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4 Aug 2005
A few days after the
George Pendergrass Classic and I am still thinking about the great time I had there. July 30 was the first time that I actually made it to this event (and I am glad that I did). There were some great matches and some awesome competitors, plus any event that sells Acai smoothies gets at least an A- in my book!
Originally, 3 of the guys from Lenoir County Wrestling Club (LCWC) were supposed to compete, but work related business got in the way so that left us with just one guy stepping up to the plate. Steve Thigpen has been training with us since May 2005 and he did very well by taking third in his respective division. He had a tough fight in the white belt absolute that ended in a loss. However, it gave us some opportunities for further advancement with his training. As any good coach/competitor knows, a loss is nothing more than a learning experience just waiting to happen. Lord knows, my losses have helped me change my game up many times over the years. Steve fought with great heart and intensity. He really showed me a lot that day and our team is proud of his acheivements. Now, with a bit more gi training, he/we will get even better as individuals and a team.
David Brantley and David Grady from Stroud's School of MA in Kinston showed up to compete as well. Those guys put it on the line and walked away with heads held high. I've said this before and I'll say it again. You'd be hard pressed to find a nicer group of guys to roll with. They are all about learning and
sharing ideas and techniques. You can't go wrong with that mindset. All of us guys at LCWC give them thanks for opening their doors to us.
I had a chance to meet a couple of people from throughout the area as well. Frank Mullis was in attendance (all the way from GA), pitching in and reffing matches as usual. The Twister was there along with a lot of the other Team ROC regulars. Jake Whitfield and Lamonte Tyler competed in the Purple belts. While I'm on the subject of Mont and Jake...I've noticed that those two guys have been to every tournament around here within the past 2 years. Almost everyone knows them, as they have either met them or rolled against them. These guys are like brothers...always giving each other a hard time and then trying to out choke each other. That goes to show you how tight their team is. Nice.
I also got a chance to talk with Robert from New Bern BJJ and he invited us out to roll. Their team has been doing very well recently. I remember a few of their guys competed back at Sp8's in-house tournament in 2003 and did well. The coach is intense...and loud. =) But he wants his people to win, so you can't blame him! The Pendergrass Bros were busy running around organizing things so I didn't really get a chance to rap with them. James Speight was there with his ARMY of kids. I think he feeds those kids gunpowder and tobasco sauce before each competition. LOL! =) They are really aggressive and always go for the submission. I met Roger the Leprechaun from Hickory and had a chance to see some of his gi techniques that he put to work in competition. I'm gonna definitely choke someone out with my belt once I am healed up. Believe it!
I spoke with Anthony Huss while I was leaving. He was telling us about his Grapplefest event coming up in VA. The format seems pretty neat. I like the idea of having a weekend long festival. And for any of you who have never competed outside, you should get a kick out of it. Long before I ever rolled on a mat, me and the Eagle's Nest boys were wrestling on the dirt and grass in any clear area we could find. It's an experience. Huss is having the Martial Arts Olympics team competition which should be great as well. He was pretty much bubbling with excitement when he was talking about it. Wait a second...maybe not "bubbling". Let's say "exploding" with excitement. Yeah...EXPLODING. Do Pro MMA Fighters "bubble"? I don't think so. But, I'll leave that for you to decide. =)
I just want to remind everyone about the upcoming events in the area. There is a KOTR show coming up this weekend in VA. We also have Grapplefest coming up along with the Bud JJ Nationals. Lamonte Tyler is having an event for affiliates and friends of his academy on August 13. Also, I think James Speight is running and event in Early September. Not too clear on that at the moment. I wanna give a shout out to Ses Stevenson and the guys from Ring Skilz. It seems that they have been in limbo for a while dealing with gym space, health problems, etc. Let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers. Ses runs a good team and they always rep NC hard when they compete.
In closing, a bit of food for thought. This is for those of you who have ever had a serious training injury that kept you out for a while. Heck, this could even be good for you guys who might incur an injury in the future. Anyways, read on..... I've been out of training since June 15 due to ankle and knee surgery. It'll be a long time until I am 100% and able to get back on the mats again. It stinks! For me, and maybe for some of you, it is a mental thing. I really want to get on the mats and roll RIGHT NOW! However, it is that self control that I have learned through the years that keeps me focused on my recovery. Do not neglect your rehab. Listen to your body. Heal yourself up that you can be in even better shape than you were before. This is my goal. I know it's gonna take some time to get myself right, but I am willing to wait because it'll be better for me in the long run. The way I see it, a few months off the mat will give me a chance to heal properly and be ready for what comes next. Anyways, I just had to BLURT that out. I get frustrated sometimes too! I am human. =)
Well y'all, until next time...Train smart, work hard, and play safe! God bless you!
Steve
"Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me." - Psalms 144:1-2 NKJV
14 June 2005
Well, I'm writing this up 3 days after the King of the Hill tournament that took place in Greenville at James Speight's All American Martial Arts Academy/Extreme Gym. It was a great event! For those of you who weren't there, you truly missed out on something special. Who would've thought that a "NO TIME LIMIT" event would have been the quickest in the history of MACS events? Not me. I figured that we'd be there until the cows came home.
The divisions were pretty good. Even though a lot of people did not sign up (that threw a monkey wrench into the 16 man format) everyone still had a great time. The 190 under division ended up having around 12-13 competitors, if i remember correctly. So, with the absence of many people in the under 165 division, the 190 & Under division was split leaving about 8 guys in that division. Now I can't remember everyone, but there were a lot of tough guys. My boy from the Lenoir County Wrestling Club, Jeff "Wootang" Wooten, competed along side some tough guys like Jake Whitfield, Andrew Smith, and Tracey Sherriff. There were many other tough guys in the group, but those were the only ones who I knew by name.
***On a side note, Andrew and other members of the Richmond Top Team will be conducting a seminar on July 2 in Mechanicsville, VA. You can find more info on the Events page.***
Team ROC was represented well. If my bearings are straight, they had guys from Raliegh, Chapel Hill, Fayettenam, Greenville, and the Charlottesville VA Team ROC schools. They always come out in full force. I tell ya, it's like the freakin' Team ROC mafia is taking over NC!!! But what can you do. You know guys from those schools will always give 100%. So you'd better have your game face on.
Speaking of Team ROC, I wanna make an observation here about one of its members. I first met Tracey Sherriff back at the MACS Triangle Grappling Championships in 2003. I have had the pleasure to speak to him and watch him compete in just a handful of tournaments. I tell ya, this guy improves by leaps and bounds every time I see him. He is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and his grapppling is very solid. He had a nice LOOONG match with Andrew Smith this past saturday that was awesome. You should've seen it. You can always recognize Tracey by his bald head and big smile. He is just a generally nice guy. Say hi to him next time you see him at a tournament.
Personally, I had a great time competing at the event this past weekend. My only disappointment came when I had to tap (really quick!) to an armlock from Big Mont Tyler. Props to Lamonte for catching me so quick. I wish I could've actually gotten to the mat with him, but that weren't in the cards I guess. I'll just have to wait until another time. Mont did a good job of sweeping the Heavyweight division. I think he spent more time changing in to his gear than he actually spent on the mat. LOL!
As far as actual results and who won what place, I'll leave that up to James to list on his site. I can't remember. I was having too much fun watching the matches and catching up with everyone! To everyone who competed, I give you much respect for stepping on the mat. It's not about who wins or who loses. It's a personal test with each one of us to see who has the testicular fortitude to step into the arena and give it what you got. The win is just a bonus in my book.
Now moving on to other subjects......The Pendergrass Classic is coming up on July 30. I hope to see everyone there. I know I'll be breaking in two of my junior guys at this tournament. I know it will be a good learning experience for them. This event is for a good cause as well. Let's support it.
Also, Lamonte mentioned that he is having an in house tournament at his dojo sometime in August. Apparently, his last tournament blew the roof off and he wants to do it again. I don't have any specifics, but if someone will e-mail them to me at ironmanshoot@yahoo.com, I'll gladly put them up on the events listing page.
Joe Hurst is running the Nationals on the weekend of Sept.30-Oct.1 of this year. Again, I don't have any specifics on this but I will gladly list the event if someone can send me the info. This should be a great event. I've never had the opportunity to attend one of Joe's tournaments but I have heard good things.
In MMA news, a few fellow tarheels competed in the CSC 7 this past weekend in Virginia. Justin Ham and Jeremy Weiss of the AOD team out of Goldsboro, competed in this event. A full write up is located at The NHBFights.com Website . I have trained with Justin a few times in the past and he was really progressing with his grappling skills. Good luck to his team in all their future endeavors.
Last, but not least, I want to give a shout out to my friends at Stroud's School of Martial Arts in Kinston, NC. Guy Heath, David Brantley, and David Grady all went down to Georgia last month to compete in the NAGA event there. They represented a style blending Judo, Hakko Ryu Jitsu, and straight out Submission Grappling. They left it on the mat and came home smiling. If you are ever in the area, stop by and roll with them. They are a great bunch of guys who are always willing to learn and share their techniques. They train from 7-9pm on Monday and Wednesday nights. Open mat is on Saturday from 8-10am. They are located on Vernon Avenue right next to Grainger Baseball Stadium.
Until next time, Praise the Lord and pass the Icy Hot. I am outta here......
Steve Loftin
7May2005
Uh..well, okay then. So the news page hasn't really picked up any business. Sweet! LOL...so I'll just clue you guys into what I know so far. I try to keep my ear to the grindstone and pass out any new info that might come along. So here goes....
I had the opportunity to meet some great people and watch some great matches at the Goldsboro MACS event last month. If you weren't there, you missed a good event. There were plenty of matches to go around. We had competitors from Team ROC, CCI, AOD, and many other groups. I reffed most of the matches in the advanced and absolute division along with my bro Wootang from the LCWC who also headed up the beginners division. There were plenty of submissions going down FO SHO! We had a lot of aggressive grappling and a really good time. No one walked away without a hard match. That's what I like to see. Everyone was in good spirits and ready for a fun comeptition. On a side note, I hope Roy (Pronounced HOY) Marsh was able to make it to that buffet. =)
At the Goldsboro tournament, I had a chance to talk to a few of the Team ROC guys and get the low down on what's going on with their team. Jake Whitfield has an upcoming MMA fight to defend his title at the KFC sometime in May. Good Luck to Jake! That kid is a great grappler and almost as ugly as me. That says a lot. =)
Spencer Canup, also of Team ROC, is rumored to have an upcoming match with Jeremy Horn near the end of May as well. It'll be a test for Spencer, but if you look at his track record you'll see that he has a good shot at the win. Good luck, Spencer! Bring the big "W" back home to NC.
James Speight of Team ROC and All American MA Academy is gearing up for an unusual event in June. The format is TWO 16 man absolute divisions. A 190 and under division and an OVER 190 division. Along with that, James will also be hosting a kids & teens competition as well. I am very interezted to see the turnout for this event. NO POINTS?!? NO TIME LIMIT?!?! I think this will be a grappling event to go down as one of the best in NC. It certainly will be unforgettable. Everyone come out to support this event.
Speaking of events, everyone get geared up for the Pendergrass Classic as well. If I remember correctly, this will be the third event for Guy and Rob. Proceeds go to benefit the leukemia and lymphoma society. This event is sure to be a good one. The Pendergrass Twins have been staples in NC grappling for many years. Come on out and support a worhty cause.
That's about it for now. If y'all have any other info or news you'd like me to include, please feel free to e-mail me at ironmanshoot@yahoo.com with "NEO-GEN NEWS" in the subject line. I'll get it up here as soon as possible.
Take Care and God Bless!
Steve Loftin
