Ross has been one of the top junior competitors  in Sport Karate for a few years now.  He moves up next year to the Adult Division so watch out for him cause I see "Rookie of the Year" potential.
Q & A
How old are you?
I am 17 years old, turning 18 on October 9th.
Where do you live?
I live in Brooklyn, NY.
When did you start Martial Arts and why?
I started Taekwondo when I was 7 years old, mainly because my brother had been involved in it since I was 5. What really sparked me was the first day he had come home from an interschool tournament with a shiny new trophy and I wanted one too.
When did you start competing in the BB division?
I received my black belt at the age of 12 after 5 years of training, but did not start competing until 2000.
Who do you train with?
For sparring I train with Hakim Walker. He has contributed a lot to my success in the past 2 years and has really brought me to the place where I am today in the point fighting world. My father has also taught me several little tricks of the trade to help me in my conditioning workouts.
What World or National Titles do you own?
2000-2002 Promoters Plus NY State Champion,  2003 NASKA World Traditional Forms Champion, 2003 NASKA National Sparring Champion,  2004 NASKA World /  National Weapons and Sparring Champion.
You move up next year to Adults, what weight class do you want to fight in?
As of right now I will be entering the Light Heavyweight Division. This is where I would like to be because it has a wide variety of talent, and it will prove to be a good challenge for my 1st year.
You are currently a member of J. Phillips, they are mostly a forms team. Everybody knows you love to team fight. Do you think that they have plans of building a fighting team around you or will they let you team fight with other teams like they've done in the past?
Yes, J.Phillips is mostly a forms team, and right now im actually the only fighter on the team competing on the NASKA circuit...and yes I do love to team fight. During talks about next year's team, I know we are in the process of trying to expand, I do not know of any new pick-ups or interests yet, however I would love to bring a team together to fight with. It's always nice to have another person on the team whom you can really relate to as far as competition goes, in my case I haven't had a fighting teammate since WKF. But until then I will continue to just do my thing and enjoy it.
You will be fighting for the NYC Road Warriors in Las Vegas Legacy.
Can you tell me more about this project?
Yes, im really excited about our trip to the Las Vegas Legacy. For right now im actually the alternate fighter, and depending on the match ups, I may or may not fight, however if the opportunity arises, im more than ready to step up and get the job done. I am very confident in myself, and my teammates: Captain Jadi Tention, Hakim Walker, and Lawrence "Kodaq" Wray, coached by Grandmaster Willet, and Tico Flores. We are also being filmed for the television pilot of a reality show called "Road Warriors" which is going to be very interesting. We are all training very hard together, and for me it's a great experience to be around these people. It has given me a huge boost of motivation and inspiration in all aspects of the game, as well as my personal life. We are looking forward to a great time in Vegas!
Who has been your toughest opponent this year?
This year my toughest opponent has been Sheldon Wray, who trains out of the great Wray family's Next Level Martial Arts. I have a ton of respect for the entire family. They are all extremely talented and the potential in Sheldon is endless. I'm sure Sheldon and I will be fighting for 1st place at the remaining events we each attend.
Who has been your toughest opponent ever?
My toughest opponent ever was Sensei Akin Williams. Some may not be too familiar with him, however he is a very talented, and well respected old school fighter coming from the same instructor as Sensei Jadi Tention. At a small tournament in upstate New York 2 years ago, I fought in the men's division, and made it to the grands to fight Sensei Akin. After the 2 two-minute rounds the score was tied. After a 3rd two minute tie breaker round, we were tied again, forcing another 2 minute round! At the end he was ahead by two points, but it was my most memorable and meaningful match to this day.
You will be a rookie next year in Men's who else moves up with you from 16-17?
I'm not sure of too many fighters moving up, but I know for a fact that one of my close friends on the circuit Troy Binns will be moving into the adult division. From the looks of it, he will be hard to beat in his division.
Do you teach and what is the name of the school you attend?
I teach private lessons and seminars for creative bo techniques, and sparring. I just started teaching at an Amerikick school in Brooklyn with Alex Davydov, however I am currently attending Jadi Tention's Championship Karate school in the Bronx and Silent Thunder Martial Arts in Brooklyn, where I have the opportunity to train with some of the greatest fighters in the Tri-State Area.






Bryan Young is one of the hottest young fighters on the NBL cuircuit.  This year he has come out and won all the NBL West Pac events in his LHW Fighting Division.  He has also managed to get picked up by a National Karate Team.  Young is definetly an up and comer in the sport and everyone should keep an eye out on him.
Q &A-2005
1. How old are you?
I'm 21 years old.
2. When did you start competing on the National Circuit?
I first started competing when I was about 16 but I didn't take it to seriously because I was focused more on football at the time. Then I came back last year and I have been competing regularly ever since. 
3. Do you have any World or National Titles now?
At the time I currently have no World titles, as for national titles I don't really count those because all you have to do is win a tournament and can be a national champion. The only titles I worry about are World titles. 
4. What City do you live in? 
I currently live in L.A where I attend school and help teach at my instructors school until I'm ready to open up a school of my own.  
5. Who do you train with?
Well I got my black belt from Grandmaster Rick Kingi and that's were I do some of my training, but most of my training I do with one of the best fighters to ever come from the West Coast Ray Wizard. 
6. Ray Wizard is one of the West Coast/NBL/Sherman Oaks Raiders Legends, is  there anybody else that you look up to in the sport? 
Well Ray Wizard has done a lot for me and growing up in L.A I got a chance to watch all of the Raiders fight as well others that didn't really compete on the national level of sport karate. So besides all of the great fighters that have ever came from the L.A area I would have to say my instructor Rick Kingi has been the most influential martial artist in my life because he taught me all of the basics principle I have in karate and has become a father figure in my life as well.
7. You won all the West Pac National Conference events in the LHW division are you planning on competing at the NBL Super Grand's this year? 
Yes after winning all the West Pac events it would only be right for me to go Super Grand's in hunt for my first World title. 
8. Are you currently a member of a team?
Yes at the current time I am a member of team G.O.P. 
9.   Other than the Super Grand's, What events do you plan on going to?  Well I would like to hit at least one more WSKF and one NASKA event before the year is over. So Barbie's Las Vegas Legacy is an option as well as Battle of Atlanta or Diamonds. But I leave those decisions up to my sponsor, my main focus is winnings at Super Grand's, I'll let my sponsor take care of the rest.
10. Who else is on team GOP?  Who owns and sponsors the team? 
Right now the team consist mainly of juniors such as Chris Gallio and Chad Cannon as for the adults there is myself, Regena Thompson, and Derrick Cox and Willie Galvan who is our forms competitor.  The team is run and owned by Cindy and Chris Gallio. 
11. Winning the NBL World Title this year is your #1 goal, do you have any other goal's in mind? 
Yes, I'm very goal oriented when it comes to competing but instead of setting the bar to high for myself I set small reasonable goals, for instance at the start of the year I had no sponsor so one of my goals was to get picked up by a team and I did that. Others goals I have are to place in the top 2 in each event I enter, be considered as one of the top fighters on the West Coast and other small things of that nature. Then once this year is over I will evaluate what I've done and get ready for 2006 where my goals will be to affect the sport karate world on both coast.
12.  A lot of time's you see great NBL or great Naska Fighters not fight outside "there league".  Some do it I think because of a few reasons like they feel safer in there league or think they will get cheated because they are going to the other leagues territory. Why do you think this happens? Do you think its good for the top fighters in NBL or Naska to go out and cross over leagues to show they can win anywhere like Raymond Daniels, Jason Tankson. Trevor Nash, etc. did?
I agree with you I feel some fighters just get to comfortable in their own leagues and are afraid to get outside their comfort zone and try new competition. Also sometimes it might come down to who the fighter fights for, some teams are not willing to cross over and try new competition and that makes the fighter look bad. It is good for fighters to cross over and fight in different leagues so you can really see how good you really are.
13.  This year you are clearly one of if not the best LHW NBL fighter, how do you think you would stack up to some of the good LHW's from Naska?
While some may consider me one of the top LHW fighters in NBL, I personally don't see myself as an NBL fighter I simply see myself as a fighter who try's to find the best opportunity to face quality competition. So if that means I need to fight at a couple NBL tournaments at the start of the year and mix in a few NASKA and WSKF tournaments to see where I stand then that's what I plan to do. But I do feel that I can hold my own with any LHW on any circuit.






Hakim Walker  has been tearing it up lately on all Curcuits.  He came back into the National  tournament scene last year and has made an impact in the 30-39 Division.  He has also been a threat to the the younger 18-29 guys  by beating alot  of them in the Grands and in Team Fighting as a Member of Straight Up.  Walker was picked up by Straight Up last year and started for Straight Up in team fighting many times.  His last event as a Straight Up member was the US Open making Hakim one of the top Free Agents in Sport Karate right now. 
Q & A-2005
When did you start Martial Arts and who is your instructor?
I started my martial arts training in the fall of 1979 at The World SEIDO Karate Organization in New York City. My instructor was the late SHUSEKI-SHIHAN William Oliver, who is world renowned for the Karate
Documentary called, The Fighting Black Kings, released in the 1970s.
When did you start competing in the BB division?
I started competing in the Adult BB division in 99. But I've been around the NASKA circuit competing as a junior since the 80's, watching the greats of that era of sport karate and anxiously awaiting my turn on the big stage.
What year did you stop and why did you stop?
I stopped competing in 1989 because of family reasons. I needed to take time to understand the things that my family was looking into from a religious standpoint, which that made me put competing on a shelf for a while.
Why did you come back?
Simple. I love karate and I love the sport. They are two separate entities, and to do one you need the other. This is a discipline I've had in my life since I was 5. Karate has been good to me and so I just wanted to return to what I have known all my life. I missed the atmosphere and I wanted to prove to myself that I could compete in this sport at its highest level and be successful.
Who do you train with?
At present I train with World Champion Jadi Tention. Since I've been back, I was introduced to Mr. Tention through a mutual friend of ours, Mr. Jesse Wray, who is also a NASKA world champion. You may not know this, but Mr. Wray and I go back to our days as juniors, competing against each other all the time. But since I've met Jadi, we've been working out on and off.  But getting rededicated to the sport has forced me to accept the challenge of becoming the best I can be and that means spending a few hours a week at Mr. Tention training facilities.
What is your secret to coming out so strong after such a long gap?
I have always managed to keep active in sports in general. Iove maintained a good workout routine over the years and haven't stopped working out. Not only that, like professional athletes of other sports, I believe a full regimen of conditioning and weights go along with sparring and drills to give one that edge in competition. I have a personal trainer and track coach who oversees my exercise routine to keep me fresh and my body ready for the long season. And I also try to watch what I eat because taking care of one's body is key to staying healthy.
Do you own a school?
At present I do not have a school of my own. It's something that I'm considering when I retire from the sport, but not right now. Having a school puts many demands on a person. I wouldn't have the flexibility to compete and run a successful business at the same time. But it's under consideration though.
What are the Titles you won?
I've won a few titles in the past few months, but I've got my sights set on a few more. Two in particular: a NASKA World Title as well as an NBL World Title. I've heard that saying, Your not champion until you become a champion, so that's been my goal since I started on this road of competing against the sport's best. But here are a few thus far:
2005 ISKA and  WSKF World Champion
2004 WSKF, Pan American, WKF World Champion
2002, 2003, 2004 KRANE National Champion
You won the WSKF title last year right, how about NASKA?
I did win the 2004 WSKF world title last year in Chicago. I didn't get anything for NASKA last year because I missed the deadline for registration. But this year I have my name in the running for a world title.
I know your on pace to winning NASKA this year and won WSKF this year as well... How about NBL, did you do the Super Grands last year?
No, I didn't make it to the Super Grands last year. But I won a couple of overall Grands on NBL this year and I am looking forward to being in attendance at this year's Super Grands.
Hakim, now that you have made your announcement to not be part of Team Straight Up anymore, Are you looking to get picked up by another team or are you going solo?
Yes, I am interested in getting picked up again. But at the moment I will move forward on my own until I hear an offer that I like. In D.C., I will represent myself and wear my own uniform for now.
If you are looking to get picked up by another team are you looking for the best offer or best team or a bit of both?
What I'd look for is chemistry. Championship teams have great chemistry. Great teams are built on chemistry and through their chemistry they build that camaraderie that makes guys have each other's backs on the competition floor. And that's proven is any team sport. Yes, I would say I am looking for a bit of both, the best offer and with the best possible shot of winning. Being on a team should make guys closer. A team should have that camaraderie that causes a bond to form with one another. This way if youre going to war (team sparring) you should be able to look in your teammates eye and see that he's got your back and vice versa.








Steve Hart has been on the rise and has come a long way in the HW division since he came back to the sport in 2003 after a 5 year layoff.  Since his comeback he has accomplished alot of sport karate goals.  He has won in the always tough HW divsion, won a few Grands and has beaten some great fighters like Trevor Nash, BJ Carnahan and Joey Greenhaugh.  He is also currently one of the Team Captains of Team WKF.  Steve is still not at his peak in my opinion and everyone should keep an eye out on Steve "The Hitman" Hart. 
Q&A
1.When did you start Martial Arts and why?
I started karate in 1987. My father had been in karate in the late 70s and had some pictures and trophys of him in tournaments and of course I wanted to be like my father. When I was 8 years old him and my mother put me in a Traditional karate school nearby that gave me a great start in karate.
2. You have shown  improvement alot of improvement since your comeback in late 2003, what has been your secret?
Well, after a shoulder injury put me out of competing in 1998 I wasnt sure if I would ever compete on the national level again. In 2003 I had surgery and began on the local circuits again and in 2004 after being picked up by WKF I set out on the big circuit to see how I would do. For training at first all I did was Fight at the dojo and finally realized that it takes much more than that to compete with the best so I began lots of pad work, wind work and timing work. I feel I am just now really getting to a good point sparring conditioning level and that I have a lot more to offer. The ring experiance I have gotten over the past year has also helped me alot in understanding the game. I also do 5k (3 miles) races at events with my pops to help with my wind.

3. You are now one of the hungriest fighters out there now also one of top HW's in Sport Karate, what goals are you shooting for?
I set small goals at a time. All the goals I set for myself last year for my first year back I accomplished in the season. I have already reached the few small goals I set for myself this year in winning the Heavy grand in a naska event and my first overall at the Naska AA Gold Coast Classic in Florida. Like I said small reasonable goals. But I would have to say my main goal in this sport is to see how much I can accomplish and how far I can go by pushing myself to be one of the best. I would also like to help WKF be a contender once again in the Team division. I feel this will happen this year. My ability is waking up little by little and I am just getting started!
Gerald "Awesome" Dawson
Veretan Super Star HW
Interview by Alexander Reyes
 The HW division has always been a tough division to win.  Most Divisions have maybe 1-3 fighters  that everyone knows can take the division.  This is not the case in the HW division, right now you have about 5-6 HW fighters that can beat any other HW.    This has always been the case in the HW division.  Many great HW  fighter's have come and gone throughout sport karate history.  In my opinion to be considered a Legend you must be a great fighter for a long time, not just 2-3 years.  To be a Legend you must have skills and talent that amaze everyone.  I remember many of Geralds fight's when he was on Metro.  Now, Gerald has always been a really big man and to be able to kick the way he did for a guy his size was just amazing.  One of my favorite fights of all time is a fight between Gerald against   Pedro Xavier in like 1994 in a  team match at the Mile High Classic's in Denver, Colorado.  It was another classic JPM vrs. Metro match up.  The only way I could watch the fight was by standing on a chair about 10 feet away from the ring.   Well, not only did Gerald beat Pedro Xavier,  he kicked Pedro in the head a few time's.  It was AWESOME, Gerald is Awesome and that's why he's a Legend in my book.  Gerald has lived the Sport Karate Fighter's Dream and is still fighting today with many years still  left in him. Gerald is also a very successful School Owner in the Washington DC area.

Q and A:

Q:  When did you start Competing Professionally?
A: I started in National Competition in 1989.

Q: You were on a longtime member of East Coast All-Stars and Metro, what are your thoughts on Metro and what kind of an impact do you think they made in the sport?
A: Being on Metro at that time was a great thing. Think about Mafia, Nasty, Tony Young, Terry Creamer, The Brady Twins, and that's just to name a few.  Metro had it all we had the Bad Boys of sport Karate and the Gentlemen of Sport Karate. Just to think I didn't even want to be on the team at first I wanted my student to be on the team Angela Webb don't know if many people remember her but she was a bad girl that fought for Metro also, Beating Linda Dentley and Chevela Aaron in the same day. I had a sponsor at the time Dr. E. C. Fulcher Jr. If it wasn't for Nasty Anderson and Mafia Holloway I probably would have never been on the team. The Day I spoke to Hector Santiago I told him that if being on the team would hurt my students chance of being on the financially I told him to take her instead and I would be ok. He said to me just because I was willing to do that he really wanted me to be a part of his team. It had some up and downs being on the team but I must say Metro was the BEST team I had ever been a part of and I have been a part of several National and International Teams.

Q: Why are you not on JPM anymore?
A: Why am I not on JPM? I had never officially resigned. I believe that since Steve Babcott and I were rivals for so many years, I never believe he really wanted me on the team. So my time on the team was not always Pleasant. However I loved being a part of JPM at one time I thought that was going to be my Final position on that team before I decided to retired. I wanted to retire a JPM member.

Q: What was the most money you earned at an event, including Prize Money, Bonuses and Spending Money?
A: I have won so much money in my career as a competitor, if I would have invested it. I could have fully sponsored my own team but you know how it is when you?re young and that money is burning you pockets. The most money I have won in one event was about $7,000.00 Team competition, Individual Grand and at that time they had a division called semi pro divisions and I won that and the sponsor who sent me matched everything I won that day.

Q: In your career who was your toughest opponent?
A: I didn't have just one Tough opponent. Its not like now where each division have one or 2 guys that are good. In that heavy wt division everyone was good. My toughest competitors were. 1- Nasty Anderson 2-Anthony Price 3-Richard Plowden and Terry Creamer in that order. Now I have had other tough matches but nothing like these people.

Q: You've done a lot in your career; you were on the best teams, won many world titles and won many grands and 1st places at all the prestigious events from the 90's -current.  Do you have any other goals you wish to accomplish in the sport in either fighting or coaching?
A: My son is the biggest reason why I am still doing it. My competitions goals are to be a competitor with my son. Not many fathers are able to still compete in the same era as their sons.


Tony Young












Best Super Light Weight in Point Fighting History
Interview by Alexander Reyes

Accomplishments:
Tony Young is without a doubt the best SLW ever to fight in Sport Karate.   He ran the BB Super Light Weight Division from 1978-1998.  20 years worth of Title's in the 18-34 SLW division. That's right no senior title's.  That's an amazing accomplishment, an accomplishment that may never be seen in this sport again  in any weight class.  Life after fighting has been good for Tony with a successful school in Atlanta, GA and his own National Sport Karate League.  Not only is Tony True Super Star Legend of the Sport he's also the most humble and nicest person I have ever met in Sport Karate.
Accomplishments:
Title's
Multi NASKA World Champion
Multi WAKO World Champion
PKL National Champion
Karate Illustrated Champion
ISKA World Champion
PKC World Champion
PKA World Champion
DOJO Champion
SEKA Champion
NAKC Champion
ect. ect. ect.
Member of the following teams:
Team Elite/CJB
Team Metro All-stars
Budweiser National Karate Team
Atlantic Oil National Karate Team
Trans World Oil National Karate Team
Other Martial Arts Accomplishments
www.tonyyoungkarate.com
Successful martial arts school owner in Atlanta, GA
President of the All Star Karate League (ASKL) National Curcuit
Promotor of the ASKL End of the Year Nationals  every December
Promotor of the  All-Star Nationals in March

Q: You had a great long career winning the most prestigious events and title's.  You were on the best teams, you are a Sport Karate Superstar.
Most Super Star Fighter's don't compete locally because of fear of getting cheated to a local rivalor they are just concentrating on fighting in World Events or events that gave out alot of prize money.  You  however would compete at many regional/local events, why did you do this?
A:  I competed in local tournaments because the local/regional tournaments have the best competition.  Regional competitors have the strongest desire to beat you and have nothing to lose.  The competition kept me practicing hard and kept me on top of my game.  With tournaments being a big part of my training I competed just about every weekend and sometimes even twice in a weekend.
Q: What was the most money you made in one weekend during your career?
Including any bonuses, spending money, and prize money that you earned.
A: The most money I made from one weekend of competition was around $5,000 including bonuses, prize money, ect.

Q: We are doing a tribute to Hector Saniago and Team Metro soon.
What are your thoughts on the team and how they impacted the sport?
A: I was on Metro for about two years.  I think the team impacted the sport the most with Mr. Santiago sponsoring a large number of youth and adult's that never had the opportunity to compete on the national level.  Many unknown champions emerged from the team
More Q and A coming soon.
Big Props to Tony! Thanks!



Alexander Reyes
Interview by Javier Diaz














Pedro Xavier to the Left Alex Reyes to the Right after Team Fights

Accomplishments:
2000 NASKA LMW World Champion
Former Team Miami Vice Owner and Coach
Current Team WKF Owner and Coach
Former member of Sherman Oaks Raider's
Former member of the Horsemen
Former Member of American Panther National Karate Team (1998)
Instructor at Manny Reyes's American Kenpo School's in South Florida
Promoting the Pan American Internationals
Promoting Lords of the Ring KO Promotions
Registered MMA Trainer

  Q and A
Q:  When and why did you start your Martial Arts training?
A: I started Karate at my fathers school (Manny Reyes Sr.) at age 5.
I was about 13 years old when I became a sport karate junkie.   I didn't like karate and didn't get into it until I saw my brother Manny competing all over the country as a team member of Metro All Stars.  Seeing Manny motivated me to want to go do Karate and get my BB so that I could fight at National Tournaments.

Q: When did you start competing in the National Curcuit?
A: I started competing on the National Curcuit in the 15-17 BB Division.
I was rated #3 in a very tough division.  I was rated in 15-17 "taller" but sometime's I would be put in the "smaller" divsion.  At that time I competed in the same division as Brian Ruth, Bruce Cervantez, Adam Keister, Diego Lopez, Hector Santiago Jr. and many other great Metro Juniors.  It was a hard way to start competing on the Naska Curcuit but I did good I think.

Q: What fights or accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: Well I think I had a good career.  There are a few notable fights and things I have done in the sport that I am very proud of. 
#1 Beating Tony Young.  I beat him 6-2 in the 1998 Battle of Atlanta for 1st and 2nd Place after Manny had just lost to Tony by DQ.  It's the biggest accomplishment in my career.  To me Tony Young is the best LW that ever fought in the sport, fighting him was an honor. 
#2 Winning the 2000 Naska LMW World Title.
#3 Beating Donald Brady in my 1st event as a BB Adult Fighter at the 1997 Compete Nationals. I was proud of this because I have always looked up to the Brady's.  It was a great win, Donald beat me the last 2 times we fought though.
#4 Winning in team fighting on the Naska Curcuit.  This is one of the hardest things to do in NASKA.  The one that sticks out the most is at the 1998 Capital Classics when our school team consisting of Manny, Gus and I and was sponsored by American Panther beat TDS Telecom which consisted of Jadi Tention, Preston Clemens, Freddie Lapan and coached by the great Mike Conroy.  TDS Telecom was hot and had just won the US Open and Bluegrass Team Fighting.  Preston and Jadi were on fire that year.  In the team match I went up last with a 3 point lead.  I had the great Jadi Tention facing me.   I pulled it off and we won by 2 points.  It felt so good.  That weekend we also beat team Elite.  We did it as a school team.  Fighting on a team that beat JPM and Straight Up was nice too.
#5 My last accomplishment that I am proud of is coaching the Miami Vice/WKF to a 4 year undefeated run and 5 straight Bluegrass Nationals Team Fighting Victories.

Q: Your coming back to fight this year, you haven't fought since April of 2002 why the comeback?
I'm very happy with my career, but I feel that I never fought to the best of my ability and potential.  I want to give it my all and see if I can do better than I ever have.
Q: What do you want to accomplish with pointfighter.com?
A: The sport needs more site's like www.sportmartialarts.com and blacknbluevideo.com.  That's the only way the sport is going to grow.  MMA has grown alot because of the internet.  MMA coverage on the web is great.  Sport Karate needs to do the same.  I have alot of ideas to give current competitors the exposure they deserve.  I also want to educate people on the sports past.  It's a great sport and this is another way for me to contribute to it.
Other than Point Fighting what do you like to do?
I love playing Playstation 2, Grappling, Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing, teaching and going to Disney World son.












How old are you?
I am 33 years old.

When, Why and Where did you start Martial Arts?
I started my Martial Arts Training at Jhoon Rhee Institute in Glen Dale, Md at the age of 19. My first instructor was Francis Pineda most people may remember him for coaching Carmichael Simon. My father was big into Karate and Judo when I was growing up. He pushed me to enter the martial arts when I was younger. I wasn't interested at the time but when I had a lighter college class schedule I decided to take it. One of the man reasons I began studying is that my father was absent from my house for many years. By me training, it was a gateway
for us to patch up our father-son relationship and start fresh.

When did you earn your Black Belt?
I received my Black Belt from Gerald Dawson at Maryland's Best Tae Kwon Do.

When did you start fighting in tournaments?
I started competing in tournaments in 1993. My first tournament was the then AA Charlie Lee Nationals. It was at this tournament that I saw Mr Dawson for the first time. I remember seeing Gerald fighting on stage and I thought to myself "What is this big guy gonna do?". Well my question was answered as I saw an amazing lighting quick axe kick, back-fist reverse punch combo delivered by the Awesome one himself. I had never seen a guy be that flexible and move that fast! From my first tournament, I was hooked.

Who do you train with now?
Right now I train with a bunch of different people. I try get up to Ibby's school when I can to make sure I am ready for the next tournament. When our schedules work out, I would out with Gerald Dawson. We have a pretty good workout schedule now. Wednesday, I go and train with Vincent De Ocampo, John Hsu and Harry Carter. Then there re two other workouts during the week. We usually work on drills to get your point sparring skills up to par.

Do you own your own school?
I don't own a school and I only teach part time. During the day I work for Cisco Systems. For the past two years I have teaching all of the sparring classes at Charlie Lee Karate. I have to say that I have enjoyed the marital arts a lot more since I started teaching.

What titles do you own?
I hold the NASKA titles for 2003, 2004 Men's lightweight fighting. During my time in the 18 - 29 division I have always been in the top 3 nationally.

What teams have you been apart of?
I have had the blessing to be a part of 2 teams during my sports karate life. The first time was Team Elite. I was on Team Elite from the beginning. I remember talking to Spencer Arrington about forming a karate team while we were in Kentucky. I believe the year was 1996. Metro had just broken up. The sports karate world was in shock. Spencer was deciding to put together a small team to compete on the NASKA circuit. The original team consisted of: (Hector Santiago, Jennifer Santiago, Doug Bertran, Jeff Doss, Gerald Dawson, Jeff Tuffs, Jadi Tention, Jessie Wray, Akin Williams, Anthony Price, Mrs. Price, Nancy Price, Mike Novell) and a few others who's names
escape me at this moment. We made our debut at the 96 Diamond Nationals. One of the first things that we were asked about our team was. "Where is the money coming from?" I can understand this question from what happened with metro and we were consistently asked about it for the first three months of our existence. It was an exciting time and we were all set to shake up things in NASKA. It was a struggle. When you come
into sports karate as a new team nothing is given to you. You have to earn every level of respect that you get. We were originally coached by Richard Plowden. Later we added Jeff Smith, William King and finally Mike Conroy. During my time on Elite I had the opportunity to be in the same teams with legends such as: Ibby Abdullah, Tony Young, Anthony Price, Gerald Dawson, Richard Plowden, Mike Conroy and Terry Cramer. The chance to learn from these great fighters was priceless. After Team Elite ended in 1999 a new team surfaced called Team CJB. I mention that I had only been on 2 teams as I look as Team Elite and CJB as one team. When Team CJB 2000 premiered in January 200 I was not on the team. For the first time in a while I was on my own for sponsorship. I continued to compete in NASKA representing just myself for  the entire year. Team Elite became Team CJB and I was invited back for what was supposed to be a one year run on the team. I was so glad to be back on the team that I started with. I went to my first team event with CJB in March of 2001. Amerikick was a NBL
tournament and I was not used to the rules and the different style of fighting. My CJB premier was less than great and I lost my match to Chris Millares of Team IDC. I guess I didn't look so great and I was told by Spencer himself that I embarrassed him. He told me that if I was going fight like that to not embarrass him again. I took this to heart and went back to training hard. I spent many a long time training with Gerald Dawson and Ibby. I got back to the basics of training. Within a few months I was back in mix of fighters, always improving. One of the things that was so great about CJB is that everyone felt like family. It was great that we were the top team but our friendships were built to last. Our team really bonded over time which only pushed us more as we competed. After CJB ended its run in 2004 I was blessed to be picked up by Team Charlie Lee. I teach for Charlie and I was very happy when he agreed to sponsor me.

This year you have team fought a lot as well. Most of the teams you fought on this year have been mixed teams that have been put together at the last minute. With the new NASKA Team Fighting rule you will no longer be able to put a team together at the last minute. How do you feel about this rule?

Now this is one thing that I don't agree on. First, I was there when this rule was made. The problem I have with this rule is that I know there are guys out there like me that would love to fight with any team on Friday nights. This rule kills that hope. While I understand what NASKA is trying to do, I think it would be a better way to go about achieving this goal. NASKA is trying to rank a men's fighting team for the entire year. They want to make sure that the team that started in Jan is the same team (or close to it) that's fighting in June. I know that they are trying to prevent a team from "buying" the best fighters. My thought on this is that ANYONE can be beaten on any given day so why be afraid of who lines up in front of you!? Just go out there and prove you are the better fighter. Here is an idea for that problem. If Team A has doesn't have at least 2 fighters that they had last tournament make them an unranked team. Let them fight up the bracket. I just think this rule should be thought out a little bit more for those of us who really want to compete.

You are being taken care of of right now by Team Charlie Lee, are you seeking to be an official member of a Fighting team?
Right now, I don't have any official "NASKA" team that I'm fighting. However, I'm always up for a team fight and I look forward to joining up with anyone that would have me.

You have been competing in BB for over 10 years now and this has been your best year by winning your division every time and beating a lot of the younger fighters like Hector Santiago, Hamed Firouzzi, Jack Felton, Elias Lemon and so and and so on.
You have become a better fighter later on in your career when most fighter's lose a lot of skill. What are you doing differently?
Honestly, I can't say I'm doing anything different than any other fighter. I train, and play a bunch of other sports. I try to take care of my body and heal any injury. And, I try to eat right (that's the hardest). I think its a combination of a few things. Commitment: This comes from Gerald Dawson. He taught me that if you don't commit to your technique, you will never hit your target. Relax: This is from Ibby. Ibby would try to get me to relax when fighting. When you do this you don't get tired as quickly. Believe me, this was hard to learn especially when fighting him. Finally, my father saw a mistake that a lot of younger fighters make. He stressed to me to keep my eyes open when I fought. This sounds so simple but its so easy to be gun shy and close your eyes when you're sparring. I also don't have as many "karate years" on my body as many competitors have. Since I started later in life I don't have the injuries that a fighter that has been training since age 7 might have. One of the things that I do different that other fighters is I try to fight certain people very close. A lot of people don't like it when someone crowds them and it makes them uncomfortable.

A lot of people have compared you to Bernard Hopkins, how would you feel if I officially call you "Executioner"?
I would be honored to be called that. I will do my best to live up to that name.
You were an original/long time member of team Elite/CJB.

Can you tell me about how you go picked up by them back in 97 or 98?
The original Team Elite started during 1996 of the Bluegrass Nationals. I was sharing a room with Spencer that tournament and we were talking about the fall of metro. It was at that time that Spencer told me that he wanted to put a team together. We thought about the talent pool that had suddenly become free agents and he gave me the task to track down the people he wanted, and ask them to join the team.

Who were some of your team mates on Team Elite?
Wow, I'll try to name all of my team mates and I hope I don't leave anyone off. Team Elite 1996: Doug Bertrand, Joe Alexander, Hector Santiago, Jennifer Santiago, Jeff Doss, Nancy Price, Anthony Price, Mrs. Price, Mike Norvell, Akin
Williams, Jadi Tention, Jessie Wray, Frank Jones, Gerald Dawson, Jeff Tuffs, Krista Sheer(sp). We were coached by Richard Plouden. Over time we added: Tony Young, Ibby Abdallah, Rayfond Mills, Terry Cremer, Chris McBride, Stephine Flowers, Dottie White and we were coached by Jeff Smith and finally to be coached by Mike Conroy. In my opinion, when we got Mike at the Coaches spot that's when we came into our own. Mike just fit the position just right and really got along with all of the team members. We all listened to his advice no matter who we were fighting. If he told me to switch sides and throw a 540 ridge-hand, I would do it. One of the more interesting things is that when I started contacting people we were turned down by a lot of well known karate stars. When those people saw that we were real, the door had closed on the opportunity for them to join.

Spencer(Owner) ended Team Elite after the 1999 season and then popped out with Team CJB with coach Mike Conroy, Trevor Nash, Jason Tankson and Freddie Lapan. You were not part of CJB at the beginning but came aboard later on in the year. When CJB first came out, how did you feel? How did the Team Elite  members feel?

Diamond Nationals 1999 was a great heartbreak to me as we had gotten the news that our team was ending. It was very hard because we had grown so tight together as a team but friends. You hear the term that nothing lasts forever but it hurt a lot to see the ending of a great team. When the 2000 season started I had heard that there was a Team Elite 2000. I was not asked to be on this team. I was a little disappointed but I sponsored myself to tournaments and just tried to make
myself a better fighter. One of the DUMBEST things that I heard during this time was that Spencer had "Whitened up" the team. This was one the most ridiculous statements that I have ever heard in my life. Now, its true that the majority of the players in the original Team Elite were black but race in no way played a part in this new team. From my understanding Mike Conroy asked Spencer to start a smaller team that he hand selected. One of the things that Mike Conroy does very well is spot up and coming talent. Mike had hand picked the new members of Team Elite 2000 and right away success followed. It felt a little funny to not be apart of this great team but I continued to try to push my skill level higher. That was my main focus. As far as the other members, I'm not sure. I have heard that some of them complained about not being on the team instead of thanking Spencer for his sponsorship. That is just plain selfish.

So how did you get on Elite 2000/Elite?
I didn't. I re-joined the team when it had officially changed to Team CJB in March of 2001. John Su and I were welcomed to the Team at the same time. One of the best things that we did as a team was welcome our new members. It felt a little funny to come back to a team but within 10 minutes, it felt like I had never left.

Last question what are some of your most memorable moments in the sport as a fighter or spectator?
For this question I have to say its was Diamonds 2002. Ire-joined CJB in 2001 and we really got a chance to bond together as a team that year. We had a very intense training session in Miami of '01. After that training session and the relaxing week long cruise afterwards we had a bond that was nearly unbreakable. The next year we had a great year as a team. When we reached the Diamonds of 2002 we had a feeling that this would be very special. The tournament  started off anything but that. We lost our team match to JPM. We  had gone almost 2 years not losing a team match and it was  stunning. The meeting after was somber. Mike explained that since JPM had taken our glory away on Friday night that we should  go out tomorrow and take away theirs. He told us that we should make every effort to be in the finals.On our walk to the convention center I told everyone that CJB  would win at least 2 rings tonight. Its one of those things  that sound hokey but I just felt it, so I said it. That night we all did our best. I lost to my teammate Freddie Lapan but Jason and Karen were in the finals. To win the rings Jason would have to go through Jadi and Raymond and Karen would have to beat Casey. During that night lightning stuck twice but at a cost. Jason ended up facing Trevor for the ring and ended up beating him. Its hard on the one hand to be happy for one team mate but see another lose. Karen won against Casey and everyone was all smiles. It made me very happy to see them win but also made my desire to be better even stronger. I have to credit a lot of my success to my teammates. True, they can't win anything for you but they can drive you to be  better. Today, I still draw strength from my friends even if they are wearing different uniforms. In fact, sometimes, I have  to look at the uniform to see that things have changed.












How old are you?
I am 40 years old

What Team are you on?
At present timeCurrent Member of team DDX

When and where did you start Martial Arts?
My first instructor was Greg Lagera most people on the west coast will remember him for training Tony "Satch" Williams and Tami Whelan also Richie Barefield" lineage to name a few came from that school as well. so I moved from Philadelphia to Calif. in 1980 and moved in an area where all of the kids were taking karate classes and I wanted to find some where to go and at the time all my friends were taking classes at a local recreational center they were teaching a new martial art at the time called Kajukenbo which was originated in Hawaii primary known for its fighters. I started just coming into class to watch and to see and hang out it was just for fun at first not really seriously into it until I went to my first karate tournament which was the long beach internationals where at that time everyone who was someone was there (5) man teams and you had to hit to score ...and the things you saw them do in the ring I was like you can hit someone as hard as you want and can kick them in the face hit to the body and could become good at it and not get into trouble where do I sign up and have been training ever since. Received my BB in 1984 from Greg Lagera

When did you start fighting tournaments?
I started in 1983 my first I can really remember was 1983 west coast Nationals AAA at the time I watched every one was there that was somebody I did not know where to sit to get the best seat. Tony young who was in his prime at the time also Larry Tankston,Billy Blanks, Ray wizard Ray macallum, Alvin prouder zip white linda Denley , and Satch Ko'ed Billy after a Cartwheel kick and if anyone can remember that is when Mark foster beat Nasty in one of the greatest fights ever in my opinion if I was not hocked before I was after that event.

Do you own a school?
No I do not but, I do have a home school in Vallejo Calif. that has been in the same location since 1968 where when I am in Calif. I train during the week.

What titles do you hold?
I hold titles in the NBL from 2002-2004 and continuous and point. I also won the WSKF 18+SLW and the Sr.LW titles for 2005 in New Orleans.*one additional comment is I like the fact the some of the tournaments should allow 30+ to compete in the 18+ if they choose if they feel that they can still fight with them no one should tell them that they cannot!

Who do you train with now?
My main training partner in the past 2 years would have to be Jessica Covarrubias when I want to train she is there no matter what time or where. also on Thurs. night we have nice time in San Francisco with Marques Dumlao Sean Arceo and the guys from that area basically we will go anywhere to get a good training session in no matter how far the drive. currently I am in Las Vegas training with a good group of people like Mark Lawrence, Jake and Aylese Lysgard and try and get to Jamie Matthews school in LA at least once a month to train with Ryan Huntley and Mike P. and Jack from time to time. that is always a good session.

You are a member of DDX, can you tell me more about this team?
(who owns it, members)
Yes, I am a member of Team DDX and the team is named after our owner Denise Dominque Jensen of Medford,Oregon she has been operating the team for going on 3 years now. she also is a long time National forms competitor who herself is a world champion in her own right.the team also has a manager (Morgan George) who handles the day to day operations. what is different about our owner is that the most important thing to her is not the wins and loses but the effort and character of her team players no egos and prima donnas no spoiled players all players get treated the same as long as she knows and feels that they are giving there best and most she is happy in the out come which has so far been pretty successful.all of the members made it to the Super Grands stage in 05 and in 06 we are going to try some new things maybe more Naska and some International events we will see.
The members of the Team are:
Gina Thorton,Jessica Covarrubias,Tim Gustavson,Marty Maye,Jericho Caturo,Scott Wu,Wade Taylor,Ryan Gonzales,and Troy Whaley.

You've been around a long time, what has been your key to longevity?
well my key is that I have always kept myself in primary shape over the years I always try and watch what I eat and maintain a training regiment of at least 3 days a week and also to where you do not get burnt out over such a long period of time rest when you need to even if you do not think you require it also you must reinvent yourself from time to time to keep up with the new generations of competitors techniques and times if not it all will pass you by. we have to allow ourselves to continue to grow. I also have a video collection library of various competitors the I have watched over the years and also helps me study the new along with a few from past and also great to see some of the old footage from time to time of how far the sport has come and where it is going.  Also you have to have the most respect for those who came before us and always keep them in mind when training and teaching remember those things that we learned from them as they had and have a lot to offer no matter how old or young so whenever I get the chance I always pick there brains for and with knowledge from the Richard Plowden's to the Jadi Tentions and Regina Thompsons never think that our peers have nothing to offer because they all do.get as much as u can and keep learning it is what keeps us young.  What I also think is important is the training with the younger generation they keep us young and active they are still hungry which keeps me going day after day to keep up with them for all that they want to do is train and train and learn and learn more to where some of our peers do not wish to train as often or not open to change as much as the younger generation are more excepting to learning which makes the drive for us all better in the same positive direction.

Tell me about how you prepare yourself for competition.
Well, I have come up with a plan for me, of where I train Tues. and Thurs. and sat which includes drills and sparring and the study on various types of styles and competitiveness it also includes eating right and sleeping with much rest must have the right requirement of rest many take this lightly but it is very important very much so.  I also include various training partners who also want to prepare themselves for similar competition we will do hours of drills and sparring and also video sessions after every training day it helps to the learning process because we have to also remember we are all still for the most part teachers and instructors to share what we have with the rest of our peers and students.

Super Grand's, you won fly weight this year in the 18-34 Fly Weight Title and LW in the 34+ division. Doing so you defeated a young Top LW Kyle Richards. How many other NBL title's do you hold?
Actually it was the 18+ Featherweight division. and the 35+ lightweight titles. I have won titles the last 3 years 2002,2003,2004 and 2005 (4) point titles and (1) featherweight continuous title. well I always try and do my best in whatever division I am competing what I believe helps me the most is the ring generalship experience and the conditioning in that the 2 divisions require 2 types of training regiments and thought process one for the young competitors the pace is quite faster and you cannot waste any movement at all and be able to capitalize on the slightest mistake if and when they appear...where in the 30 or 35+ div the pace slows to more of a thinking game and more defensive to create offense in my opinion. but what i try and use to my advantage is keep the same pace and speed as the younger players for they are much quicker and adjustments are faster then most of the older fighters and that is also the way I prepare for competition is training with the younger players like Kyle and Marques Q and the likes of them for they continue to drive me to be even better.
Oh yeah I forgot I also won the WSKF SLW and Sr. Lightweight titles if they still mean anything...if it is still around no one has heard anything from Barbie and Marc and boob lieker are acting like it does not exist and that isn't  fair to the competitors who left there respective leagues and teams for them and none of them have nothing to say I have even tried to call Barbie and talk to Richard and no one has a answer. Integrity has truly been lost hopefully people like you and some of the younger guy can get it together and make it better...i hope so!!!


There was some controversy in this years Super Grand's in team fighting, can we get your side of the story of what occurred?

As far as the controversy, I have many takes on it many will not agree but it is just my opinion and mine only and the first thing that I will say is for those that were not there should not speak or comment on what they think they heard until all parties are listen to or at least they can be objective and not just one sided on who was done to and what to and by whom and the politics everything topic just to be difficult because it did not go in some ones favor one way or the other. in this sport just like many others always have controversy and there are others that like to keep it going on and on for there own agendas that really no matter what they may think it does not help the sport at all it further makes our sport look like a joke for every positive message there is always 2 negative ones for the most part not from the ones that are participating they think that they are adding value but really no added positive value
now in saying that, the first thing is about the coaching situation were I have to agree in that some may think that some of the coaches attitudes are not the best but anyone who says that they would not want there coach doing whatever it takes for them to win are truly lying to themselves and others please do not insult us in that they would not want someone to have there back in the ring as long as they use the rules to the proper way.
and many forget the rules and what they stand for when the do not agree with them and in this sport which like in so many others it is very subjective to what some one sees or think that they see. Interpretation is also a funny thing what one sees another may see totally the opposite. I was sitting with some one at the tournament who said exactly that watching all the arbitration's and problems from ring to ring and there comment was how does this happen and does this happen all the time and my response was yes you know why because many and most have forgot what this was supposed to be about The essence of the competition and not the win at all cost attitude.
And as far as what happened in the team fights first here is what the rule states and then what happened for those that are not familiar with the rules for we all complain that the other leagues do not have them available written down or even just off the top of there head and make up as they go.
*The rule states-A player forced out of bounds while fighting will not and cannot be penalized
*Penalty awarded if the player running out of bounds to avoid fighting or stepping out while moving about is subject to penalty and the discretion of the Center Referee have a penalty point awarded to his opponent each time after each infraction. And no judge or referee should let his personal issues or lack of being partial in the way of being fair to the competitors he should either respectfully remove himself or just do not put yourself in a compromising situation as we see from time to time. Now I hope people understands what that means in black and white no explanation needed for that one it explains itself. And in that match alone no one is going to change the Center referees opinion on what he thought he seen and the other referees had agreed as well for he was not wrong for the call and the player himself new that the call was right and if it went the other way in any case all would of taken the point as well I can testify that it has happened even with the well known teams. But I will also agree that no one should be put in the center first of all if they are not well versed on the rules that would avoid many of the issues that we currently have in this sport of ours. As for the gentleman that was the center he was not well versed on the rules and should of not been the center in that ring at the time for one thing the pace was set to fast for him before the match even started he made the comment that if he does not see it because the technique was to fast he was not going to call it we should have had him removed then but no one would of thought that he really meant that he could not keep up which really was the issue not that he did not see it just players were just to fast and movements were to fast for his eyes and with him not trying to listen to listen to anyone who was assisting him in some of the questions that went unanswered and that is where the problems started and by then it was to far gone as he should have been and was removed when you cannot be objective on the rights of the players and judge them fairly at that time you need to try another sport in my opinion.
And as far the arbitration's they should be held to a maximum of 5-10 minutes the time it takes to sort out some of these issues it just takes to long. Case should be heard decided and done with the best situation for all concerned and let it be.

What are some of your most memorable moments seen as  a spectator?
Well I  am going to go back awhile to the early 80's when they used to have the West Coast Nationals in San Jose, CA., one of the largest events in the country at that time.  Ernie Reyes used to put it on it was like Compete is now. Everyone was gathered around the heavy weight ring to watch the likes Nasty, Billy Blanks, Zip White, Tony "Satch" Williams, and so many of the others; all of the big names at the time. The match was between Tony Williams and Billy Blanks.  I think that it was one of their 3 meetings.  It started out fine but when Billy tried his patent cartwheel kick Satch was having none of it and he laid into Billy with perfect reverse punch.  It was over, Billy was out and Satch was DQ'd.  Nasty went on to win the Division and Face, another West Coast fighter.  In the deciding match Nasty fought Mark Foster, who at the time was up and coming.  Mark showed aggressiveness right from the start of the match.  Back and forth they went until the match was decided in OT.  Mark used his "Blitz," which at that time was Nasty?s signature technique.  This was the deciding factor in the match, which led to Mark winning.     Another good fight was at the 93' Super Grand's.  I remember  watching Mike Pombeiro, who at the time was an unknown.  He took on Jerry "Fast Feet" Fontenez in a classic battle.  I do not think Jerry had any idea of how good this kid was going to be.  Mike took it right to Jerry and won back to back matches against "Fastfeet." Well, we all now know and have seen Mike P.   in action since then.We are going to change up and give you a look at forms.  In the 1996 Las Vegas Stan Witz Internationals there were some good highlights.  All will remember the controversial disqualification, know as the Butch "Botch."  Butch's disqualification came while he was up against fellow Californian Omar Guerrero for the Grand championship finals. Earlier in the day he, Butch, had hinted that the evening performance would be entirely different and spectacular.  Leave it to Butch to innovative and gamble. When the audience saw Omar's routine no way could The Butch Man top that.  However, he did and was it spectacular to say the least.  One of the most dramatic productions even witnessed for those that were there.  I do not even have to explain how it was the best, and we have not seen anything like it since.When Stan took the microphone and said, "Where is Butch?" then followed with, "He is dead."  Then the pallbearers, with a 6 foot coffin, began to come down to the ring.  It went dead silent, the crowd was completely quiet, Wow everyone took a breath and then the coffin opens, and out came Butch as the WWF Undertaker.  The crowd erupted and went crazy.  He came out in all black.  It was the best production that I have ever seen in at any event since or almost ever. Then came the politics, someone made note that you could not use a prop and Butch was disqualified.  Omar was pronounced the winner, and everyone was disappointed.  Butch was disqualified and Omar took the title.  The bad part was they did not explain, until the next day, what happened.  It was a big let down, and was questioned why they let him compete knowing he was going to use a prop in the first place.  That is the problem with events sometimes anything for the show and not anything that is best for the competitors.  This was one of those occasions.Some of my most
You most memorable moments as a fighter:
I am going to have to say that watching my 1st competition in 1992 and then participating in the in my 1st Super Grand's in 1992. SG was still up and coming and all of the best competitors were there.  It was like (93) it was in new Orleans when I first realized how good competition really was.  I thought more about watching then participating.  We all just wanted to observe, take notes, and spend our time talking to all the big names at the time. Watching and looking around and since everyone in every division was skilled and professional.  Every ring was stacked with so much talent, it was unbelievable.  Every time someone stepped in the ring with Manny Reyes he would try and put hole through them.  It didn't seem to matter who you were.  I did not mind getting hit in order to return the favor.Another time I remember would have to be the first time I met and watched Tony Young at the 96' Wako Real Team try outs.  At the time he was such a great watch.  He could wake up out of a dead and be on point with no problem.  I had never seen someone as calm as him.He used to do this all the time and I never knew why until one day he said, "Why stress?  Just relax and do what you do all the time.  Never change from your program. If you are simple things will come to you."  Well we all know the legend of Tony Young.

Who were some of your toughest opponents ever?
In the past one of my toughest competitors would have been the One and Only Leo Creer.  He was the Featherweight and SLW champion.  At that time I was a flyweight up and coming, so we were bound to meet.  When we did he got the best of me but I never gave up.  What I really liked about him was how after every match he would sit and explain to me in detail what he saw in me and what he used against me. His theory is something that I still use today, in that I can share with you (the competition) on what I used in the match to defeat you, what you do with that information is on you.  I return myself to "The Lab" and retool myself for the next time we meet.  We will know if my competitors have been working on a plan or if they just go out and continue to be defeated.  In my mind that is what sets a true champion apart from some.  Leo was a true champion and legend that will be a part of me as long as I continue to compete.
Currently one of the toughest opponents in my division is Kyle Richard's.  He is so fast.  His speed keeps me on my toes all the time.  When you fight him you can't give an inch or he'll take advantage of every mistake...(we taught him well).  Outside of my division I would have to say it would have to be Hakim Walker and Justice Lawrence.  They both have similarities to deal in every match with them.  They are both very smart and have exceptional timing.  They can cover distance very well.  It just makes me have to go into the Lab every day to get better.Another great
Bryan Young
Hakim "The Dream" Walker
Ross "Flash" Levine
Steve "Hitman"Hart
Mallory "Executioner" Woods
Richard Plowden Interview
Jadi Tention
Interview
Troy Whaley
How old are you? I'm 36 years old

When, why and where did you start Martial Arts?  I started Martial Arts back in the early 80's in Shotokan Karate for self-defense purposes. Things went South with my uncle who then introduced me to Master Joe Pina and the Boston Tae Kwon Do clan. I have to tell you it was like heaven. I heard a lot about Mafia or Maf as his friends call him. Maf was known all around Boston, in and out of the ring. My first week of classes was something out of Fantasy Island. I was taking classes with Johnny Guante, Adilson "Dee Dee" Baptista, Jonathan DePina, Pedro Xavier, George Pina (Alves), Ronald and Donald Brady, Alberto Montrond, Lisa Rosa, and the GREAT Chavela Aaron.

When did you earn your Black Belt?  I earned my Black Belt in the early 90's with Master Joe Pina.

Do you own your own school?  Yes. I own Perry's Tae Kwon Do Academy (Formally a Boston Tae Kwon Do Academy). In December 2006 will make 10 years of running my own school and I will have promoted 70 plus students to Black Belt.

When did you start fighting in tournaments?  When I joined Boston TKD they were already the premier fighting academy so it was a perfect fit. I wanted to be somebody in the world of Sport Karate and Master Pina was the Bill Bellicheck of the Sport. Master Pina wasted no time in introducing me to KRANE and NASKA. My Black Belt career started with my first Black Belt win at the 1994 Ocean State Grand Nationals. This was the last year it was held at The Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick, RI. My name and career were mainly built on KRANE because I lived in Boston, and NASKA because NASKA is where the big names and the best competition is, but I've competed on just about all the main circuits that exist - NBL, WSKF, PKL,WAKO.

Boston Tae Kwon Do Academy dominated the 90's with the most talent ever from one group.   Tell me about the training at Joe Pina's. 
I appreciate that fact that you make mention of the dominance of our academy because in this day and age the fans of the sport have very short memories and have distorted facts of sport karate history and their facts.When you have the luxury of training with Pedro, Mafia, Ronald, and Donald, Jason Facey, Adilson "Dee Dee" Baptista, Alberto Montrond, Johnny Guante, and a host of other students that didn't bother in coming out every night was a war. We trained extremely hard and left it all on the mat night in and night out. Training at that high level success was bound to come at some point and time. You could say for the most part that we (Boston TKD) owned the Northeast and our fair share of the nation. If my history is correct in the decade of the 90's there was a representative from Boston in a NASKA event final with the exception of the 1994 Diamond Nationals. In anyone's book that spells DOMINANCE.

Who have been some of the other people you have trained with?  My training partners were some of the best people in the sport so I didn't feel a need to do any outside training but I have worked out with some of the other heralded people in the sport  like Jadi Tention, Mike Pombeiro and Raymond Daniels. But one of my favorite philosophical exchanges was with Andre "The Juggernaut" Richardson talking about ring mentality and sharing thoughts on the backfist.

How do you prepare yourself for competing?  A lot of drilling and many rounds of sparring. A lot of people don't understand the relationship between drills and sparring rounds and theory and practical application. It's a marriage and the two go hand and hand. The last part of my training is mental visualization, playing with point scenarios in my head so when and if the situation falls on me I will have already dealt with it mentally, making it that much more easier for me to deal with in the ring.

What happened to Boston TKD, why did Joe Pina stop producing more fighter's? I heard something about going to Traditional or Olympic TKD?  You have to understand that Master Pina has been putting out champions since the late 80's. Take a look at the stable of talent that came out of Boston TKD - Pedro, Adilson "Dee Dee" Baptista, Alberto Montrond, George Pina (Alves), Johnny Guante, Jonathan Depina, Jason Facey, Elizabeth Rosa, Chavela Aaron, Mafia, Ronald and Donald, and myself. One could say that Master Pina conquered Sport Karate and now he's looking for a new challenge, so he turned his attention to Olympic style TKD.

You have accomplished a lot in the sport, which accomplishments are you most proud of?   Having fought on all of the major circuits, I'd say there are 3 moments that stand out as my favorites. The 5 round KRANE Pro fight with Rene Perrault in Quebec, Canada. I'd never been through a 5 round fight is definitely an experience I'll never forget. Moment number 2 is the 7-man WAKO Pro fight against Venezuela. I had the pleasure of fighing with Sport Karate's Best past, present, and future. That fight featured Pedro Xavier, Jadi Tention, Raymond Daniels, Mike Pombiero, John Payton, Chris Rodrigues, and myself. A Sport Karate first and never to be duplicated. Last and not least, my Diamond Nationals win. I knew the winner between Preston and myself would go on to win the ring. I was down by 4 in two different points in that match and pulled it out in overtime.

You were a long time member of JPM, why are you not a member anymore? The circumstances that led up to my retirement and departure from Paul Mitchell are some what complicated. The one fact that the public needs to understand is that the departure of the "Big Four" was not due to the addition of Jesse Goldberg. There were a lot of issues going on before that. One way to sum it up is that you can't treat men like boys. In the end the "Big Four" felt that the prestige of the team was going to the wayside and wasn't there anymore. Another huge part of that situation came down to the fact that I've forged friendships with Jadi, Mike, and Raymond that transcend Sport Karate and I didn't see myself being on an opposite line from those guys. They were and continue to be my closet friends, aside from the people that I train with and people who I grew up with.

What are your most memorable moments in the sport as a spectator?   There are quite a few moments that stick out but I'll just mention a few : The greatest point of the 90's. Bluegrass Nationals team fights in 1993 Pedro and Richard Plowden fighting for one point. Ronald Brady's run of 12 straight NASKA grand champion titles in 1993. My absolute most memorable moment was at the 1998 Total Impact in Canada. The team fight final Paul Mitchell vs. Canada. Pedro and myself had an off night and Jadi found himself in a 12 point hole. Jadi scored 13 points to tie it up in regulation and then won it in overtime. I pulled him to the side afterward and told him because he was training 7 days a week that I expected him to come through and I was proud of him.

Who has been your toughest opponent? I would have to say toward the end of my days Jason Tankson gave me a lot of difficulty.

You hold a Super Star Camp every year, can you tell me more about this and a little bit about your plans with this year's camp? Sport Karate has changed my life. It has allowed me to travel all over this world, and through martial arts I've carved out a nice life for myself and my family. It has always been my mission to give back to the Sport that has given me so much. My camp "The All Star Competition College" is just that, my gift to Sport Karate. I wanted to provide the competitors of this sport an opportunity to train with the best people in the sport and more importantly to hang out with them and see that we are everyday Joes and Janes just like them. This year's camp is going to be held at The Royal Plaza hotel in Marlborough, MA. the same hotel the New England Open is held in. A have a few surprises up my sleeve for this year.
Reggie
Perry