Speechless.
Just speechless.
And yes, I did fucking cry. Alright?
Tear Jerker: Mardi Gras Closing Night, 2014
Posted in Real Men, Statement of intention with tags Elvis Di Fazio, Mardi Gras 2014, Marry Me on June 15, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
Fighting Words
Posted in Kickboxing, Observation, Real Men, Statement of intention with tags A Clocowork Orange, angel, Anthony Burgess, Genesis, Henry Handel-Richardson, Jacob, James Joyce, Kick boxing, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Kerr, Thai boxing, The Smashing Machine, Ulysses, War and Peace, Wilbur Smith on June 8, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
First published in Island Magazine, Issue 136.
There are two things I am driven to do: write and fight. Continue reading
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Hagiography
Posted in Ben Edwards, Journalism, Kickboxing, Observation, Peter Graham, Real Men, Statement of intention with tags art, Badr hari, Ben Edwards, BJJ, Boxing, facebook, Glory 16, IMC Prospect, International Kickboxer Magazine, Karate, Kempo, Kickboxing, Kyokushin, Peter Graham, Ralph Waldo Emerson, sport on May 31, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
“What a night. What can I say? Badr Hari is an animal. I was just too banged up to keep going. To my loving wife Silvia, my now-two little girls; you keep me strong.
“To my friends who have always been there for me, thank-you as you are all awesome. To my students at IMC Prospect: train hard and always do your best.
“Last, but not least, my fans; from the Kyokushin and Kempo karate people and the BJJ, MMA, Boxing And kickboxing fans who follow me and even the ones who do not or cannot, thank-you from the bottom of my heart.
“You are all part of who I am.”
Post-fight dedication from Peter Graham, taken from facebook, 30/05/14
***
I logged a post about Ben Edwards previously to this one. I was assigned to interview him for the most recent International Kickboxer Magazine and, towards the end of our conversation, he came out with something profound. Continue reading
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Down These Mean Streets a Man Must Go
Posted in Kickboxing, Observation, Real Men with tags Ben Edwards, fight or flight, Fighting, Glory 16, Kickboxing, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler, self esteem on May 30, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
Ben Edwards with his trainer jamie McCuaig, behind the scenes at Glory 16.
“Why do I fight? I had a great childhood; I’m not an angry person, but I love fighting. Maybe it’s genetic. As a kid, I had big self-esteem problems, connected to my weight. Sure, that’s part of it. But there’s more to it than that. Continue reading
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Heavy Sparring: Yes or No?
Posted in Kickboxing with tags Alistair Overeem, Ben Edwards, Benjey Zimmerman, Chalid Arrab, Chris Chrisopoulides, Errol Zimmerman, George Saint Pierre, Glory, Gokhan Saki, Joe Rogan, Johny Hendricks, K1 Oceania, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Phil Fagan, Ramon Dekkers, Robbie Lawler, Sam Greco, UFC, UFC 167, UFC 171, UFC Welterweight Championship on May 24, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
“Well, if you look at my training, if you see my helmet, it is like two inches thick… I got a big nose bar. And… I don’t take head shots. The reason why is that you don’t get paid in the gym – you get training in the gym. I want to save them for in the Octagon, and I think that’s what helps me a lot. Continue reading
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A Bad Case of the Holden Caulfields
Posted in Reading, Real Men with tags Allie, Bastille, Catcher in the Rye, David Copperfield, Dawn of the Dead, I Am Legend, OCD, Pompeii, Robert Neville, Robinson Crusoe on May 15, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
Anyone who likes to read must have read Catcher in the Rye – and loved it. Continue reading
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Jeff Hanneman: RIP
Posted in Obituary, Real Men, Slayer with tags Jeff Hanneman, Slayer on May 2, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
Ben Edwards: Glory 16
Posted in Kickboxing, Real Men with tags Anderson Silva, Ben Edwards, Billy Giampolo, Bulldog Gym, endomorph, Errol Zimmerman, Floyd Mayweather, Glory 16, Groundhog Day, Jamal Ben Saddik, Jamie McCuaig, Lucas Browne, Nick Boutzos, Paul Slowinski, Sergei Kharitonov, Steve McKinnon, Stuart McKinnon on May 1, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
Ben faces off against Errol Zimmerman on Saturday, May 3 at Glory 16 in Denver, USA. His last showing was an impressive third round knockout against Belgian juggernaut, Jamal Ben Saddik. He gives us the lowdown on the lead-up to Glory 16. Continue reading
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‘Sometimes… you cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing.”
Posted in Observation, Real Men, Statement of intention with tags awareness, capacity, focus, jiu jitsu, losing, problem solving, Rickson Gracie, winning on April 26, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
“Where there’s discomfort there’s fear… in these very tough positions, you’re in a little piece of hell. And through this daily suffering you learn to survive in these situations. You have to find comfort in uncomfortable situations. You have to be able to live in your worst nightmare.
“Jiu Jitsu puts you completely in the moment where you must have complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems. Sometimes, you don’t have to win. You cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing.”
– Rickson Gracie.
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Andrew ‘KO’ Keogh: Last Call
Posted in Journalism, Kickboxing with tags 'Fortitude Fitness', 'Pride and Glory', Aaron Leigh, Aaron McAlister, Andrew Keogh, athletics, basketball, Bruce 'Preacher' Macfie, Cambodia, Corporate Box Gym, hockey, Ian Jacobs, Jamie Kearnes, Karate All-Styles, Mark Lucchari, Meas Chantha, Mike Demetriou, Muay Thai, Shannon 'Shaggy' King, Stefan Fox, Warren Elson, Wing Chun Kung Fu, World Muay Thai Council on April 26, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle
International Kickboxer Magazine, March/April 2014
Thai boxing is about adversity. It’s about stacking yourself up high enough in training to overcome the obstacles that come at you in the ring. For some though, the battles are just as tough outside of it. Andrew Keogh is one such fighter. Continue reading
