A woman named Kyra Gracie

KahL1One MMA in NYC

Combine a martial artist, comic illustrator and now video editor and you make KahL1One………….
His video’s speak for themselves

MMA IS DETERMINATION

On July 17,2010
Take On Productions.com
Held the 1st ever $10,000 Muay Thai Tournament in N.Y.C
That was my 1st event taking pictures
It was amazing going back stage and being ringside at the actual fights.
I have been dreaming of this day for years
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When I get there
My battery is HALF-DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The universe is a strange world
but
Everything that happens in the world
is suppose to happen………

Omar Ahmed from the Sitan GYM in NYC won the actual tournament……..
Here he is getting ready pre-fight

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Here is a picture of him winning the 1st round

What I appreciate about Take-On Productions is that they understand that this is 2010
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In this time of history
Woman are just as strong as men in the MMA world.

Here are some of the pictures from the event.
If you don’t see your picture
Please, send a email to:
ralphiethephotographer@gmail.com

Bare Kuckle…MMA Gloves….OR Boxing Gloves…….Which is safer

Here is the scientific break down on it………………..

The reason why MMA is Illegal in N.Y.C

Violent.
That is the reason why it is illegal in N.Y.C
Other sports
American football, ice hockey, rugby football, soccer, boxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling are not violent in the eyes of New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly

In a interview w. Fighters only magazine Mr.Riley gives his reasaons

Here is the full interview: http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=5218

And here he is in his own words:

New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly has done little to endear himself to MMA fans with his latest comments on the sport. In an interview with Inside MMA on HDNet, Reilly laid out his reasons for not wanting MMA to be legalized in the state of New York.

“The greatest problem I find with Mixed Martial Arts is that it’s violent. And I believe that violence begets violence. Now in New York State, the legislature and the governor constantly are trying to do away with violence: violence in schools, violence in our urban cities, domestic violence. And I think this just helps perpetuate and encourage violence,” he said.

“All of the mixed martial arts have a great history to them. The mixed martial arts developed over literally centuries in some cases, along a philosophy of making your body and your mind stronger, in many cases as a defense. Now when you take two sports – let us take wrestling and boxing… there is a reason why in boxing when a man or woman is on his or her knees that the opponent in boxing cannot slam them in the head.

“There is a purpose in that and the reason is safety. Well when you combine the two, that is when you have the problem. When you have two different disciplines and combine them, that would be liking taking a highway and saying you can drive on both sides of the road.”

Reilly also said that MMA is popular as a spectator sport, where traditional martial arts are not, only because of its ‘violence’.

“Ask yourself why the martial arts aren’t popular as far as [having] a fan base and the reason is: no violence. What attracts people to Ultimate Fighting, unfortunately, is violence. And violence is not good for our society,” he opined.

Reilly says people ask him continually if he could see a way to legalizing MMA in the state of New York and his answer – “Yes, if you drastically change the rules and took the violence out of it” – will bring little comfort to the sport’s fans in the Empire State.

UFC Superstars Thiago Alvarez & Mike Brown L.O.V.E Success….

When do you enjoy success???????
Some people work all day
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Never get to smile when they get home from a long day.

Some people live their life filled w.success but never get to enjoy it.

If your a MMA superstar
You will never have that problem……

Mike Brown understands what life is about..
Sometimes
You gotta step back from all the pressure of training
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Spend your time w.someone who makes u lose your breath………..

Being surrounded by the people who understand what your about is another great thing about success.
There is nothing like hanging out w. people who have the same ambition
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Drive for success

Here is Thiago Alvarez surrounded by other UFC stars at Club M2 in NYC

Everyday life is a struggle
One day your a Champion in life
The next day
your struggling to understand why you have such bad luck.

Things will never be E-Z
BUT
Life does get E-Z
When you L.O.V.E the job that you have
When you surround yourself w.positive people
When you understand that life is all about moments….

When you do that
Then you might have a chance to be a Champion of LIFE………..

Here are some pics of Thiago Alvarez & Mike Brown w. friends at M2

The Pro and Con’s of UFC coming to N.Y.C

UFC is coming to N.Y.C
When that will happen, is only known by a select few who have power to that information

The average New Yorker who watches U.F.C on spike TV knows that it will be held in Madison Square Garden….
They can smell the food stand coming from inside the stadium
or
Taking the 1 train to see UFC 200 Live in The Big APPLE…

Walking from times square 42nd street
to
34th street and 8th ave
Window shopping
going inside Macy’s just  before leaving the city..

NYC Deserves to have U.F.C call it home.
NYC has delt w.a series of much heartache and headache
Watching the sport of MMA will bring satisfaction to million of people.
2 of their favorite athletes going head to head in a combat of skill and heart.

UFC Deserves to be in the same building where Mohammed Ali and Joe Frasier went toe to toe…
The same way that one day
George st.Pierre would fight Anderson Silvia to determine who is the best fighter of UFC history is…

“The world’s fastest-growing sport seems like a perfect fit for the world’s most famous arena,” said Scott O’Neil, the president of Madison Square Garden Sports.

A lot of people talk about the safety of the sport.
Not having a full knowledge of the techniques involved.
MMA can def be seen as just a bloody fight between two men.
Understanding MMA is the only way to understand that a cut is the main reason for blood to come out.
Just a cut that happen when a athlete hits another athlete
Nothing more
Nothing less…….

MMA fights last only three to five rounds. Much of that fighting consists of wrestling on mats, in contrast to boxing – whose fighters sustain repeated blows to the head for up to 15 rounds and every day in practice.
Another B.I.G difference on safety
Boxing  gloves are weighted. MMA gloves are not.

Like Boxing, The UFC has mandatory steroid testing and recreational drug testing.
It has referees who have the authority to end a fight at any time,
There is a total of five weight classes,
All rounds have  imposed time limits,
judges
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31 specific ways to foul.
The league requires magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiograms for fighters.
It requires baseline ophthalmological exams, blood screening and four ringside doctors and two ambulances at each venue.

In the political world
A quote from: Senate bill sponsor Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn).

“I ask my colleagues don’t rush to judgment about the level of violence that they believe they see in this and give the sport a chance,”

The Sport was banned by

Gov. George Pataki in 1997.

Since the ban 13 years ago..

A 2008 study (sponsored by supporters of the sport) estimated that a single UFC event would produce $11.5 million into the local economy in New York City
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$5.2 million in Buffalo.

The Times Union Center in Albany anticipates that an MMA event would generate close to $1 million for Albany businesses and an additional $100,000 in tax revenues for Albany County

Several of the Top Decision makers in the U.F.C world and N.Y Political world all talk positive on bringing U.F.C to N.Y.C…

“At a time when the New York economy is in crisis, it would be a mistake for the state to miss out on the considerable revenue that our events would generate. UFC®’s popularity is surging, our fan base is expanding, and our presence is growing. We are eager to bring both the excitement of our new sport as well as its major tax and tourist revenue to New York State,” said Marc Ratner, UFC® Vice President for Government and Regulatory Affairs.
“We look forward to being able to meet the tremendous demand that exists for our events in upstate New York as well as New York City.”

Richard Geiger, President/CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau is very excited about bringing MMA and the UFC® to New York State and the City of Buffalo,”

“Each individual event represents thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in economic impact for the city. Hosting world-class events of this magnitude are an important part of showcasing our region while generating dollars for local businesses.”
New York State Senator Joseph A. Griffo

“In recent years, mixed martial arts has evolved from its beginnings into a more reformed, organized and regulated sport worthy of our review for sanctioning consideration in New York State,”

“In the last fifteen years, it has grown into an international phenomenon. It’s long past time to look into officially sanctioning this sport in New York. More than two-thirds of the states commission mixed martial arts matches. There are significant tourist and tax revenue dollars flowing to neighboring states who are hosting these events.  We need to immediately examine the potential for the sport to thrive here.”

N.Y.C needs the money to help the state not cut important services that can help the city.
$11.5  million in new tax revenues.
$11.5  million that can pay for more hospital care
$11.5  million that can be used for summer jobs for teenagers
$11.5 million to help the elderly
$11.5  million to help families extend food services because of a lack of work
$11.5 million to help teachers stay working in a job they love w.all their hearts…………

There are 11.5 million reasons for the U.F.C to me in the N.Y.C…………

The main opposition in the issue is

Assemblyman Bob Reilly, an upstate Democrat, opposes the sport on moral grounds.

“It is violence for violence’s sake,” Reilly said. “And violence begets violence.”

We are Human
We want to protect the lives of people when they are in harm.
When two athletes go into a ring to battle one another
they are going in with years of experience and knowledge on the sport.

Watch this video  posted on youtube on MMA being legal in NYC
Listen to the way Assemblyman Bob Reilly describes why it should stay illegal
Watch the old videos of the UFC

Anyone who is a Fan of UFC will know from looking at the video
it is showing fights in the early 1990′s
when there  were  no  weight  class
no rules

Just a fight of war between two men in a ring.

Listen to the words of  Kevin Seaman
Who is a MMA master and trains in CNYMMA

Open your mind
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See who is more human when it comes to MMA in N.Y.C
Sometimes
Politicians should listen to the voice of the real people
to get answers to the problems of the state…………

If you like more information on CNYMMA
Check out their website
http://www.cnymma.com/

Sources for information on this blog:
Please read the comments when you open this link:

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/130-ultimate-fighting-ko%e2%80%99d-by-nearly-seven-in-ten-nys-voters/#comments

Other sources of info
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=15752

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/06/17/2010-06-17_wins_fight_over_mixed_martial_arts_in_albany.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/06/28/2010-06-28_to_raise_revenue_pull_no_punches.html
http://www.mmafacts.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpNews&htmlID=16231&s=mma

George “Rush” St.Pierre loves HipHop

George “Rush” St.Pierre is HipHop
Watching him at club m2 was def a cool experience..
The man is 20 wins and 2 loses in the ring
but
outside of the ring..
He is doing a one-two step to the HipHop music in the club….

Being able to meet him was one thing
but
being able to see the human side of George was another.
Here is the picture I took of him that night at M2 ultralounge

I had met George on another occassion at a club called Greenhouse
I don’t have those pictures in front of me
but
I did print out the photo that I took with him that night.
The picture is on my wall of fame in my room
Along side Russell Simmons and Nas

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson L.O.V.E.S the club life in NYC

Everytime I’ve met Rampage
He has always been a good guy..
Yes the dude can knock out 95 percent of all men in the world..
Yes the dude is not the person a person to get angry
Yes the dude does what he wants to do on his own terms
But what he won’t do is not take a picture….
Quinton understands the power of his fans
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will always take a picture with anyone who ask politely…
If you come up to him the wrong way
There is a very strong chance you won’t walk away awake………
I’m not sure what Edmond told him when Rampage was at Greenhouse
but this is not the look of a dude who is happy………….

Here are pictures from both nights I met him
These are the pictures from club M2

These are the pictures of him at the club called Greenhouse
To view other pictures from the venuse
logg on to
www.greenhouseusa.wordpress.com

Dan Henderson parties like a Rap SuperStar at Club Pink Elephant NYC

Meeting Dan Henderson was def a experience.
I met him while working at a club in NYC called Pink Elephant.
It is now closed down
but the memories will stay alive forever…
Dan was at the table hosted by Marcel Puissant…………
Here are some of the pics from that night…