Another Friday Night Fight, January '06

We take BKH residential students to these local untrained boxing competitions to build their confidence and give them an easy taste of the stresses of the full-contact fight. We are not a boxing school, neither are their opponents in these competitions trained boxers. Some of the photographs look pretty rough and of course it is "a little rough" but in only 3 one-minute rounds of boxing with thick gloves, mouthpieces, thick padded head gear and strict supervision by the State Boxing Commission, it's actually a remarkably safe way for them to experience full-contact competition. Remember that in bare-knuckle Kyokushin karate competitions, in which the blows are much more dangerous by comparison, punches (not kicks) to the head are prohibited in the name of safety. If you're a student potentially interested in classes at Ligo Dojo, remember that we offer classes to all types who come to train for a wide range of reasons. Women and children join our dojo classes but no one, except those who want to, are subjected to full-contact competitions like these. Remember that BKH residential students are 18 to 23 years old, they train up to many hours per day, and enter the dormitory specifically to learn how to fight in full contact competition. The 11-year-old who just got his first belt training at Ligo Dojo is reminded that the true goal of karate training is to win against yourself, rather than to win against others. He is reminded that the bigger man walks away from the fight in most situations. Yet he learns of course HOW to fight should it ever become necessary for him to defend himself.

This Friday night we took one fighter from the BKH dormitory and one Ligo Dojo student to fight in yet another local tuffman competition for full-contact experience and for recreation. This was Robert Schnoes's 2nd toughman competition (above left) and he lost his first fight by split decision.

Ligo Dojo student (and former BKH residential student), Curtis Bennet (right), won his first fight by unanimous decision. He's 26 now and it's been some years since he's fought. We look forward to working with him on power and accuracy. He hopes to join Schnoes and fight in the Japan Weight Category Tournament April 29th. If he can get his finances in order, it will be his first Kyokushin tournament.

"I can't believe how anyone wouldn't have fun doing this!"

Robert Schnoes just after his fight. The blood on this T-shirt is his opponent's. Schnoes in this case fell victim to over confidence. He bashed his opponent so severely in his first round that he seems to have completely abandoned any attempt to evade his opponent's punches. His opponent, bloodied but not beaten, out scored Schnoes in the following two rounds by landing more punches with his longer reach. The punches scraped up Schnoes's face a little bit, but didn't hurt him.

"I can't believe that guy didn't go down," Schnoes said, "I hit him so many times in the jaw with my uppercut that I was sure he'd go down!" Following this particular millisecond (above), the inexperienced Schnoes was cautioned by the referee about holding the back of his opponent's head while he punched him in the face with an uppercut.

Schnoes's over confidence came from his newfound power and stamina. He been doing 900 knuckle pushups per week now (that's only 150 per day) and that, along with all the other power-stamina training, running, and heavy bag training has started to significantly change his athletic ability. When he fought 3 months ago in his first toughman, he had lots of heart (and he won his first fight) but he had no power, and no technique. Now that he's developing power and technique he's starting to realize that he can beat these guys. "I was afraid I was going to hurt him," he said, "he was bleeding like that and I thought I ought to take it easy on him. I can't believe the judges gave him the fight! Next time . . ."

Curtis (right, above and left, below) was a wild man!