ARMY JOIN BATTLE AT MMA CAGE NIGHT

By Phil Doherty, pic by North News

THE Cage Fight Night at RAF Boulmer has turned into a Battle Royale with two British Army lads joining the fray to raise cash for Help For Heroes.

The two army fighters will join six Raf MMA battlers who train out of the DFM Reivers MMA and the Tap out Academy clubs in Alnwick, Northumberland, to fight for the charity that raises cash for those service personnel injured in the line of duty.

Matt Johnson, Team Shotai Kai, who is a member of the Royal Dragoon Guards, and Onur Roman Caglar, The Dojo, who serves in the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, will be fighting alongside RAF members Andrew logan; Jimi Fraser; Callum Bell; Sean young; Danny Walker and Dean Gordon.

Darren Currah, of DFM Martial Arts who presenting the Battle At Boulmer Cage Fight Night, said: "The night is promising to be a bigger clash with every passing day and the military lads will looking to put up great performances in front of their contemporaries.

"They have their regimental and unit pride on their shoulders and will be putting 110pc into winning their matches.

"The Army's presence will be further boosted by guests from the Royal Artillery, North Gunners, who are coming from Otterburn Camp to watch the show and support the cause.

"The 4th Gunners recruit directly from the North East and are training at Otterburn for deployment in the future. On the day of the fight Martial News has arranged for the men and women of the regiment to have a training session with a top UFC fighter..."

The Regiment is also being adopted by Martial News and we will be devoting articles to its activities over the next coiming year.

Anyone wanting to catch the bus should go to the car park behind the Playhouse from 6pm, for the first shuttle. A member of the team will be on site. There is no need to book in advance.

The Cage Fight Night – called Battle for Boulmer – is being held on Friday, March 12^th from 7pm.

The event will feature both MMA, kickboxing and K – 1 bouts and will range from amateur to professional fights.

The event is featuring some of the top team in the UK including DFM Reivers MMA, op teams from around the UK provisionally include the Tap out Academy, the Hebburn Heavy Hitters, Aikikickboxing, Northern Academy Ju-jitsu, Team Shotai Kai, Darlington Ju-jitsu, Caged Steel. The Alpha Gym, AOF MMA and The Dojo.

There will be a bar by Blackmore’s pub of Alnwick, and catering by the RAF Naafi. 

A bus will run from behind The Playhouse from 6pm and will bring guest back to the centre of Alnwick after the fight. This costs £1.50.

Amateur fighters will receive £25 expenses plus £5 for each ticket they sell, semi-pro MMA and kickboxers will receive £50 expenses plus £5 for every ticket sold.

Pro purses TBC, enquire for details. Each club will receive two free passes for corner.

Tickets: £20 standard AVAILABLE; Table of 10 cage side £300 (includes waitress service) - SOLD OUT; Sponsor packages AVAILABLE. Enquire for details.

Contact: darren.currah@martialnews.co.uk

CLICK HERE TO GO TO ADVERTISING FOR TICKETS

MARTIAL NEWS TEAMS UP WITH THE SUNDAY SUN

By Darren Currah
darren.currah@martialnews.co.uk

MARTIAL News will be supplying the UK's biggest regional newspaper, the Sunday Sun, with combat stories.

The new section in the Sunday Sun's sports pages and online will be called The Combat Zone and will feature all the main fight events in the region.

All correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, Phil Doherty, Martial News, 64 Greenrigg, Blaydon-on-tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE21 5HZ.

ROSS PEARSON RETURNS AS  BLOGGER FOR MARTIAL NEWS AND THE SUNDAY SUN

UFC fighter Ross Pearson is returning as a regular blogger for both Martial News and the Sunday Sun.

Ross, who recently won his debut UFC fight in Manchester, first regular blog is live in this month's Martial News edition and on the Sunday Sun's website - www.sundaysun.co.uk from Tuesday, February 2nd.

Martial News deputy Editor Darren Currah said: "Ross kindly blogged for us during his preparation for his debut fight in the UFC in Manchester.

"Now he has returned after short break and will doing regular blogs for both Martial News and the Sunday Sun.

"He'll be giving our readers his insights into his training and fighting in the UFC as well commenting on other aspects of the MMA world."

Go to blog six to read Ross's latest installment.

A SENIOR JU-JITSU EXPERT HAS BEEN AWARDED HIS 10th DAN

(Caption): Sensei Ronnie Whittle, 73, has been awarded his 10th Dan

By Darren Currah

ONE of the region's oldest practising Ju-jitsu experts has been awarded his 10th Dan black belt.

Sensei Ronnie Whittle, 73, of the Bushido Kemp Ju-jitsi club, in Upperby, Carlisle, Cumbria, is now one of the highest ranking instructors in the art in the UK.

Sensei Wilf Dixon, who runs Upperby Jujitsu Club with Mr Whittle, said: "It is the highest rank you can actually go to apart from if you develop your own style of martial art when you become a professor.

"It is a great achievement. Although I have met and trained with 10th dans in the past, Ronnie is the only one I have been training with in my lifetime who I have seen achieve it."

The club has been running since 1976 and is affiliated to the International Aiki Budo Council.

Mr Dixon added: "Up until you become a fifth dan it is a physical grading, where you actually have to go in front of a panel of your peers and prove to them that you are worthy of the title they are going to bestow on you.

"After that it is honorary, based on your commitment to the art and your furthering of the art. It is a honour that has been bestowed on Ronnie by other practitioners because of the respect and dedication that he has shown."

TOP NINJUTSU INSTRUCTOR HEADS NORTH


(Caption): Sensei Keith Porter of the Bujinkan Ryuko Dojo explaining a technique with Sensei John Atkin, AFC

By Phil Doherty