3 comments about Challenge of The Masters (Shaw Brothers).

1. I have heard a lot of different opinions on this movie over the years, and the people who don't like it seem to not like it because they think the movie is slow. It is a bit slow I suppose, but to tell a story you can't just have nonstop fighting, right? The story in this movie is very well done. A killer is in town (played by the director Lau Kar Leung), and an officer (played by his real life blood brother Lau Kar Wing) has shown up to arrest him. They have an amazing fight scene and Lau Kar Leung kills him. Gordon Liu plays the legendary Wong Fei Hung, and had become friends with Lau Kar Wing's character. He wants to catch the killer, but he has only started to learn kung fu (from a teacher played by Chen Kuan Tai). Chen Kuan Tai's character is where the line in the title of my review comes from (in the English dubbed version that is, and I had to shorten the quote so it could fit into the limited space given for the title). He also teaches Wong Fei Hung that "kung fu cannot be learned in just a few years. After 2 years, people start to believe they're not bad. But then, after some 20 years, you realize that you are not so good. But still, if you are not feeling satisfied, that means you are on the right track". It's those types of speeches that sucked me into this movie and kept my eyes glued to the screen the entire runing time (I actually just got the movie yesterday, and I've already watched it 3 times!). So Wong Fei Hung ends up becoming a kung fu master and he fights the killer, and helps his school gain back the respect that they had lost in some kind of a fun looking game where everybody beats eachother up.
   
   There are a ton of other recognizable actors on hand, such as Wong Yu, Fung Hak-on, Eric Tsang, Wilson Tong, John Chang, Shut Chung Tin, Ricky Hui, Lily Li-Li-Li, Peter Chan Lung, Chien Yuet Sang and Kong Do.
   
   There are a couple of very touching moments towards the end of the movie, and that is what helps to make it a real kung fu classic, and a movie that I highly enjoyed and will surely be watching again and again. If it had maybe one more great fight scene, it would easily get a 5 star rating. But as Chen Kuan Tai's character would say, a rating of 4.5/5 isn't all that bad.
   
   Picture and sound quality are awesome. Cantonese and Mandarin tracks included, and what I prefer, the original English dub.
   
   Special features include the original English and Chinese trailers, and 2 interviews with Chen Kuan Tai. Very enjoyable interviews.
   
   And on a side note, is Chen Kuan Tai going to star in every Media Blasters Shaw release? Because it's fine with me.



2. You nailed it. Those Chen Kuan Tai inspirational speeches are awesome in this film and coming from Chen Kuan Tai, you know it! My favorite from him is the last one he delivers to Gordon Liu, " Hung Fei, not only are you skilled at kung fu you have the right humility. This virtue is much more important than kung fu excellence. When you've beaten your opponent, you've only beaten him in a physical match, but if you can win that man's heart... well then. That is the way real kung fu should be, forgive men and forbear! Hung Fei, never forget your humility and kindness. Awesome english dubbs. Also that showdown between Liu Chia Liang and Liu Chia Yung is priceless in it's own right!



3. This is one of the best films by Shaw Brothers director Lau Kar Leung ("Executioners From Shaolin"), yet the lack of fights may deter some fans of kung fu flicks. That is often a criticism of mine on many films too. Well... not this time. The characters, story, and overall theme pulled me right in. I'll admit that it would've been nice to see more fisticuffs, but this is easily good enough to recommend without the constant brawling.
   
   Another chapter in the story of real-life Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung, the subject of many unrelated films by the director, whose own father was taught by a student of Fei Hung's. This is the first time actor Gordon Liu would portray him, but not the last. Here, Fei Hung is a mischievous boy, who wants to learn to fight from his father, Master Wong Kay Ying (Kong Yeung). Master Wong feels that Fei Hung lacks the right temperament to seriously study kung fu. When he messes up a competition for his father's school, he is sent to learn Hung Gar Kuen from his father's master, Lu Ah Tsai (Chen Kuan Tai, "Crippled Avengers", "The Master"). Soon after his training begins, Fei Hung learns that his friend (Lau Kar Wing, "Knockabout") was murdered trying to apprehend a criminal, played by the film's director. Master Lu talks him out of going to find his revenge, and into staying, to train.
   
   It should certainly be mentioned that though there are only a couple of fights in this film, they are excellent. Especially when you consider when this was made. Fairly fast and full of form. All alliteration aside, I think this movie is quite an accomplishment. Other than "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin", this may be Lau Kar Leung's best film. It should be shown to all students of the martial arts, as a positive example of why fighting should only be used as a last resort, and how compassion can change an enemy's agenda. EXAMPLE: As a kid, during an unsupervised basketball game, I assaulted someone who could've ripped me to pieces. Instead, he restrained me just long enough to let me know that I was being irrational, and that all would be forgiven if I calmed down. It took me a second to come to my senses, but the problem was resolved, just like that. He had every right to smash my face in. I was embarrassed, but he saved me from an even worse humiliation, and a lot of pain. Not to mention teaching me a valuable lesson I would carry with me for the rest of my life. Though I rarely see him, we are still friends.
   
   I only wish I had this DVD from Media Blasters. I have a remastered copy from Red Sun, with fantastic picture quality that lives up to the usual job from Celestial. What you'll get if you purchase the Media Blasters version is that same great remastered picture, plus interviews with Chen Kuan Tai (who I should mention is terrific, like always), and several language options. I wouldn't have purchased the bootleg, except that I found it used for $4. Who can pass that up? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 4.5/5
   
   1976

No comments about Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Boot Camp, Vol. 1.

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 69: Shoot Out.

1. For those who were lucky to see the event live, I envy you. This event definately stands out from the past few as it had it all. It had knockouts, a darce choke, pillow fist punches from the mount, a leg lock, comedy on the microphone, and most importantly: the biggest upset in UFC history.
   
   If there was a time for the saying "anything can happen in MMA", Matt Serra (11-1 underdog) proved it with his dynamite fists and knocking off and out George St. Pierre. Remember, George St. Pierre was just about to start his legacy with title defenses and most likely become the greatest welterweight in the post-Hughes era. But all that was derailed as Serra walked away with the win and the gold.
   
   Who still believes in the saying "nice guys finish last"?



2. - Breaks in between rounds are cut
   
   - No prefight/postfight interview, except main event
   
   - No replay of the KO... or analysis of something in slomo.
   
   - No victory celebration from the winning fighter... everything is cut.
   
   - Main Menu setup looks extremely cheap starting from UFC 69.
   
   Honestly, I don't understand... usually the tendencies are, that the quality of a product gets better with time. Clearly not the case with UFC DVDs. The last DVD that has prefight/postfight interviews to my knowledge, was UFC 54, and people made a huge deal about it. Obviously whoever's in charge of DVDs, doesn't care about the feedback...
   
   On the flipside, if you get a WWE DVD, you get the entire event front to back. Nothing is cut out. All the promos, pyros, entrances, postfight BS, everything is left in there. If you haven't watched pro wrestling in a while, it's like you're watching it LIVE. Not the case with UFC DVDs. The only incentive to buy these DVDs now, is for the prelims. From now, I'm just gonna burn the events on DVD.



3. Luke Cummo vs. Josh Haynes, Marcus Davis vs. Pete Spratt, Thales Leites vs. Pete Sell, Heath Herring vs. Brad Imes, Kendall Grove vs. Alan Belcher,
   Yushin Okami vs. Mike Swick, Leonard Garcia vs. Roger Huerta, Josh Koscheck vs. Diego Sanchez, Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra. This was a pretty decent lineup. A lot of good matches. Sure some were mismatches, but there is a big upset on the card, so anything can happen in the cage. Even the one sided matches are entertaining because of the mma clinics the superior fighters put on. A couple of nice submissions and knockouts really round out the card. The Koscheck/Sanchez match is a huge letdown, but the Huerta/Garcia match more than makes up for it. The dvd itself though is not put together well. As they have done before, the UFC has cut out all pre and post fight interviews save for the main event. They have also cut out the minute break in between rounds. A lot of interesting commentary happens then as well as a good look at each fighter and their corners. I don't know why they do this on some of their dvd's and not others. It really only saves them about 15 minutes total for the event. If they are going to release the event, then release it as a whole and not edited.



4. One of the many reasons that make MMA a great sport is how quickly things can change and the fact that favorites can go down in a jiffy. In this sense, UFC 69 was a great event, with several great fights and a couple of surprises. However, there are two things that gave me mixed feelings towards this DVD. First, there are a couple of undercard fights that are not good at all, and even more surprisingly, the fight between Sanchez and Koscheck, which I expected to be one of the best in the event, was one of the worst fights I have seen in the sport. The other aspect that I did not like is that since the producers wanted to include nine fights in the DVD, and most of them were lengthy, something had to give. They decided to eliminate most of the usual interviews, the breaks between rounds, and even limit the replays and presentation of the fighters. In my case, I would have preferred to see one less of the undercard fights and get all the previous elements. I can understand that some people may disagree and prefer the fights, so those will be happy with the decision.
   
   As to the fights themselves, there are four that I can point out as outstanding. In Sell vs. Leites, the winner of the fight puts on a clinic of Ju-Jitsu, ground and pound, and submission defense. Grove vs. Belcher starts out the main card with some amazing striking and a beautiful submission to decide the bout. Huerta vs. Garcia is a fight with lots of action, striking with fists and feet, ground and pound, you name it. Finally, the main fight of the night is electrifying, not only because of its technical aspects, but also due to the energy level of the gladiators and the crowd.
   
   To sum it all up, there are some great fights here, but the overall quality of the DVD is damaged by some of the bouts and by the poor decision-making by the producers.



5. For those who haven't seen it, I won't spoil it here. This card features a fight that could have been fixed. Hopefully this won't be MMA's first steps toward copying the crooked boxing world.

No comments about Romeo Must Die / Cradle 2 the Grave.

4 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 78: Validation.

1. This event got a lot of crap, but in the end it was a decent card. If I had the option of giving it 3 1/2 stars I would, I don't think it deserves to be as low as 3 or as high as 4. This event took place in November of 2007, which was an odd month for the UFC. A lot of the big fighters were either saved for the December card, already fought within the past couple cards, or were injured. This created probably one of the weakest main events as far as "big" fighters goes. That is really the only problem with the card though. On paper, the other matchups had "fight of the night" written all over it.
   
   Preliminary Card
   * Welterweight bout: Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory
   This is a great fight. Gono is making his UFC debut here against a much taller opponent. If you don't know Akihiro Gono, he is a tough veteran who formely fought in Pride. He was always a tough fight for anyone at any weight class. The fight goes into the second round and ends by submission.
   
   * Welterweight bout: Chris Lytle vs. Thiago Alves
   This is the best fight on the card hands down. Too bad this wasn't on the undercard because it probably had some of the best fireworks in any UFC event that came out this year. I don't want to give away the ending but neither fighter really loses this fight.
   
   * Lightweight bout: Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt
   Lauzon is a rising star in the UFC and Reinhardt looks like a tough little pitbull. This one ends quick but is exciting.
   
   * Lightweight bout: Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo
   Aurelio is another former "Pride" fighter who sadly lost his UFC debut. He's looking for redemption in this fight.
   
   Main Card
   * Middleweight bout: Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerkson
   This is a competitive fight and actually a rematch from the past. Doerkson hasn't done to well in the UFC and Herman was labelled as one of the best fighters ever on the Ultimate Fighter show but he hasn't fully delivered yet. Either way, both these guys are tough, and this is the only true KO of the night.
   
   * Lightweight bout: Spencer Fisher vs. Frank Edgar
   On paper this looks like one of the best fights in the UFC lightweight division that always delivers. Fisher has awesome boxing skills and decent submissions, while Edgar is more known for his great wrestling, but he too has great hands and delivers a fast pace fight. This fight isn't horrible by any means, but it doesn't deliver as hoped. It is a pretty dominant win for one fighter.
   
   * Light heavyweight bout: Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
   Houston Alexander is a UFC newcomer who has just blasted through the competition. He has brutally KO'd all his opponents in the first couple minutes of his past 2 fights. He looks to be the next big LHW star, but his toughest test ever is in front of him in the form of Chute Boxe fighter Thiago Silva. Silva has looked good in the UFC so far as well and is probably the better technical striker and ground fighter. I think people were let down by this fight because of how it ended, but I think it was great. It shows strength and power isn't everything, technique and being versatile in ground and standup is crucial to success in MMA.
   
   * Welterweight bout: Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
   I was really looking forward to this fight. Parisyan has been in some of the best fights in UFC history and Chonan was making his UFC and welterweight debut. If you don't know anything about Chonan, he was another tough Pride veteran and actually has an amazing jumping leg scissor submission over the UFC's pound for pound best fighter Anderson Silva. This was another one of those fights that on paper looked like a classic in the making. Sadly it didn't truely deliver because both fighters were so tough that its hard to finish, or do anything for that matter to either guy. It goes to a decision.
   
   * Light heavyweight bout: Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
   This is the only true letdown of the card IMO. As far as star power goes, this is a horrible main event. But as far as results go, it isn't nearly one of the worst main events (worse ones are Arlovski vs Buentello/ Couture vs. Belfort 2/Franklin vs. Okami/etc). It is actually a pretty competitive fight. Both are a little smaller than most LHWs and the loser will most likely drop down to MW. This fight goes to a decision, but IMO isn't as clear cut who is the winner because it was actually a good competitive fight.
   
   In the end I think this is worth your money, I'm just not rushing to go get it. I think this card was mostly to showcase the Ultimate Fighter talent, but we get a good mix of veterans and foreign fighters in there.



2. This has been criticized, and probably for good reason. One thing for me was the referees. Who the heck are Dan Miragliotta and Kevin Mulhall? They're certainly not refs that I want to see in the UFC again! But this event is in Newark, New Jersey, so they don't want Big John or Herb Dean, they want these Bozos! Let 'em have the night, they won't get another chance to be on pay-per-view! They weren't that great, but there's nothing to be done about it now.
   
   When you think of main events, as well as co-main events, I guess the featured aren't as obvious as you'd like them to be. The headliner features winners of TUF 2 and TUF 3, Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping. But with both of these guys, they both have something to prove due to previous performances. Rashad Evans, quite frankly, should've lost to Tito Ortiz in UFC 73. If it weren't for a point being taken away from Tito in round 2, despite a great round 3 for Rashad, it still would've been a loss for Rashad Evans. So Rashad had to settle with a draw, and a loss never occured. Plus Rashad Evans is known for some split decision victories in the past. He beat Sam Hoger by split decision. In the TUF 2 Finale, his fight against Brad Imes was a split decision, and for good reason. A hard fought war between two guys who wanted a contract. And speaking of split decisions, Michael Bisping's last performance wasn't what we've seen in Michael Bisping. In UFC 75, Matt Hamil meant business, taking it to Bisping during most of the fight. The judges in that fight would give the split decision to Michael Bisping. Bisping would still defend himself and his victory over Matt Hamil. Make no mistake about it, Bisping believes he dominated in UFC 75. So, Rashad and Michael both have something to prove. They both bring undefeated records with them. And in the co-main event, some may not be aware of one or the other. That fight would be Houston Alexander against Thiago Silva. The big difference is that one is well known, the other is not so well known. NOBODY expected Keith Jardine to get smeared in UFC 71, especially to a no-namer. Houston Alexander couldn't wait, and he smeared Jardine in 48 seconds. To prove he was no joke, he took care of Alessio Sakara in UFC 75 in only 1:01, and walked away with KO of the night in that one. Thiago Silva, on the other hand, has been on 2 undercards, UFC 71 & 75 as well, but on the undercard. His first fight was a strange way to win a fight, but an injury to James Irvin after hitting the mat gave Silva an automatic TKO. When he fought Tomasz Drwal in UFC 75, it was obvious that a brawl was no problem for Silva, and he eventually got the TKO in Round 2. So Alexander and Silva get gladiator openings in the beginning as well as Bisping and Evans.
   
   Ok, crappy referees, as well as questionable headliners, right? What about the rest of the night? Well...there are 9 fights, and they weren't too bad. I'll list them below.
   
   Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory: A scrappy, young "barn cat" from Rochester, New York is ready for a battle with a Japanese sensation. Great scrap, ends in round 2.
   
   Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo: Marcus is back after a split decision loss to Clay Guida. Is he ready to step it up? All I can say is that it ends in the first round.
   
   Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt: When you knock out Jens Pulver in UFC 63 like Joe Lauzon did, then YOU get to welcome Jason Reinhardt to the UFC and see if his undefeated record means squat. This doesn't last too long, just a little over a minute.
   
   Thiago Alves vs. Chris Lytle: Joe Rogan's words were, "This is ridiculous!!" I agreed, and Lytle and Alves agreed. I wanna see these 2 go at it again, because it was a great war. Should've gone further.
   
   Spencer Fisher vs. Frankie Edgar: This was kind of a surprise, with "the answer" always floating about. Unanimous decision.
   
   Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerksen: This was a great war, somewhat screwed up with referee Kevin Mulhall, just one minor example. But the surprise is the 3rd round KO, and if you haven't seen it, I'm not saying anymore!!
   
   Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan: Chonan has submitted Anderson Silva! Does Karo have his hands full for once? It goes to a unanimous decision.
   
   Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva: Well, it doesn't go a round before somebody gets TKO'd. I will say that the winner shows immense class in victory, and earns some incredible respect from myself.
   
   Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans: All I can say is that the result is a split decision. One person has to walk away defeated. You could give the argument that the victory was unanimous, but in my mind, the right man won the fight.
   
   In the end, it is possible that the UFC has seen better days, and will see better in events to come. But I wouldn't say it is all-out horrific. It just wasn't the greatest either.



3. After seeing Fight Night 13, which features 5 fighters from this event(Alexander, Alves, Parisyan, Lauzon, Edgar), which 4/5 of them lost their fights at FN 13, I decided to re-watch this event. Even though the main event wasn't anything special to look forward too, that didnt mean the fights had to be bad. Still, some of them turned out really disappointing.
   
   Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory
   -Akihiro Gono, a Pride veteran with a record of 27-12 makes his UFC debut with Tamdan McCory (10-1). The fight opens with a exciting first round with some good action and strikes by McCory. The pace lowed down in the second but it ends with a very impressive submission.
   
   Chris Lytle vs. Thiago Alves
   UFC veteran Chris Lytle(25-14) takes on the dangerous muay tai kicking machine Thiago Alves(13-3, and who just recently KO'd Karo Parisyan at FN 13). This was definately fight of the night. Both fighters came and showed the heart and skills to make a great fight and an exciting one for the fans. The fight doesnt make it 3 rounds, with a rather disappointing end but other then that, a great fight.
   
   Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt
   Joe Lauzon(16-4) takes on 38 year old Jason Reinhardt in a reletively short but exciting fight.
   
   Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo
   Marcus Aurelio (16-5) coming off a loss to Clay Guida takes on Luke Caudillo making his UFC debut. This is a good fight while it lasts and doesnt make it to the second round.
   
   Spencer Fisher vs. Frank Edgar
   8 and 1 Frank Edgar takes on Spencer the King Fisher (20-4) in a lightweight battle. What could have been a great fight turned out to be a really boring wrestling match with one guy dominating the entire 3 rounds. Worst fight of the night.
   
   Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerksen
   Ultimate Fighter 3 fighter Ed Herman(14-4) fights Joe Doerksen(38-10). This was a good fight and Herman really showed impressive boxing skills. Doesnt make it past the second round and a exciting finish.
   
   Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
   One of the few guys to beat Anderson Silva, Ryo Chonan(14-8) takes on judo master Karo The Heat Parisyan(18-5). If there is one guy I thought deserved a shot at the welterweight title, it is Karo Parisyan, but after this fight, idk if I really want to see him as a champion. Very uneventful bout coming from two guys who put on a bad show. Parisyan would go on to lose his next fight against Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13.
   
   Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
   After Houston Alexander 48 second knockout of Keith Jardine and 2 minute knockout of Alessio Sakara, everyone thought he was possibly top 2-3 LHW. Man i was disappointed with this fight watching it live, afterwards I didnt even want to watch the rest of the event. After seeing Houston Alexander get Ko'd in 8 seconds at FN13, rewatching this wasnt as bad. I'm starting to like Thiago Silva and hope he does well in his next fight.
   
   Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
   Wow, a very disappointing main event. Evans(16-0-1) comes off a lacluster performance that resulted in a draw to Tito Ortiz at UFC 73 to take on Michael Bisping(15-1) who came off a controversial win to Matt Hamill who many believe(including myself) that he should of lost the fight. With fights like those behind them, youd think they would both come out wanting to prove that they deserved the win or whatever but they didnt. Evans and Bisping need to go back and learn how to finish fights again because this was just a bad fight. I can't stand how Rashad talks a bunch of crap before a fight and comes out doing the complete opposite. I hope Evans enjoyed his performance in this fight because Liddell is gonna show him how to finish a fight. I hope to never see either of these two hold a belt.
   
   Overall a relatively good event with some bad matches but with some really good ones too. The production of the UFC dvd's are really improving which is always a good thing.



4. Chris "lights out" Lytle and Thiago Alves had a great controversial fight that won the fight of the night.The main event of Bisping vs Evans lived up to the hype as well.The co-main event of Alexander vs Silva was "surprising" in the way it went down!

5 comments about UFC 53 - Heavy Hitters.

1. Just terrible and not worth the money. The fights are horrible and the fighters have very little skill. Puchase PRIDE instead where the best fighters in the WORLD come to fight.



2. There are some lame fights on this card without a doubt, but there are also some really good fights as well. Rich Franklin vs. Evan Tanner is an amazing fight to see and is actually worth the price of the disc. Good stuff... you should buy it!



3. UFC 53 - Heavy Hitters featured two (or 1 ½) title matches along with interesting match-ups to round out the card.
   
   The night was kicked off with a fight featuring young, but experienced Cesar Gracie fighter Nick Diaz. Diaz had already 4 fights under his belt with only one loss against the talented Karo Parisyan. His opponent was Pancrase fighter who was experienced and versatile. Koji Oishi was a solid fighter who had many decision victories in the Pancrase Organization. This fight Diaz and Oishi would end in an obvious knockout considering the strategy the loser would pathetically employ. Easily, the funniest fight of the night.
   
   Canadian fighter David Loiseau and his sharp elbows was back to reestablish himself as a contender for Evan Tanner's 185lb belt. Loiseau nearly sliced Gideon Ray's head in two at UFC 51. In this awesome display, he lined himself up for a tough challenge against a UFC newcomer. As a smaller show standout, Charles "Chainsaw" McCarthy was pumped and ready for a shot at the big leagues. The fight between the Crow and Chainsaw would feature a rare spinning thrust kick that set up a match ending flying knee! A true highlight reel of a fight!
   
   The sport of MMA has characters and veterans; the one fighter that has both of these two in check is "Mr. International" Shonie Carter. As a veteran of 50 MMA fights and other countless combat related arts, Carter was accustomed to a fight, regardless of what level. His charismatic behavior provides as a plucky comedy relief at times, but in the ring he is all business. This was to be his first fight in the UFC since losing via knockout to Pat Miletich at UFC 32 in June of 2001. His opposition this night would be against a veteran in age only, but certainly not a novice. A common misconception to most viewers of the UFC Cable TV series, The Ultimate Fighter, was that the fighters were newcomers. Such an example was Nate "the Rock" Quarry, who at 33 had already 7 fights and 4 years of experience. Still though he was a relative novice compared to his opponent. The Carter and Quarry fight would end with a stoppage following a solid punch that would send the losing fighter dancing around looking to find his balance.
   
   Fresh off a UFC 51 knockout of Justin Eilers, Paul Buentello quickly established himself as a heavyweight with strong striking skills. His career started off in smaller shows, but he appeared to have found a home in the UFC. His opposition would be similar to him in regards to his path to the UFC. Kevin Jordan coming in had amassed a 6 fight win streak in smaller shows, but his test in the big leagues would be quite a task. The two former small show standouts would battle hard and a tired winner would find a submission in the end.
   
   With a new "star" in Forrest Griffin, the UFC was now ready to test their Ultimate Fighter show winner against formidable opposition. In the Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Griffin dominated his fellow light-heavyweight opposition, climaxing in an exciting fight to determine the winner against Stephan Bonnar. Griffin was eager to prove he was in the UFC to stay. His first test would come against a tough Canadian MMA fighter making his UFC debut. Canadian fighter Bill Mahood was a standout in the MMA scene in Canada, but was scouted as an ideal opponent for the UFC's newest star, Griffin. Mahood recognized this opportunity, but also would try to use his experience to try to score an upset. Their battle would hit the ground and end in a text-book rear naked choke.
   
   The only true championship fight of the evening would be next, unfortunately taking second billing to an interim Heavyweight championship match. This fight for the UFC Middleweight (185lb) championship would be a rematch of an earlier fight contested 2 years prior.
   
   Rich "Ace" Franklin was a fighter on a mission. His goal was UFC gold he had been chasing for over two years, amassing an impressive 18-1 record. He was coming off a dominant TKO of veteran fighter Ken Shamrock in the Ultimate Fighter Finale show. The man standing in front of his goal was ironically the very same man he defeated in his UFC debut. Middleweight champion Evan Tanner is a true veteran of the UFC and MMA. He began his career in 1997 and saw his share of highs and lows alike. He made his debut in a victory over Darrel Gholar in 1999 at UFC 18. By 2001 he found himself face to face in the octagon against (then) Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. His grand opportunity had arrived, but even the biggest experts could not have predicted the manner he lost his this opportunity. Within the first minute and first clinch, Ortiz ko'd Tanner via slam from the under-hook position. The loss devastated Tanner, but he remained determined to climb the ladder back. By 2003 he was almost back at the top of the light-heavyweight contenders list, but suffered a surprising TKO to a fighter making his UFC debut...that fighter was Rich Franklin. Two years later, both fighters found themselves down a weight class (middleweights 185lb.), but both fighting for the same thing. Franklin to capture gold and Tanner to retain what was presently his. Their battle would be bloody, but a clear winner would have his hand raised in the end. This should have been the main event.
   
   The bout before the main event was next and on paper it seemed to fit the roll of perhaps the most exciting fight on the card. On one corner stood young Judo fighter Karo Parisyan who employed the best throws in the business, coupled with a dangerous Kimura. His opponent would be an equally exciting fighter who was a blackbelt under Renzo Gracie. Matt Serra jiu-jitsu is unlike many other MMA fighters. While other BJJ fighters focus on control and patience, Serra usually goes for broke and risks himself in the process of obtaining a victory. The two exciting fighters would clash, but the affair would be one-sided and not provide the fireworks many fans and experts alike predicted.
   
   No one likes a title handed to them; it does little in regards to earning respect from fans, critics, and peers. In Andrei Arlovski's case, his inevitable fight against Heavyweight champion Frank Mir was scheduled, but cancelled due to a motorcycle accident Mir suffered. The UFC acted quickly and awarded the "interim" Heavyweight Championship to Arlovski in the hopes of drawing fans in. They put their new "champion" to the test in the card relying on popularity of hard hitting heavyweights. Andrei Arlovski certainly fit this description. His opponent thought would be a late addition and a clear mismatch on paper. Justin Eilers found himself in a unique position fighting for the interim Heavyweight Championship with a 1-1 UFC record. Still though, his strength could not be denied and the rumors of Arlovski's weak chin made this fight actually closer than most thought otherwise. Their battle would end in a very freakish manner, but the "interim" title would remain as Frank Mir healed his wounds.



4. I love it when the title lives up to it's name. Here are the bouts:
   
   NICK DIAZ VS. KOJI OISHI-I rememebr seeing this on Ultimate Knockouts. Koji is not a bad fightert at all and has made major improvements but can somebody tell me what the hell he was doing out there?
   
   PAUL BUENTELLO VS. KEVIN JORDAN-my favorite fights are when the fight ends and both fighters immediately fall to the ground and need medical assistance.
   
   DAVID LOISEAU VS. CHARLES MACCARTHY-great fight, if you don't have standup skills facing a guy like Loiseau you are in serious trouble. It is always commented on how Loiseau has the best elbows in MMA and while that is true, it is sad that a lot of fighters don't even practice the elbows.
   
   NATE QUARRY VS. SHONIE CARTER-Shonie is back in the UFC but didn't seem like he trained hard enough for this one.
   
   FOREST GRIFFIN VS. BILL MAHOOD-Mahood looks pretty tough but this is Griffin's first apearence in the UFC after the reality show and he has something to prove.
   
   RICH FRANKLIN VS. EVAN TANNER-this fight wasn't near as good as I expected it to be. It starts off pretty good but you probably know who takes this one.
   
   MATT SERRA VS. KARO PARISYAN-wow, fight of the night. We all know that Karo likes to bring the heat but what happens when he faces someone with the same mentality?
   
   ANDRE ARLOVSKI VS. JUSTIN EILERS-I guess this is the reason this DVD got some bad reviews but did anyone actually expect Eiler's to have a chance?



5. One thing I like about this dvd release is that they have all the replays and most interviews after the fights. That's one thing missing from almost every UFC event DVD but they have it here! Now onto the event, it was a decent show. Like other reviewers have mentioned, the show does feature lots of mismatches. The guy Diaz fought was a joke, he was so bad even I could have beat him with 1 arm tied behind my back. Quarry did great along with Griffin and Arlovski. Serra vs Parisyian was a great fight and opens with a bang! Overall, if you want to expand your UFC collection, this is a great event to get!

1 comments about Scorpion.

1. great MMA action combined with great narrative makes for an action filled and satisfying film watching experience.

4 comments about Solo Training.

1. I've acquired around 60 martial arts videos and DVDs in the past five years and this DVD immediately ranks at the top. Like he does in all of his books, Christensen gives you more than what you paid for. He gives you lots of ways to train your punches and kicks in this DVD and exercises with weights that work your techniques specifically. But along with this, you get lots of helpful tips on making your techniques more effective and more street oriented. He's been training for 40 years and is very fast.
   Christensen has other DVDs that you can only get on his site, and I plan to get them.



2. Most martial artists I know really enjoy training in the dojo but very few truly like training alone. Not only is there no one to help them practice, but there is also no one to help motivate them. Regardless, while tandem drills (e.g., bunkai, kumite, randori) are pretty much impossible to do on your own, some things are best practiced outside of a formal class setting, especially where you need to focus on improving deficiencies that may not be shared with the rest of the group. I always encourage my students to practice a little each day regardless of whether they have attended a formal class or not. If you really want to make rapid progress in your own martial skills, you need to be able to effectively train on your own.
   
   A common complaint that my new students relate to me is that they are afraid to train outside of class for fear of learning things incorrectly. They think that unlearning bad habits is far worse than doing nothing at all so they do not practice on their own. Believe me; with this fine DVD even rank beginners can immediately begin working out on their own. Every technique is thoroughly explained and demonstrated. The production quality is excellent. For the experienced practitioner there is nothing truly earth shattering here, yet the solid practical advice and excellent drills will really improve your workout routine too.
   
   Christensen is not only a very high-ranking karate instructor, but also a retired police officer as well. His real-world experience shines through, making this video more than just a mundane workout tape. I particularly like the seated kicks and other drills designed to simulate real-life encounters where you may need to respond to an ambush-style attack without benefit of a proper stance or good footing. Other topics include techniques using the hands, forearms, elbows, and foot, hand and foot combinations, and a whole lot more. Christensen not only demonstrates a variety of useful techniques, but he also outlines them into sequences that can be used to create 30 to 60 minute workouts that will help you build speed, accuracy, and power for any martial art. Despite the DVD's title, there are a few tandem drills presented as well. There are also some really cool mannaquin bag (e.g., Body Opponent Bag) drills. If you don't own one, you can skip those sections but BOBs are well worth buying if you can afford one, a great complement to your training regimen.
   
   This video is an outstanding supplement to Sensei Christensen's excellent book of the same name, demonstrating numerous techniques and drills that will help you get the most out of your solo training. Very highly recommended.
   
   Lawrence Kane
   Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction



3. Loren Christensen teaches a wealth of practical self-defense moves that can be used in the most common everyday situations. For those who want to add some weight resistance training to their workout, there's a great section on dumbbell exercises that help to improve muscle strength and speed. He's an intense instructor who gets the viewer quickly motivated!!



4. Here is a DVD by someone who has lived the life of a martial artist in the most practical sense. His credentials speak for themselves. I was amused that Amazon's Editorial Review headlined a paragraph with "About the Actor". This man is no actor but lived and breathed the part. He carries this passion forward into his books and onto this DVD.
   
   A practicing martial artist can benefit greatly from going to a facility (dojang in my case) and watch and listen. But to be a great martial artist one must practice at home, by themselves, and without distractions. The DVD is well organized and provides several examples of application. I also appreciated the session using dumbbell exercises which I have now incorporated into my own workout.
   
   With the exception of a few minutes of poorly recorded audio (when Lauren was being inteviewed) the viewing quality is excellent.
   
   I would highly recommend this. Lauren has inspired me to increase my own solo kicking routing although I have not yet reached 800 per workout.

5 comments about A Touch of Zen.

1. Included in the Time Magazine Best 100 Films of all time list, A Touch of Zen does not disappoint. Though it starts slowly, the momentum gradually increases until the viewer is completely caught up in the story of a refugee woman who seeks the help of two generals, disguised as common townfolk (one a blind man, the other a doctor), and a group of monks led by an abbot whose spiritual strength is expressed in his ability to thwart violence and defeat evil based on deflecting the advances of his enemy and using that deflection to repel whoever attacks.
   
   This mystical bent is strong in the film and lends it some real juice. Also on hand is a poor artist who lives with his mother, a spy who wishes the artist to draw his portrait, the evil eunuch Hsu, a whole bunch of guards/soldiers in service to both Hsu and his "boss" Wei (the equally evil ruler), Mun-Ta (another bad guy), the town magistrate, and, of course, the artist's mother who's on hand for comic relief and as well to provide a touch of humanism to A Touch of Zen. The bad guys had previously tortured and murdered the refugee woman's father and are now out to finish her off, as well as the two generals who have sided with her.
   
   A clear inspiration for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon--as many others have noted--this film boasts quite a few martial arts fights (mainly with swords) and quite a few flying leaps. It's also nice to see that a good looking woman, the refugee, is so adept at martial arts herself--women's lib had apparently hit China before it got to the US!!
   
   This is a three hour film, broken into two parts, so there is actually an opening credit sequence for the second part of the film exactly like the first part sequence and a short (two-minute) recap of the last scene from the first part at the beginning of the second part. In addition, the image is somewhat muddy at times. In spite of these drawbacks (hence the four stars instead of five), this deservedly is part of the Time Magazine Top 100 Film List; it's a gripping story with great visuals and nary a false note anywhere.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. This movie is terrible. It is three hours of nonsense. The pacing is so slow that you have to make a lot of use of the fast forward button. The fight scenes are laughable. The fighters hop like bunnies. Every single fight scene in this film, and in almost every other oriental so-called kung fu film, is absolute worthless garbage. Fast forward through all the fight scenes, which means fast forward through most of the movie. Also fast forward through all the scenes where nothing is happening. That doesn't leave much. They have a 15 minute movie with 170 minutes to skip. And someone tell me why the two stars of the film look so Caucasian. Is that the Chinese ideal of beauty? In the movie they make fun of superstition and belief in ghosts, but at the end they give us a final shot of a godlike image, more superstition. The star is actually some magical Buddhist abbot. Gimme a break. The only good thing about this horse manure is that the leading lady is very cute. Other than that, I can't think of a reason to waste 3 hours on baloney. And for all the people who place this idiocy at the top of their all time movie list, I have to question your motives. Do you want to seem smart? Is it cool to recognize crap simply because it is from another country? That is an insult to all the truly great foreign films. Just cause it's foreign, doesn't mean it's worth a damn. Placing this trash on a par with the truly great foreign films simply because it is foreign is an insult to the great ones. This movie, pure and simple, is inferior. It makes me wonder if the Chinese movie audience has the taste of little children.



3. In the first ten minutes I thought it was just okay;
   then it did nothing but get better for the next 177 minutes. Director King Hu was a visionary;no wonder so many contemporary movies have explicitly and liberally lifted his ideas.
   
   Unlike so many martial arts' movies, character reigns;
   the plot is intricate, evolving and and motivates the action.
   And the natural locations make me want to take a very long walk around China. A feeling of reality and naturalness prevails in every scene.
   
   If you buy this, and you should, read the bio of King Hu Jing-Chaun; amazing what he's done and the lasting impact of his work. His genius really shines in Touch of Zen.



4. Sublime and sprawling, A TOUCH OF ZEN is perhaps the greatest in King Hu's series of ground-breaking, metaphysical period dramas.
   
   Vaguely, A TOUCH OF ZEN is a martial arts film, and it's greatest influence was on other HK martial arts films (and later international crossovers like CROUCHING TIGER, HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS). But it approaches being martial arts as Tarkovsky would have done it - the film is set up in three methodically paced, long sections (it's a 3 hour film), which all feature a bit of action but devote more attention to character, landscape and narrative. The focus of each section falls upon different characters, with the central character in each section embodying different virtues: the humility and creativity of the artist (the focus of the first act), courage and confidence in the second act, and an assured enlightenment in the third. The three acts are linked by tightly controlled and far more explosive bursts of action in an otherwise meditatively paced film.
   
   Hu explores other elements as well - the first act, mostly devoted to the artist, eases viewers into a framework of intrigues that will shape the plot; this section of the film is very slow, but in hypnotic (and definitely not dull) fashion, with an abundance of careful set detail and some rather astounding landscape photography. Here, palace intrigues and suggestions of the supernatural (A TOUCH OF ZEN is loosely adapted from a number of Pu Songling's gently surreal stories, collected in "Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio") drive the slowly coalescing plot. Intriguingly, the ghost story elements explored early in the film are satirized a bit later, adding a discrete layer of obtuse irony and genre commentary to the overall proceedings.
   
   Gradually shifting into a second act, which moves the focus to an imperial fugitive (Yang Huizhen) who is being tracked in the area. Here another of Hu's advances surfaces - Hu had a knack for creating strong and complex female characters, and the fugitive seen here is one of the most memorable; definitely a touchstone for Ang Lee, among many others.
   
   A TOUCH OF ZEN is divided with an intermission (on the DVD - more on this later) into two halves, and this 'second act' falls on either side of this division. A semi-famous, and much imitated, action sequence is to be found here.
   
   During the third act, the focus shifts again, to a group of monks that make a brief but memorable appearance earlier, and - as the level of action gradually rises, so does the level of mysticality, with Hu's complex and highly personal take on Buddhism recalling Andrei Tarkovsky's similarly mystical and oblique Christianity.
   
   Throughout, we have Hu's sense of humor, a sort of greatly modified slapstick providing extra charm - the very playful sense of humor would seem to be a strange addition, but it somehow works, giving an otherwise slow, meditiative film a breezy sense of rhythm. Again, I would point out the influence of Pu Songling (perhaps upon Hu's entire body of work); Songling's work - a classic of Chinese literature, blends spiritualism, surrealism, unexpected humor, political intrigues, horror and hints of the erotic - and Hu is unafraid of blending these seemingly disparate qualities into a vast, and sublime, cinematic endeavor.
   
   This is a beautifully shot film, on my personal short list of the most gorgeous ever, and the US/R1 DVD does present A TOUCH OF ZEN in all of its' widescreen glory. Unfortunately, the film seems to be otherwise unrestored, with an indistinct print and several spots of faded colors distracting from some exquisite compositions and landscape shots of a variety that would've made John Ford jealous (with at least one explicit visual reference to Kurosawa as well). I would hope to see a fully cleaned-up DVD available at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future.
   
   But - grainy DVD or not - this is something every cinephile out there should see.
   
   -David Alston



5. This is one of the worst films I've seen in a long, long time. It's very long, very drawn out, very boring. There's little action and little dialog, making it a chore to sit through. The actors don't act so much as move from pose to pose. Very little of the plot makes any logical sense. Perhaps this film is of some interest to people with an interest in the genre. My guess is that the overall positive reviews here are based on a combination of self selection--only people with reason to believe they will like the film go out of their ways to watch it--and cognitive dissonance--I paid $18 or sat through unending hours of this, so it must've been good.

5 comments about Pride Fighting Championships: Bushido, Vol. 7.

1. Gomi and Baroni just rock the house in this show. Some great fights. Definately a good show and worth the dough.



2. Bushido 7 is the show where Gomi loses it against Alzeredo. Phil Braoni makes his Pride Debut against Minowa (a great fight). Hayato Mach Sakurai makes his lightweight Pride debut. Gono fight Crosley Gracie. Plus much more. I was told that this may have been the best of the Bushidos other than Bushido: The Tournament, and I think it's the best of the first 7.
   
   BTW: Did I mention it that Gomi loses it against Alzeredo (but doesn't lose the match)?
   
   5 stars



3. Though the card is filled with people making their Pride debut, it is also filled with many names a MMA fan is well aware of from Gomi, Edwards, Baroni and Pulver. The card starts off with a bang and the first 4 fights end in dramatic fashion, there is a little lull in the middle three fights. They aren't bad, but much more technical. The last 2 fights are barn burners and worth the price of the dvd. I wish Pride would put these out a little faster, they have already held Bushido 13 back in November of last year, so they really need to put these out a little sooner. Worth buying.



4. The once great empire that was PRIDE Fighting Championships produced some of the best fight cards a fan could ever dream of. Internal problems crippled the organization and it has fallen and it's best fighters are headed for the UFC. Make no mistake, however, when PRIDE FC reigned there was NO ONE that could even come close to competing and it was events like this that that define the greatness of PRIDE. The Bushido series was originally developed as a way to showcase the up and coming talent of PRIDE FC. Translation: PRIDE had so much talent that they couldn't fit them on their once a month MegaCards so they created Bushido as a cheaper alternative to produce excellent fight cards, but not the superbowl MMA cards that PRIDE was becoming known for. Well little did they know that the Bushido series would become a fan favorite and go on to showcase the lighter weight classes of PRIDE fighting championships and STILL produce Superbowl-esque type fight cards. Do you get the point on how much PRIDE FC ruled? Anyways, Bushido 7 was suppose to mark the official turning point for the series and became the first of many legendary Bushido shows. Before I go on to a fight by fight review let me say this. Bushido 7 has everything a fight fan could dream of. High flying kicks, exciting knockouts, fast paced fights, slick submissions, ground fighting, stand up and everything in between. My personal favorite is the legendary Bushido 9, which if you're reading this and haven't bought there is clearly something wrong with your brain function. Bushido 7 is a close second. Secondly many of the fights are short and action packed and are perfect for those with short attention spans who just like to see blood and mayhem . Bushido 7 also has a couple of wars and strategic fights that are mixed in nicely with the all the action that can get the average fan more accustomed to the intellectual side of MMA. In short, it is a perfect DVD for hardcore MMA fans and newcomers alike. At the low price it's being advertised for you can't go wrong. [...].
   
   Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett vs. Yoshiro Maeda (8/10) - This is the opening fight that sets the tone for the whole event. Fast paced action, striking that ends with a brutal KO. Bennett is a fighter who is famous for his showmanships and in ring antics. However he has showed suprising athleticism and heavy hands which he uses with lethal efficiency in this brief battle.
   
   Jens "Little Evil" Pulver vs. "Taisho" (8/10) - All of the old school UFC fans know who Jens Pulver is. The former Lightweight king with lightning fast hands tries to get back in the winner circle after a loss to Takanori Gomi which was a classic war. Not really sure who Taisho is but he has some cool tatoos. It doesn't matter. Jens shows that he's still got some hurtin bombs in another short, brutal fight. Oh yes, the average fans are loving this. No ground work and short, brutal fights. It only gets better.
   
   Yves Edwards vs. Dokonjonusuke Mishima (8.5/10) - the first fight on the card that showcases two stars going head to head. Yves was consdiered to be the best UFC Lightweight at the time and was headed to PRIDE to test his skills. His first test would be the aging but still game Mishima. This one showcases the other side of MMA, the ground game. However it's fast paced and exciting and ends in a beautiful submission that even the hardest critique has to appreciate.
   
   Aaron Riley vs. Michihiro Omigawa (8.5/10) - The action keeps coming and the fists and feet keep flying. Aaron Riley is an ATT fighter who is really young and already showcases some exception well rounded skills. It is clear that he is hear to put on a show as he faces the overmatched, but tough Judoka Omigawa. More striking that ends in a head kick KO. How can you not love the high kick knockouts!?
   
   Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Milton Viera (8/10) - The legend himself, Hayato Sakurai, one of the most exciting fighters ever is determined to come out of his recent(at the time) slump. He's dropped down to 160lbs and is ready to be back, better than ever. In his way is Milton Viera a man we've often seen cornering some of the great Brazilian Top Team fighters. Viera, whose ground game is exceptional, finally gets a chance to show his stuff. Unfortunately for him he is overmatched against the legendary well roundedness of Sakurai. This one is a very strategic and interesting ground match as Sakurai is forced to not play around and just take care of business against a very dangerous opponent.
   
   Akihiro Gono vs. Crosely Gracie (8/10) - This one is another strategic match. However this one has some very exciting striking and just like with Sakurai and Viera we see two really good fighters engage in the MMA chess match. Gono has shown VAST improvement since Mauricio Rua used him as a punching bag in Bushido 2 and Gracie shocked everyone when he submitted "Mach" Sakurai the previous year. These two would meet and a very closely contested fight would ensure. Great fight and it's good too have two strategic matches in between all the action to show the new fans that there's more to MMA than just wild fights and knockouts. Sakurai/Viera was all ground and this one is mostly stand up.
   
   Tatsuya "The Crusher" Kawajiri vs. In Seok Kim (8/10) - Tatsuya Kawajiri the current Shooto champion of his weight class has finally come to PRIDE amidst a world of hype. Kawajiri is a very powerful and well rounded fighter with great grappling skills. The fans are itching to see him go to work and he makes a bloody mess of his Korean opponent in this short, brutal fight. This one is pretty one-sided, but it's cool that we see another lightweight force has arrived in PRIDE to challenge for the title. The Japanese love Kawajiri so this is a great fight for them.
   
   Ryo Chonan vs. Antonio "Elvis" Schembri (6/10) - Ryo Chonan catapulted himself to superstardom after an unbelievable submission win over Anderson Silva at Shockwave 2004. Ever since then, fans had been dying to see him in action and Schembri, the man famous for his miraculous come from behind victory of Sakuraba, would be a perfect test. Unfortunetaly this one is the dud of the night. Schembri had always been more of a Jiu-Jitsu purist and even though training with Chute Boxe acadamy has improved his stand up, he wants little to do with Chonan on his feet. While this fight isn't that bad, it's clearly the slowest one of the night and Schembri get's some tough breaks as he is punished heavily for stalling on the ground. Not the best fight, but it's a win over a quality opponent for Chonan.
   
   Phil Baroni vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (9/10) - The co main event. New York trash talker and perfect pro-wrestling villain Phil Baroni has come to PRIDE after an embarassing streak of losses in the UFC. Baroni is famous for his trash talking but has shown some promising skills in MMA. He has devasting punches and great wrestling skills and is determined not only to resurrect his career but put on a good show in PRIDE. He is going up against the new Japanese hero, Ikuhisa Minowa. Minowa is a former pro wrestler himself who is famous for his showmanship, but has also shown promising skills as a good wrestler with good submissions. When these two meet we get an instant classic. The first round is a shockingly competative back and forth ground fight that really showcases the wrestling ability of both fighters. They are exhausted after the first round and decide to finish things off in style in the second. By that I mean they literally decide to beat the crap out of each other in an all out slugfest. Fight fans will love the second round as it is a Rocky movie come to life. Great fight, but the best is yet to come.
   
   Takanori Gomi vs. Luis Azeredo (10/10) - The main event of the evening featured Bushido ace Takanori Gomi going up against Chute Boxe fighter Luis Azeredo. Gomi was the Japanese number one star and was already a marked man with fighters like Yves Edwards, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Azeredo among others all chasing him. Azeredo would be his first true test and we would get a short, but unbeleivable classic between two awesome figthers. Folks this one is straight out of a Martial Arts movie. Azeredo comes out flying at Gomi with jumping high kicks and punches straight out of an 80s classic. Gomi is clearly caught off guard as Azeredo's flashy style is not just for the crowd, it is there for the win. Eventually Gomi gather's himself and lands one of the cleanest one-two punch KOs I've ever seen. What follows was almost as unbelievable as the match itself! Gomi loses his temper and continues to pound Azeredo after the match has been stopped and a brawl nearly insues. Gomi apologizes but Chute Boxe master Rudrimar Fedrigo and company are clearly upset. This would set up a classic Martial Arts rivalry between Gomi and Chute Boxe that would culminate in the classic rematch between Gomi and Azeredo in the semi-finals of the Bushido 9 tournament, but that kids, is another story.
   
   [...].



5. this bushido has some great knockouts,bushido vol 7 is a must buy for all mma fans.
   bushido 7 features the co-main event fight between phil baroni vs the punk minowa and the main event between takanori gomi vs luiz azeredo.
   
   best fights
   1)phil baroni vs the punk minowa 2)akinoro gono vs crosley gracie 3)takanori gomi vs luis azeredo 4)aaron riley vs omigawa