No Holds Barred: Todd Hester on the Soul of Mixed Martial Arts

No Holds Barred: Todd Hester on the Soul of Mixed Martial Arts

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2008-07-11T13_13_26-07_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Todd Hester, who is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/).

Todd is someone who has been immersed in the combat sports for many years. He started training with the Gracies in the late 1980's, covered the first UFC in 1993, and has been ringside or cageside for countless MMA events all around the world.

Now, in a provocative new editorial called "Redemption and Transformation", in the current edition of Gladiator Magazine, he argues that MMA has lost its soul.

Commenting on what grappling, jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts are really about, he wrote, "it isn't about the fighting." He also argued, "fighting for the sake of pure violence is basically immoral."

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the transformation of mixed martial arts from, as he called it, the "cerebral" sport it once was, to its current state which celebrates "mindless, juvenile violence." We also discuss what can be done to change the sport of mixed martial arts into something which plays a more positive role.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

Make sure to check out my regular weekly boxing show SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/. On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, we begin by commenting on this past Saturday's thrilling fight between Kendall Holt (24-2, 13 KOs) and Ricardo Torres (32-2, 28 KOs). After being dropped twice, Holt rallied to knock out Torres in just 61 seconds of the first round to capture the WBO junior welterweight title from Torres. This fight, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and shown live in the U.S. on Showtime, will be replayed Tuesday, July 8, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, on SHO2. Next, the annual meeting of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) took place this past weekend in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The ABC is comprised of the athletic commissions in the U.S. and Canada, including in their tribal communities, and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nick Lembo, counsel for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, attended this meeting. We had a lengthy interview with him about what the ABC is and is not doing to deal with the many controversies which continue to arise in the sport of boxing. It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/). Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.

Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/).

BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).

FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.com

Enjoy!
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/badge.gif

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved