Gray Hair, Black Belt

The New York Daily News reports that Annie Ellman is retiring as director of the Center for Anti-Violence Education in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Ellman will still be teaching classes, but she is passing on the administrative duties. Here's a sample:

A self-described child of the 1960s who campaigned against the Vietnam War and for civil rights, Ellman started training in Goju karate in the early 1960s with Gerald Orange.

"He is an incredible teacher," Ellman said, describing Orange as her mentor. "He talked about training for our physical and spiritual survival. His goal was and is to empower and build self-confidence in both men and women."

"NEW YORK SHOWDOWN 8" PACKS THE HOUSE WITH SAN DA FANS

Event coverage brought to you by Paul Rosner's USKBA, at www.USKBA.com. Pictures of the event can be found at the USKBA web site at
http://www.uskba.com/eventpics0406/40605a01.htm

USKBA ACTION SPORTS Promoters King of San Da: USA held the eighth installment of their "NEW YORK SHOWDOWN" series at NYKK Gym located at 43 West 24th Street, 3rd Floor, New York City on Saturday, June 5, 2004. With each "NEW YORK SHOWDOWN" event, it seems the fights get better and better. "NEW YORK SHOWDOWN 8" has now set the bar for what an amateur San Da event should be. The match ups are superb and the San Da talent is overwhelming.

The referee was Donnie Carolei. The judges were Rodney Libramonte, David Ross, Frank Allen, Larry Norman, Josh Bartholomew, Adam Resnick. The timekeeper was Diane Ventura. The announcer was Steve Ventura. Many thanks to all the fighters who came from the following participating studios; NYKK Gym, 7 Lion Kung Fu, Wesely San Shou, Wu Tang PCA, Boston San Shou, Progressive Martial Arts, Edge Martial Arts, Aki El
More Ryu, USA Kung Fu Academy, Muay Thai/Jujitsu. The next event, "NEW YORK SHOWDOWN 9", is scheduled for November 6, 2004. For information, or to fight on a "NEW YORK SHOWDOWN" event, call 212-242-2453.

For event results, go to www.USKBA.com

Olympian Rhadi Ferguson to Compete at Sambo Championships

The American Sambo Association is proud to offer its congratulations to Rhadi
Ferguson for his placement on the 2004 US Olympic Judo Team going to Athens, Greece.
There is no better man to represent our country in this most historic of Olympiads.
By all accounts his performance at the Olympic trials was inspirational. Visit
http://www.lloydirvin.com/olympics.htm for a complete account of Rhadi's victories
at the trials and hear inspirational words from his coach Lloyd Irvin.

The American Sambo Association is honored that Rhadi has agreed to participate in
our 2004 North American Freestyle Sambo Championship Supershow at the USKBA Action
Sports World Championships only one week after the Olympic Games!
The road to the Olympics is no easy route. Our athletes get little funding and are
primarily dependent upon sponsorship and donations for financial support of their
training. Please take a few moments to visit Rhadi's sponsors:

http://www.trainingtowin.com
http://www.thegrapplingblueprint.com

Make a personal donation to Rhadi's training fund by visiting:

http://www.rhadi.com

Our athletes can only represent us if we represent them. Do what you can to help
Rhadi bring home the gold!

...............................................................
Stephen R. Koepfer
President, American Sambo Association
www.americansamboassociation.com

USKBA Action Sports Freestyle Sambo Event Coordinator
2004 North American Freestyle Sambo Championships
http://www.uskba.com/2004tournament.htm

Afghanistan Olympic Team

Nice NYT story about the Afghan Olympic Team, which includes a woman competing in judo.

Judo Olympians From New York City!

The Olympic Trials for judo were held last weekend in judo mecca San Jose, California. Congratulations to the New Yorkers who will be representing the U.S.A. in Athens! Of course there's no chance we'll see them on TV... unless you have some crazy satellite package, all you'll be getting are soft-focus life stories of hammer-throwers and synchronized swimmers. If anyone has tips on how to get LIVE coverage of judo, tae kwon do, et cetera, let us know!

Taraje Williams-Murray, Bronx, men's 60kg
Celita Schutz, Manhattan, women's 70kg

Olympic alternates:
Dariusz Mikolajczak, Brooklyn, men's 90kg
Garlyne Celestin, Brooklyn, women's +78kg
Liz Burns, Scotia, women's 52kg

Hopefully soon we'll get some kind of kickboxing and mixed martial art in the Olympics. Just one of each should do, with standardized rules. I think the best solution is if no one gets their way - in other words, I don't favor Muay Thai over San Shou or Pankrase over Shootboxing. There should be one kind of Olympic kickboxing, and one kind of Olympic mixed martial arts, period.