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Fundraiser for Kid with Cancer

Judo for Jake                                  

By Kristen Brown

Mark “Stan” Staniszewski’s passion for martial arts began over 3 decades ago as a young boy growing up on Long Island, NY. Years later, Stan discovered Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Stan excelled in both, and has dedicated his life to studying, competing, and teaching the two disciplines.

Stan has medaled in multiple state, national and world competitions and is the first dual black belt on Long Island in both Judo and BJJ. He was deservedly inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2010.  Stan’s accolades in Judo and BJJ seem endless; however, his greatest accomplishments are his two sons, Luke and Jake.

A month ago, Stan’s youngest son, Jake, was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer.  Jake was diagnosed with advanced stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma at only 15 months old. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer that develops in the connective tissue, skeletal muscle or bone. The news shocked and devastated the Staniszewski family, but Jake is a fighter, just like his father. Members of the family quickly set up a donation page to help defray the steep costs of Jake’s treatment. In addition, Stan’s extended family, those in the Judo and BJJ community, set into action to support their friend in his time of need.

Upon hearing the news about Jake, Michael Hall, friend and colleague of Stan’s as well as president of the American Competitive Judo Association (Americomp Judo), reached out to his friends for help.  Nick Kossor, an international Judo competitor and US National Champion offered to donate his own money to the cause.  However, Hall believes that the martial arts community could do more. Hall organized Judo for Jake, a benefit seminar with all proceeds going directly to the Staniszewski family.

The Saturday April 6th event will be open to both children and adults and will be held at Stan’s martial arts academy, Team Combat Judo and BJJ in Massapequa, NY.  Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn from some the nation’s top ranked Judo players. The seminar will be taught by 2016 Olympic hopefuls Tony Sangimino, Hannah Martin, Nick Kossor, and Brad Bolen. All skill levels are encouraged to come.

These four Judokas have been training with Jason Morris at the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville, NY for nearly a decade.  Morris, the four time Olympian, is considered to be one of the top Judo coaches in the country.  “With Morris Judo goes beyond training. It is a culture and way of life.” stated Hall. The four athletes have one goal in sight, to bring home medals in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To accomplish that, the next 3 ½ years will consist of travelling around the world competing in world cups, grand slams, and world championships. Unlike other countries this travel is all self- funded.

Despite this pressure of raising money, traveling every few weeks, training twice a day, and often working other jobs, the future Olympians still find time to give back to their community by teaching clinics and seminars. Martin, who is ranked #1 in the US at 63 kilograms, and #20 in the world in her weight class, explains, “Judo is very family oriented. Your Judo people become your family and friends. Everyone supports each other.” Martin has never met Mark Staniszewski or his son Jake. In fact none of these top instructors who will be teaching the seminar have met Stan. They are coming together to help one of their own because as Hall explains, “Without this support there is no community.”

By attending the Judo for Jake seminar or by making a donation, members of the martial arts community have the opportunity to give back to a man who has given so much to the world of Judo and BJJ. More importantly, with this support, Jake Staniszewski becomes one step closer towards winning his fight against this awful disease.

To make a donation to Jake Staniszewski please go to: http://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/7v22/jakestaniszewski?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Share&utm_campaign=Isupport

For information about Judo for Jake please contact:

Mike Arcuri at Team Combat Judo and BJJ (516) 586-8844  @TeamCombatBJJ

For information from the American Competitive Judo Association

National Office: 516 670-JUDO (5836)

http://www.americompjudo.com

Follow their journey to the 2016 Olympic Games

Tony Sangimino- USA Current #3 at 81 kg  @Sangi81

Hannah Martin- USA Current #1 at 63 kg  @JUDOHaNnAh

Nick Kossor- USA Current #1 at 60 kg  @NKossor

Brad Bolen- USA Current #1 at 66 kg  @BradBolenJudo

For information on future BJJ seminars for Jake please email:

Kristen- Krs10KO@hotmail.com  @Krs10KO

For more information on Rhabdomyosarcoma go to:

http://www.sarcomahelp.org/rhabdomyosarcoma.html

Special thanks to the Jason Morris Judo Center and Michael Hall, President of the American Competitive Judo Association

The Things You Find with Google...

On the last UCL event.

Rooftop MUSU Fight

Amateur MMA in New York City!

Jim Genia's Twitter Feed

Tweets by @jim_genia

Giddyup

January 26.

Howdy Friends

Jeez, what a ghost town around here.  Where the hell have I been?

Scenes from Grapple at the Garden

Fightland

In case you're wondering, I've been doing some writing for VICE.  Here's their new MMA-dedicated site, and here are some of the pieces I've contributed.  What's VICE?  Essentially, a place where I can curse.  Heh.

Crappy HOF Dinner Pics

New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame Dinner Postscript

Last night was the inaugural New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame dinner, and as yours truly was being inducted as "Media Personality of the Year", I was there.

It was, of course, a great honor to be recognized for the work I've done in this field that I love.  Before calling me up to the stage and handing me my award, presenter (and New Jersey commission guru) Nick Lembo talked about the years I wrote for FCF and my book - both of which gave the New Jersey and New York scene coverage like no else had.  That kind of acknowledgment is priceless.  But what was of an even greater honor was to be counted among the ranks of the other inductees, which included the legendary Renzo Gracie, top referee Dan Miragliotta, pioneering fighter Dave Tirelli, promoter Lou Neglia.  Sure, there was food and drinking and laughing and hanging out with friends, but what made it all amazingly special was that I got to stand on a stage with Renzo and Big Dan and the rest.  (Also, the fact that Renzo gave ME a shout out in his acceptance speech... wow.)

Anyway, it was a great time.  Congrats to all the HOF inductees, and thanks to the Perez family, who orchestrated the whole affair.

I could not be more proud.

Is the UFC Already Planning an Event in New York?

According to a letter written by the attorneys representing Zuffa in their lawsuit against the State of New York, the UFC is already planning an event in the Empire State.  The letter, which was sent to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (the defendant in Zuffa's suit) on October 26, addresses the State's recent suggestion that Zuffa could circumnavigate the longstanding ban on professional MMA by utilizing one of the statutorily-approved sanctioning bodies to get a UFC event into the state.  The relevant section of the letter reads:

Based at least in part on positions taken by your Office in this case, MMA and other combative sport events are proliferating in New York.  Thus, the UFC is beginning the process of planning a professional MMA event to be held in New York, under the auspices of one of the exempt organizations listed in the Combative Sport Ban and pursuant to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

Now, this could either be a legitimate statement or just a form of legal gamesmanship, but if what is being said is true... yikes!  A UFC in New York before the ban is actually lifted!

Two things to note:

• The sanctioning bodies that the law enumerates as all good in the 'hood are the US Judo Association, US Judo Inc., the US Judo Federation, the US Tae Kwon Do Union, the North American Sport Karate Association, the USA Karate Foundation, US Karate Inc., the World Karate Association, the Professional Karate Association, Karate International, the International Kenpo Association, and the World Wide Kenpo Association.  Most of those organizations are long dead, although the World Karate Association is now the World Kickboxing Association, and they've been allowed to sanction pro kickboxing events in New York for years. Currently, the New York State Athletic Commission is allowing the USMTA's Muay Boran league to sanction amateur MMA.
• The Office of the Attorney General responded to the aforementioned letter, and their answer was the legal equivalent of "Uh, derp."  In other words, it was no answer at all.