Look for Larry - he'll have a Tattoo Fightwear table at both of these shows.
June 26th-WKU Warrior Challenge, Poconos-
Justin Scott 5-0
Chad Strawbridge 1-1
John Andel 2-0
Duane Bastress, 1-0
Brent Kroh 1-3
Troy Jensen 0-0
Anthony Dick 0-1
July 18th-Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge-York-
Justin Scott 5-0
Chad Strawbridge 1-1
John Andel 2-0
Duane Bastress 1-0
Adam Hostetter 1-0
Brent Kroh 1-3
Troy Jensen 0-0
Applying the coagulant to Biff Walizer while Greg Sirb, executive director for the state athletic commission, inspects.
Jimmy "The Kid" Hettis making his way to the cage, sporting a TOS Carnage T-shirt. Hettis won by rear-naked choke in the first, Jerod said. Nice job, Kid.
Bad camera work, but maybe I'm just bitter because my boy Biff lost. Jerod Philips, whose company, Tap or Sleep, sponsors Biff, said Biff's left eye was swollen shut and so he called it off. Warrior that he is, Biff would've kept on fighting. Congrats to Paige, he did a great job striking and countering Biff's wrestling. Hope everything heals up quick, Biff.
Training at Hanover Academy of MMA.
I talked with Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based Tap or Sleep fightwear, and he told me about a few things going on in the county, MMA-wise:
- Previously, I had written that Casey Bush (whose video is on the player to the right if you haven't noticed) was scheduled to fight for the Barbarian Fight Club in Virginia. According to Jerod, an opponent for Casey could not be found, so the fight was scrapped. Jerod then contacted Dave Klick, who runs Cage of Chaos and Klick matched Casey up for his July 3 event in St. Clairsville, Ohio.
- York County featherweight pro Jay Haas was denied eligibility on the Cage Fest card that I had announced earlier this week. Jay was put on 60-day medical suspension after a knee bar loss at the first Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. He only has six days left, but rules are rules, and the fight was sceduled for tomorrow night. Haas is still scheduled for the two upcoming Warrior Challenge events, in the Poconos on June 26 and York Township on July 18
- One of Jay's teammates at Hanover Academy of MMA, Ryan Harder, has a fight on July 11 on the Barbarian Fight Club's Field of Glory card. His opponent has yet to be named. And, on the same card, in the super heavyweight division, Hanover Academy's Chrissy Adler takes on Chris "The Black Demon" Lyles ,
Tom and I talk about the local MMA scene, I give my quick picks for UFC 99 and then we have the Technique of the Week - kickboxing - from MACE in Red Lion.
I received an email from Joe Duffey, who, along with Frank Nguyen, run the Academy of Combative Arts in York City. Joe told me that ACA's resident black belt (2nd degree in BJJ) Daniel Beleza, got third in the recent International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation's World Championships, held June 4-7 at California State University in Long Beach.
Here are the results from the IBJJF Web site:
weight class: LIGHT FEATHER
FIRST guilherme mendes Atos
THIRD carlos vieira Check Mat Bjj
THIRD Daniel Beleza Academy of Combative Arts.
Earlier this year, Daniel scored back-to-back first place victories at the Pan-Ams and the New York International Open.
Congratulations, Daniel, from all of us here at MMA Explosion!
Worlds promo video:
According to Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based MMA fightwear company Tap or Sleep, York County pro Biff Walizer was at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion, to get some training in with George McGinnis and his crew.
Although Biff is still managed by LionHeart Fighters, it just doesn't make sense for him to travel up to State College on a semi-regular basis. George is a legitimate teacher in BJJ and his academy is very close to where Biff lives.
George has also hooked up with Bob Bitner from Hanover Academy of Mixed Martial Arts to do some training between the two camps. The partnership of sorts is mutually beneficial: Bitner, who comes from a striking background, gets his fighters exposed to an advanced ground game. McGinnis, whose focus is the ground, gets striking experience for his fighters.
Also in Red Lion, Mark Jovich brought his fight team from his traditional martial arts school in New Cumberland, to MACE. There, Jovich's fighters have integrated with James Olewiler's fighters to create what I can only think will be a formidable fight team.
In addition, I have heard that quite a few people from various academies in the area are going to Academy of the Combative Arts to see BJJ 2nd degree black Daniel Beleza.
All of this cross-training makes sense. It fosters a sense of camaraderie among the fighters, trainers and academy owners in the area, and it pushes fighters to be at their best and develop a willingness to learn something new, or something old in a new way.
I meant to say I had a short conversation with Greg Sirb, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission earlier today.
Greg was at the Penn on Pain Street, er, I mean, the Pain on Penn Street event Saturday in Reading and said it was a "good show." The event was a half-boxing, half-MMA affair, featuring six MMA bouts.
The event drew 1,600 attendees at the Sovereign Center, Sirb said.
For Sirb, it's on to the next show, which occurs June 11 at The Blue Horizon.
Here's an email I just received from George McGinnis, owner/head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy. He compiled a list of the major BJJ tournaments going on in the area, so check it out:
George: I am pleased to announce that the summer is looking to be packed with events, and a few of them are even local! That's right gents. This means that, even though some of you are fairly resourceful and masters of evasive proto call, you'll have to cook up some pretty extravagant stories and excuses to avoid competing this year. [Louie Voice] "Ya gonna do somethin wit dat B.J.J or what?"
Ultimate Grapplers Challenge (BJJ): June 13t 09. Site address - www.ugc-challenge.com/
Small tournament, but great for first timers, or those who are looking for decent comp in the advanced divisions...
A.D.C.C (BJJ): June 13th - 14th. Site address - www.adccusa.com
Some of the best in the world compete in this event *yikes*. There's even a pro division for you high end studs...
Coach Phoenix (Seminar): June 26th 09. Location - Elicker Kenpo
I heard this guy sucks, but hey, its only $20 a head for two plus hours...
Tatu's PABJJ Federation (BJJ): June 27th 09. Site address - http://tatubjj.com
Yes, I / we will be present...
Lancaster Family Martial Arts Center (BJJ): July 25th 09. Site address - http://www.lfmac.com/index.php
This is twenty minutes away, $50 bucks & double elimination. Excuses are futile...
Keystone Games (Judo): July 26th 09. Location - York Fair Grounds
I'll be competing as a brown belt. No pressure, lmao...
Kumite Classic (BJJ): August 21st, 22nd & 23rd. Site address - http://kumiteclassic.homestead.com/JiuJitsu.html
I think a handful of us will be at this one...
Tatu's PABJJ Federation (BJJ): August 29th 09. Site address - http://tatubjj.com/news.html
I'll be sleeping at, I mean COMPETING at this one (ha ha)...
Grapplers Quest (Grappling): September 26th 09. Site address - http://www.grapplers.com/ One of the biggest grappling venues in the country, and its only going to be half hour away!
Here's the event poster for Stompin' Grounds:
York County prospective fighter Casey Bush, whose training video is on the player on the right of this blog, received word recently that he'll be fighting on an upcoming Barbarian Fight Club event in Virginia.
"I'm not really nervous," Casey told me Saturday night. "I just think I'm ready ... I'm just ready to do it."
Casey trains at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion and also with Biff Walizer when he trains the Red Lion varsity wrestling team.
Casey said he looked to fighting under Virginia's amateur rules, which are nearly identical to the unifed rules of MMA for pros.
The inaugural Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge made history as the first sanctioned MMA event in the state. The return show, held at the same place, Wisehaven in York Township, promises to be equally exciting, with all of the belts in all of the weight classes to be defended.
Prices are $35, $55 and $65. Click here to get to the Web site, then click "Ticket Information" on the left.
I called up Greg Sirb, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, this afternoon, with several questions on my mind:
- The UFC traditionally has weigh-ins the day before their events. A by-product of this is that fighters are able to "diet-down" i.e., come in as shredded as they can, hit the maximum weight allowed in their weight class on the mark, and then gain back 10-15 pounds of water weight before their respective fights.
As you probably know, the UFC has announced that UFC 101 will be held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on Aug. 8. I asked Sirb - because as I understand it, the state athlectic commission has same day weigh-ins - what would be done in the UFC's case.
"We're going to be discussing that over the next week or two," he said, referring to the himself and the state athletic commission.
On MMA in Pennsylvania in general, Sirb said things are ging great, with no major problems after several shows. Iron Will Fighting, an event that was held in Johnstown recently, drew 3,400 attendees. Respect is Earned's first event, held in Oaks (just outside Philly) had 1,200 spectators, Sirb said.
The next event, this weekend in Reading, Pain on Penn Street, is an MMA-boxing event. When Ia sked what he thought of hybrid events, Sirb said, "We'll see, it might work." I said asked him if he thought, as others have said, that boxing is trying to bring itself up by catching on to MMA's popularity, he said, "Not at all, I think they can both coexist."
The state's first-ever sanctioned MMA event, the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, was held on April 19 at Wisehaven Banquet Hall and Expo Center in York Township. Now see this historic event, in its entirety, on DVD. Click here to go to the CPWC Web site to order the DVD for $19.95.
It was a great night of fights at Hooter's of York last night. The place was packed and many of the MMA academies in the York area were represented.
Tom and I were there, doing some filming, so hopefully that video should be up later today.
Fresh from a training session with "Tatu" Taborda - and working as an extra in "Warrior" George McGinnis of York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion, stopped by.
James Olewiler, who owns MACE in Red Lion, was there with one of his top students, Jimmy Chappell.
York County pro Biff Walizer and aspiring fighter Casey Bush were there, along with Tap or Sleep owner Jerod Phillips.
I also met Sibora Chan, a guy I had heard a lot about, but had never met. He runs Sibora Chan's American Kenpo Karate Studio.
Tom and I also ran into Red, who had helped us do a wrap-up show a while back, so we had to do it again.
A while back, I blogged about the Academy of Combative Arts in York City, and its quest to open up a school on Arch Street.
Well, it appears the school is open, with Frank Nguyen and Joe Duffey as co-owners:
Teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes is Daniel Beleza, a second-degree black belt who has two recent first-place wins in top-level BJJ tournaments.
ACA also had several of its fighters, including Mike Oberdick, fight in the inaugural Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
Daniel Beleza
For more information, log onto to their new Web site here.
Tom and I talk about all things MMA in Pennsylvania.
One of the sets of "Warrior" in Pittsburgh.
Here's the fourth installment of George McGinnis' blog on his experiences as an extra on the movie set of "Warrior," an MMA movie being filmed in Pittsburgh. He called this one "Home Sweet Home."
Well I made it in. I got home Thursday morning around 1:00 - 1:30 a.m.
I was so anxious to get home, that I unfortunately forgot to get into touch with key people that have potential business opportunities for me in the future. At this point, I no longer feel the need to force opportunity. Due to my patience, hard work and persistence, things for me lately have been more or less falling from the sky. I will however stay focused and chase down the things that are important to me. There has been random yet potentially promising opportunities presenting themselves for me since my arrival to the set...
George doin' some grappling.
Here's day 3 of George McGinnis' (owner/heads trainer of York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion) blog of his experiences as an extra on the MMA movie "Warrior," being filmed in Pittsburgh:
Naturally I was running late. Should you find me on time, its most likely due to my not having a choice in the matter (i.e. - my own funeral).
I did get up on time and was on pace, but I again underestimated the ridiculous Pittsburgh traffic, and what should have only taken fifteen minutes (York time), ended up taking me damn near an hour. I was just fifteen or so miles away! *Arghhh* Anyway... I got to the parking lot and made the bus. We ended up working so late the night before (9:pm +) that they ended up calling us all later that night to tell us that we wouldn't need to be on the set till 8:30am. "How generous" I thought. Clearly I was being sarcastic...
It looks like Pennsylvania's first female MMA fight will happen at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge on July 18 at Wisehaven in York Township.
Looking at the card, Jessalee Kline (5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds, woth a 0-0 record) is listed on one side.of the card, facing the infamous "TBD"
I talked to Mark Jovich, the CPWC's promoter, who said he has another female fighter to face Jessalee.
I hope to talk to both Jessalee and her opponent in the weeks to come. Tickets for the July 18 event are available here.
Pic from the set of "Warrior"
Here's the second installment of George McGinnis' adventures as an extra in the major motion MMA picture, "Warrior," be ing filmed right now in Pittsburgh:
Ok. Well today started off a little better. I managed to get 4 - 5 solid hours of sleep, which to be honest is a blessing seeing as how I don't typically get that good of sleep from home. I guess my being up for 30 some hours straight contributed to the much needed rest.
So I grabbed my things and made way for the bus parking lot a.k.a. Extras Parking. Traffic ended up being a bit worse then I anticipated which put me slightly behind schedule, but I managed to make it to the parking lot in time to make the bus. No worries. if I would have missed it, my trusty navigation device would have worked it out : )
I / we arrived at the set and check in. This requires us to fill out a form that simulates a time slip and we head to wardrobe from there to get our training outfits approve for the days agenda / shots. From there we make way to the holding area and await further instruction.
I have noticed that a good bit of the fighters are "standoffish." To be quite honest, I personally suspect this to be in their personality for multiple reasons. (A) They fight, so automatically many of us (i.e. - them) feel they are special or above the average Joe. (B) They have had a handful of fights so others around them (in their opinion) don't have the experience or skills that they do, so us "small timers" who don't fight regularly don't perhaps qualify to be among their presence and or a part of the fighter cast. The funny thing to all this, half of the fools that suggest they are this and that stood side lines while many other fighters did their thing front and center of the main actor cam.
George with a triangle on brother Brett Myers.
Eric Hibler, left, owner of Eric Hibler's Pittsburgh Fight Club, talks with stunt double Jace Jeanes, center, and actor Tom Hardy before a take on the set of "Warrior." Photo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
George McGinnis, owner and head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion, is an extra in the new MMA movie Warrior, being filmed in PIttsburgh. Here's an email he sent out about his first day on set:
Ok, last week I received an email from Lissa Brennan who represents a "talent search" company who's job at that present time was to locate fighters for an up coming film (to be called "Warrior") and is being produced by Lionsgate Entertainment. Well, needless to say, after weighing many pros and cons in my mind, I had pretty much decided against it. That was until my parents, family, friends, etc had egged me on to take the challenge and potential life-changing experience. Well, here is a quick run down on how everything looks as I sit here tonight.
A: I am an Extra among the cast, not a high priority star.
B: I will most likely only be here for a few days. At the point I get to show them some of my stuff, I may be asked to stay on.
C: The money sucks, but to be honest, I am here for all of YOU, not myself. This is an opportunity for the school to receive a good bit of extra publicity and may also open doors to new opportunities with high end people in the process.
George (right) demonstrates a kick at a seminar he did in February at Elicker Kenpo Karate Academy in West Manchester Twp.
Just a reminder that tickets are on sale for the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II, on Sat., July 18. Get 'em now, because the last event was sold out. Click here for ticket info.
It's my understanding that all of the belts will be on the line:
- Flyweight (up to 125 lbs) -
Champion-Josh Aarons (2-3)
- Bantamweight(125-135 lbs)-
Champion-Ray Eltringham (1-0)
- Featherweight(135-145 lbs)-
Champion-Eric Steepe (2-0)
- Lightweight(145 -155 lbs)-
Champion-James Chappell (1-0)
- Welterweight (155-170 lbs)-
Champion-Justin Scott (5-0)
- Middleweight (170-185 lbs)-
Champion-John Flock (1-0)
- Light Heavyweight (185-205 lbs)-
Champion-Lewis Rumsey (9-3)
-Heavyweight (205-265)-
Champion-Jon Tuxford (1-0)
The venue is the same as the first event, Wisehaven, located at: 2985 E Prospect Rd, York, PA 17402 http://www.wisehavenyork.com/
If you missed any of the videos I posted here from the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, you can go to Ken Powers' YouTube channel, theoxjj, and see them all in HD. Niiice.
News And Review!
Welcome to the second edition of the Tattoo Fightwear newsletter! April was our busiest month yet, which means several updates regarding past and future events, our fighters, and new additions coming to our line of fightwear this Summer.
Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge
On April 19, the first-ever legally sanctioned MMA event in the state of Pennsylvania went off without a hitch. The Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge held 17 electrifying fights with a standing room only crowd in attendance. Tattoo Fightwear was the event's main sponsor and, thus, very well represented both in the ring and around the venue. In spite of this great success, we realize it's only the beginning with the announcement of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge 2. This event will be held at the Weisenhunt Banquet Hall in York, PA, on July 18, 2009. Tattoo Fightwear will be a big part of this event and once again plans to have a major presence. Tickets are already on sale. For more info go to www.warriorchallenge.info.
Tattoo Fightwear Fighters
Tattoo Fightwear sponsored fighters also made their presence known in the month of April. Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey was a winner and champion at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. Rob "The Iron Man" Smith of Team Cruz MMA was a winner at the first-ever Viper Pit event held in Kentucky. Josh "Taz" Ferguson of Team Cruz MMA put forth a valiant effort against Mike Easton at the Ultimate Warrior Challenge but came up a little short in the first round when he got caught in a guillotine choke. We are proud of all our fighters as they continue to embody the spirit of Tattoo Fightwear, "Marked by Fate, Strong by Choice."
Tattoo in the News
Tattoo Fightwear has been blogged about many times on Pennsylvania's premier MMA website: MMA Explosion. Go to www.yorkblog.com/mma and check out the interviews and fights from Warrior Challenge 1.
Once again, we are grateful for your continued support! Please be sure to stay on the lookout for our new designs coming Summer 2009 from Tattoo Fightwear on www.tattoofightwear.net.
Sincerely,
Larry
Tattoo Fightwear
Just heard from Mark Jovich that there will be a Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge in the Poconos on 26 June, to be held at the Pocono Manor, in conjunction with World Karate Union Banquet. You can buy tickets online by clicking here.
No word yet on the line-up for the event.
Tickets are now available for the next Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, to be held at the same venue as the first, Wisehaven Banquet Hall & Expo. To buy tickets, click here, then click on "Ticket Information" in the left-hand column.
Mark Jovich, CPWC promoter, has also listed a partial fight card:
Joshua Aarons vs. John Andel
Tom Duffey vs. Ray Eltringham
Kevin Flinchbaugh vs. Philip Meck
Justin Krebs vs. Justin Scott
Ryan Howard vs. James Chappell
Brett Evans vs. Dustin Keener
Chris Evans vs. TBD
Troy Jensen vs. John Flock
Duane Bastress vs. Josh Kessler
Keith McDonald vs. Mike Oberdick
Lewis Rumsey vs. TBD
Jonathan Weirich vs. Chad Strawbridge
Biff walizer vs. TBD
William Childs vs. Jay Haas
Eric Steppe vs. TBD
Mike Stoltz vs. TBD
Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based Tap or Sleep fightwear, one of Biff Walizer's sponsors, sent me this photo of Biff's foot. Apparently, he injured it during his fight on Thursday at Respect is Earned. So, it looks like Biff will not be fighting at the Iron Will Fighting Championship later this month, Jerod said. Hopefully, Biff can recover in time for the next Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, scheduled for July 18.
George McGinnis, owner and head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy, is at a New Jersey Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament today, competing in the gi and no-gi divisions, at either intermediate or advanced levels. George said he planned his weight to be about 163.
George has been on a furious pace of training (in York and at Rogerio "Tatu" Taborda's place in Scranton) and competing, with his last tournament being the Ultimate Grappling Challenge.
And if that's not enough, on Friday, George was at the Dallastown Elementary school for a "career day" presentation. George spoke to about 20-25 kids and put on a demonstration as a way to introduce them to BJJ.
Spoke to Jerod Phillips - he said Biff Walizer lost in the third round of his fight at Respect Is Earned.
"It's a tough loss," Jerod said. Tough, because, Biff was winning after the end of the second round, Jerod said.
"He (Biff) had him in the 'bread n butter' (scarf-hold with a triangled arm) and was pounding his face the whole second round," Jerod said.
Unfortunately, in the third, Biff got hit with a knee that had him reeling and then on the ground, his opponent sunk in a rear-naked choke. Biff never tapped, he passed out, Jerod said.
"It was a great fight," probably fight of the night, Jerod said.
With all the excitement and confusion that was the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, I didn't get a chance to do an official interview with Mark Slomske and his fight team then. They were there en force, with four fighters, plus in the lobby they showcased their MMA clothing line, Next Legend Fightwear.
Recently, Mark - who is in his 40s, but still fights full-bore with all his guys - told me that for the next CPWC, scheduled for July 18, he'll have five fighters on the card. So, add Danny Signor's name to the existing fightteam of brothers Chris and Brett Evans, Jonathan Weirich and Justin Krebs.
Slomske's Tae Kwon Do and MMA Academy is located at 4 S. Union St., Middletown, Pa. To call the academy, hit up 717-944-5944.
To see Next Legend apparel, click here.
One of York County's best prospects, Jay Haas, makes his pro MMA debut at Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. Jay was aggressive and showed great technique, but fell to a kneebar. According to Jay's trainer, Bob Bitner, the kneebar aggravated an old injury, and Jay left the cage with his knee wrapped. But, since then, Jay's gotten back to training, and is expected to be on the next CPWC card.
I spoke with Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based MMA clothing company Tap or Sleep fightwear last night. Things didn't go so well for TOS-sponsored fighters, he said.
Baltimore's James "Binky" Jones was knocked out in the second round in his fight against Frank "The Crank" Camacho at Ultimate Warrior Challenge.
Josh "Taz" Ferguson, representing Team Cruz in Kentucky, and sponsored by local MMA clothing companies Tattoo Fightwear and Tap or Sleep, succumbed to a Mike Easton guillotine in the first round at the UWC bantamweight championship fight.
And it looks like TOS-sponsored fighter Mitchell Harris lost to Ben Askren in Missouri Saturday night:
Wreestling powerhouse Duane Bastress' MMA debut at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
Great shot from the balcony at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. Nice venue, packed house, amazing fights.
Instructors,Fighters and Fans,
My staff and I would like to thank all of you for the support and cooperation during Pennsylvania's first MMA event on Sunday April 19th.
We could not ask for a better start to the sport in the state.
17 bouts scheduled, all fighters showed, made weight, passed physical and fought well. That set the standard for all events to follow.
The fighters fought well and carried themselves like professionals. The fans were outstanding!! Not only did the event run smoothly, but everyone displayed outstanding sportsmanship towards all the fighters and instructors.
The results, videos, pictures and champions can be viewed on our website. www.warriorchallenge.info
Now we are looking to the future and have started the initial planning for our next event.
The Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge II.
If you are interested in competing or taking part in someway please contact myself or call 717-250-8841. Also tickets go on sale May 1st.
Again thanks.
Sincerely,
Mark
York County-based MMA clothing company Tap or Sleep - which has spread to Tap or Sleep Midwest - has several fighters doing their thing tonight.
First, there's TOS fighter Mitch "The Iron Lion" Harris taking on former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren at Headhunter Productions: Patriot Act II tonight at the Holiday Inn Expo Center in Columbia, Missourt. To see the fight live and free, tune in to purefight.org.
Here's a closer look at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge's Fastest Submission of the Night, James "Shrpanel" Chappell pulling an armbar on Ron White.
This is the second half of round two and round three. Many thanks to Ken Powers, a student at MACE in Red Lion. He filmed the entire event and has been uploading fights onto his YouTube channel.
Here's the photo we ran in The York Daily Record after Biff Walizer scored a ref stoppage victory against Rob "The Rhino" Guriano at Sunday's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. For more photos, click here.
Round 1 and half of round 2 of the main event at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
I spoke with Mark Jovich, promoter of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge today, and he passed some news along to me:
First, the next Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge event will be July 18 at Wisehaven in York Township. Mark said all of the fighters had asked to be involved in the second event, so you know we're gonna have another night of great fights. Tickets for the event go on sale May 1. You can get them by clicking here
Second, Mark established champions in each division. here they are:
- Flyweight (up to 125 lbs) - Champion - Josh Aarons (2-3)
- Bantamweight (125-135 lbs)- Champion - Ray Eltringham (1-0)
- Featherweight (135-145 lbs) - Champion - Eric Steepe (2-0)
- Lightweight (145 -155 lbs) - Champion - James Chappell (1-0)
- Welterweight (155-170 lbs) - Champion - Justin Scott (5-0)
- Middleweight (170-185 lbs) - Champion - John Flock (1-0)
- Light Heavyweight (185-205 lbs) - Champion - Lewis Rumsey (9-3)
- Heavyweight (205-265) Champion - Jon Tuxford (1-0)
- Super Heavyweight (over 265 lbs) - Vacant
.
Another great battle from the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. Justin Krebs and Dustin Keener went at it for three rounds, resulting in a unanimous decision for Krebs.
Meck and Flinchbaugh fought at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge on Sunday. Meck was ahead on points, but the ref docked him for grabbing the cage, resulting in a draw.
Get this - Playboy model Amanda English does.
Thank you, Josh Helm from Tap or Sleep Mid-West, you, sir, are a god.
More photos after the jump.
Mike Oberdick and Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey had an awesome ground war at Sunday's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
Mull, who weighed in at 183, and Flock, who weighed in at 184, had a very competitive fight, with nice stand-up and ground fighting.
Two heavyweights go at it at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. Apparently, two of Ty's opponents for this fight backed out, so Tuxford was the third guy matched up with Ty. Tuxford weighed in at 260, while Ty was 211. Just hours before the fight, I witnessed Greg Sirb, executive director for the State Athletic Commission, ask Ty if he was still willing to take the fight. Ty did not hesistate. And just for the record, the fight was within the weight class - both guys are heavyweights - it's just that Sirb wanted to be certain Ty was game since there was a big gap in weight. Unfortunately, the fight ended with Ty suffering a broken nose early on. Props to both fighters for gettin it on - let's see a re-match!
From Sunday's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. It was three rounds, two minutes each round. Congrats to all the fighters who competed - you made history that day.
Justin Scott of Central Pennsylvania Martial Arts Academy scores a tapout by armbar at Sunday's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
Here are the full results, thanks to the Pa. State Athletic Commission:
1. Joshua Aarons (124) vs. Brent Kroh (124) - Aarons by unanimous decision.
2. Ray Eltringham (131) vs. Ryan Heflin - Eltringham by unanimous decision.
3. Timothy Amon (139) vs. Eric Steppe (143) - Steppe by tapout - arm triangle.
4. James Chappell (152) vs. Ron White Jr. (154) - Chappell by tapout - armbar.
5. Philip Meck (149.5) vs. Kevin Flinchbaugh (148) - draw.
6. Brett Evans (164) vs. Austin Scott (158.5) - Scott by armbar.
7. Justin Krebs (169.5) vs. Dustin Keener (167) - Krebs by unanimous decision.
8. Dan Ankers (168) vs. James Smith (157) - Smith by unanimous decision.
9. Michael Blackwell (168) vs. Chris Evans (170) - Blackwell by split decision.
10. Andy Widdersheim (180) vs. Roy Harris (183.5) - Widdersheim by unanimous decision.
11. Geoffrey Mull (183) vs. John Flock (184) - Flock by split decision.
12. Keith McDonald (193.5) vs. Duane Bastress (185) - Bastress by tapout - arm triangle.
13. Mike Oberdick (199) vs. Lewis Rumsey (206) - Rumsey by unanimous decision.
14. Josh Kessler (205) vs. Jonathan Weirich (201) - Kessler by ref stoppage - head blows.
15. Ty Krebs (211) vs. John Tuxford (260) - Tuxford by ref stoppage.
16. William Childs (141) vs. Justin "Jay" Haas (145) - Childs by kneebar.
17. Rob Guriano (154) vs. Biff Walizer (155) - Walizer by ref stoppage - head blows.
James Chappell of MACE in Red Lion pulls a textbook armbar on Ron White at Sunday's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
Interviews from the CPWC on Sunday, including Greg Sirb, guys from Steve Bentz's fight camp, MACE and Jerod Phillips of Tap or Sleep.
The first sanctioned MMA fight ever in Pennsylvania - Josh Aarons vs. Brent Kroh - held Sunday, April 19 at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
We talk with Larry Novak of Tattoo Fightwear, CPWC promoter Mark Jovich and Brent Kroh, who will in the first fight on the card.
It's hijinks and hysteria galore as Tom and I are pumped for this weekend, equal parts UFC 97 and York's own Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge.
Just wanted to let you guys know Tom and I will be covering the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, top to bottom, front to back, side to side, you get the picture.
I'll be at the event, then I'll come back and blog about it, plus we'll have tons of videos in the days following. So stay tuned, fight fans.
Great shot of Jay by York County photographer Greg Starner. To log on to Greg's Web site, click here.
Here's a draft of a story that should run in the Daily Record in the next day or so. I was asked to re-work it, so it'll be in a different format when you look at it online or in the paper, so I thought it might be interesting to show how it started out:
Less than two months ago, the sport of mixed martial arts was approved in the state; on Sunday, York County will host Pennsylvania's first legalized MMA event.
The event, called the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, will be held at the Wisehaven Banquet and Expo Center in York Township.
Event promoter Mark Jovich, who owns an MMA academy in New Cumberland, has been working for the past three years to put the Warrior Challenge together. He said it was not important for his event to be the first in the state.
"I'm happy we were given the opportunity (but) it's more important to do it right," Jovich said.
George McGinnis on the left, and three other guys at UGC.
Here's an email I received from George McGinnis, head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy - about how he did at Ultimate Grapplers Challenge this past weekend in Broadheadsville, Pa., at the Champions Sportsplex:
"I competed in the Advanced No Gi - 160 - 169.9 (Solo Match) - Submission loss, second place.
I competed in the Mixed Intermediate / advanced No Gi to place third.
I competed in the Intermediate Gi division to place second.
This is the first time that I competed at 170lb and under in nearly 3 years. The cut was tough but proved successful. Between a solid training regimen, didn't adjustments and good ol' fashioned dedication, I will look to descend lighter and lighter until we have reached a bench mark for me to remain at."
Congrats, George, great job and thanks for representing York.
I just spoke with Jerod Phillips of York-based Tap or Sleep fightwear. He's down at the Sportsplex in Winchester, Virginia, supporting some local guys fighting on the Onslaught Mixed Martial Arts Cage Fighting card, titled "Unleashed."
Jerod said Hanover Academy of Mixed Martial Arts' Nate Vantassel won in the second round of his welterweight fight against Shawn Hill with a knee to the face. Nice work, Nate.
Still to come on the card are two middleweight fights: Hanover's Steve Kauffman takes on Aaron Carter and LionHeart Fighter's Lou Armezzani faces Nick Robinson. I'll have details on those ifghts hopefully later on tonight. Steve and Lou - best of luck to you guys.
Tom and I talk local MMA.
Just spoke with Mark Jovich, promoter of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. With the event less than two weeks away, the card's pretty such solidified and all the fighters are ready to go, he said.
Mark talked about a few of the fights. In a fight that was supposed to happen last year, York County's Biff Walizer takes on Rob "Rhino" Guriano.
Biff fights out of LionHeart Fighters in State College and is sponsored by Tap or Sleep Fightwear.
The second pro fight on the card - and with both fighters making their pro debuts - are Hanover Aacdemy of Mixed Martial Arts' Jay Haas taking on William Childs.
Haas has had great success fighting in Virginia on its amateur circuit, winning a belt recently at Operation Octagon. Jovich said Childs is Georgia's all-time winningest high school wrestler.
"That's gonna be a good one," Jovich said of the Haas-Childs fight. "The kid (Childs) just fought Friday night," and lost by split decision.
Then there's York County's Mike Oberdick versus Williamsport's Louis "The Beast" Rumsey.
"Oberdick's a beast too," Jovich said.
Two more fights Jovich was excited about were Central Pennsylvania Martial Arts Academy's Justin Scott fighting Bret Evans and Hanover MMA's Ryan Heflin vs. Ray Eltringham.
Jovich said there are still a few tickets left at the Warrior Challenge's Web site.
The event takes place at Wisehaven Banquet Hall. Weigh-ins start at 10 a.m. and the fights begin at 2 p.m.
Here's the video for Biff Walizer vs. Kevin Roddy at Mayhem at the Marina. I might be a bit biased since I know Biff, but I would give him a 10-8 first round. Biff had excellent ground control, showed vastly improved jiu-jitsu - he had guard passes, side control, north-south, an armbar escape, a submission (it was either a kimura or an Americana, I'm not sure) - plus opened up a cut on Roddy.
It seemed as though, like Tap or Sleep's Jerod Phillips said, Biff might have gassed a little in the second round, and Roddy was able to get his spindly legs around Biff and force a tap-out to triangle. NOTE: this is the first few minutes of the fight; to see the entire thing, go to http://gofightlive.tv/playVideo.do?videoId=871&resolution=Medium&playerSize=Medium
Daniel Beleza
I talked with Llew Chester, co-owner of the Academy of Combative Arts, (located in downtown York), and he filled me in on a few things.
First, Daniel "The Cobra" Beleza, second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, recently took first place at a major BJJ tournament, I believe in California.
"He cleaned up over there; it was really remarkable," Chester said. "He's really pumped up about it."
Llew added that the academy's progress is not moving along as fast as it should.
"We're having problems passing the inspection; we have to re-do the ceiling," he said. "Everything is set to go and we can't move."
Still, Llew remained positive, saying, "It's definitely going to happen, I'll tell you that."
To find out more information, call co-owner Frank Nguyen at 717-841-4077. To go to Daniel myspace page, click here.
