Hot summer weather is here and our tri-blend tees are the perfect top to slip on.  Made with a blend of polyester, cotton, and rayon, these are our best selling tees!  The handle is soft, durable, with a vintage quality.  Worn over shorts to the gym or casually with denim for the evening, it’s sure to be your favorite tee!

Available in three color prints at an incredible 50% off retail.  That’s only  $10.95  plus free shipping!!

A producer, feminist, adult cinema entertainer, and bjj practitioner, Shawn Tamaribuchi, is expansive in her endeavors.  In addition to  a pro-fighter MMA status and a bjj purple belt, she also holds a BA in Photography / Digital Media from Scripps College, and has completed studies at the Glasgow School of Art.  For the past six years she has worked in the commercial and performing arts worlds. Her primary interests reside in the realm of digital-media and experimental art, and her performances and visual work has been seen locally, nationally, and internationally. Her previous film, an animation short called Kenn’s Dream, screened at the Mad Cat Women’s International Film Festival and is included in the Asian American Media curriculim at Bryn Mawr College.

Shawn’s latest project is entitled The Female Fighter Project. It is an on going portraiture series documenting female fighters and those who have made impact around the globe.  This was a result of her sojourn that began in 2010.  Her desire for travel, exploration, and change of pace led her on a journey visiting and training with some of the best female fighters across the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo. With just over 70 lbs of luggage consisting of three Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gis, 2 pairs of Muay Thai gloves, numerous mouth pieces, rash guards, shin pads and head gear as well as a very heavy Hasselblad 500c camera with loads of 120mm film, she was on a cross-cultural exploration.

After paying over $500 in overweight luggage fees and more airport security lines than one could imagine, she landed back in California a year later in 2011. She now is continuing her project stateside working for the largest public HYPERLINK “http://raykophoto.com/”photographic community center west of the Mississippi.

For more info contact:  HYPERLINK “http://www.liarphoto.com” www.liarphoto.com

Photo credit: Belinda Dunne / Princesses of Pain

“I have had not only the privilege of photographing some of the greatest female fighters in the world, but have often gotten to train with them. I started this project in Rio de Janeiro at Kyra Gracie’s first Women’s Camp. I stayed a few months in Rio, training at different academies and watching tournaments. I absolutely love Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so being able to snap a few rough shots at the Abu Dhabi Pro Trails was a real treat and got me more invested in shooting other female athletes. I spent the next few months in Tokyo, Japan training at Abe Ani Combat Club with Megumi Fujii’s all-star women’s fight team and make an effort to visit them every year. The girls there called me a camera nerd, which I take pride in and is totally true. I work in a photo gallery and facilities and get to play with film cameras every week. I love it!

Coming back to the states has allowed me to further expand this project since the Bay Area has such a wealth of fighters. I recently shot new Bay Area transplant by way of Canada, Alexis Davis, right before her Invicta 2 victory, as well as Lana Stefanac, Amanda Lucas, Colleen Schneider, Sarah D’Alelio, Elaina Maxwell and some of other terrific local fighters. On occasion, some of the BJJ legends have rolled through and I try to get a shot or two of them when they do. The Sweaty Betties held a three day, women’s BJJ camp by Leticia Ribeiro. I was able to get a quick shot of Michelle Nicolini while she was getting ready for Mundials win in 2011. Again, the whole experience has been very amazing.

Currently, I am applying for funding and looking for sponsors to help me continue this project as well as expand it. I am hopping to expand this project with a grant, taking a closer look at this community through a focus on female fighters who are also survivors of abuse. Continuing to shoot with film, I will spend in-depth periods of time with these fighters, documenting their lives while working with them to create first-hand, written accounts of their personal journeys. I look forward to capturing their daily routines, family lives, sweat and blood as they prepare for upcoming fights along with sharing the personal relationships we develop through working together. Each fighter will have the opportunity to tell her story in her own words which will be presented with these images.

The world of MMA — and professional sports in general — is not a particularly hospitable place for women. MMA was popularized by the UFC fight production which began in the early 1990’s as a no-holds-barred sport and today is one of the bloodiest forms of mainstream entertainment. A female fighter can expect to make 10% of what her male counterparts make, if she is lucky enough to even get a fight. Often, female fights are treated as side or freak shows to the men’s competitions, and the trivializing comments from spectators and press reflect this mentality. You are more likely to find information on a female fighter’s breast size than her fight history. Numerous times, I have heard audiences shout homophobic and misogynist comments at female fighters. The culture has slightly improved since the time in which I first got involved but still has light years to go.

This year the G3 Summit & Women’s Fighter Conference will last 7 days taking place in South Florida, July 28^th – August 3^rd

The Summit’s purpose is to help bolster women in mixed martial arts and combat sports, impart to attendees valuable tools to provide them with a long term career in the fight game as a fighter or in another role, and to train future stars in this sport.

The G3 Conference will offer several of the best instructors in MMA and women’s combat sports. Training seminars will cover a vast range of disciplines including wrestling, boxing, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, grappling, referring, judging and even a panel of several of the finest female combat sports professionals in the industry will all be represented!

Also scheduled is an amateur fight night and a pool party for all the attendees!  This year’s attendance is expected to double form last year G2Summit!

For more information and to register go to: gfighttv.com

Emily Peters-Kagan, 30, of Bangor, ME, has been fighting out of Jackson’s MMA gym in Albuquerque, NM since the start of 2010. Knowing that she would greatly benefit from a stronger community of women in MMA, her hometown coach and UFC veteran Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis, suggested Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico. Two months later, Emily made the long, cross-country drive to Albuquerque where she has been ever since.
Peters-Kagan’s fighting career began on March 20, 2010 in Evansville, IN at the GFight Summit where she won her first match by Unanimous Decision. Her following four fights took place with Tuff-N-Uff at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, where she took 2 more wins, but also her first and only 2 losses. With her last two amateur fights on the Jackson’s MMA Series at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Albuquerque, NM, Peters-Kagan brought her record back up with 2 more wins, completing her amateur record at 5-2-0.

How did she get there?

As a small girl surrounded by boys and picked on by brothers, she had a dream of developing physical prowess “dedicating myself to a life of disciplined training, growth and self-betterment.”
At 18, she began in traditional Jujitsu with the American Jujitsu Association, and 4 years later received her black belt in 2003. That year, she moved to Israel where she continued her training with the World Ju-Jitsu Federation, a local Muay Thai gym, and a few other Gi and no-Gi grappling dojos. Over the years, that vision has expanded to include coaching, guiding and empowering others in their own lives, and toward their own goals and dreams.
When she returned to the US in 2006, she joined Team Irish MMA Academy of Bangor, ME training under Marcus Davis. With Team Irish, Emily competed in a local southern Maine grappling competition and placed 3rd in a men’s bracket, and later won the women’s absolute no-Gi division at the 2007 Freestyle Grappling Open in Portland, Maine. Emily says, “My goal is to become another successful female pro-fighter out there, helping to pave the way for future female fighters and take part in this revolution of women in MMA”. When she’s not training, Emily is an avid trail runner and mountain biker, and enjoys reading, dancing, art and spending time with friends and family.

Photo by: Heather Jo Clark

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Mixed Martial Arts has been a respected lifestyle for decades.  Teachers and students studied MMA for cultural, religious, and for meditation principles. In addition to that foundation, people are training in MMA for physical and mental benefits. MMA has also been a positive influence in children’s lives.  It has helped many with disabilities and even saved some lives. Not only is MMA a fun and competitive way of life, it is also known to be a way to relief stress.

From generation to generation, Mixed Martial Arts has carried on certain traditions. Respect, Honor, Integrity, and Courage are the traditions followed by all in the academies. It is also how a martial artist is expected to conduct them self in their daily life.

The increase in a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally is notable. Some physical benefits from training in MMA are increase in strength, balance, and endurance. A martial arts exercise program will target all major and core muscles. Some exercises include: punching, kicking, and kneeing. These engaged all your core muscles. Well developed core strength can help prevent against many degenerative conditions like osteoporosis or any weaknesses associated with aging. Brazilian jui jitsu is a great contributor to improved balance and flexibility. Increased reaction time and environmental awareness is also an attribute from training MMA.  You physically and mentally feel amazing and refreshed after a training session. The stress release from MMA has been known to reduce high blood pressure as well.

“The bottom line is that martial arts training reduces hypertensive blood pressure, and that the response is distance/intensity-graded.” (Studies by the Inchon Sports College of Korea)

“Among the early changes seen when individuals engage in a martial arts training program are mood elevation, heightened energy levels, enhanced self-confidence and self-esteem, lower anxiety levels, resistance to depression and improved coping ability” (www.fightingmaster.com/articles/medicine/medicine.htm)

The mental enhancement correlated with MMA is not to be underestimated. Confidence is one advantage from training. This is obtained through feeling and looking physically fit, empowerment in self defense, and gaining self respect through discipline. Discipline and honor codes help maintain respect and focus. Focus helps in goal setting and in return to confidence, helps in obtaining your goals. The camaraderie or brother/sisterhood in the academy in essence, is a family.  You spend a lot of time together and grow to support each other, motivate, trust, and respect one another. This helps mentally and emotionally. There is also a part where you can get stress relief with martial arts. You learn to balance your body and your mind, which gives you the energy to manage stress in your life. You release any negative energy you have and feel refreshed and refocused when you leave.

Children are no acceptation to the benefits of MMA training. They are encouraged to be Respectful, Confident, Positive, and to be leaders.  This encouragement helps them to never accept less from themselves and it makes them aware of their true potential. These children tend to put an extra effort in everything they do. Due to improved concentration, focus, self control, and expectations, students’ grades are higher than the normal. This also reflects there behavior.

MMA saves lives of underprivileged children.  Many troubled children that enter into an academy learn to refocus, respect themselves and others, and set out for a better life with better decisions. They veer away from drugs, gangs, and jail and focus on positive goals.

“After I was abandoned, I lived on the streets. I was only seven, yet every day I had to hunt for food so I wouldn’t starve. I often went to sleep with nothing in my stomach. When I didn’t sell enough dumplings on the street for the gang, they burned me with cigarettes and whipped me with a belt. I would wake up each morning with nothing to look forward to – no family, no love, no dreams and no hope. And I was only a child. I did not want to live. Looking back, living on the streets gave me great suffering, but also taught me many great life lessons. I shed many tears, but I am grateful. I would not change anything about my past because it made me who I am today.” (Yoddecha Sityodtong)

“Poverty toughened my mind, but it is muay thai that truly taught me how to beat my fears. It strengthened me physically and spiritually.” (Yoddecha Sityodtong) (http://www.menshealth.com.sg/guy-wisdom/mh-interview-yoddecha-sityodtong)

Yoddecha Sityodtong is now World Champion in muay thai and an Instructor at Evolve MMA. Muay Thai saved his life, literally and figuratively.

“Around the world more and more psychologists, doctors, counselors and therapists recommend Martial Arts training for disabled children and adults who want to achieve and maintain optimum physical and mental health” (International Disabled Self-Defense Association  or IDSA)

There are many people with disabilities joining Mixed Martial Arts. It is now being used in physical therapy. The memorization, focus, and fun have patients showing an increased in quality of life and daily functioning.

A study was done at The Graduate College University of Wisconsin-Stout, April, 2002. There were 20 individuals with disabilities that participated in this study, THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF MARTIAL ARTS. Areas that improve Respondents were then asked to list the areas that they felt were improved as a result of their training.

These included:  balance (65%);  mobility (45%);  breathing (45%);  walking (25%);  stamina (70%); standing (20%);  sitting (15%);  strength (70%);  flexibility (50%); concentration (40%); blood pressure (15%); and environmental awareness(45%).

8 individuals indicated that they could do things as well as individuals without disabilities, and 14 individuals reported an increased sense of self-worth. Overall, 18 respondents indicated that they had a more positive attitude toward themselves after

participating martial arts. All 20 respondents reported increases in their quality of life as a result of their martial arts training. 4 individuals felt that their quality of life was somewhat improved while the remaining 16 respondents indicated that their quality of life was greatly improved as a result of their martial arts training.

(Richard A. Martin – www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2002/2002martinr.pdf)

My personal experience in starting MMA and how it has benefited me is some what unique. I BROKE MY BACK TWICE. Doctor’s told me I would never compete in sports again. They also told me I would risk being paralyzed if I continued working out and if I ever were to have children. I now have 2 children. When I was pregnant both times I went up to 174lbs and that added more stress to my back. A business partner at the time, now my sensei, Master Renato Tavares, challenged me to lose the baby weight. In less then a year I dropped down to 125lbs. Here I am, stronger than ever. MMA has strengthened my core with all intense training from bjj with Master and with my muay thai coach, Prof. Joel Garcia. It actually helped support my back so it finally healed.   I became fit mentally and physically. Training to me and many others is very therapeutic. I also became confident, happier, and I have a new zest for life. Most importantly, I am not in pain any more.  My desire to compete also increased. I now compete in bjj tournaments and have fought in muay thai. Through all the exercising I tried to get well, the only style that healed me and works is MMA.

MMA training is an effective way to exercise and strengthen the body and mind.  It also assists in focusing and stress release which helps you to be more pro-active in your daily life. It is a positive lifestyle for all ages improving overall health, confidence, focus, and better life choices. MMA has proven to help the quality of life for anyone in participation. Sometimes, it even saves lives. Martial Arts is a way of life that enables a person to become the best possible individual they are destined to be.

By:

Jillian “Starfire” Bunin

Jen is 6-5 overall as an amateur and is 3-0 at under 115 lbs. She is the 125 lb Champion Capital City Cage Fighting. She has won Fight of the Night for Gladiator MMA. Jen is a Blue belt in BJJ and has won several first, second and third place awards from NAGA , EFG and other grappling competitions. 

Jen began her MMA career as a high school wrestler at the age of 15. She loved the sport so much that she perused a college wrestling career. She was offered and accepted a wrestling scholarship from Missouri Valley College in 2004. She spent a year in Marshall, MO under the guidance of Carl Murphree. 

Jen returned to MI in 2005 to complete her Associates Degree in General Studies at Macomb Community College where she spent a year competing in Freestyle Wrestling and Coaching Wrestling at Cousino High School, her Alma Mater. 

In 2006 Jen met her first trainer at one of these freestyle competitions. After speaking with him she began training in boxing and submission grappling. In 2008 while on this team, Jen also began formally training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Jamel’s Jiu Jitsu Academy under the direction of Jamel McCury, a Machado Black-belt. During this time Jen completed her Bachelor of Science in History and Journalism at Eastern Michigan University, where she graduated in 2008. While training full-time and obtaining her degrees she also worked full-time as a medical biller. 

In 2009 Jen decided to pursue an M.Ed. with Secondary teaching certification from the University of Michigan. Jen moved from Detroit to Ann Arbor for the one-year intensive masters degree. During this time she also trained with the University of Michigan Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team coached by Rodrigo Nunez and with the Submission Wrestling team coached by Sean Bansfield. Jen was also given the opportunity to box with the Men’s Team at UofM. 

During her time at UofM Jen would frequent both Lightning Kicks in Kalamazoo, MI and Grand Rapids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Grand Rapids, MI. After graduation in 2010, Jen moved to the west side of the state to study Jiu Jitsu under the tutelage of Clint Crabtree, a Gracie Black-belt and to train Mixed Martial Arts with Master Amir Khillah. Jen was recently promoted to Blue Belt by Professor Crabtree. She now resides in Kalamazoo, MI so that she can train full-time with Lightning Kicks/Team Legion. She is also a Middle School Teacher in Grand Rapids.

by James Ryan

Without a doubt, one of the toughest aspects on the journey to becoming a professional athlete, is in the ability to find quality representation that will aid and assist through whatever means are necessary in order to ensure the long-term success of that athlete.

After all, it’s an investment worth protecting.

Back in September of last year, I had the honour of interviewing a young MMA fighter by the name of Sam “the Rebel” Jones, who aside from being a spectacularly well-rounded athlete, also impressed me with his positive outlook on life and upbeat attitude towards the sport of MMA in general. Ultimately, Sam attributed his overall success to his trainer and manager, Tami Carswell from WFighter.com and Dynamic MMA, Florida.

As the months went on, I coincidentally began a project that focused specifically on the relationships between MMA fighters and their managers, and although Sam and Tami are not exactly considered household names in the fight industry (yet), I felt that it was absolutely crucial for me to share some of the more personal aspects of their business relationship in the hopes of inspiring and educating other would-be athletes when they themselves begin their own search for professional management services. Just because some managers come across as being “friendly” or “famous,” that does not automatically mean that they are reliable or trustworthy.

So what exactly makes a great manager in the sport of mixed martial arts?

For starters, they must absolutely possess a “service first” attitude. In other words, they should always put the needs of the person that they are representing above their own. They do this, not because society is watching, but because it is their internal nature to do so. In other words, they sincerely enjoy helping others to achieve their goals. In an industry filled with corruption, greed and massively inflated egos, it’s really great to see that a sincere level of honour and integrity still exists today.

The following is a section of dialogue that I had transcribed from a video, which was specifically sent to me for the purposes of my new book, Desolate Warrior. The results were just too good not to share.

Please enjoy.

Tami Carswell, WFighter.com/Manager/Trainer

“Specifically, I would like to talk about the relationship between a manager and a fighter.

“Now, I should probably start off by mentioning that myself and my management, are in this moment in time like a local coffee shop, and I’m nowhere near Starbuck’s, or like M-1 Global, and all those people, but I like it that way because I’m also a trainer, and I have other parts of my life. I want to do some promotions—that’s the way I keep my business.

“Also, what it gives me, and what I think these larger management companies should be doing, is it gives me a deeper connection with my fighters, and I have more time to spend with each of them.

“It’s very important as a manager to look at your fighter and their lifestyle and watch different things about their life. So, I’m not only investing my time in them and taking their money, or investing minimal time in them just to take their money. It’s a relationship that goes both ways.

“I’m going to invest 100 percent in them. I want to know what they’re doing, how they’re training, how they’re living, how they’re breathing, because that all affects how they show up in the cage or in the ring.

“As a manager, I think it’s very important to see other factors of your fighter’s life, and to be able to advise, because for me, I’m taking time and I’m investing in you as a fighter, and the risk is, I mean, nothing could ever happen in terms of your career.

“You know…that’s what most management companies look at. For me, it’s not a risk. For me, it’s—I put my attention on you. I put faith in you as a fighter, and win or lose, that was a good experience for me.

“And we’re only on this planet to relate with other people—not only, but one of the main reasons why we are on this planet together is to relate with each other and enjoy other people.

“Learn what you can learn from other people and what’s going on in their life, so it’s about relationships—100 percent.

“The relationship only works if it’s both ways. If you have a fighter and they are trying to set up their own shows, and they don’t tell you all the aspects of what’s going on in their life, it makes it hard for me, and so if I’m gonna give my investment, and my time, and my energy to you, and you don’t do the same to me, and you don’t give me all the tools so that I can go out and get you what it is that you want—you only give me half of what you want, then it’s something that doesn’t work for me, and I’ve had fighters before that I made sure I ended the management relationship with them, because I can’t help them.

“So basically, the manager/fighter relationship is very important, and the success of the fighter depends on how much the fighter divulges, basically, to the manager. I can only help you as far as you’re gonna let me know what your goals are.

“The goals of the fighter are “A Number 1,” but you need to be intimately knowledgeable about who they are off of the stage as well. That’s your investment, you know? And they’re putting their time and energy into you and an investment of their trust.

“So, what I do is, I go after what they want and I work for them, and I handle things so that they don’t have to think about them, and that brings me great pleasure—that I’m able to be a part of somebody’s goal.

“Specifically, with regards to my relationship with Sam Jones; he’s somebody obviously that I am invested in as a manager, but also as a trainer, and we put our families in together. I think a true fighter/trainer relationship is like that, you know?

“If the trainer doesn’t know everybody in your family, then something’s wrong.

“Because that’s your best friend in the ring, and you can’t see certain things when you’re in there and somebody is throwing punches at your face. The only buddy who can help you outside of that ring is that trainer.

“So, we need to be that tight. We need to be that close. Also, as a manager.

“So, Sam and I threw our lots in together and moved down here to South Florida. One—because I believe in him and I know that this is the best place for him to be, and two—there are other career opportunities for me, but that’s a big part of why we’re moving down here and why we came down here.

“Sam can be closer to his son and go after his goals, and I believe in him and now is his time.

“Thanks a lot, James. And God bless Will Ribeiro.”

Read: Sam Jones Interview: Meet the Prototype for all Future MMA Athletes

* Currently, Sam “the Rebel” Jones is scheduled to fight on Friday June 17 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Fight Time 5. According to his manager Tami, five other fighters had previously signed contracts to compete against Sam, but then they all backed out due to Sam’s solid reputation in the fight circuit. The Commissioner has approved Sam (3-0) to fight an opponent with a much greater 10-7 record.

* Tami will be teaching one of the G2 Women’s MMA Summit seminars in Las Vegas, alongside the best of WMMA from July 1-3. She is also running the MMA and Boxing Programs at Dynamic MMA in Davie Florida, where she also trains Sam, as well as at the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.

“I love what I do!”—Tami C.

All the best of luck to both Sam and Tami, as all of their hard work will undoubtedly pay-off.

www.mrjamesryan.com

A name that should be synonymous with the women’s MMA movement is Sam Wilson. If you haven’t heard of her, perhaps you’ve been in a comma, in which case, we forgive you. All kidding aside, the woman is amazing and does so much for the sport and the females involved and get this, with no expectations of anything in return. Seriously, she doesn’t even get paid for her amazing efforts! The concept of “paying it forward” is an expression that Sam does not use loosely, it’s one that she lives by. During her free time, Sam keeps herself busy finding females fights, sponsors, promotions to fight at, gyms to train at; the list goes on & on. She has easily put together 250 female fights over the last four years. Sam recently made history along with Sarah D’Alelio, when Sarah became the first female to sign a Strikeforce contract under the Zuffa umbrella. Sam was the woman responsible for recommending Sarah as a possible opponent for Gina Carano. Sarah will be facing Gina in her much anticipated return to the cage on Strikeforce’s June 18th card. “Sarah was the first female to sign a Zuffa contract. Yeah it was through Strikeforce but so what! I was there taking pictures of Sarah as she was about to sign the contract and I was like ‘sign it! sign it now!’ And Sarah looked up at me with a big smile on her face and was like we did it! And I said ‘we did!’. That alone speaks volumes of everything I’ve done over the years, all the phone calls that I’ve made, shelling out money here & there to help get medicals & stuff like that. It was worth it to me.” Sam is also involved in Sarah’s training camp, setting her up to train at CSA in Northern California with some top females such as Lana Stefanac, Germaine de Randamie, Elaina Maxwell and Jenna Castillo. Akimma is also one of Sarah’s sponsors for the upcoming fight! As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Sam is also involved in organizing the upcoming G2 Fight Summit, taking place in Las Vegas, NV July 1-3. The event promises to be the largest gathering to date of female fighters. There will be fights July 1st and seminars all weekend. Details are still being finalized, however, please find them on Facebook by searching “G2 Summit 2011″ for the up to date information. Did I forget to mention that Sam has a full-time job as a sergeant for San Francisco’s finest? Yep, told you. The woman is amazing.

by Jessica “The Proud Chicana” Martinez