text:
Although the motion didn't look like anything out of the ordinary at the time, we knew instantly that there was a problem. Myles suffered a severe dislocation of the C5-C6 vertebrae, and required emergency surgery that day. He has since been medevaced to the states where he is hospitalized and receiving treatment, occupational therapy and physical therapy
At this stage, Myles is still paralyzed from the chest down (with limited, but ever improving use of his arms and hands). We are all hopeful with regards to his recovery, but there are some pretty serious challenges ahead for him and his family.
We are hoping that the gofundme initiative can get shared globally, and obviously we are hoping for any donations (no matter how small).
Myles at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Myles' team and their rival team showing support
How many of our readers have similar ethos within their teams? If so, feel free to list some of the words and principles that embody your team within the comments section.
The way of Pahlavans Wrestling - Koshti Pahlavani (Heroic Wrestling):
Being a pahlavan wrestler is a unique way to connect to the world…Keeping Tradition alive through education and cultural practices.
1-Be friend pure, knowledgeable, and wise pahlavan wrestler.
2-The best virtue of a pahlavan wrestler (house of koshti pahlavani athlete) is to do good things for the benefit of others.
3-Pahlavan wrestler, and jahan pahalavn trains others in the way "ROSTAM" taught wrestling.
4-Be at your best…Do your best to become knowledgeable on the rules of pahlavans wrestling.
5-Respect your elders…Pahlavan wrestler should respect others as you would like them to respect you.
6-To do one's own work well and to be a good, kind pahlavan wrestler is the first requirement of pahlavans wrestling.
7-Loving people, loving pahlavan wrestlers…To love and care for other pahlavan wrestlers is pahlavans wrestling rules.
8-Treating pahlavan wrestlers, others as you would like to be treated yourself. This is the way to live according to ancient pahlavans wrestling rules and regulations.
9-Pahlavan wrestler should be sociable, well-rounded and cultured…Seeking knowledge is mandatory and it's as simple as that.
10-Do not let your pride get the best of you…Be a humble pahlavan wrestler. Admit when you're wrong. Apologize if necessary.
-Mark L.]]>
A brief time-line overview of the development of western wrestling; from the oldest known image of wrestlers, dating back to 3000 BC Sumaeria, to the ancient Olympics, Pankration, the gladiatorial games, Greco-Roman wrestling, catch wrestling, modern Olympic wrestling, professional wrestling, to modern-day MMA.
|The earliest images of western wrestling were found in Sumeria, dating back to around 3000 BC. (Terry)
|A Bronze figurine of two wrestlers was found in Khafaji, Iraq which dates to around 2600 BC. (Dellinger)
|Images of wrestlers were found in an Egyptian burial tomb, dating to around 2300 BC. (Carroll)
|The Epic of Gilgamesh, written around 2000 BC, gives one of the first historical records of wrestling, when Gilgamesh wrestles against Enkidu. (Squared Circle, June, 2013)
|Ancient Greek Wrestling was added to the Olympic Games This style of wrestling allowed wins not only by pin but also by submissions. (Olympic.org, ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES)
|Greek Pankration, a fighting art which combined wrestling, boxing, submissions, and kicks, a popular spectator sport at the time, was added to the Olympics, alongside wrestling and boxing. All three were contested as separate sports. (ancientolympics.arts)
|Milo of Croton was a six-time Olympic champion, once in the boy's division and five times in the men's division, (between 536 and 520 BC). His competitive wrestling career spanned 24 years. He ate 20 pounds of meat and 20 pounds of bread, and eighteen pints of wine, everyday. Legends say that his training routine included carrying a baby calf around for years. This anecdote has been called the first documented example of progressive weight training. As the calf grew, so did Milo's strength. (perseus.tufts, Milo)
|Theogenes of Thasos was both a boxer and pankrationiast, considered to be one of the greatest athletes in Ancient Greece. He won at the Olympic Games twice, once in boxing and once in Pankration. He also won as many as 1,300 other championships in both boxing and Pankration, in other Greek games, spanning a career of decades. (perseus.tufts, Theogenes) A famous statue, from 330 B.C, called The Boxer of Quirinal, or the Terme Boxer, was discussed in a short story called, The Pugilist at Rest. In that story, author, Thom Jones stated that he believed the famous statue commemorated the life of Theogenes of Thasos. (Jones)
|The first recorded Gladiatorial Games were held in 246 BC. (Semaan) During the Roman era Pankration mutated into the gladiatorial games. Because of the superior military planning and strategy of the Roman legions, the power of the individual soldier became less important. Wrestling remained a beloved sport in both the Olympics and in military training.
|Greco-Roman wrestling was born in France. The Greco Roman style is unique in that it forbids attacks to the legs. The wrestlers must possess powerful upper bodies and have the ability to lift and throw their opponents. (Sparta Club, history of the Greco)
|Catch-as-catch-can, or Lancashire wrestling, or just "Catch wrestling" was invented in Lancashire, England. Catch wrestling matches can be won by pin, choke, or submission. They had no time limit. And a title fight once lasted for over 11 hours. (Launchpad)
|Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every summer Olympics held since 1908. (Olympic.org,WRESTLING GRECO-ROMAN)
|Catch wrestling was included in the St. Louis Olympics. All of the competitors were Americans. And consequently, the US won all of the medals. It was also included in the 1908 London Games and the 1920 Antwerp Games. (Nash Aug. 2012)
|1865 – 1922
|Professional catch wrestling was one of the most popular spectator sports in the US. (Launchpad)
|Catch wrestler Frank Alvin Gotch defeated George Hackenschmidt to become the first American professional wrestler to win the world heavyweight title, which he held from 1908 to 1913. (Frankgotch.com)
|Earl Caddock "The Man of a Thousand Holds" who had won the world heavyweight title in 1917 by defeating Joe Stecher was forced to give up the title, while he served in WW I. After the war, in1920, he defeated then heavyweight champion Stecher in Madison Square Garden, to regain his title. The match was filmed and is, to date, the oldest known wrestling film. (Nash, Oct, 2012)
|The last "real" catch wrestling title fight was held between Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Earl Caddock. Although Caddock lost that match, he is considered to have been the last legitimate champion. (Nash, Oct, 2012)
|Professional wrestling became fake. Because catch wrestling matches could last for hours, ending in a draw, and with long periods of one or the other competitor stuck in a hold, fake professional wrestling was seen as a more exciting form of entertainment.
|In 1922, catch wrestling was dropped from both the Olympics and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in favor of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Both freestyle and Greco-Roman are still in the Olympics today. (Nash Aug. 2012)
|Gorgeous George Wagner changed the face of pro wrestling forever, by creating his own costumes and character, intentionally making himself the most hated and the best paid man in professional wrestling. He also became the first TV wrestlers. (WWE, Gorgeous George)
|Andre the Giant became the first international star of professional wrestling. He was also the first closed circuit TV star and the highest paid wrestler in history (until that time). (Biography Channel, Jan. 1999)
|Hulk Hogan became the first pay-per-view wrestling star. His period of super-stardom, dubbed Hulkamania, was like nothing that had been seen before, or since. Hulk Hogan appeared on Saturday morning cartoons, movies, action figures, vitamins, exercise equipment, board games and thousands of other products. He is credited with having elevated the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to a billion dollar industry. (Lifetime TV, Hulk Hogan)
|The Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) held its first event in the US. And the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was born. Although all martial arts are permissible in MMA, the main arts which the fighters study are: wrestling, Brazilian Jujitsu, Muay Thai, and boxing. Fights can be won by choke, submission, KO, TKO, referee stoppage, or judge's decision.
|Wrestlers see MMA as a way of earning money and the UFC becomes dominated by former high school and collegiate wrestlers. In the 2000's approximately 80% of UFC champions are former wrestlers. (UFC.com)
|1990's – 2000's
|Partially because of the popularity of MMA there has been a resurgence of interest in many classical forms of wrestling, most notably catch wrestling and Pankration. Grappling tournaments are extremely popular, with practitioners studying and combing a variety of arts from wrestling and Brazilian Jujitsu, to judo, sambo, catch wrestling, and Chinese shuai jiao.
|The most famous catch wrestler in the world today is probably former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Josh Barnett. His a former King of Pancrase and the current Metamoris Brazilian Jujitsu Heavyweight Champion. As of July 2014, he was ranked as #6 in UFC heavyweight rankings. His official MMA record is 33 wins and only 7 losses. (Thomas)
|ancientolympics.arts, Pankration, Ancient Olympics,
|Biography Channel, Andre the Giant, Jan. 1999
|Carroll, S, Wrestling in Ancient Nubia, Journal of Sport History, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Summer, 1988)
|Dellinger, B, The Oldest Sport, National Wrestling Hall of Fame
|Frankgotch.com, Frank Gotch, Biography
|Jones, T, The Pugilist at Rest: Stories, Little, Brown and Company, 1994
|Legacy of Wrestling, Earl Caddock, legacyofwrestling.com
|Launchpad, Catch Wrestling, constantaggression.com, Sep, 2014
|Lifetime TV, Hulk Hogan, Biography
|Nash, S The Martial Chronicles: The Forgotten Olympic History of Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling, Bloody Elbows, Aug, 2012
|Nash, S, Wrestling with the Past: The Man of a Thousand Holds, CAGESIDE SEATS FEATURES, Oct, 2012
|Olympic.org, ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
|Olympic.org,WRESTLING GRECO-ROMAN EQUIPMENT AND HISTORY
|perseus.tufts, Milo of Kroton, Athletes' Stories
|perseus.tufts, Theagenes of Thasos, Athletes' Stories
|Semaan, J, Roman Gladiator Games: the Origins of MMA, Part Two, Bleacher Report, Jun, 2008
|Slack, J, Catch Wrestling and Old-School Boxing, Bleacher Report, Dec 22, 2013
|Sparta Club, The history of the Greco-Roman wrestling,
|Squared Circle of Wrestling, Wrestling In Prehistory, History, And Mythology, June 15, 2013
|Terry, S, Origins of Wrestling, Livestrong.com, Jan 15, 2014
|Thomas, L, Technique Talk: Josh Barnett's pushing and pulling for catch wrestling's respect, MMA Fightmag, Sep, 2014
|UFC, THE FIGHTER THE SPORT THE UFC THE FAN GLOSSARY, history, UFC.com
|WWE, Gorgeous George, Superstars, WWE.com
From their website:
Backhold Wrestling can be seen all over Scotland and the north of England from May to October, at Highland and Border Games. The rules are simple, once the closed hold with the right hand under the opponent's left is taken, the referee shouts "hold" in Scotland or "wrestle" in England to commence the bout. The first wrestler to touch the ground or break their hold loses.
The sport is thought to be one of the earliest and most basic martial art and is depicted on crosses and standing stones dating from the 7th and 8th centuries
Variations of Backhold exist in at least ten other European countries, including Iceland, Albania and Sardinia. Today the sport is organised into district, national and European Championships. The English Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling Association has since 1900 insisted that their competitions, open to any wrestler, are the World Championships.
When free-style, or to use it's correct name "catch-as-catch-can", spread all over Scotland in the early 20th Century, only a few areas continued to specialise in the old traditional Scottish backhold style. Bute was one of the most important and helped to keep the sport alive. Backhold wresting is practised all over the North of England and Scotland. In fact, in Scotland there are two native variations, Carachd Uibhist (Uist wrestling) and Scottish Backhold, which is almost identical to that found in the North of England where it is called Cumberland & Westmorland Style.
Scottish Backhold wrestlers grip each other around the waist at the back, with the right hand under the opponent's left arm and the chin resting on the opponent's right shoulder. When the referee is sure that both wrestlers have a firm grip he shouts "Hold" and the bout begins. Should either wrestler break his hold or touch the ground with any part of his body except his feet, he loses. There is no ground wrestling and bouts are usually best of five falls. The main difference from a style such as Graeco-Roman, the original style of the modern Olympic games, apart from the ground wrestling in Graeco, is that in that style trips and attacks against the legs are not permitted, but in Scottish Backhold wrestling they are fundamental.
After World War II many of the traditional games were persuaded to become 'amateur', in other words not to give money prizes, and there arose a division between the 'amateur' and 'professional' games which split wrestling. The modern Bute Games were founded in 1947 and T B McMillan, the founding secretary, was also the secretary of The Scottish Amateur Wrestling Association, so Bute Games from the start were resolutely amateur. Both backhold and catch wrestling were competed for as in many other Highland Games.
In Bute, wrestlers from the mainland's industrial belt won the catch-as-catch-can competitions as the sport was not practised on the island, whilst the Brandanes dominated amateur backhold competitions all over Central Scotland. Famous names from those days are engraved on trophies still used – Big Jock (Farouk) McMillan of Eskechraggan; Ian Fraser; "Lum" Simpson; the McAlisters; the Macfies; the Taits and many other local families dominated the amateur Highland Games' circuit. One particular example of their superiority at that time was decisively demonstrated at the Cowal Games in 1957 when Jim McMillan, the Scottish 11st 7lbs champion, easily threw the famous ex-heavyweight champion and thrower, 20st George Mitchell of Glasgow Police – but times change.
Gradually the young people on Bute became more interested in football and, as the old stars retired, the practise of wrestling died away, but the Games' Committee decided to make a new start. In 2012 Bute Highland Games commenced by hosting the British 11st 7lbs championship for the T B McMillan Salver and, as Luss Games were flooded that year, also temporarily hosted the Scottish 14st 7lbs championship for the Littlejohn Quaich.
This year Bute Highland Games will once again welcome and be host to the Breton national team, the Icelandic national team and a team from Northumberland.
Operated under The Scottish Wrestling Bond
Backhold Wrestling
1. Weight - 11st 7lbs (British Championship - Trophy – The T B McMillan Salver)
2. Weight - 12st 7lbs
3. Weight - 14st 7lbs
4. Weight - Open
I came across this interesting article about Kaori Icho. I placed it on Wrestling Roots' social media sites. However, I wanted to place it here to give it a more permanent setting. – Mark L.
"Japan's Kaori Icho has the most impressive career record of any female wrestler in the world. Since the sport was first included on the Olympic women's programme at Athens 2004, she has made the 63kg weight class her own, winning three consecutive gold medals in the event. In the meantime, the 30-year-old from Hachinohe won seven world titles between 2002 and 2013, not to mention three golds at the Asian Games.
"Wrestling is an individual sport, but it's not one you can do on your own," she muses. "I train with a lot of team-mates and I sometimes get the feeling it's actually a team sport. The ties between us are very strong."
It is true that once you are on the mat during a match, you are alone. You cannot take a breather. A coach can't send in a substitute if your opponent is getting the better of you. Plus, only your hand gets raised at the end of a winning match.
However, one is only going to get better if you are challenged to your fullest by your teammates. Your practice partners' job is to make sure each and everyone reach their potential and achieve their goals. In that sense, wrestling feels like a team sport. As a coach, I used to tell my team on the first day of practice: "Your goal is to make sure everyone achieves theirs."
What are your thoughts?
Glima, in theory, in practice, and in general kinetics, is distinct from any extant form of wrestling. After viewing my first glima competition in Iceland, I wrote in my journal that "glima possesses the skill, precision, grace, dexterity, and finesse of foil fencing, as well as the strategy and sophistication of ches." Proper glima emphasizes technique over power, stressing superior balance and nimbleness over brute strength and force. It is a sport not of who is strongest, but rather of who is most quick, most clever, and most skilled in the wrestling techniques and their respective defenses.
Some characteristics which make glima distinct from other styles of wrestling include: 1) upright, erect posture, 2) stigandi (clockwise circular stepping) 3) fixed grips on the glimubelti (wrestling-belt), 4) techniques using only the feet, legs, and hips, 5) no handbrogo ("hand-techniques") other than jerking, swinging, lifting, or off-balancing with the grips fixed on the glimubelti, and 6) no groundwork (i.e. no "matwork").
The early twentieth centry marked the beginning for glima as a modern organized sport. It has subsequently earned the honored title of the national sport of Iceland. This transition into a "modern" sport included elements such as written rules and laws, the establishment of wrestling clubs, judges, referees, and a modification of the traditional wrestling attire. In the years between 1905 and 1908, the official adoption of the glimubelti replaced the traditional trouser-hold grips. The glimubelti has been modified several times since its initial use in the early twentieth century. In modern glima the glimubelti is a large leather belt that encircles the waist, from which extend two smaller belts that buckle around each thigh. In this way, the glimubelti resembles a harness rather than an ordinary trouser belt. The only permitted grips taken on the glimubelti are as such: the right hand grips the belt on the opponent's left hip and the left hand grips the small belt on the opponent's right thigh. The right hand is the upper (inner) grip and the left hand is the lower (outer) grip.
The glimumenn shake hands before taking grips. This gesture of mutual respect is termed glimukveoja. Once the standard grips are taken on the glimubelti and the glimustaoa (glima stance) is formed, the referee signals and says "stigo!"; the wrestlers then begin the characteristic clockwise treading, or circular stepping, referred to as stigandi. The footwork in stigandi is graceful and gliding; each step is carefully calculated with great precision. It is believed that stigandi was the practical solution to wrestling in the confines of the narrow halls of Icelandic farmhouses during the winter, when wrestling outdoors would be hindered by the harsh northern climate (Einarsson, 1988). Stigandi prevents the wrestlers from being backed into, or thrown against, the corners or the walls of indoor wrestling areas. Stigandi allows the glimumenn to perpetually revolve, thus enabling the maximum use of a limited area indoors in which to wrestle.
The central object of glima is to off-balance the opponent (using a swing, jerk, lift, or pull with the hands on the glimubelti), apply a foot, leg, or hip technique, and then swiftly, but gracefully, throw the opponent to the floor. It is prohibited to follow the opponent to the floor, or fall on top of him. It is important that a wrestler maintains proper balance after throwing an opponent. A bylta (fall), which decides victory in a match, is called if a wrestler touches the floor anywhere on his body above the knee, above the elbows, on the buttocks, the torso, the head, or with both hands behind him. If both wrestlers lose balance and fall to the floor, this is termed braeorabylta (brothers-fall) and the wrestling match resumes. A wrestler who is skilled in the art of falling can prevent a bylta when thrown and thus continue to wrestle in the match. The art of falling, or landing properly, demands much practice and is of great importance to the sport of glima.
In contemporary glima, with the exception of those wrestlers younger than 17 years, all competition is done on wooden floors such as those common in most gymnasiums. Females began practicing glima for a short period in 1914, resuming limited practice in the 1970′s, but in 1988 females began to formally practice and compete in the sport. Mixed sex competition is logically forbidden by the rules of the Glimusamband Island (the governing federation of glima clubs). The time limits for unglingur (youth) competition is 1 1/2 minutes for each round; for adults (17 years or older) the time limit is 2 minutes, with at least a five minute rest period for each wrestler between bouts. In certain cases, a round has no time limits; such is the case in the finals of a competition. Another distinctive aspect of glima is the absence of weight limits in practice and in competition.
Source: http://www.oocities.org/athens/acropolis/4933/glima.html]]>
And this was my introduction to judo.
But why was I here, lying on the mat in Port Jefferson Station, at
Long Island Judo & Martial Arts, with an eighth degree master choking
me? The answer is, it was part of my school homework.
My PhD dissertation research, at Shanghai University of Sport, where I
live and train, is a comparison between Chinese traditional shuai jiao
wrestling and modern freestyle wrestling. Additionally, I also study
san da, as many of the san da throws come directly from Chinese shuai
jiao. Because of obvious similarities between judo and shuai jiao, I
am interested in more deeply studying the art of judo. Hopefully, I
will continue with this series, as I come to know more about judo.
Grand Master Gary Rasanen started training in 1968, at age 11, in New
York's oldest dojo, in Brooklyn. He once trained with the Korean
Olympic team and is versed in jujitsu and shotokan karate. "It was all
part of the budokan system of martial arts." Explained Sensei Gary.
"To be proficient in that style, you have to be versed in those three
arts." Keeping with this spirit of being an all-around fighter, sensei
Gary's judo school is located inside of United Studios, Progressive
Martial Arts center where students were learning a variety of martial
arts under the direction of Renshi Enzo Aliotta.
The reason I sought out a judo master, during one of my brief trips to
the United States, was because the Chinese claim that judo and Chinese
shuai jiao share a common origin. Not only did I not care if that was
true, but as a doctoral candidate at a Chinese university, I wanted to
steer as clear of that sensitive issue as I could. As both, a martial
artist, and a guy from Brooklyn, however, it was obvious to see that
there were some clear similarities between the arts. First off, we
both wore heavy white jackets and belts around our waist, which could
be used for gripping, controlling and throwing.
As an MMA fighter I had been exposed to Brazilian Jujitsu and was
always fascinated to research the Japanese origins of that art. As
jujitsu and judo are related, I was also very curious to find out
about the ground fighting aspects of judo. If you ask the average
person on the streets, they have most likely heard of judo. But if you
asked them what it was, they would most likely say something about
takedowns and throws, rather than joint locks and submissions.
"Judo has grappling, submissions, choking, arm-bars, joint
manipulations… There's a lot more to it than throwing someone to the
ground." Explained Sensei Gary. "A few years ago, 70% of fights were
won on the ground." I was wondering how it worked that some fights
were won by throwing and some by submission. "If I take you down in
half throw, wazari, I have to hold you on the ground for 25 seconds to
get the win."
Apparently, a Wazari is a half a point throw, which differs from an
Ippon, which is a full throw, which ends a match. To end a judo match
with a throw, the opponent must land flat on his back. If not, you
have to go to the ground and control him for 25 seconds. Or, after the
wazari, the match can end on the ground, by choke or submission, like
in jujitsu or MMA.
In MMA and in freestyle wrestling, you are generally just looking for
a win, by any legal means. But when you start practicing a specific
art, such as judo or shuai jiao, the question always arises "Do you
just want to win? Or do you want to use the art?" For example, my
shuai jiao team at the university is complete made up of former Greco
Roman competitor, except me, I come from an MMA background. If we
wrestle just for the win or just or the takedown, I would generally
put my money on my teammates vs. nearly any club team in Shanghai.
But, having said that, this year, 2014, my team pulled out of the
national shuai jiao championships, because they were afraid they would
be disqualified or penalized for not using proper shuai jiao
I asked Sensei Gary if there was some similar situation in judo. He
explained, "There are three types of judo instructors: technically
sound, but no competition, or someone who loves competition, but whose
techniques are not on par with a technically sound black belt, or
others who can teach you to compete on Olympic level."
There are a number of high profile MMA fighters who come from a judo
background, but apart from: Ronda Rousey, Karo Parisyan, Fedor
Emelianenko, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, most are from Japan and
Korea: Yoshihiro Akiyama, Dong Hyun Kim, Satoshi Ishii, Kazuhiro
Nakamura. So, that may be one reason why we don't think as much about
judo. If you start digging, however, you find that most of your
favorite Japanese fighters and even some American wrestlers and others
have studied judo.
Judo is a subject we talk about a lot in MMA gyms, but it is not an
art that most MMA people have trained. MMA gyms typically have
instructors for Muay Thai, BJJ, and maybe boxing and wrestling, but
judo is the least common. While MMA fighting is still illegal in New
York, Long Island is an absolute hotbed of high school wrestling and
the location of a number of famous MMA schools. So, I asked Sensei
Gary if he had any MMA guys coming to train with him.
"We do MMA a lot," explained the sensei. "But MMA guys don't like to
take judo because they want to learn to throw, but they don't like to
get thrown."
I laughed, telling Sensei Gary about the first time I ever attended a
judo class, about twenty years earlier. "In that one lesson, I got
thrown five hundred times. And I decided, learning judo was for the
young only."
"That's traditional, old school judo." He said, smiling. "That takes a
pounding on your body. I believe it's the most demanding martial art
on your body."
One of the questions that comes up in the MMA gyms is about the gi.
Fighters wonder if an art which wears and throws from a gi would
translate well into shirtless MMA.
"When you teach the guys judo-for-MMA how do you modify the
techniques?" I asked.
"I try to put them in ring situations." Said the Sensei. "We don't
have a ring, so I put them against the columns, and I say 'how would
you get out?' to teach fighting off the cage. I leave the gi on, and
they think they can grab it. But when they do, that works in my
In Chinese wrestling, we also use a jacket, and yet I think it's good
for training. Wrestling with the jacket gives you phenomenal grip
strength. And most of the techniques can be modified to work without a
Sensei Gary concurred, "95% of all judo throws can be done without a
gi. With a gi, you grab the sleeve. Without the gi, A guy throws a
punch, and he is giving you his body the same as when he grabs you
with the gi."
The same is true of MMA and san da. The throws often come from
catching the opponent's kick, or timing your shot for when he really
loads up on that right hand and throws a huge punch. And actually, one
of the things I like about the gi vs no gi discussion is that the
throws in san da come from Chinese wrestling. So, in a given day at
the university, I may walk into practice and find out we are doing the
exact same throw in both classes, but one with a jacket and one
We had heard a rumor, in the MMA and wrestling world, that it was
illegal to touch the legs in judo. Sensei Gary confirmed it. "New
rules, cannot grab the legs." That is a big difference between judo
and Chinese shuai jiao. In Shuai jiao you are permitted to grab the
legs. But, this also parallels what I said earlier about my team
pulling out of the national championships. The guys on my team, myself
included, tend to get a lot of our throws by doing body locks or by
taking our opponent's legs. While these techniques are legal in shuai
jiao, they are not the true, Chinese jacket techniques.
Because many MMA and san da throws come from catching kicks, I asked
if that was something they learned in judo. "Catching kicks would not
be something you would practice in judo." Sensei Gary went n to say
that said that they didn't actually practice catching kicks. But he
still won a fight against a karate practitioner, using his judo
skills. "The minute the fight started, the guy took off his gi top."
Ostensibly so Sensei Gary couldn't grab him. But this didn't stop the
experienced judoka. "I did a roll out into him, locked his head and
did a hip throw, and went right into an arm-bar."
Many of the Greco guys on my team do the same thing. They suddenly
grab the head, execute a throw, and go straight into a submission. In
Greco, they use a variation of an arm triangle, choke, or neck crank
as a pin/submission. But the rules say that one arm has to be inside
the choke, in other words, you must grab BOTH your opponent's head and
arm to be within the rules.
"What about body locks?" I asked. "Are they legal?"
Sensei made it sound like body locks were hard to achieve in a judo
match. "You start apart." Began Sensei Gary. "When the referee says
'go', you step in and grab your opponent's gi, in the basic hook up
position." So far, this was the same as in Chinese wrestling. There
are seven basic grips in Chinese wrestling, but usually, at the
beginning of the match, you will try to grab the inside of your
opponent' sleeve and his lapel. The basic judo position was very
similar, except that in judo, you were forbidden to reach inside of
the sleeve. You had to grab the outside. Another huge difference was
when Sensei Gary said, "You can use the jacket to choke, just like in
jujitsu." Chokes and joint submissions are illegal in Chinese shuai
jiao wrestling.
Sensei went on to explain some of the basic fundamentals of judo.
"There are 8 basic forms of off balancing your opponent. There is no
set way of walking during the match. In practice we learn how to walk,
but in competition, you move wherever you need to move, naturally." He
added, "You should be able to move in, like in wrestling."
The sensei told me that his high school finally added wrestling his
senior year. So, he only got to be on the team for a single season. "I
just threw and threw the opponent, until the coach said, 'you can't
just throw the guy.'" I guess those judo reflexes were ingrained,
because he told another humorous anecdote. "I also did the same thing
in a karate tournament. I threw the opponent and got disqualified."
Sensei took me into the practice room to begin the workout. The warm
up was similar to wrestling. The students did rolls, flips, break
falls, crawls, and so on. After warm up, the first thing they taught
me was the basic hook up position, grabbing the lapel and the sleeve.
No sooner had I completed the grip on a senior student, Sensei Pete,
when Sensei Gary said to me, "don't hang on him." In wrestling,
usually when we lock up you want to begin wearing your opponent down
by making him carry your weight. So, you hang on him. In judo, Sensei
said to stay relaxed and a bit more upright than in wrestling.
Next, Sensei Pete threw me. He controlled my right arm, with his left
hand, stepped in sideways, put his right shoulder into my right
shoulder, braced my right leg with his right hand and fell into me,
taking me down, landing on top of me. We have almost the same
technique in both san da and shuai jiao, except that you pull the
opponent forward, and he lands face down, rather than this one where
he lands on his back. San da also has very similar ones, where he
lands on his back, but where you attack from the side. The advantage
of this judo technique, where he lands on his back, is that you land
on top of him, and you are still controlling his arm. So, you can fall
right into side control or a submission. In san da, or shuai jiao, on
the other hand, you don't want to fall with the opponent, or you will
lose points.
One of the primary differences between judo and my Chinese arts is
that in judo, you can go with your opponent and continue fighting on
the ground. In san da or Chinese shuai jiao wrestling we can only
throw and stop. And you lose points for falling with the opponent even
if you land on top.
Master Gary refined the technique for me. "You're not just falling
into him. You're driving your hips into him and taking him straight
back. Next, the sensei transitioned from the same setup trapping the
right arm across his body with his left arm, stepping in with his
hips, but then, instead of using his right hand to brace my right leg,
he used his right arm to grab my head. Once he had control of the head
and one arm, he did a classic judo hip toss, dropping right into a
submission on the ground
I told Sensei Pete that this was similar to a Chinese technique. He
said, "Yeah, sambo too… because how many ways are there to throw
someone?" He was right. While every art has some unique throws,
probably the vast majority of throws across all of the grappling arts
will be similar, except where the rules specifically forbid them. For
example, MMA, san da, shuai jiao, and free style wrestling all use
single-leg take down, double-leg takedown, and fireman's carry. But
they look a little different in each of the arts because of the rules.
In the Chinese system, you have to squat, rather than kneel, because
the rules prevent you from touching your knee to the ground. Judo, on
the other hand, doesn't use these techniques, however, because you
aren't allowed to touch the legs.
Next we moved from the throw to side control. In judo Sensei Gary
showed me to grab the opponent's belt and use it to control him on the
ground. In Chinese shuai jiao, we also grab the belt and use it to
control and throw the opponent. But there is no ground fighting in
shuai jiao. In MMA and freestyle wrestling we fight on the ground, but
we don't wear a belt. So, this was a new concept for me.
Down on the mat, Sensei Pete, let me side control him, to see if I
could hold him, or if he could escape. In MMA, once you are on the
ground, you have to choke, submit, or pound your opponent for the win.
In wrestling, you have to pin him. In judo, you just have to keep him
down for 25 seconds to get the win. Obviously, Sensei Pete was
fighting really hard. Occasionally he would get one shoulder blade off
the ground. I thought maybe that meant the clock stopped. But Sensei
Gary said, "The clock is still running. All you have to do is control
Next, Sensei Gary let me throw him and try to control him on the
ground. As soon as we hit the ground, he reversed me, and wound up on
top. He said, "You have to move quickly once you're on the ground."
I asked if you were permitted to fight off your back and use your legs
on the ground. Sensei Pete said that you were, and that they had all
of the same triangle chokes and arm bars as in Brazilian Jujitsu,
except that it wasn't as refined as BJJ. BJJ, since its inception, has
specialized in these techniques. So, naturally, they are very
Sensei Gary showed me a slow smother, from side-control. It was very
unpleasant. Even though I could hold out because of MMA training, you
only have twenty five seconds to escape. So, I still would have lost.
It's not an easy task, trying to get an eighth degree Grand Master of
Judo off of you.
I asked a lot more about ground fighting, prompting the two senseis to
point out, that judo is not wrestling. If the opponent lands in a
position other than on his back, you only have a very few seconds to
put him on his back and pin him, or you have to stand up and restart.
It seems that the real art, the preferred win in judo, is that you
throw the guy once, and make him land flat on his back. But if that
doesn't happen, you can go down with him, control him, pin him, choke
him, or submit him.
"It' a lot more than throwing." Said Sensei Gary. "Whatever came from
the Gracies came from judo first."
Back on our feet, Sensei explained, "There are three parts of judo;
Off balancing, entry, and execution."
Some of the standing, judo control positions involved trapping your
opponent's arm in your bicep, while pulling his sleeve with the other
arm. In wrestling and san da we have exactly the same position, BUT we
would jam our shoulder into the opponent's underarm for more control.
Sensei Gary showed me that you shouldn't do this in judo, because you
were leaving yourself open to getting choked from behind.
Practicing one of the throws I fell on my opponent and Sensei scolded
me. "Don't fall on the guy!"
"But I thought you said we should fall on the opponent and control
him." I protested. Sensei said, "Yeah, but we are just practicing.
Don't fall on the guy in practice." Sensei Pete laughed and added, "We
want the guy to come back." It made sense. If you do 300 throws a
night, it would be really painful and injurious to have the opponent
fall on you each time.
Another difference between judo and Chinese wrestling was that in judo
you are allowed to do a sacrifice throw, where you throw yourself to
the ground, with the opponent. In Chinese wrestling, this is
discouraged. In san da it's not allowed at all anymore. In judo, not
only were you allowed to go with the opponent, but it seemed you were
allowed to hit the ground first, as long as you rolled over into top
position and controlled him.
One of the ways I typically get points in Chinese wrestling is that
when the opponent goes for an over the shoulder hip throw, I body lock
him, lift and throw. The judo guys had a nice counter to my counter,
when I body locked Sensei Pete, he simply drove in with his hip, drove
through me, and took me down, exactly like the very first throw they
had shown me that day. And true to the spirit of judo, true to the
concept of using your opponent's strength and power against him, the
harder I body locked Sensei Pete, the harder I hit the ground, because
I was basically pulling him into me, which gave him the momentum for
the throw.
The two senseis showed me a whole series of sit-through throws which
required little or no energy. The main problem with taking these
techniques back to China, however, was that, in a sit-through, you hit
the ground first, before you opponent. Then, you rolled your opponent
onto his back. For Chinese wrestling, you would already have lost a
point by falling on your back. These techniques would be good for
wrestling or MMA, but some of them couldn't be done without a gi.
Still, learning as many sit-through techniques as possible is
extremely beneficial. That way, when you are fighting, no matter what
situation comes up, you have a sit-through ready to go.
It was time for me to go. But, before I left, I asked the two senseis
for some final words of wisdom. Sensei Gary said, "Judo is referred to
as the gentle art. It's gentle for me. It just hurts the guy who's
Sensei Pete said that in studying judo, "You learn a lot about
yourself and your inner strength."
"Yes," I agreed. "And sometimes, you get to choke-out the Brooklyn Monk."
Brooklyn Monk, Antonio Graceffo is a PhD candidate at Shanghai
University of sport, writing his dissertation on comparative forms of
Chinese wrestling. He is martial arts and adventure author living in
Asia, the author of the books, "Warrior Odyssey' and "The Monk from
Brooklyn." He is also the host of the web TV show, "Martial Arts
Odyssey," which traces his ongoing journey through Asia, learning
martial arts in various countries.
Warrior Odyssey, the book chronicling Antonio Graceffo's first six
years in Asia is available at amazon.com. The book contains stories
about the war in Burma and the Shan State Army. The book is available
at http://www.blackbeltmag.com/
See Antonio's Destinations video series and find out about his column
on http://www.blackbeltmag.com
Brooklyn Monk fan page
Brooklyn Monk on YOUTUBE
Brooklyn Monk in Asia Podcast (anti-travel humor)
By Antonio Graceffo
On deciding not to wrestle in the Chinese national shuai jiao championships:
My eighth month aniversary is coming up now, eight months that I have been on the Chinese traditional wrestling (Shuai jiao) team at Shanghai University of Sport. Before joining the team, I had spent one year training and fighting MMA fulltime, in Malaysia. The final half of that year, I actually lived in the MMA gym. So, I had picked up some grappling, but I had never truly studied wrestling or Brazilian jujitsu. In fact, the only, actual wrestling training I had before becoming the first foreigner on the universityteam was a three week traditional wrestling camp in Beijing.
Most of my teammates at the university grew up in sports schools in China. My best friend on the team, Zheng Tong, for example, lived in a sports school, from age 9, learning Greco Roman wrestling. The other guys on the team have similar stories. The ones with the least training spent 5 years learning Greco, before coming to train at the university. One of the guys actually grew up in a sports school where he majored in Chinese traditional wrestling. So, he has the best traditional wrestling on the team.
During my first seven months on the team, while we were supposed to be doing Chinese traditional wrestling, the coach would often give us a choice of what to work on. And we all inevitably chose freestyle or Greco Roman wrestling. While I tried to learn as much of the Chinese wrestling as I could, I simply liked freestyle better. Freestyle just seemed to focus on effectiveness, rather than tradition. Because we have three codes of wrestling on our team, four if you count MMA wrestling, we are constantly exchanging techniques, and mixing and matching them when we wrestle. And this is exactly what happens in MMA gyms. So, I felt very much at home with my team.
The difference between Shuai jiao and freestyle wrestling, to me, is analogous to the difference between, say karate and MMA kick boxing. In Karate, you do a movement or us a kick simply because it is karate, and not because you have evaluated it and determined it to be the best way to move or kick. In an MMA gym, on the other hand, fighters take from all disciplines, based on effectiveness. When we practice kick boxing, although most gyms will tend to have a Muay Thai base, they will add in EVERYTHING; kyokushin, 70's style kick boxing, taekwondo…whatever techniques the MMA guys see and like, they simply add to their arsenal. Here in China, we all cross train in san da, Chinese kick boxing, but, we don't throw away the muay Thai. Some of my MMA training partners have kung fu or wing chun backgrounds. One was even a savat competitor. And we simply take the best of everything, add it together, and call it kick boxing or striking for MMA.
The university wrestling team is like this too. The guys are really good at upper body control because of the Chinese wrestling training. But they can also do upper body strength throws from Greco. They add in leg grabs and shoots from freestyle. They all have good leg hooking, sweeping, and tripping from Chinese wrestling. Next, I came along with my MMA grappling and a number of the guys have adopted the BJJ sit through takedown and a few others that I have shown them. Some of us have had san da training, so we bring the san da throws to the wrestling room.
But true Shuai jiao is different. It's not just about taking your opponent down. It's about mastering the real, Chinese traditional techniques. And that takes practice. It starts with ji ben gong, basic kung fu style exercise, and evolves into drills and throws. Until about a month ago, in our sparring, and even in a huge tournament that we competed in, we all just used whatever techniques we wanted, as long as they didn't break the rules. My teammates always joke with me that I am the king of the one point throws, for example, because I always go down with my opponent, resulting in a one point penalty, reducing my two-point throw to a one-point throw. While going down with the opponent is frowned upon in Shuai jiao, it's a good habit in both MMA and freestyle wrestling.
Looking at the photos and videos from the tournament, I see my teammates doing body slams and body locks, saltos, a lot of lag grabs and high crotch throws… all sorts of freestyle wrestling techniques that are legal in Chinese wrestling but that are not real Chinese techniques. On the same videos, I see the kids from the sports high school utilizing the traditional Chinese throws.
Due to my age, 47, and the accumulation of injuries which severely limit my range of motion, when the team is doing Chinese drills or acrobatics, the coach excuses me from regular training. Instead, he chooses one of my teammates to free spar with me, until the team is ready to change into their Shuai jiao jackets. Then I rejoin the team for Shuai jiao sparring.
The other day at practice, while my team worked on techniques for the national championships, I did free wrestling with Chen Zengxin, who has been training and competing in Greco Roman wrestling since age 4. He is 22 now and has just retired from national and international level Greco competition. He has just started studying at the university and has only been on our team for a few weeks. When we trained together that day, we didn't wear jackets, because he doesn't know Chinese wrestling yet. We just trained freestyle. Or, more accurately, he told me I could do freestyle and he would do Greco. It didn't matter. I never managed to take him down or even take his leg. I learned a lot from him. And obviously, he took me down at will. I did manage to pull him down with me once or twice, but as a rule, he could have literally killed me with his Greco skill at any moment.
I was so grateful to have a chance to work with a championship level wrestler like Chen Zengxin. And I felt that experience had more impact on my life and development as a wrestler/fighter than would one more session of Shuai jiao.
This realization was like a wakeup call. I don't seem to be learning Shuai jiao anymore. I am just learning more and better wrestling, which is fine for my personal goal of being a better wrestler and fight. But I need to be realistic about my involvement in Shuai jiao.
Over the last two weeks, as my team has been concentrating on the national Shuai jiao championships, they have been training in traditional wrestling with ferocity. And, I realized I have no place in the national championships. I almost never do traditional wrestling. Every session that I am given a choice of what to work on, I opt for freestyle. My freestyle is really coming along. And even freestyle wrestling I learn for the purpose of being a better MMA fighter, not to really compete in freestyle wrestling. So, I think none of my styles is pure.
After free that day, we sparred 8 rounds of match sparring in Chinese traditional wrestling, and this confirmed for me that I have no idea what I am doing in that sport.
Looking back over photos and videos of training and sparring, I see that it is incredibly rare that I even grab my opponent's jacket, which is the whole point of Chinese wrestling. Instead, all of my throws are from body locks and taking a leg. Until a few weeks ago, my teammates were fighting that way too, using a combination of Greco and freestyle. So, it just seemed to be the normal culture of our team. But now that the nationals are just weeks away, the guys are all strictly adhering to traditional rules. In fact, when we were choosing partners today, Wang YeChao, the team captain and one of my best friends, actually refused to partner with me. He said, "I want to train for nationals."
That sort of hurt.
The coach doesn't want Chen Zengxin to wrestle in nationals because he has only been with our team a few weeks and has literally zero Chinese wrestling skill, although he can still win, using Greco. We had a guest trainer that day, and he kept scolding Chen Zengxin because his techniques all came from Greco. The trainer kept yelling, "Grab the jacket! That's what it's there for.
As for my personal development as a wrestler, even now that my teammates are ratcheting up their skills and that I am no longer allowed to break the rules at will, I get some points from reversals. The thing I am proud of is that even though they are fighting with real intensity, I still manage to turn most of their two-point throws into one-point throws by pulling them down with me. All except Chen Zengxin, that is. He probably threw me about 25 times that day. About 70% of those throws, I managed to hook an ankle or a leg and throw him over my head as I fell, and YET, he would simply land on his feet. He is really amazing.
As for Shuai jiao, I am writing my doctoral dissertation on the differences and similarities between Chinese Shuai jiao and modern freestyle wrestling. I think today was one of those "Ah, ha!" moments, where I just discovered a new aspect of wrestling culture to explore. Different from freestyle wresting, traditional wrestling means "traditional wrestling." It can't change. It can't be added to or taken away from. And no matter how many matches you win, you are either doing traditional wrestling or you aren't.
Backing out of nationals changes very little about my training. I will continue to train hard with the team, and learn as much as I can. I simply won't go to nationals. I think in proper Chinese traditional wrestling competition with rules that say you can only clinch for 3 seconds before taking someone down, or can only hold a leg for 3 seconds, or where they may penalize me for throwing from body lock or from sacrifice throws, I think it would just be a terrible experience of getting both beat up and demoralized to wrestle in a code where I am powerless against the best guys in the country. After all, it's their sport. This decision may even be mute as the nationals seem to be right around the same time as my dissertation proposal defense. When I get the official dates, it may turn out I couldn't have done both anyway.
I have about 5 weeks of school left. After my proposal defense I plan to shoot off to Cambodia and Singapore to train in freestyle wrestling and MMA for most of the summer. At some point I want to learn judo. Also, if I had a chance to study Greco, that would be awesome. So much to learn…
Brooklyn Monk, Antonio Graceffo is a PhD candidate at Shanghai University of sport, writing his dissertation on comparative forms of Chinese wrestling. He is martial arts and adventure author living in Asia, the author of the books, "Warrior Odyssey' and "The Monk from Brooklyn." He is also the host of the web TV show, "Martial Arts Odyssey," which traces his ongoing journey through Asia, learning martial arts in various countries.
Warrior Odyssey, the book chronicling Antonio Graceffo's first six years in Asia is available at amazon.com. The book contains stories about the war in Burma and the Shan State Army. The book is available at http://www.blackbeltmag.com/warrior_odyssey
See Antonio's Destinations video series and find out about his column on http://www.blackbeltmag.com
Brooklyn Monk fan page
Brooklyn Monk on YOUTUBE
Brooklyn Monk in Asia Podcast (anti-travel humor)
By. Eric Washington
I remember being called, "a big six." It was almost as if people didn't believe I was only six years old. "He sure is a big six!" It wasn't like we were trying to get in free on the bus or an amusement ride park, this was freaking everywhere! It wasn't that I was one of those mammoth babies, like the one you see on YouTube, all fat smoking cigarettes. I was just tall for my age.
Now, a father myself, I too have a big kid. I remember the doctor explaining about my son, "he's in the 95 percentile," the medical way of saying he's big. He's just turning 10 and me 43. When I watch him, I'm constantly reminded of myself growing up. He's shy, kind, tall, lanky, a bit uncoordinated, but a significantly much better athlete than I was at his age. Why? Because I started him wrestling at six years old. Last year, at only 9 years old, he finished 4th in the State at 80 pounds! I can't tell you what it's done for his confidence and self esteem. I felt tormented sometimes as a child, because I was always being told and overhearing people describing me, laughing or commenting on how uncoordinated I was. My brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, schoolmates, it was hard sometimes. It was true, I was, but no more than any other kids my age and more importantly, my size. No one ever explained to me that it's harder to build longer muscles or that it was more challenging learning to control your own body when there is more of it than the average kid. Yes, short kids have the advantage developmentally when it comes to coordination and strength. It might seem like common sense as an adult, but no one explained that to me when I was a kid. It was tough at times.
It was fourth-grade before I started my athletic career. I played recreational football in Montgomery county just outside Washington DC. And yes, initially, I had to play with the older kids, because I weighed more than most kids in my age group. If you don't know, older kids are more coordinated, faster, stronger and more mature. So, no, initially it wasn't pretty. I got my ass kicked up and down the field, but I stuck with it, because it was fun. I honestly don't feel like I came into my own with regard to any sport until about junior high.
Growing up I played organized baseball, basketball, football, track, lacrosse and in junior high I even tried gymnastics. I was lucky enough to play basketball for a local legend. He was a high school basketball star in DC, who went on to play in college and even coach a well-known college basketball team. This was my recreation league coach. From fourth grade through 10th grade, we literally never lost a game. Not only did we not lose, but we normally beat teams by no less than 20 points. Every week, every game, every team sometimes by as much as 40 points. I remember playing basketball at 14 in an AAU league in a 17 and under division and winning. In fact we went to Las Vegas and competed in nationals. Out of all the sports I ever did or tried, hands down wrestling was the most impactful and rewarding to me as an athlete and a man. Out of all the accomplishments, awards, trophies, medals and certificates I received growing up, in and out of school and every sport and activity I every participated, becoming the Heavyweight County and Regional Champion and going on managing to earn a full athletic scholarship to Morgan State University is to this day, one of, if not the greatest and most cherish accomplishments of my life.
Although I was a good athlete, relatively strong, and had tasted some national success athletically, there was absolutely no better feeling in sports that I can measure then having my hand alone raised at the end of a match in front of my friends, family, teachers, community and peers. I knew in basketball, I won because of my coaches knowledge of the game. I had to get a pass, rebound the ball, make the shot, let alone get in the game. In baseball, I had to make it off the bench, not strike out, hit the ball, run the bases, or catch a 90 mph sphere. In track, I personally believe, you're either born fast or not. There's technique to improving your time a bit, but you're either fast or slow. There is an intensity with wrestling like no other sport. The training is intense, the practices are intense, the competition is grueling. The triumph is incomparable and the losses can be devastating.
What I like best about wrestling, frankly is that there are no excuses period. You can't complain about not getting the ball, the coach didn't put me in, they wouldn't pass it to me, I couldn't get a rebound, that's not my event, I wasn't tall enough, I can't jump, I'm too short, I'm too fat, I'm too skinny, I'm not strong enough. There're are no balls, sticks, racquets, pucks, helmets or pads. There's just you and your opponent, a nice soft mat and a guy in a zebra print to make sure everything goes by the rules. You study the sport, you learn your moves, you practice your moves, you perfect your moves, and at the tournament or dual meet, you execute your plan. At the end six minutes or less, you win or lose, no excuses. Deal with it. Relish in your victory or savor your defeat. You either came in condition, rested, prepared and ready for battle or you didn't prepare and you'll deal with the consequences none the less. You find out about yourself and your opponent wrestling. Are you a wuss, a punk, a fish, a tough guy, or a monster? Are you the kind of guy that's gonna keep going even when he's exhausted, just to win? Can you come back after getting taken down, slammed or choked or are you the guy who whines afterwards saying, " I couldn't breathe!" After your matches, behind your back, do they talk about how tough you were or how soft you are or how fast you gave up? Let's face it, losing sucks, but I've never known a sport where you can lose and actually feel good about it, knowing you put everything on the line and left it all on the mat and the other guy was just better, which immediately gave you a new goal. To get better.
That is why wrestling is such a tremendous sport to have in the inner-city. Wrestlings challenges and prepares inner-city youth for the hurdles that mirror day-to-day life going up in the inner city. Wrestling I teaches independence, self reliance, and resilience like no other sport or activity. Just like wrestling, if you don't prepare for a test you'll fail that test and thereby potentially fail the class, potentially fail that particular grade level. Similarly in wrestling, if you're not prepared, at the right weight, rested and energetic, if you don't know your moves and you go in front of someone who does, your going to get thrashed. As a result of that thrashing, you may lose your starting spot or may not qualify for local, divisional, regional or state tournament, thereby ending your wrestling career or season early that year. As an adult, you may have a work project you must complete, stay up all night to do, work on for days or weeks, and must do well in order to keep your job, please your boss, or get a promotion. If you nail it, they're be rewards, but if you don't they're be consequences. Just like life, the harder you work in the practice room, the more it will show at dual meats and tournaments. The harder you work in class and at homework, the better grades that will show up on your report card. The better grades that show up on your report card is the greater potential you have of being accepted to a good school.
The challenge with inner-city sports and/or wrestling is that in a lot of households there's not always a mom and dad to drive that lesson home to a youth or check homework daily. Often times the dad is working two or more jobs or absent. Frequently, the mother is working two or more jobs and not home to check homework, review and/or assist with lessons or confirm attendance or progress. More times than not, inner-city children are being raised by grandparents or single parents that are also working. Another challenge faced by intercity wrestlers is financial responsibility to one's family that another athlete in the suburbs or more affluent side of town isn't saddled with. I've coached in Baltimore city and DC and I've yet to have a team that does not have kids that miss practice due to having jobs or tutoring. The irony is kids will always have $80-140 sneakers, but claim to rarely have the money for wrestling shoes for whatever reason. Go figure.
One of the reasons wrestling as a sport is so good for inner-city kids is that it teaches and instills a lot of the discipline and positive characteristics and reinforcement that they may not be receiving at home and would otherwise not get. Also wrestling gives kids the instant gratification and recognition that reinforces the need for routine, diligence and discipline. One outstanding attribute of wrestling that is great for kids of all ages and backgrounds is that the sport gives a constructive outlet for rage, anger and frustration, which a lot of inner city children experience, because they don't understand the cause of the societal inequity or socioeconomic hurdles. A child struggling with anger management can train and transform that anger into a phenomenal double leg takedown or lateral throw, instead of a street fight or brawl on the playground at recess. Wrestling teaches discipline, the time and place for aggression and the routine and exercise of emotional discipline that is frequently absent in today's youth.
I myself, used wrestling as a outlet for my frustration as a youth. Originally from DC, all my family lived in DC and my entire neighborhood, although in the suburbs of Montgomery County, was all black. Although Montgomery County was a predominantly white area, my neighborhood was all black and going to a predominantly white school dealing with the socioeconomic and cultural differences found myself confused, discouraged and frustrated at times, not understanding why things weren't fair and teachers didn't treat me and my black friends the same. Nor did we understand why some of our white friends drove cars to school and we were on the school bus, why they had designer jeans and we had generic. Instead of getting in trouble on the weekends and after school, wrestling kept me occupied and provided an excellent platform for me to vent my frustration in a positive and legal manner.
Marketing wrestling in the inner city isn't hard. From my experience, most teachers, advisors, counselors, administrators and principals see the need and value of the "programming" particularly now, because a lot of organizations are trying to teach black and minority children they can excel in sports outside of football and basketball. Wrestling is referred to as "alternative programming". Nonetheless, the challenge is finding the funding to start programs. Unlike basketball, football and baseball, where in most cases there are already basketball courts, and fields at schools and facilities, wrestling requires a mat, generally costing no less than $6-7,000. Starting those mainstream sports, all you need is T-shirts, maybe some shorts, minor equipment and some balls. Wrestling, the interest is there, the kids will come, the administrators are saddled with try to come up with thousands upfront instead of a couple hundred dollars. Wrestling is growing in popularity in the inner city and it's exactly what every kid needs regardless of their neighborhood. When I'm asked what sport should I get my child involved in, hands down and every single time I say wrestling.
Coach Eric "E.W." Washington
Commissioner DC Wrestles
Marketing Director & Secretary, USA Wrestling-DC
I first came to Asia in 2001, when I went to Taiwan to study Chinese and kung fu, in preparation to go study at the Shaolin Temple, in Henan, China. In 2003, I went to Shaolin and studied san da. I have been in Asia for 13 years, now, studying martial arts and languages, and writing books about my experiences. I went from Shaolin to Thailand, where I lived in a temple, studying Muay Thai. While at the temple, I fought my first professional boxing match in Asia, to earn money for poor villagers, displaced by the war in Burma. From Thailand to Cambodia where I remained for about 18 months, studying boxing, Khmer kick boxing (bradal serey), and Bokator. Over the next 10 years, I studied in Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and other Asian countries, but I frequently returned to Cambodia for additional training and writing.
In 2007, I completed my black krama (black belt) in Bokator fighting. Part of the requirements for the belt were that I had to study traditional wrestling, and go fight in the Khmer traditional wrestling village in Vihear Suor village, Kandal province, just outside Phnom Penh. In the village, I participated in traditional wrestling competition, fighting in a dirt circle on the ground. I also fought in a traditional stick fighting competition, using a single, long stick. Fighters in the village fight for money in these competitions, but are careful not to kill each other. In that adventure, I got to know Jap Leun, the greatest Cambodian wrestler, and we would remain friends, and on-again, off-again training partners through to the present.
Other requirements for my black krama were that I trained bardal serey, kick boxing, with Paddy Carson, who had been my coach and trainer since 2004. I was required to have a minimum number of professional fights (which I completed with boxing fights), plus learn the bokator fighting techniques, including the knees, elbows, kicks, punches, as well as basic grappling and joint locking.
After passing the exam, I went on to Vietnam and other countries to study martial arts. In 2009, I returned to Thailand, where I studied Muay Thai Chaiya. My goal was to complete a study of the southeast Asia kickboxing arts, so I also studied Muay boran (ancient Muay Thai) from a variety of teachers and documented the training. I went on to Malaysia to study silat tomoi, an art which is a cross-over between Muay Thai and silat. It looks very similar to bokator or Muay Boran. I am far from an expert in kick boxing and have only had professional fights in boxing and MMA. I have never had a professional fight in Muay, but my goal was to document and record the arts, while learning as much as I could. The only Muay art I have not yet studied is Lethwei, Burmese boxing. I documented Lai Tai, a Shan Kung Fu art from Burma, but have not yet studied Lethwei. In 2010, I returned to Cambodia to study bradal serey intensely with Paddy Carson, who offered a belt exam to myself and my training partner, Robert Starkweather. Robert was graded as a brown belt, after about 6 years of training. I was awarded a black belt in bradal serey.
In July, 2011, I received a call, asking me to be a guest judge in the first professional MMA event in Malaysia. During the run of my web TV show, Martial Arts Odyssey, I had done a few episodes on MMA and was always fascinated by the art, but thought that at age 44 I was too old to learn it. Receiving that call was a life changing event. I refused the opportunity to be a judge, and instead, asked that I be registered as a fighter.
I returned to Cambodia for training and put together a makeshift MMA program between working with the Bokator master, and Paddy Carson for boxing and kickboxing, and K-1 Fight Factory for MMA and conditioning. While there, I put together Team Cambodia MMA, composed of myself and 3 Khmers from the Bokator Academy. After one month of training, the four of us, accompanied by the grand master, flew to Malaysia and fought in Mayhem II, the largest MMA event probably ever held in Southeast Asia, with over 60 fighters. I won my first fight and lost my second one that day. My Khmer teammate, Tun Serey, won two fights and placed second in his division, the first Khmer to ever win an MMA fight. After the event, my team went back to Cambodia, and I remained in Malaysia.
The first few months, I worked as a live-in bodyguard and trainer for a Dato (titled Lord) in Kuala Lumpur and trained full time with the MMA Wing Chun team, fighting out of Kota Damansara, Malaysia. I didn't like the wing chun striking, so, I asked the Sifu to only work with me on ground fighting. This was my first exposure to jujitsu. I won my next two MMA fights while training on that team. Later, I moved to Johor Bahru, and lived inside of the Ultimate MMA Academy, where I trained full time and fought 5 more times, all wins. Periodically, I would fly back to Cambodia to touch up my boxing with Paddy Carson and to go exchange techniques at the Bokator Academy.
July, 2012, I moved back to China, where I taught full time at Shanghai University, teaching a research methodology course, based on the Australian Stock Exchange. For nearly a year, I couldn't train at all, because of my work and study schedule. During that year, I published a number of papers and studied for the HSK national Chinese exam, which would allow me to enter a PhD program in China. By Spring 2013, I had been accepted to Shanghai University of Sport, with a full scholarship, to do a PhD in the Wu Shu department, but with traditional wrestling as my major. In the spring, I slowly began studying MMA again, part time, at Fighters Unite, Shanghai. I fought in one smoker MMA fight in April of 2013. I spent summer 2013 back at the Shaolin Temple, getting my body fit again, so I could handle training at the university. I also made arrangements at Shaolin to have a private teacher work with me two hours per day, preparing for my HSK Chinese exam, the final hurdle for my scholarship and studies. My training at Shaolin that summer was roughly 70% strength and fitness, and 30% san da. I fought one smoker san da fight, while I was at Shaolin, and won.
In August 2013, I passed the HSK exam. Then, I went to Beijing to live in a traditional wrestling school, where I had two training sessions per day, while I waited for school to start in Shanghai, at the end of September. When school started, I was permitted to join the traditional wrestling team, the first foreigner to do so. I also cross trained in san da. In November 2013, I won a silver medal in the Shanghai International BJJ Tournament, in the Chinese Traditional Wrestling division.
My dissertation proposal was finally approved. My topic is comparative forms of Chinese wrestling. Judo and san da are included within the scope of my research because they are both related to Chinese wrestling. Other arts included in the dissertation will be North Korean and Mongolian wrestling. Along the road to my dissertation, I am required to write what the Chinese call "small dissertations" basically research papers. And these can be on any form of comparative grappling I chose. My first paper was on comparative Chinese and Cambodian martial arts. I chose Cambodia, not only because of my experience with and knowledge of the arts there, but also because I checked the Chinese academic archives and they didn't have any research about Cambodian martial arts. So, I was trying to add to the body of knowledge.
Over the Chinese New Year holiday, December 2013- February, 2014, I trained in Cambodia. In Phnom Penh, I work as a guest trainer for the Cambodian MMA TV show, which is similar to The Ultimate Fighter, called Khmer Warrior Champion. I also help train Khmer MMA fighters from AFIGHTER team, which now has contracts with One FC, Southeast Asia's largest MMA organization. For my own training, I train every morning with my old friend, Jap Leun, at the national wrestling training center.
In the coming months, I plan to train and write in Vietnam, hopefully at the national sport training center in Hanoi, san da and wrestling. I also hope to get to Mongolia in summer 2014 for training and to compete in the wrestling events in the Naadam Festival.
Brooklyn Monk, Antonio Graceffo is a PhD candidate at Shanghai University of sport, writing his dissertation on comparative forms of Chinese wrestling. He is martial arts and adventure author living in Asia, the author of the books, "Warrior Odyssey' and "The Monk from Brooklyn." He is also the host of the web TV show, "Martial Arts Odyssey," which traces his ongoing journey through Asia, learning martial arts in various countries.
Warrior Odyssey, the book chronicling Antonio Graceffo's first six years in Asia is available at amazon.com. The book contains stories about the war in Burma and the Shan State Army. The book is available at http://www.blackbeltmag.com/warrior_odyssey
See Antonio's Destinations video series and find out about his column on http://www.blackbeltmag.com
Brooklyn Monk fan page
Brooklyn Monk on YOUTUBE
Brooklyn Monk in 3D
Order the download at http://3dguy.tv/brooklyn-monk-in-3d/
Brooklyn Monk in Asia Podcast (anti-travel humor)
Brooklyn Monk in Asia Podcast (anti-travel humor)


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A Carroll Gardens woman who died Saturday after she was found bloody and unconscious in her Clinton Street brownstone fell and hit her head on the kitchen floor because she was weak from illness, according to her husband.
Gaetano Lisco told The Brooklyn Paper that Elizabeth Borst, his wife of 27 years, suffered from an autoimmune blood-clotting disease called antiphospholipid syndrome that left her in severely poor health in the days before her death.
"I feared everyday that this would happen," said Lisco, who was taken in for questioning and released without charges by cops at the 76th Precinct on Saturday night. "Sometimes I would come home and I would find that she fell on the floor unable to stand up."
Lisco, an actor and waiter, claims his 55-year-old wife, a former New York Post assistant editorial page editor, was in such bad shape that he had to help her up when she fell earlier on Friday before he left for his shift at a Manhattan restaurant.
"She's been suffering for many years," said Lisco, adding that Borst — who he described as a heavy drinker on anti-anxiety drugs and medication to reduce the risk of blood clotting — barely ate during her last three days. "She was extremely weak over the last two weeks."
Lisco, 55, claims he last spoke to Borst when he called her at about 4 pm on Friday, and grew frantic when she didn't pick up multiple times later that night.
Concerned about her well-being, Lisco says he called in a favor from a Court Street deli clerk named Valentino, who found Borst's body on the kitchen floor next to a shattered bottle of vodka at around 10:30 pm.
"He was very scared. There was blood everywhere," said a trembling Lisco, who claims he regularly left the front door of the home near Sackett Street unlocked so neighbors and Valentino could check on his wife at his request. "She was most likely lying there in a coma for five hours and lost a lot of blood."
Valentino didn't know if Borst was conscious, so Lisco claims he called a tenant in the building for help.
Tenants in Lisco's building did not answer their doors on Sunday, and the bodega worker was not at his store on Monday, but a worker at the shop said employees have been delivering groceries to the home for ten years.
Police responded to a 911 call from a tenant in Lisco's building and found Borst with a severe head wound. Emergency workers on the scene rushed Borst to Long Island College Hospital, where she died at 4:30 am.
"She died with her beautiful eyes open still looking at me," said Lisco as he broke down in tears. "I'm devastated."
Cops are still investigating the case to determine if Borst was the victim of a murder.
An initial autopsy conducted by the Medical Examiner's Office came back inconclusive, a spokeswoman said. A toxicologist will examine blood and take tissue samples to determine a cause of death, which may not be known for another two weeks, she said.
Neighbors were shocked when they heard the news and saw their low-key street turn into a taped-off crime scene.
"This is a very quiet neighborhood," said longtime Clinton Street resident Al Sirico. "It looked like a scene out of 'Law and Order.' "Reach reporter Natalie Musumeci at nmusumeci@
©2013 Community News Group
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subset: commoncrawl


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Alternative Winter Break 2006
Katie Lynn works with homeowner.
Katie and Pete getting the foundation ready.
Laurence working all the live long day. Sing along!
Dan the Man working on the roof.
Bill up on the roof...sing along again.
Laurence and Gary.
What are we doing here today?
My name is Kelly, I like Power Tools.
The Preisers in action!
The Team
Contact Info
607-746-4342 (fax)


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As mentioned, we here at Hoosick Street Beverage are dedicated to bringing our costumers the biggest and best selection of beer in the Tri-Valley area. This page details a complete listing of our inventory of beers we carry at any given time. Currently we carry over 900 beers, and as always if you can't decide on one, why not Mix-A-Six!
Full list coming soon!!!


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One candidate removed from Falls School Board ballot
NIAGARA FALLS – Six candidates will appear on the May 20 ballot for Niagara Falls School Board after one candidate was removed Thursday.
District Clerk Ruthel Dumas said that after a verification process conducted by her office, the petitions of Herbert L. Lewis did not contain the required 100 signatures to be placed on the ballot.
Candidates who will appear on the ballot are Angela J. Bray, Steven P. DiNieri, Ken Hamilton, Arthur L. Jocoy Jr., Nicholas S. Vilardo and Thomas R. Vitello Sr.
Jocoy and Vilardo are the incumbents in the race for two seats that carry five-year terms.


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Business: Michael's Curiosity Shop
Location: 239 Hoffman's Mill Road, Route 550, Dennis Township (west of Woodbine)
Owner: Michael Jenkins, 66, of Mays Landing
Employees: Five
Phone: 609-427-6460
Michael's Curiosity Shop offers very unusual items, in addition to antiques, collectibles and furniture. For example, we have an early 1950s Ferris wheel, 3 feet tall with lights, with a Chevy logo that was built for a promotion.
We have a carousel wooden horse, a work in progress that was never completed, with a brass pole. It's absolutely beautiful. A 1930s hand-carved oak bedroom set includes a bureau, nightstand, headboard and footboard. An Amish doll collection has a considerable number of pieces, with some furniture to go with it. We also have a petite grandmother's clock from 1930.
We stock a large collection of estate jewelry, with rings, bracelets, necklaces, pins and watches. Furniture includes a nice rattan lacquered porch set with cushions and tables. I've got a samurai sword with the original markings on it, and a replica of a military sword. I've also got a signed Ben Hogan photo from the first hole of the 1950 U.S. Open.
We have more than 300 original oil paintings from a Millville artist, Jacqueline Horner. Many are seascapes, boats, shore scenes and landscapes. We also carry a large number of picture frames.
Children's items include an Electra girl's bike, a Radio Flyer wagon, a fire-chief wagon, and a Barbie Corvette with working lights and radio.
We also hold auctions, every other week on Saturdays, what we call a tailgate auction. People bring stuff and we sell it right out of the back of their cars. We take a commission and they get the rest. We're always looking for quality consignments to sell and auction. We also auction items that haven't sold at retail in a month or six weeks.
Entry: I had an auction at this site, and realized people were selling things they bought at the auction for more than we were getting. So I decided to open a shop to get more of the retail value of them. I used to have a chain of Auntie Anne's pretzel stores, and I sold my last one this year and was looking for something to keep me busy. This certainly has done that.
The future: We're going to open a temporary store (today) in the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township for the holidays. We'll also do some auctions at the Shore Mall site.


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.gp Domain Names
Origin: Guadeloupe
Creation date: 1996
Description: .GP is the official extension of Guadeloupe.
In addition to .GP, gandi also manages the following subdomains: .COM.GP, .NET.GP, .MOBI.GP.
Whois: here
Important note: This extension is only available for customers that have subscribed to a Gandi Corporate contract. For more information please contact our Corporate team.Purchase a .gp


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*Directions: Drive West on Hwy 94 to the Dowling Avenue exit (first one past Broadway). Turn left onto Dowling, continue several blocks to Knox. Crystal Lake Cemetery will be on the right, Folwell Park on the left. Turn left onto Knox. 3651 is in the middle of the second block on your right opposite the tennis courts.
Send me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com to be put on the mailing list for information on upcoming workshops and classes.


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Assistant Professor, Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF
Phone: (415) 476-3425 (voice)
Box 0128, UCSF
San Francisco, CA 94143-0128
Our lab focuses on methods to map pathway rewiring in cancer. Our major goal is to understand at the systems level how the biological networks within cancer cells are fundamentally different from that in normal cells. Using our technologies, we intend to develop platforms for the rational application of personalized medicine and design of combination cancer therapies.


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Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly lodge with 2 outdoor pools and full-service spa
Popular property highlights
Located in a provincial park, this family-friendly lodge is within 20 mi (32 km) of Mabalingwe Nature Reserve South Gate, Wessels Lake, and Klipspringer Lake. Bela Bela Flea Market and Northland Golf Club are also within 32 mi (52 km).
Property Features
This lodge features 2 outdoor pools, a full-service spa, and a restaurant. Self parking is free. Additionally, a bar/lounge, a poolside bar, and an outdoor tennis court are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 47 individually decorated rooms feature WiFi and room service. For a bit of entertainment, guests will find LCD TVs with satellite channels, and other amenities include balconies or patios and coffee makers.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Mabula Game Lodge
Lodge Amenities
Lodge Amenities
Mabula Game Lodge features a full-service spa, 2 outdoor swimming pools, an outdoor tennis court, and a children's pool. The lodge offers a restaurant. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the lodge's bars, which include a poolside bar and a bar/lounge. A complimentary breakfast is offered. Wireless Internet access is available for a surcharge.
4 meeting rooms are available. This family-friendly lodge also offers spa services, a terrace, and an arcade/game room. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
Mabula Game Lodge has designated areas for smoking.
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Children's club (surcharge)
- Free breakfast
- Full-service spa
- Arcade/game room
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Designated smoking areas
- Number of outdoor pools - 2
- Total number of rooms - 47
- Meeting rooms 4
- Garden
- Terrace
- Luggage storage
- Number of meeting rooms - 4
- Conference center
- Free self parking
- Children's pool
- Bar/lounge
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Laundry facilities
- Poolside bar
- Restaurant
- Tennis on site
- Outdoor tennis court
- Spa services on site
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pools
- Children's pool
- Outdoor tennis court
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Arcade/game room
Available in all rooms: Wireless internet access ( ZAR 100 per day )
Available in some public areas: Wireless internet access ( ZAR 50.00 per hour )
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Balcony or patio
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Desk
- Air conditioning
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Bathtub or shower
- Room service (limited hours)
- Individually decorated
- In-room safe
- Satellite TV service
Where to Eat
A complimentary breakfast is offered.
Ko Bojelong Restaurant - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
Guests can experience the thrill of a safari, and enjoy recreation facilities including an outdoor tennis court. 2 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a children's pool.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Game viewing on site
- Game drive on site
- Safari on site
- Ecotours on site
- Hiking/biking trails on site
- Horse riding/rental on site
- Volleyball on site
Spa Services
Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the lodge's full-service spa, Mabula Spa. Services include massages.
- Massages
Lodge Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is 10 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
No cribs (infant beds) available
- Tourism fee: ZAR 145 per accommodation, per stay
- Resort fee: ZAR 156.00 per accommodation, per stay
Optional extras
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: ZAR 100 per day (rates may vary)
- Fee for wireless Internet in public areas: ZAR 50.00 per hour (rates may vary)
Lodge Name
- Mabula Game Lodge Bela-Bela
- Mabula Game Bela-Bela
- Mabula Game Lodge Rooiberg
- Mabula Game Rooiberg
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the airport. Guests must contact the property with arrival details 72 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the lodge prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
National Rating
Quality Graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) – South Africa's official quality assurance organization.


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Mission: We are master teachers of student athletes who aspire to greatness. We teach them the process of creating value and happiness in their lives. We lead, instruct, coach and mentor them to another level of performance.
Purpose: We role model the processes that lead to successful performance in sports and life. We coach and mentor them toward attaining belief and self trust in sports and life. We are a primary source of instruction, information and inspiration to the student athletes and families we serve.
Process: We facilitate the learning process. We teach students fundamentally sound physical information. We tailor our teaching to each student's unique abilities and circumstance. We teach and coach physical actions, mental preparedness and emotional command. We tell our students, clients and prospective families the truth. We lead our students to be effective in decisively pursuing their mission and goals.


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I found this chair at the local thrift store for $5.00. I LOVED the knobby legs!
With a coat of KILZ primer and Krylon White Spray paint in "white" with a gloss sheen. It looks brand new again.
I reupholstered the cushion. This is a very easy task. All you need to do is turn over your chair, unscrew the seat, and use a staple gun to put your chosen fabric on. Just make sure your fabric is pulled tight.
This is what it looks like underneath the seat. I trimmed the fabric afterward around the edge.
TA-DA! What a darling chair for my daughter's room!
The top of this "vanity" is actually cork board for my daughter to hang up all her art from school. To check out this project, go to THIS POST.
This project is part of a decorating contest. Click the button below to head over there and check it out and vote!


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Back in 2007 he overdosed on prescription drugs and Eminem has been on a non-stop path to physical and emotional health ever since.
The 42-year-old Grammy-winner told Men's Journal that early on he fought an uphill battle against the excess weight brought on by his addiction- "In 2007, I overdosed on pills, and I went into the hospital. I was close to 230 pounds. I'm not sure how I got so big, but I have ideas. The coating on the Vicodin and the Valium I'd been taking for years leaves a hole in your stomach, so to avoid a stomachache, I was constantly eating — and eating badly."
His lyrical prowess is second to none, and Eminem dropped by "Sway in the Morning" to perform an acapella freestyle rap that included plenty of celebrity targets.
In addition to Amanda Bynes, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora, Azalea Banks, Hillary Clinton and Bill Cosby, the "Real Slim Shady" rapper made sure to mention transgender star of the moment Caitlyn Jenner.
He's always up for a good time and on Friday night (July 17) Daniel Radcliffe showed off his lyrical skills while partying at Cameron's Pub in Half Moon Bay, California.
The "Harry Potter" hunk rapped "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem while his girlfriend Erin Darke jumped in during the chorus with "Please stand up, Please stand up!"
The new movie "Southpaw" is getting all kinds of buzz and now Eminem has released his new music video for "Phenomenal," a track from the film's soundtrack.
In the clip, the "Slim Shady" rapper goes toe-to-toe with iconic actor John Malkovich and ends up on the run rather than joining forces with his adversary.
He's gearing up for his new post as the host of "The Late Show," and last night (July 1) Stephen Colbert paid a visit to Monroe, Michigan to host their local show "Only in Monroe."
The former "Colbert Report" star was hilarious as he conducted several interviews, the most exciting of which was with a certain "Slim Shady" rapper.
Showing support for the American Institute for Stuttering, Ed Sheeran attended the Freeing Voices Changing Lives Benefit Gala in New York City on Monday night (June 8).
During his speech, the "Runaway" singer told the crowd that he struggled for years with stuttering and it wasn't until he listened to Eminem that he was able to defeat his impediment.
He's never afraid to push the envelope, and Eminem is his usual controversial self in the new music video for "Guts Over Fear."
Featuring Sia, the new clip is about a struggling boxer who washes dishes just to make enough money to get by, however his pregnant girlfriend and alcoholic father serve to complicate the situation.
He loves to stir up controversy and Eminem makes reference to having sex with Iggy Azalea in his new leaked track "Vegas."
The "Real Slim Shady" rapper declares, "So what's it gon' be? Put that shit away, Iggy. You don't wanna blow that rape whistle on me. Scream! I love it. Before I get lost with gettin' off."
Stepping out for a fun-filled evening, a host of famous folks gathered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City for the 2014 WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards last night (November 5).
Madonna was stunning in her sleeveless black ensemble as she presented one of the night's trophies to Charles "Lil Buck" Riley while Liberty Ross showed support for her boyfriend Jimmy Iovine.
It's been a good year for Iggy Azalea and her hard work and dedication has earned her a whopping six nods for the 2014 American Music Awards.
The Aussie rapper is at the top of the heap, trailed slightly by John Legend, Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry who each have five chances for a win.
Hottest Videos
Hottest Stories
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Anne Johnson is the ultimate multi-hyphenate.
She's a "recovering" engineer/real estate investor/analyst in the Air Force Reserve/gym co-owner and married mother of two, which means she's also, in her words, "a part-time referee/maid/short-order cook."
After spending nearly a year handling the business end of the gym and some personal training around her day job, Johnson decided it was time to ditch her cubicle — and the corporate world — for good.
"I realized that gym time was happy time," says Johnson, who has an 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. "That was the one time during the day that I didn't have 'Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.' No one was bothering me. It was like being at recess."
In January, she swapped her professional workwear for a logoed gym T-shirt.
"I'm 39 and I live in spandex," Johnson jokes. "My hair's in a permanent ponytail."
She's not complaining.
As co-owner of DNA Personal Training, 3305 N. Swan Road, she's able to help people and make a difference.
"It's more rewarding," she says, adding that while life is still a juggling act, she loves having the flexibility to attend her kids' middle-of-the-day school events.
Johnson faces the big 4-0 in December, and she's just fine with that.
"What I'm training to do right now, I'm trying to do a one-armed push-up," she says. "That's not bad. I'm almost 40, and I can dead lift almost 300 pounds."