Morning classes at New Breed Kauai

If you want to train Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling, but are unable to train during the evening check out New Breed's morning class. Class starts 8:30AM twice a week. The schedule changes so email me if you are interested in checking the class out. The class is a great way to get more mat time, more individualized training, all in a friendly and stress free environment.

You are free to do all, or any combination of the 3 arts that you like. Light MMA is also an option once the main teachers (Kaleo and Kaeo Lopez) give their permission.

Check out the New Breed Facebook for some pictures and more info. I'll post more pictures of the facility later.

For December morning classes will be Mondays and December:2, 7, 9,16, 20, 27, 29 (these dates are tentative, get in touch with me before coming.

Hawaii fighter Johnavan Vistante to be on next TUF

Warpath to Mayhem fighters

B.J. Penn's future still very much undecided

Like most, I’m anxious to know whether B.J. Penn will fight again.

Honestly, I didn’t take his hint at retirement this past October too seriously -- only because it came immediately after a very difficult loss to Nick Diaz and without a ton of conviction. He still has good years left. Very few pro athletes walk away from those.

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When I met Penn for lunch on Friday in Las Vegas, I went in thinking he might not explicitly tell me, "I’m coming back," but I admit I expected something at least along those lines.

It’s been three months since the Diaz loss: certainly not an eternity but enough to dull the sting of defeat. And enough time, I thought, for Penn to start itching again.

After spending more than an hour with him, though, I can’t tell you whether Penn is retiring. But I can tell you he’s much more serious about it than I thought.

For the first time in more than a decade, Penn says he’s living a "normal" life. If you’ve followed his career, you know he’s not a guy who is back in the gym 48 hours after a fight.

Throughout his career, for better or worse, Penn’s approach to the sport has been to train hard for the fight, fight, then enjoy life ("party" is one way he described it) for six to eight weeks.

Right now, because Penn is unsure whether he’ll fight again, he’s not purposefully trying to live it up before heading to a grueling training camp. The result is that he’s living a normal life instead of one always on one end of the spectrum. And he likes it.

“I’m enjoying my time away from the sport. That’s where I am right now,” Penn said. “I’m living a regular life instead of living the roller coaster. I haven’t [lived a normal life] in 15 years.
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Josh Hedges/Getty Images
Ask me some other time: B.J. Penn is still mulling his future over.

“I’m trying to find myself a little bit -- not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport but just as a person.”

Penn says he’s still in the gym on a regular basis, but he's there strictly for his enjoyment of the sport. He’s not forcing himself to do the drills he doesn’t want to do, and he’s not putting his body through the rigors of sparring sessions.

When he doesn’t feel like going, he doesn’t. Although, he says, "usually I want to go."

Most of the time retirement isn’t on his mind, but it’s an impossible topic to avoid when every fan Penn interacts with obviously wants to know whether he’s done. When he does think about the sport and his career, he actually thinks more about the past than the future.

“I just honestly sit back and reflect and look at how it went,” Penn said. “I really do feel I could have done a lot better in a lot of different situations. I’m heartbroken with the way some of the fights went. The way my UFC 94 fight [against Georges St. Pierre] and my fights with Frankie Edgar went, I’m heartbroken about those fights.

“I feel I could have made better choices, but I don’t feel a major urge that I’ve got to go fix that right now.”

He was unaware of the recent comments made by UFC president Dana White on the promotion’s intent to hold a show in Hawaii as early as this year.
“
I'm trying to find myself a little bit -- not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport, but just as a person.

”
-- B.J. Penn

We talked about the chances the UFC would have selling out a 50,000-seat arena in Hawaii (pretty good, Penn and his brother J.D. thought, if B.J. is headlining), but we did so hypothetically. Even a main event in Hawaii isn’t a guarantee Penn would return.

“We would just have to sit down and talk about what made sense,” Penn said. “That’s amazing they are finally deciding to go to Hawaii, but I wouldn’t want to waste Dana’s time, getting his hopes up on something he wants to put together.”

I mentioned to Penn that if he does fight again, he should be certain that's what he wants. But does he worry at all about the time being lost while he’s deciding?

Penn is 33. He’ll turn 34 in December. Even if he ends up taking off only six to nine months and then returns, that’s still a significant chunk of time considering he’s not far away from an age where a reasonable decline in performance is expected.

He nodded and said he’s thought about that part. He'll have to live with it.

“That is something that either way, I’m going to have to accept,” Penn said. “I’ve thought about it, but even if you are in your physical prime, there’s still no sense going back if your head isn’t there.”

At the end of the day, I still believe what I did in the beginning -- that B.J. Penn will get in the Octagon again eventually. That’s nothing more than a guess, and right now, my guess on the topic is as good as Penn’s, which is as good as yours.

“I want to tell [my fans] that their guess is as good as mine,” Penn said. “I don’t know.”

ESPN

Cocky kid land an unreal KO kick

UFC coming to Hawaii with or without BJ Penn

The UFC’s goal of landing in Hawaii is still happening, but not the way they wanted.

The promotion has long talked about landing on the island where MMA continues to be a thriving and very popular sport, but their best laid plans took a hit last October.

According to UFC President Dana White, the plan for the UFC’s first ever show in Hawaii was to have former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn headline a card at the Aloha Bowl.

Unfortunately when Penn lost to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 last October, the Hawaiian has opted to take some much needed time off and it threw a bit of a monkey wrench into their plans.

“We’re still working on that, but we want to do it. I was kind of hoping to go to Hawaii again and do a B.J. (Penn) fight at the Aloha Bowl, but B.J. wants to take some time off. He’s going to relax for a while,” White revealed about the UFC going to Hawaii.

The Aloha Bowl is a reference to Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It would have marked one of the first times the UFC has gone to an outdoor stadium for a show. The stadium seats approximately 50,000 when filled to capacity.

They haven’t shut the door on going to Hawaii by any means, but the plan was to have Penn, who is a huge star in his native state, headline the show.

It’s still possible however that if a Hawaii show comes together, that could be just the temptation that Penn needs to bring him back from his time off.

Either way, the UFC will still be going to the state, it’s just not locked in as to when that might happen.

“We’re coming regardless,” said White. “But that was the fight I really wanted to do there.”

by Damon Martin

Nick Diaz tests positive for marijuana; disciplinary action pending

Today, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Keith Kizer, released the e-mail below to members of the media:

The following athletes were tested: Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Koscheck, Renan Barao, Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, Max Hollaway, Matt Riddle, Henry Martinez, Edwin Figueroa, Alex Caceres, Matt Brown, Chris Cope, Rafael Natal, Michael Kuiper, Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen. All results received thus far have been negative, except Mr. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites. A complaint for disciplinary action against Mr. Diaz has been filed.

by Chris Palmquist

The “New Breed” – Setting itself apart from the rest

There is something to be said about a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Kauai, the oldest (and one of the smaller) island in the Hawaiian island chain, is known for more than just its lush beauty and iconic scenery. It is no secret that Kauai continues to breed some of the best grapplers in the state of Hawaii. But the question is… how? How can a small island with limited resources groom some of the best grapplers, and more recently, MMA fighters, on the island?
One school, New Breed Kauai (formerly known as Kamole Jiu Jitsu), is quietly climbing its way to the top of the MMA scene on Kauai. Introduced to BJJ Revolution/New Breed USA by fellow Kauai native, Eben Kaneshiro, New Breed Kauai was established in September 2010. Kaneshiro, a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and professional MMA fighter, also runs a New Breed Academy in Portland, Oregon. New Breed is under the direction of John Ramirez and John Ouano. Rodrigo Medeiros directs BJJ Revolution, whom New Breed is all a part of.
Under the leadership of brothers, Kaleo and Kaeo Lopez, New Breed Kauai has become a force to be reckoned with. Not only have they proven themselves on the mats, but in the cage as well, producing up and coming MMA fighters like Tyson and Nalu Hawelu, Tim Teves, and Pancho Lopez. Three of them will be making their debut on Ainofea’s Warpath to Mayhem: Rumble at the Resort event on March 3rd on Kauai.
So the question still remains… how can a small academy produce some of the hardest hitting and technically sound grapplers on the island? I’ve left it up to the Lopez brothers and some New Breed students to explain what makes their academy unique and how that sets them apart from the rest of the schools on the island.
Kaleo Lopez: I feel at New Breed Academy Kauai, we are an academy that takes every training session seriously. Along with constant technical drilling, sparring, and conditioning, it is also important to us that we teach and show our members good values such as respect, discipline, and kindness both in and out of the dojo. I like to think of us as a family or an extension of our family to our members. I don’t want to say we ARE better, but I do know we train hard and do well in both jiu jitsu tournaments and MMA events. Win or lose, competing or just learning the art of jiu jitsu, we are proud of each and every one of our members.
Elijah Koga – 17 years old, 3rd degree blue belt: I have been training since I was nine years old! I JUST made eight years with the academy a week ago. I think the best part about training at New Breed Kauai is how it’s not just a team; but more of a family, always pushing each other, inside and out of the dojo. What really sets New Breed Kauai training apart from other academies is how much we run our sequences. We are constantly drilling, always refining our technique. Another key to our success is how we do lots of strength and conditioning as a team outside of the dojo. We are either running on the beach while dragging a huge fricken rope or doing sprints up a ridiculously steep hill before class. So we are always in top shape. Training at New Breed Kauai has improved my jiu jitsu and MMA tremendously. I’ve been fortunate enough to start my training with New Breed and never felt the desire to jump school because of the top-notch training I get there.
Eric Cannon – 21 years old, purple belt: I’ve been training with New Breed Kauai for over five years and its improved my ground game from a basic wrestler to an all around accomplished grappler. What makes New Breed different is we are a new breed of jiu jitsu grapplers… simply put. We are very accepting of new styles of Brazilian jiu jitsu and are dedicated to evolving the martial art to new heights. But most important about New Breed is we are all good people part of a jiu jitsu family that emphasizes discipline and gives respect to all those that practice martial arts even if they are on another team.
New Breed Kauai proves that a small academy CAN produce results. On and off the mats, the students of New Breed Kauai exude humility, respect, and loyalty – all of which are fitting for a small island community in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

MMASUCKA.com

Rumble at the Resort

Principles of Kodokan

HANAPEPE — Hanapepe Judo Club has been offering free judo classes for decades, said Bill Wilcox, one of four teachers at the Hanapepe dojo, or place where training takes place, Thursday night.
Wilcox said Bill Honjiyo, a head teacher at the Hanapepe Judo Club, just donated $10,000 of his own money for new mats for the dojo.
“Bill Honjiyo said the club gives back to the community with free judo lessons,” Wilcox said. “This guy has been teaching for free to the community for decades and now, just donated money for new mats from his own money.”
As students filtered into the twice-weekly practice, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m., a shy youngster clung to his grandfather’s leg.
“Do you just want to watch?” Clayton Ueno, another of the stable of four teachers, asked the youngster who peered from behind the security of the leg with eyes as big as saucers. “It’s okay. You can watch and see how much fun the other kids have with judo, and if you want to join in, that’s okay, too.”
He was not alone as another youngster appeared with his father to join the watchers, which included parents of young judo practitioners on a bench off the mat covering most of the floor of the dojo.
Ueno said there are four sensei, or instructors, who work with the judo students, usually numbering about 22.
“Tonight, we’ve got a little less than usual,” Ueno said. “I think there are about 16, or 17 students, but that gives the instructors more time with each student.”
Wilcox said Thursday night’s activities involved calisthenics and some basic judo kata, all packaged in a form not resembling the strict discipline of a martial art form.
“We’re doing ‘Shrimp and Sharks,’” Wilcox announced, the exercise involving more than half of the dojo doing a judo crawl mimicking a shrimp while ‘sharks’ strategically placed on the mat, tried to prevent the shrimp from reaching the other side. “We need some ‘sharks.’”
Jigoro Kano, the founder of Kodokan Judo in Japan, transformed the traditional jujustsu, or close-quarter fighting systems, principle of “defeating strength through flexibility” into a new principle of “maximum efficient use of physical and mental energy,” states the Kodokan Judo website.
The result was a new theoretical and technical system which Kano felt better matched the needs of modern people.
Ueno said the style of judo at the Hanapepe Judo Club is Kodokan Judo, the Hanapepe Judo Club being launched when Honjiyo was in the sixth grade.
“That must have been in the early 50s,” Ueno, who joined the program in 1959 when he was an eighth grade student, said. “The original location was the old recreation center located behind the backstop at the Hanapepe Ball Park. Do you remember that old white building?”
Bill Ching, Yutaka Doi and Takeo Muraoka were the original teachers.
From the ball park, the Hanapepe Judo Club moved into the quonset huts — there were four of them — near the beach when the Kaua‘i Technical School welding class moved out of the quonset huts into Lihu‘e, Ueno said.
“When Bill Honjiyo was a senior in high school, he earned his Black Belt,” he said. “I remember he had to go to Honolulu to accept the belt. It was a pretty big thing.”
When Hurricane Iwa hit Kaua‘i, the quonset huts were destroyed, forcing the Hanapepe Judo Club to practice on the sand on the beach where the former Hanapepe Armory was located.
“We were in Kaumakani until the current building was completed,” Ueno said. “We’ve been here ever since.”
Following high school, Bill Honjiyo went to the University of Hawai‘i and then into the military and during a stop in Idaho, started a judo club at one of the universities there.
“We were sponsors for that club,” Ueno said. “Bill had to talk to Sensei Doi, and recently, we had a visitor from Idaho who said the club formed by Bill is still in existence.”
Following his tour with the military, which took him to Viet Nam, Honjiyo returned to become the head teacher at the Hanapepe Judo Club, his tutelage earning several Hanapepe judo students honors at the state level.
“He’ll do anything for the kids,” Ueno said. “Kodomo no tame, or for the kids’ sake. That’s Bill. His gift to the club will mean new mats for the kids.”
Kano, after years of practicing jujutsu as a means to strengthen his frail body, founded the judo form with the essence of his system expressed in the axiom “maximum efficient use of energy,” the Kodokan website states.
This concept is both a cornerstone of martial arts and a principle useful in many aspects of life and practical application of this principle, Kano felt, could contribute to human and social development.
To reflect this, Kano replaced “jutsu,” or technique, in the word “jujutsu” with the suffix “do,” or path, to create a new name for his art — judo. His training hall was named “Ko-do-kan,” or “a place to teach the path.”
As the students worked through their respective exercises, one student warmed up to Ueno who pulled out a new “gi,” or workout outfit from one of the drawers, the youngster cautiously donning the gi for fit.
“This is unreal,” one parent said. “Clayton is still here. His kids are all gone (from the dojo) and he still comes to help the kids.”
Joining Ueno and Wilcox, the teaching stable at the Hanapepe Judo Club includes David Garcia and William Knewell.
Visit www.kodokan.org for more information on Kodokan Judo, or call Ueno at 652-7696 for more information on the Hanapepe Judo Club.


Read more: http://thegardenisland.com/sports/principles-of-kodokan/article_60575cbc-4fd4-11e1-ac64-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1lYIdBViP

gardenisland.com

By the Numbers: UFC 143

Carlos Condit entered UFC 143 somewhat overlooked, a mere steppingstone on the road to a Nick Diaz grudge match with Georges St. Pierre. Inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night, Condit proved he was much more than an afterthought in capturing the interim welterweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over Diaz.

For five rounds, “The Natural Born Killer” remained composed, attacking the former Strikeforce champion with low kicks while constantly circling out of harm’s way. While avoiding the slugfest that Diaz prefers, Condit was able to launch a diverse attack of his own and outstrike the Cesar Gracie pupil.

Not everyone appreciated the official decision, including Diaz himself, who criticized Condit’s approach in a post-fight interview. Perception can change with the presence of raw data, however. Here is a by-the-numbers look at UFC 143, with statistics courtesy of FightMetric.com.

68: Low kicks landed by Carlos Condit during the course of his five-round unanimous decision victory over former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts teammate Donald Cerrone previously set the record by landing 49 low kicks against Vagner Rocha at UFC 131. Cerrone’s mark remains atop the list for a three-round fight, however, as Condit had 42 low kicks through three frames.

117: Total strikes landed by Nick Diaz, 140 less than he was able to land in his UFC 137 win over B.J. Penn, which was a three-round affair. Meanwhile, Condit landed 159 total strikes.

329: Total strikes thrown by Condit, 71 more than Diaz attempted in their 25-minute encounter.

4: Rounds where Condit landed more significant strikes than Diaz. “The Natural Born Killer” outlanded Diaz in round one (29 to 23); round three (32 to 22), round four (36 to 11) and round five (25 to 17).

12: Fights since an opponent landed more strikes than Diaz, which was also the last time the Stockton, Calif., native tasted defeat in the cage. In 2007 K.J. Noons outlanded Diaz 18 significant strikes to 13 en route to winning via doctor stoppage.

5: Combined ground strikes landed by Condit (4) and Diaz (1). Diaz earned the only takedown of the fight in the late in the bout’s fifth round, where he attempted to secure a rear-naked choke.

62: Total strikes to the head landed by Diaz on Condit, seven more than the Jackson’s MMA representative was able to land on Diaz.

1,456: Total strikes landed by Diaz in his career, a total that ranks No. 6 on the UFC’s all-time list.

5 minutes, 17 seconds: Difference in total cage time between his clash with Diaz and his 170-pound title defense against Hiromitsu Miura at WEC 35, the longest fight in the Albuquerque native’s career prior to Saturday night.

5-6: Record for Diaz in bouts that go the distance. The Cesar Gracie product had won his last four fights that had gone to the judges.


Josh Koscheck File Photo

Koscheck outwrestled Pierce.
15: Total strikes by which Mike Pierce outlanded Josh Koscheck in his controversial split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter 1” alumnus. Pierce landed more significant and total strikes than his opponent in the first and second rounds.

15: UFC victories for Koscheck, which tie him with Tito Ortiz for fifth all-time within the promotion, trailing only Matt Hughes (18), Georges St. Pierre (16) and Chuck Liddell (16).

2: Takedowns for Koscheck, the most against Pierce since Jon Fitch took him down four times at UFC 107. Only Johny Hendricks managed to take him down in his other UFC appearances.

1,218: Days since Roy Nelson suffered a second-round knockout loss to Andrei Arlovski at EliteXC “Heat” in 2008. It remains the only time in 23 professional fights that Ben Country has been stopped.

91: Significant strikes landed by Fabricio Werdum in beating Nelson, his most since landing 69 against Gabriel Gonzaga in a 2003 bout.

104: Significant strikes landed by Renan Barao in his unanimous decision triumph against Scott Jorgensen. The Brazilian connected more often than his opponent in each frame, and hit a high-water mark of 49 power strikes in the final frame. By comparison, Jorgensen landed 73 significant strikes.

29: Fight unbeaten streak for Barao, which according to the UFC is the longest such streak in MMA. Other than a loss in his debut in 2005, the only blemish on the Nova Uniao product’s record is a no-contest against Claudemir Souza in 2007.

30: Strike advantage for Alex Caceres in rounds two and three of his split-decision setback to Edwin Figueroa. Strikes to the groin by Caceres forced significant delays in both frames to allow Figueroa to recover, and referee Herb Dean deducted two points from “Bruce Leroy” following the second kick.

2: Fights in UFC history with three-round scores of 28-27, 28-27 and 27-28. Before Figueroa-Caceres, Thales Leites and Nate Marquardt received the same tallies from cageside judges at UFC 85. Like Caceres, Marquardt had two points deducted in defeat -- only his were for separate fouls.

.680: Significant striking accuracy by Matt Brown during his second-round TKO victory over Chris Cope. Brown’s career striking accuracy is 59 percent. The 48 significant strikes landed by “The Immortal” matched his career best, set in a loss to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88.

42: Total strikes by which Matt Riddle outlanded Henry Martinez over the course of their welterweight showdown. Riddle, who won via split decision, landed 30 significant strikes to Martinez’s 11 in the bout’s final frame.

63-0: Combined mixed martial arts (6-0) and (57-0) kickboxing record for UFC newcomer Steven Thompson, who made his first Octagon appearance memorable with a spectacular head kick knockout of Daniel Stittgen.

Sherdog

GSP Opens as 3 to 1 Favorite Over Condit

Carlos Condit locked up his spot as the UFC interim welterweight champion with a unanimous decision victory on Saturday night over Nick Diaz, and now awaits the chance to face Georges St-Pierre to unify the titles and declare the true 170lb title holder in the UFC.

While the fight is not by any means set in stone because Condit may end up defending his belt during the summer months while St-Pierre continues to recover from knee surgery, it’s still the fight everyone is buzzing about post-UFC 143.

Well the odds for the proposed fight have been made courtesy of Nick Kalikas from BetonFighting.com and St-Pierre will come into the bout as a sizeable favorite.

According to Kalikas, St-Pierre opens as a -315 favorite in the potential fight with Condit, and the challenger comes back as the underdog at +225.

The odds would have actually been a little bit more in St-Pierre’s favor, but with the champion recovering from major knee surgery, and by the time he comes back for a proposed November date he will have been out of action for more than a year and a half, the favor falls on Condit’s side a bit more.

“It would have been higher,” said Kalikas. “But the injury and time off has an impact on the number and Condit’s a legit threat.”

St-Pierre is targeting a late 2012 return date, but it’s unclear if Condit will sit and wait for him or take another fight and defend his interim belt in the mean time.

The most likely contender right now would be Jake Ellenberger if he can get past Diego Sanchez on Feb 15 in Nebraska. Should he win, it would almost seem like the perfect scenario for him to face Condit again in a rematch from a fight the two had a few years ago.

Condit edged out Ellenberger by split decision when the previously met.

Nick Diaz retiring?