Ramon Dekkers Vs Joeri Mes

I'm browsing youtube as usual looking for martial arts related videos and I found this. My first thoughts were WTF?! Dekkers vs Joeri Mes? Joeri Mes must have still been in kindy when Dekkers was in his prime!

Seriously, why did Dekkers took this fight? What was the point? Dekkers is way past his prime. Joeri is a young up and comer. We recently saw him KOed Japanese fighter Kohi in K-1 Max finals. Did Dekkers need the money that much??

Albert Kraus vs Kaolan Kaovichit

Classic K-1 Max match. This is the K-1 Max 2002 final match between Albert Kraus vs Kaolan.

I posted this match because not many people what a good fighter Kraus is. He was very successful in the beginning as I don't think many people expect such a fighter in kickboxing to be so heavily reliant on boxing work such as him. Although this proved to be undoing as people see more of him. At least he seem to be improving his array of skills now. Though he's not one of my favourite fighters to watch, I admire his grit and toughness. Hope he keeps improving and make a a big comeback to the crack the top four of K-1 Max in 2009.

Did anyone notice his face and his entrance song? How appropriate don't you think? :)

Ko Taisei (Kyokushin Karate IKO1) VS Sun Wu (Sanshou)

Good to see professional San Da still in existence. This event is supported by FEG. For those who are K-1 fans, you will have heard the name before. FEG is the group that runs the K-1 events. I hope that this is a sign of things to come. Fighting sports in China need a big financial sponsor to grow.

Anyway on to the match itself. I think Sun Wu must have a muay thai coach. His guard and stance is not the typical Sanda style that I am used to seeing in the past. His kicks are not as flicky. He even attempted a jumping knee at one stage! Despite that, he is still too sanda in that relied too much on throws and takedowns. Sure he made alot of good throws off caught kicks, but KO Taisei was still able to fight on and eventually get that one strike that will make the difference. Good match to watch and learn for those from a sanda background.

Sifu NG Chun-hong on 1-arm-against-2 Gor Sau

Another Wing Chun teacher that I think would be pretty worthwhile to learn from. Interesting use of the forearms, elbows and shoulders which I haven't seen demonstrated in Wing Chun generally. I like the flow into a shoulder bump at the end.

Wan Kam Leung Practical Wing Chun

Just a quick update while I'm on a quick break from study. A number of guys in the class have had training in Wing Chun. I'm not a particular fan of Wing Chun in general but I thought this guy has something worthwhile to learn. His Wing Chun does seem more practical than what I've generally seen. It seems to be more free flowing and I like that the teacher shows takedown moves in his combinations. Something that I don't usually see in Wing Chun. His knife and pole work looks pretty good too. I like how he picked up the pole from the floor. Not having much experience in weapon work I thought it was quite unique. I might look this guy up when I'm in HK.

Sorry for lack of updates lately!

Hi guys,

Sorry for the lack of updates on the blog lately. I'm preparing for my CPA exam for the past two weeks so training and martial arts web surfing have taken a back seat lately. My exam is on Thursday next week so after that I'll be back to my normal self again. Thanks for your patience.

K-1 Max 2008 Final Match!

Part 1

Part 2

The final match of the K-1 Max series this year to determine the champion for 2008. All I can say is...bloody awesome!

Artur Kyshenko vs Andy Souwer - K-1 Max 2008 Semi Final 2

Part 1

Part 2

Another great semi final match though not as nail biting as the Masato v Sato match. Enjoy!

Masato vs Sato - K-1 Max 2008 Semi Final 1

Part 1

Part 2

All I can say is...what a great match! Enjoy guys. I'll write my post match analysis later on.

K-1 Max Final Four night!!

So here is the main fight card for tonight's K-1 Max 2007 - 2008 finale. The Final Four fighters battling to take out the crown is Masato, Sato, Souwer and Kyshenko. I'm very annoyed that I haven't been able to convince any bars or clubs around to buy the ppv so I'm going to ahve to wait for the download to be available from the internet. The event should be starting 8pm Japan time. Here's my analysis of the Final Four match ups.

Masato vs Sato

Masato is the poster boy for K-1 Max. His good looks and legit fighting skills is the main and original reason why the vast majority of K-1 Max fans are young women. In fact the reason why this year they're broken down the series into three part series is to help make sure Masato get through into the finals unscathed to win the series! Masato is said to possess the best hands in K-1, with some even saying he should be a pro boxer. Sato on the other hand is the quiet hardworking achiever. He's come back from a KO revenge win against Buakaw which shows how far he has come since his Muay Thai days. Sato is tough! He always seem to follow whatever strategy and plan that have been set out. It's hard to tell who will come out on top with this one. My spirit is for Sato but my brains say that Masato still has a slight edge and will come out on top.

Andy Souwer vs Artur Kyshenko

Any of the Final Four fighters have the goods to win the series but if I have to put my money on the one fighter, it'll be Andy Souwer. He's been the K-1 Max champion twice now and still look hungry to win it again for the third time. I think he will win against the finals inexperienced Artur Kyshenko, whow as KOed last year in the semis by Masato despite starting well. Andy is a shrewd fighter, always taking full advantage of the rules and situation to his advantage. He's got great punch kick combos, always returning any attacks and seem to always get stronger during the match. Kyshenko is one of the more Muay Thai stylist in K-1 but he seems to have adapted very well in the K-1 game. He's known for his low kicks, body rips and usually have a reach advantage but I think still lack the experience needed to win over a wily veteran opponent like Souwer. Souwer is my choice to win this one and take out the K-1 Max crown for the third time!