College wrestling stars in MMA to compete in USA Wrestling Western Grappling Duals on Feb. 9
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by Janet Jenkins
NCAA Wrestling Champions and All Americans re-unite to compete at Western Regional Grappling Duals on Feb. 9th
Team Takedown MMA Fighters "Team Up" for "Take Downs" with Marc Laimon's Cobra-Kai at Grappling Competition
Arlington, TX, January 28, 2008: Former collegiate champion wrestlers turned pro MMA fighters will dual together once again at the Western Regional Duals on Feb.9, at Palomar College in San Marcos, California, a USA Wrestling sanctioned event
Team Takedown Fighters Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks, Eric Bradley, and Shane Roller join forces with Marc Laimon's Cobra Kai talented team members. Bets are on that "Team Takedown-Cobra Kai" is a force to be reckoned with. A new MMA clothing line called CK Fight Gear developed by Sporting Goods giant Cliff Keen is sponsoring the team.
- Jake Rosholt - 3X NCAA Div. I Champ, 4X All American, Big 12 Champion MMA Pro Record 3-0 Including 3 TKO's and 3 Light Heavyweight Titles
- Johny Hendicks - 2X NCAA Div. I Champ, 4X All American, 3X Big 12 Champion, MMA Pro Record 2-0 Including 2 TKO's
- Eric Bradley - 2X All American, 2X Big Ten Champ, National Collegiate Boxing Champion MMA Pro Record 2-1
- Shane Roller - 3X All American, Big 12 Conference Champion. MMA Pro Record 2-1 Including a 16 second TKO in round 1.
Team Takedown Managing Partner Ted Ehrhardt is looking forward to watching his fighters compete together as one entity and use this experience as a learning curve. Ehrhardt, who thrives on competition and loves a challenge feels the team is going to have great success.
"I am so excited, I can hardly wait….I feel like it's Christmas all over again!" said Ehrhardt.
The Team Takedown Fighters have a positive attitude and feel they will benefit from the experience of competitive Grappling.
"I'm excited about competing in the Western Duals because it will allow me to use my wrestling as well as the Brazilian jui-jitsu that I've been learning, said Shane Roller. "It will also give me an opportunity to see what I need to work on to get better. This should definitely help me in MMA because it will improve my ground game. The wrestlers in MMA spend most of their fights on the ground, so I feel this will be very beneficial."
"I think this will help me better understand BJJ moves and positions, and also help me advance my position to finish the fight from the ground," said Johny Hendricks.
Eric Bradley is the only Team Takedown fighter with some experience in competitive Grappling. Bradley won the Intermediate division at 180 pounds at the Grappler's Quest in Las Vegas in Dec. 2006.
"It will get me more comfortable passing the guard and working on some techniques without getting hit in the face," said Bradley.
Jake Rosholt is looking forward to competing. "It will give me things to go back to the gym and focus on," he said..
World renowned black belt Marc Laimon, from Cobra Kai Jiu Jitsu is currently helping with the training of several of the Team Takedown fighters. Laimon encouraged Jake Rosholt do some Grappling competitions, and Ted Ehrhardt jumped on the idea, and suggested forming a team. Marc Laimon is fired up for the competition and says to "Bring your video cameras. The game is about to change!
Team Takedown - Cobra Kai is about to unleash the next big evolution in the sport. I am so excited to be working with such high caliber athletes, that possess the work ethic to become the very best in the sport," said Laimon.
"Team Takedown will benefit by being under stressful live situations that relate very closely to MMA. They will be able to practice takedowns to guard passes, to dominate positions, which ultimately will lead to a submission victory. I am so excited to see what these guys can do.THEY are the FUTURE," said Laimon
Cobra Kai is also bringing two top guns in Sim Go and Chris Holdsworth who were competitors in last year's USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials.
Who is the BEST in the WEST??
Tournament organizers expect as many as 12 teams to participate, many of which have backgrounds in Grappling, jiu jitsu, wrestling and other martial arts. With the dual meet format, participants will have an opportunity for a number of quality matches.
"I believe that this will be the highest level team competition we have seen to date," said Chris Carlino, the Director of Grappling for California USA Wrestling. "The Grappling community has not seen a competition like this before. Grapplers of all levels will be able to have competitive matches. That is the beauty of the dual meet format."
USA Wrestling events featuring Grappling have proven to be successful in Southern California this year, according to Richard Malliet, the Director of the San Diego Wrestling Association. This fall, the SDWA has run eight tournaments where a Grappling division has been included and they have been well received.
'We are having fun with this newly sanctioned USA Wrestling sport, and will continue promoting it as far as we can," said Malliet.
For more information on the competition, contact Chris Carlino, Team/Competition Director at 714-334-9257 or via e-mail at chriscarlino@hotmail.com
WHAT: WESTERN REGIONAL DUALS - GRAPPLING TOURNAMENT
WHEN: FEBRUARY 8 - WEIGH IN'S & PACKET PICK- UP
FEBRUARY 9 - PRELIMINARY ROUNDS START AT 9:00 AM
WHERE: PALOMAR COLLEGE
1140 WEST MISSION ROAD.
SAN MARCOS, CALIFORNIA 92069
Team Takedown MMA Fighters "Team Up" for "Take Downs" with Marc Laimon's Cobra-Kai at Grappling Competition
Arlington, TX, January 28, 2008: Former collegiate champion wrestlers turned pro MMA fighters will dual together once again at the Western Regional Duals on Feb.9, at Palomar College in San Marcos, California, a USA Wrestling sanctioned event
Team Takedown Fighters Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks, Eric Bradley, and Shane Roller join forces with Marc Laimon's Cobra Kai talented team members. Bets are on that "Team Takedown-Cobra Kai" is a force to be reckoned with. A new MMA clothing line called CK Fight Gear developed by Sporting Goods giant Cliff Keen is sponsoring the team.
- Jake Rosholt - 3X NCAA Div. I Champ, 4X All American, Big 12 Champion MMA Pro Record 3-0 Including 3 TKO's and 3 Light Heavyweight Titles
- Johny Hendicks - 2X NCAA Div. I Champ, 4X All American, 3X Big 12 Champion, MMA Pro Record 2-0 Including 2 TKO's
- Eric Bradley - 2X All American, 2X Big Ten Champ, National Collegiate Boxing Champion MMA Pro Record 2-1
- Shane Roller - 3X All American, Big 12 Conference Champion. MMA Pro Record 2-1 Including a 16 second TKO in round 1.
Team Takedown Managing Partner Ted Ehrhardt is looking forward to watching his fighters compete together as one entity and use this experience as a learning curve. Ehrhardt, who thrives on competition and loves a challenge feels the team is going to have great success.
"I am so excited, I can hardly wait….I feel like it's Christmas all over again!" said Ehrhardt.
The Team Takedown Fighters have a positive attitude and feel they will benefit from the experience of competitive Grappling.
"I'm excited about competing in the Western Duals because it will allow me to use my wrestling as well as the Brazilian jui-jitsu that I've been learning, said Shane Roller. "It will also give me an opportunity to see what I need to work on to get better. This should definitely help me in MMA because it will improve my ground game. The wrestlers in MMA spend most of their fights on the ground, so I feel this will be very beneficial."
"I think this will help me better understand BJJ moves and positions, and also help me advance my position to finish the fight from the ground," said Johny Hendricks.
Eric Bradley is the only Team Takedown fighter with some experience in competitive Grappling. Bradley won the Intermediate division at 180 pounds at the Grappler's Quest in Las Vegas in Dec. 2006.
"It will get me more comfortable passing the guard and working on some techniques without getting hit in the face," said Bradley.
Jake Rosholt is looking forward to competing. "It will give me things to go back to the gym and focus on," he said..
World renowned black belt Marc Laimon, from Cobra Kai Jiu Jitsu is currently helping with the training of several of the Team Takedown fighters. Laimon encouraged Jake Rosholt do some Grappling competitions, and Ted Ehrhardt jumped on the idea, and suggested forming a team. Marc Laimon is fired up for the competition and says to "Bring your video cameras. The game is about to change!
Team Takedown - Cobra Kai is about to unleash the next big evolution in the sport. I am so excited to be working with such high caliber athletes, that possess the work ethic to become the very best in the sport," said Laimon.
"Team Takedown will benefit by being under stressful live situations that relate very closely to MMA. They will be able to practice takedowns to guard passes, to dominate positions, which ultimately will lead to a submission victory. I am so excited to see what these guys can do.THEY are the FUTURE," said Laimon
Cobra Kai is also bringing two top guns in Sim Go and Chris Holdsworth who were competitors in last year's USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials.
Who is the BEST in the WEST??
Tournament organizers expect as many as 12 teams to participate, many of which have backgrounds in Grappling, jiu jitsu, wrestling and other martial arts. With the dual meet format, participants will have an opportunity for a number of quality matches.
"I believe that this will be the highest level team competition we have seen to date," said Chris Carlino, the Director of Grappling for California USA Wrestling. "The Grappling community has not seen a competition like this before. Grapplers of all levels will be able to have competitive matches. That is the beauty of the dual meet format."
USA Wrestling events featuring Grappling have proven to be successful in Southern California this year, according to Richard Malliet, the Director of the San Diego Wrestling Association. This fall, the SDWA has run eight tournaments where a Grappling division has been included and they have been well received.
'We are having fun with this newly sanctioned USA Wrestling sport, and will continue promoting it as far as we can," said Malliet.
For more information on the competition, contact Chris Carlino, Team/Competition Director at 714-334-9257 or via e-mail at chriscarlino@hotmail.com
WHAT: WESTERN REGIONAL DUALS - GRAPPLING TOURNAMENT
WHEN: FEBRUARY 8 - WEIGH IN'S & PACKET PICK- UP
FEBRUARY 9 - PRELIMINARY ROUNDS START AT 9:00 AM
WHERE: PALOMAR COLLEGE
1140 WEST MISSION ROAD.
SAN MARCOS, CALIFORNIA 92069
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