Friday, February 27, 2009

February 27, 2009

Just finished putting the last touches on an article I wrote after interviewing MMA and BJJ legend Renzo Gracie. What an interesting and very warm guy. Renzo had just finished working with Guy Ritchie and Jude Law who were in New York filming the upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie. Renzo extended an invitation for me to come train at his Academy in Manhattan. Looks like a possible road trip in the making. I, however, plan to tap early and often if I roll on the mats with him.

Waiting to hear back from the UFC that my press credentials will be approved for the sold out April show in Montreal. Press credentials for the Nabil Khatib - Carlos Newton fight in March in Gatineau are on their way, and I look forward to watching it from ringside. It will be a hectic day as I will also be teaching Kali and Muay Thai in Valleyfield, Quebec that morning.

Just spoke to Sifu Dwight Woods of Miami Beach who is hooking me up with one of his students in Barbados who is researching the indigenous slave stick fighting system called "sticklicking". This will be part of my hoplological study tour of the Caribbean to continue researching the Diaspora of African Martial Arts in the Caribbean. The research started some years back when I interviewed the late Kermit Ford (Father of Karate in the Bahamas) about the sponge fisherman's wrestling art of Piappry and met with the Ministry of Culture.