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Hard work pays off for Dollamur students |
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Long-time Academy student and Jr. Black belt Mitchell Bustillo wins (2) Championship belts at the Europa NAGA
World Grappling Championship August 16th at the Dallas Convention Center.
When most students either took a break or stayed home over the Summer, Mitchell and his brother Marshall (with
the strong support of their parents) kicked their training into over drive. The hard work has now paid off. Mitchell
mowed through the competition wich drew nearly 900 competitors from all over the country.
Not only is Mitchell focused at the Academy, in school he has never made less than an "A" in every class, every
grade.
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| Sensei Scott & Mitchell Bustillo |
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Four World Champions earn victories at Dollamur U.S. Grappling World Team Trials |
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
09/13/2008 |
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Rocklin, California - September 2008
 Jeff Monson of Victory Athletics controls Brandon Ruiz of Grappler's Edge in the Dollamur U.S. Grappling
World Team Trials. Alicia Anthony photo
ROCKLIN, CALIF. – Four returning World Grappling champions
claimed victories in USA Wrestling’s Dollamur U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, held at Sierra College on Saturday.
2007
World Grappling champions who captured World Team Trials titles for the second straight year were men’s champions Ricky
Lundell of Grappler’s Edge at 154 pounds and Jeff Monson of Victory Athletics at 275 pounds along with women’s
champions Lisa Ward of Victory Athletics at 105.5 pounds and Felicia Oh of BJMUTA at 121 pounds.
Lundell tore through
the bracket with dominant performances, scoring a submission in all three of his matches. Lundell dominated Tom Lecuyer of
K3 Kombat Sports in the gold-medal finals. He was named Most Valuable Grappler for his performance.
Monson won all
three of his matches to capture a four-athlete round robin. He stopped runner-up Brandon Ruiz of Grappler’s Edge in
his final match, 4-2. Monson quickly scored a high crotch takedown to start the match, and ultimately won the bout with a
reversal.
Monson, a veteran MMA star and former Div. I wrestling star for Oregon State and Illinois, won all three
matches by decision. Ruiz has been a nationally ranked Greco-Roman wrestler who has extensive Grappling experience.
Ward
won a best-of-three championship series against 2007 World silver medalist Bahar Shahidi of Grappler’s Edge, using a
guillotine choke to score a submission in 1:19. Shahidi has dropped down to 105.5 pounds after winning her 2007 World medal
last year at 121 pounds.
In a battle of returning World champions, Oh defeated Tara LaRosa of the Philadelphia Fight
Factory in the finals, 4-3 in overtime. The score tied at 3-3 at the end of regulation. Oh scored the winning point on an
escape when LaRosa had a lapse of judgement and let her go at the start of the overtime. Oh won her World title last year
at 121 pounds, while LaRosa was a World champion at 136.5 pounds.
The other three men’s weight classes featured
some very competitive action, with new World Team Trials champions crowned in each of them.
2007 World silver medalist
Matt Sanchez of Ultimate Fitness won a five-athlete round-robin at 136.5 pounds, winning four matches with dominance. His
closest bout was a 5-1 decision over talented Brian Peterson of BJMUTA, who was the eventual runner-up. Sanchez’s other
three matches were all won by submission.
Former Univ. of Minnesota wrestling star Jacob Volkmann of MMAA won the 176-pound
title, defeating veteran grappling star Dennis Hallman of Victory Athletics, 5-0 in the championship finals. He scored a takedown
and a side mount for the margin of victory in the finals. Volkmann won his other two matches by submission, including a semifinal
victory over 2007 World bronze medalist Michael Kelly of Gilbert Grappling in 5:04. Kelly came back to place third in the
weight class.
“I was pleased with my performance in the first two matches because I was able to control my opponents
and stay out of trouble,” said Volkmann. “But in the final, Hallman was able to sink in a straight leglock that
had me in trouble, so I was irritated with myself for allowing that to happen. I am extremely happy to be going to Switzerland
and representing my team, Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, my sponsor, Heatwave, and most importantly my country and USA Wrestling.”
Capturing
a loaded 202.5-pound division was former Cal-State Bakersfield wrestling star Raphael Davis of Caique BJJ, who won by submission
over former Cal-State Fullerton wrestling star Ian Murphy of Ultimate Fitness in 2:09. Davis used a guillotine choke to score
the submission.
Davis won all three of his bouts, including a semifinal win over former Univ. of Wisconsin wrestler
Aaron Stark of Team Quest, 14-5. Murphy qualified for the finals with a 7-2 decision over 2007 Grappling World champion Malcom
Havens of Grappler’s Edge.
Stark, who was a successful fighter in the IFL, placed third in the weight class with
a 32-second submission over Danny Clark of MMA Institute in the bronze-medal match. Clark won his consolation semifinal match
with a submission over Havens in 5:50.
Miesha Tate of Victory Athletics claimed the 158.5-pound title, upsetting returning
World champion Valerie Worthington of New Breed in the finals match, 4-2. Tate scored the opening takedown in the match, and
was able to score a reversal later in the match for the margin of victory.
The other women’s individual champion
was Molly Helsel of NCFC, who captured the 138.5 pound division uncontested.
Winning the national championship team
award was Victory Athletics, based upon its performance in the 11-event World Team qualifying series, with the Dollamur World
Team Trials as the final and deciding event. Victory Athletics has won a custom 36 x 36 x 2 “National Champions”
wrestling mat from Dollamur. Victory Athletics had 107 points, followed by Grappler’s Edge with 83 points and Ultimate
Fitness with 55 points.
DOLLAMUR U.S. GRAPPLING WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Rocklin, Calif., September
13
Men’s division
136.5 pounds
1st Place - Matt Sanchez of Ultimate Fitness
2nd Place
- Brian Peterson of BJMUTA
3rd Place - Danny Kessler of American Pankration
4th Place - Leonard Snow of Grappler`s Edge
5th
Place - Manuel Ortiz of Unattached
154 pounds
1st Place - Ricky Lundell of Grappler`s Edge
2nd Place -
Tom Lecuyer of K3 Kombat Sports
3rd Place - Matt Holt of Victory Athletics
4th Place - Jeremy Umphries of Legion Elite
1st
- Ricky Lundell (Grappler`s Edge) won by submission over Tom Lecuyer (K3 Kombat Sports)
3rd - Matt Holt (Victory Athletics)
dec. Jeremy Umphries (Legion Elite), 4-3, OT
176 pounds
1st Place - Jacob Volkmann of MMAA
2nd Place -
Dennis Hallman of Victory Athletics
3rd Place - Michael Kelly of Gilbert Grappling
4th Place - Brad Sandoval of Ultimate
Fitness
1st - Jacob Volkmann (MMAA) dec. Dennis Hallman (Victory Athletics), 5-0
3rd - Michael Kelly (Gilbert Grappling)
won by decision over Brad Sandoval (Ultimate Fitness), 2-1
202.5 pounds
1st Place - Raphael Davis of Caique
BJJ
2nd Place - Ian Murphy of Ultimate Fitness
3rd Place - Aaron Stark of Team Quest
4th Place - Danny Clark of MMA
Institute
1st - Raphael Davis (Caique BJJ) won by submission over Ian Murphy (Ultimate Fitness), 2:09
3rd - Aaron Stark
(Team Quest) won by submission over Danny Clark (MMA Institute), 0:32
275 pounds
1st Place - Jeff Monson
of Victory Athletics
2nd Place - Brandon Ruiz of Grappler`s Edge
3rd Place - Bobak Ranjbaran of Demon Jiu jitsu
4th
Place - Peter Becker of Xtreme Couture
Women’s division
105.5 pounds
1st Place - Lisa
Ward of Victory Athletics
2nd Place - Bahar Shahidi of Grappler`s Edge
1st - Lisa Ward (Victory Athletics) won by submission
over Bahar Shahidi (Grappler`s Edge), 1:19
121 pounds
1st Place - Felicia Oh of BJMUTA
2nd Place - Tara
LaRosa of Philadelphia Fight Factory
1st - Felicia Oh (BJMUTA) dec. Tara Larosa (Philadelphia Fight Factory), 4-3, OT
138.75
pounds
1st Place - Molly Helsel of NCFC, uncontested
158.5 pounds
1st Place - Miesha Tate of Victory
Athletics
2nd Place - Valerie Worthington of New Breed
3rd Place - Angela Poe of Grappler`s Edge
National Champion Team Standings
(winner receives champions mat from Dollamur)
1. Victory Athletics, 107
2.
Grappler’s Edge, 83
3. Ultimate Fitness, 55
|
Grappling World Team Trials preview |
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USA Wrestling
08/29/2008 |
|
 Ricky Lundell has his hand raised at the 2007 World
Grappling Championships. Photo taken by Gary Abbott.
TheMat.com has put together a preview article
of the Grappling World Team Trials set for Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif. on September 13-14. At stake are spots on the
U.S. World Team which competes in Lucerne, Switzerland on December 20-21 at the Grappling World Championships.
136.5
pounds:
This weight class looks to be as action packed as last year. However, rumors have it that the defending National
and World Champion Darren Uyenoyama has retired from Grappling to focus his energy on his professional MMA career and recently
opened San Francisco-based gym, Fogtown Jiu-Jitsu. In the absence of Uyenoyama, 2007 Grappling World Finalist and 2x NCAA
All-American, Matt Sanchez of Ultimate Fitness leaps to the head of the pack as the division favorite. Sanchez is coming off
a dominating first-place performance at the Rio International Open. However, Sanchez’s road to victory could be rough.
His chief rival is Brian Peterson of Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy. These two athletes met at the Grappler’s
Quest Qualifier last year with Sanchez coming out the victor by a narrow margin. Peterson will be looking to avenge this loss
and claim ownership to the National title. Also look for top newcomers Alejandro Zeas (Team Yamasaki), John Blalock (10th
Planet), Daniel Kessler (American Pankration), Robert Lopez (Urban Jungle), and Eric Anderson (Minnesota Martial Arts Academy)
to make waves in this division.
154 pounds:
21-year-old Grappling phenom, Ricky Lundell of Grappler's Edge,
will look to repeat his performance from last year’s World Team Trials. Lundell will have his hands full with the slick
submission artist, Cobra Kai’s Scott Bieri. Both athletes are submission-minded grapplers that are always looking to
end the match. With their tremendous athleticism and willingness to take risk, this match-up could be the match of the tournament.
The potential tournament spoiler will go to 3x Oklahoma State All-American Shane Roller, who has been training with Marc Laimon
and will bring a tough competitive mindset to the trials. Also watch out for Greco-Roman sensations Jacob Hey from Matt Hughes’
H.I.T. Squad and No Limits MMA’s own, Shannon Slack. Both are transitioning into MMA/Grappling from Greco-Roman wrestling,
and both competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for wrestling in June. The dark horse for the weight class will have to
go to Colorado Fight Factory’s Keith Wilson, who is rumored to be dropping down to 154 lbs. He is a skilled grappler
that is known in Grappling and wrestling circles as a strong competitor. Others to watch are Matt Holt (Team Volt), Tom Lecuyer
(K3 Kombat Sports), Peter Sutton (Team Quest), Preston Marks (Ashevilla BJJ), and Kahlil Moreland (Roger Machado JJ).
176
pounds:
This is hands down, the toughest weight class of the entire Trials, and is stacked from top to bottom. The
favorite is defending champion Don Ortega who proved his ability in grinding through the stacked 2007 Trials. The Adams State
All-American wrestler and 2007 Grappling World Champion is a hard nose grappler that makes his opponent earn every point and
position. Ortega is going to have his hands full with MMA legend and UFC veteran Dennis Hallman, who has more experience then
any other grappler in the tournament. Hallman suffered a big upset last year in a one-point, semifinal loss to Paragon Jiu-Jitsu’s
Bill Cooper. Hallman suffered an injury during the match and had to withdraw from the tournament. He is looking to redeem
himself and take Ortega’s title. Up-and-coming grapplers and mixed-martial artists Jacob Volkman and Johny Hendricks
are going to give anyone that steps in front of them a tough time. Volkman, a 3x NCAA All-American from the University of
Minnesota, recently dominated the field at the Midwest Qualifier, where he submitted 2007 Grappling All-American and World
bronze medalist Mike Kelly in under a minute. Hendricks is a 2x NCAA Champion and 4x NCAA All-American. The former Oklahoma
State Cowboy is now a Cobra Kai disciple and has been training Grappling/MMA for the past two years. Funkmaster and Brazilian
Jiu-jitsu Brown Belt Joseph Gutierrez will look to ruffle some feathers with his unorthodox style and relentless submission
attack. Hollywood BJJ instructor Shawn Williams and his #1 student Warren Stout will look to repeat their performances from
the Last Chance Qualifier and make some noise in this stacked division. Others to watch for include Sean Spangler (Cobra Kai),
Jeff Paulson (American Pankration), Brad Sandavol (Ultimate Fitness), and Mike Kelly (Gilbert Grappling).
202.5
pounds:
The entrance of Rick MacCauley has turned this division upside down. Philadelphia’s best grappler, MacCauley
of Team Balance brings countless Grappler’s Quest titles and a BJJ Black Belt to the Trials. His dominating performance
at the Mason Dixon Qualifier has given him the title of favorite despite being in the same division as defending champion
Malcolm Havens. However, don’t count out the former Western Conference Champion and Wyoming wrestler Havens. He was
World Champion last year and is known for tireless conditioning and freakish strength. Both MacCauley and Havens could be
challenged by Cal State Bakersfield 1999 All-American and IFL veteran Raphael “Noodle” Davis. Noodle brings tons
of size and competition experience to table. Team Quest’s David Culbertson is a dark horse at this weight, and is coming
off of a big win against 2007 World Team Trials and World Finalist Matt Horwich, at the Northwest Qualifier, who is also a
major threat at this weight class. Look out for Jake Rosholt, 3x NCAA Champion from Oklahoma State, although Rosholt’s
participation is questionable. If he does compete, he is an instant favorite, having proven his ability to win big tournaments
on more than one occasion. Other contenders are Timmy Bond (Street Sport BJJ) and Ian Murphy (Prodigy Elite). Bond is coming
off of a great performance at the So Cal Qualifier by dominating all of his opponents. Murphy is a former Cal State Fullerton
standout and Freestyle University National Champion and has three straight submission victories en route to victory at the
Last Chance Qualifier. Others to watch out for are Chaun Sims (Easton BJJ), Dan Clark (MMA Institute), and Jeff Funicello
(American Pankration).
275 pounds:
This Division can be summed up with one word, Monson! Jeff Monson is
arguably the best U.S. Grappler to date and unquestionably one of the most accomplished grapplers of all time. Monson is the
definition of what it means to be a competitor. He is a former World Heavyweight #1 contender and MMA legend. Where most professional
fighters at his level would rest on their laurels and shy away from putting their reputation on the line, Monson defies convention.
He is a unique individual. As the defending World Team Trials and World Champion, Monson will be looking to repeat. Challenging
from Team Quest is Aaron Stark, an All-American wrestler from Wisconsin and former IFL fighter. Stark is coming off of a victory
over Bobak Ranjbaran, in the finals of the Northwest Qualifier. Grappler’s Edge athlete Brandon Ruiz is the best wrestler
of the field with a recent No. 3 ranking in Greco-Roman wrestling. Look for him to be able to give anyone trouble. Team Lutter’s
Justin Wren, a Texas native and former Junior National Champion, is very familiar with stepping up at big tournaments and
is learning from one of the best grapplers in the country. Also watch out for Ramon Diaz of No Limits MMA, who was a 2007
World silver medalist and strong wrestler and Sombo competitor. Others to look out for include, James Haddon (Fogtown JJ),
Bobak Ranjbaran (Demon Jiu Jitsu), John Dolida (Hybrid).
Women’s Divisions:
The women divisions will
have some of the nation’s finest female grapplers. At 105.5 lbs., Lisa Ward will be the heavy favorite with only a few
possible competitors. The 121-lbs. division is turning out to be the toughest division of the trials. Defending World Team
Trials and World Champion Felicia Oh is the favorite to repeat as Champion. However, rumor has it that MMA bad girl and defending
138.5 lbs. World Team Trials and World Champion, Tara LaRosa, is dropping down to take on Felicia Oh for the title of #1 female
grappler in the United States. Also in this division is Bahar Shahidi, who was 2007 World Team Trials and World Finalist,
losing to Oh in both finals. In the 138.5 lbs. weight class, Cindy Hales of Gracie-Barra Seattle and Josh Barnett protége
Ginele Marquez-Lee will battle for the top spot. Ginele is the returning World Team Trials Finalist in the division, but Cindy
Hales is known as one of the top female grapplers in the country. It should be exciting. At 158.5 lbs., Val Worthington of
New Breed Jiu-Jitsu stands atop the mountain with few challengers. However, if Tori Adams of Colorado Fight Factory decides
not to go down to 138.5 lbs., it should be an exciting match for the 158.5 lbs crown. Other grapplers to look out for are
Angela Poe (Grappler’s Edge), Meisha Tate (Victory Athletics), Molly Helsel (NCFC), Vanessa Hardy (Riverside Submissions),
Betsy Jones (Capitol Jiu-jitsu Team) Danielle Hobeika, Carla O’Connell (No Limits MMA), and Sandy Nickal (Rio Rancho
Wrestling Club).
|
| New National ad campaign |
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| 5 x Judo Olympian Mike Swain & Head Instructor Scott Templeton |
| New National ad campaign |
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| 9 x UFC Champ Matt Hughes & Head Instructor Scott Templeton |
| New "Seamless" National Ad featuring our Academy |
|
Dollamur was 1 of 12 U.S. national hosts selected by USA Grappling to run a World
Team Trial grappling regional qualifier.
The Southern Regional Plains Qualifier by Dollamur is May 31st in Ft Worth, Texas.
The top four winners of the team trials will represent the United states in the Grappling
World Games in Lucerne, Switzerland December 20-21st 2008.
| Dollamur Southern Plain Regionals |
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| USA Grappling |
USA Wrestling Southern Plains Regional Grappling Qualifier
Event Date:
May 30-31, 2008
Event Host:
Dollamur Sports Surfaces, www.dollamur.com
4709 S. Edgewood Terrace, Fort Worth, TX 76119
Event Contact:
Scott Templeton, (888) 628-7655, scott@dollamur.com,
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USA
Wrestling announces Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series
Jason Townsend Director of development styles - USA Wrestling
04/02/2008
Beginning in May, USA Wrestling will begin to host
a series of 12 qualifiers to determine the field for the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials.
These USA
Wrestling sanctioned qualifiers will identify the best Grapplers in the United States, and give them an opportunity to try
out for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team, which will compete at the Grappling World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland
on December 20-21.
The USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series will run from May through August,
and will be placed in strategic locations around the country. The series has been designed to increase the participation level
from last year, and encourage the nation’s best athletes to try out for the U.S. Team.
USA Wrestling has yet
to determine the site and date for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, but it is expected to be held in September 2008.
Visit TheMat.com and read the next issue of USA Wrestler for the final details on the date and location for the U.S. Grappling
World Team Trials.
“USA Wrestling is excited to bring this series of competitive World Team Trials Qualifying
events to the Grappling community,” said Jason Townsend, USA Wrestling’s Manager of Developing Wrestling Styles.
“We expect the nation’s best Grappling athletes to attend these events, for a chance to make the U.S. World Team.
Anybody who has competed in Grappling, wrestling, Jiu-jitsu or other martial arts should attend these outstanding events.”
In
order to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, which is for Senior-level athletes, men must place in the
top four in their weight class and women must place in the top three of their weight class. Returning 2007 U.S. World Team
Trials champions automatically qualify for the 2008 U.S. World Team Trials.
USA Wrestling started a Grappling program
in 2007, after the international wrestling federation FILA recognized the sport as a form of wrestling. A series of qualifiers
were held, and the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials were held alongside the wrestling trials events in Las Vegas, Nev.
The
U.S. World Team, sponsored by No Limits MMA, traveled to Antalya, Turkey and has a historic performance, coming home with
all nine gold medals from the 2007 FILA World Wrestling Games.
FILA has announced that the Grappling World Championships
will be held separately from other styles of wrestling, in a historic event set for Dec. 20-21 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
“It
is our intention for Grappling to have its own independent World Championships which will spotlight this new style,”
said Jean-Francois Court, Executive Director of the FILA World Grappling Committee. “Last year, we used the World Wrestling
Games as our de facto World Championships because of the time constraints we faced in organizing the event. So, this will
be our first World Championships where Grappling is on its own.”
Several of the nation’s top Grappling
teams have already committed to taking part in the process of entering the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series.
“I
look forward to Cobra Kai Jiu-jitsu competing in these events,” said Grappling legend Marc Laimon. “We expect
to improve on last years’ performance and really plan to step up our training to prepare specifically for these events.
I want to dominate the World Team Trials and get my guys on the World Team and make the trip to Switzerland and come back
with some gold medals.”
Events will be held in California, Colorado, Maryland, Texas, New York, Virginia, Illinois,
Florida, Nevada, Hawaii and Oregon. The first and the final qualifying events will be hosted at No Limits MMA, USA Wrestling’s
National Training Center for Grappling and Sombo.
All athletes must have a USA Wrestling membership and be U.S. citizens
to be eligible to compete in the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series as well as the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials.
You can purchase a USA Wrestling membership on www.themat.com.
Athletes can pre-register and pay their $50 entry fee
for these Qualifying events at www.TrackWrestling.com starting April 14th. On-site late registration will cost $75, so all
are encouraged to pre-register.
For more information on the 2008 World Team Trials Qualifying Series contact Jason
Townsend at (719) 598-8181 or jtownsend@usawrestling.org
USA Wrestling’s Grappling
World Team Trials Qualifying Series
Saturday, May 10
Southern California Regional Qualifier, No
Limits MMA, Irvine, CA
Contact: Chris Carlino at (714) 334-9257
E-mail: chriscarlino@mac.com
Saturday, May
17
Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifier, Massari Arena, Pueblo, CO
Contact: Troy Rutz at (303) 815-2306
E-mail:
troy.rutz@dcsdk12.org
Sunday, May 18
Mason Dixon Regional Qualifier, Rising Sun High School, North East,
MD
Contact: Will Townsend at (757)450-7469
E-mail: vausagrappling@yahoo.com
Saturday,
May 31
Southern Plains Regional Qualifier, Dollamur Sport Surfaces, Fort Worth, TX
Contact: Scott Templeton at (888)
628-7655
E-mail: scott@dollamur.com
Saturday, May 31
Northeast Regional Qualifier, Phoenix High
School, Phoenix, NY
Contact: Gene Mills at 315 652-7922
E-mail: pin2win@genemills.com
Saturday, June 7
Middle
Atlantic Regional Qualifier, Phoebus High School, Hampton, VA
Contact: Will Townsend at (757) 450-7469
E-mail: vausagrappling@yahoo.com
Saturday,
June 21
Midwest Regional Qualifier, Wright College, Chicago, IL
Contact: Joe Manzello at (630) 495-9717
E-mail:
jmanzello@theolympiancentre.com
Saturday, June 28
Southeast Regional Qualifier, River Ridge Middle School,
New Port Richey, FL
Contact: Russ Schenk at (727) 992-7229
E-mail: rschenk@pasco.k12.fl.us
Saturday, June
28
Southwest Regional Qualifier, Throwdown Training Facility, Las Vegas, NV
Contact: Scott Bieri at (702) 340-0484
E-mail:
scott@ckjj.com
Sunday, July 13
Hawaiian Islands Regional Qualifier, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, HI
Contact:
Bryan Sanders at (808) 688-3962
E-mail: bdshawaii@hotmail.com
Saturday, July 19
Northwest Regional Qualifier,
Parkrose High School, Portland, OR
Contact: Scott McKendry at (503) 661-4134
E-mail: scottm@tqmma.com
Saturday,
August 23
Last Chance Qualifier, No Limits MMA, Irvine, CA
Contact: Chris Carlino at (714) 334-9257
E-mail: chriscarlino@mac.com
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Dollamur to sponsor USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series and give free mat
to championship team
Jason Townsend USA Wrestling
05/11/2008
 Dollamur Sport Surfaces of Ft. Worth, Texas, has been named an official sponsor of the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World
Team Trials Qualifying Series and Finals.
As a part of this sponsorship, Dollamur will provide to the national championship
team from the entire qualifying series with a custom 36 x 36 x 2 “National Champions” wrestling mat.
Grappling
teams are encouraged to take part in the 12-event qualifying series and World Team Trials to earn points toward becoming the
national champions.
Dollamur is pleased be working with USA Wrestling as a sponsor of the 2008 Grappling World Team
Trials Qualifying Series,” said Gary MacDowell, President and CEO of Dollamur Sport Surfaces. “We are committed
to supporting Grappling as a new international amateur style of wrestling.”
“It is a tremendous opportunity
to have support from Dollamur as a sponsor for the USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series,” said
USA Wrestling Manager of Developing Styles Jason Townsend. “I am certain that the National Championship team will be
very happy with their prize, a new mat for their training center.”
Events will be held in California, Colorado,
Maryland, Texas, New York, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii and Oregon. The first and the final qualifying events
will be hosted at No Limits MMA, USA Wrestling's National Training Center for Grappling.
These USA Wrestling sanctioned
events will give Grapplers an opportunity to try out for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team, which will compete at the Grappling
World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland on December 20-21.
USA Wrestling has yet to determine the site and date
for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, but it is expected to be held in September 2008.
Dollamur USA Grappling
National Championship rules and procedures
Team Scoring Rules
- A Grappler may compete in as many qualifiers
as they wish.
- A Grappler may only compete for one team. The team he/she registers under in their first qualifier will
be the team in which he/she scores points for during the entire series.
- A Grappler is not required to wear a team uniform,
but it is highly suggested.
- The team score from the qualifiers will accumulate over to the World Team Trials.
- Only
senior advance divisions athletes will earn points toward the team score.
- Men’s and women’s points will
be tallied together.
- When registering your team, make sure the name of the team is being spelled the same.
- A team
may score points from multiple competitors in the same weight class.
- All the point accumulated by teams at the qualifying
events will be added to the points scored at the WTT.
- If there should be a tie at the end of the WTT then the team that
scored the most points at the qualifiers will be the team champions.
- There must be an official team coach/leader represented
at the WTT (the official team coach/leader may also be a competitor).
Qualifying Event scoring procedure:
Placement
Points
1st place= 2 points
2nd place= 1 ˝ points
3rd place= 1 point
4th place= ˝ point
No
Advancement or Bonus Points earned.
World Team Trials (WTT) scoring procedure:
Placement Points
1st place= 16 points
2nd place= 14 points
3rd place= 12 points
4th place= 10 points
5th place= 8 points
6th
place= 6 points
7th place= 4 points
8th place= 2 points
Advancement Points
Advancement
points in championship round= 1 point
Advancement points in consolation round= ˝ point
Bonus points:
Submission victory= 2 points
Technical Superiority victory= 1 ˝ points
Major Decision victory= 1 point
TENTATIVE
USA WRESTLING GRAPPLING WORLD TEAM TRIALS QUALIFYING SERIES
Saturday, May 10 - Southern California Regional Qualifier,
No Limits MMA, Irvine, Calif.
Saturday, May 17 - Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifier, Massari Arena, Pueblo, Colo.
Sunday,
May 18 - Mason Dixon Regional Qualifier, Rising Sun High School, North East, Md.
Saturday, May 31 - Southern Plains Regional
Qualifier, Dollamur Sport Surfaces, Fort Worth, Texas
Saturday, May 31 - Northeast Regional Qualifier, Phoenix High School,
Phoenix, N.Y.
Saturday, June 7 - Middle Atlantic Regional Qualifier, Phoebus High School, Hampton, Va.
Saturday, June
21 - Midwest Regional Qualifier, Wright College, Chicago, Ill.
Saturday, June 28 - Southeast Regional Qualifier, River
Ridge Middle School, New Port Richey, Fla.
Saturday, June 28 - Southwest Regional Qualifier, Throwdown Training Facility,
Las Vegas, Nev.
Sunday, July 13 - Hawaiian Islands Regional Qualifier, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Saturday,
July 19 - Northwest Regional Qualifier, Parkrose High School, Portland, Ore.
Saturday, August 23 - Last Chance Qualifier,
No Limits MMA, Irvine, Calif.
The U.S. Olympic wrestling trials begin Thursday in Las Vegas. It's the perfect location because so much of the chatter
surrounding the event is focused on pushing the ancient sport to sexy, combative extremes.
"People aren't trying to pin each other anymore," said Jason Townsend, who is promoting a new style -- "Grappling" -- for
USA Wrestling, the sport's national governing body. "They're trying to choke each other, arm-bar, leg-lock and get their opponent
to say, 'Uncle.' How long can you hold out before you tap out?'"
You "tap out" before turning blue, feeling your knee burst or your arm snap.
Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire
Dremiel Byers will be competing in the 120 kg Greco class at the U.S. Olympic trials.
Welcome to 21st-century international wrestling, and -- perhaps -- the future of Olympic wrestling. Buffeted by a perfect
storm of marketing and cultural vectors striking Olympic sports, wrestling -- arguably the most traditional of all -- can
be traced back thousands of years, when, Townsend said, "wherever people were, whether they were in a tree, they were wrestling.
People have evolved with wrestling."
Freestyle, which is similar to high school and college wrestling, and Greco-Roman, in which no holds or actions are permitted
below the waist, remain the classic Olympic styles and are on the Beijing program. But that almost certainly won't be the
case 20, 10 or perhaps even five years from now.
"There is a school of thought among traditionalists that our sport will exist in its current form forever," USA Wrestling
executive director Rich Bender said. "But even those within that traditionalist community would have to admit our sport has
changed. We have to keep our eyes wide-open."
The International Olympic Committee has made it known it seeks to modernize its sports to better attract young audiences.
Consider the advent of BMX cycling in Beijing this summer, or snowboarding in the Winter Games.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have exploded onto the sports scene recently, giving
rise to the new wrestling style, Grappling, which was approved by FILA, the international wrestling federation, in 2006.
"It's going back to the roots," Townsend said. "Real combat. Once you submit somebody or you get submitted, there's no
question who is the better man. When you're getting choked, you really know that guy had you in a situation where he could
have either broken your arm or your leg or choked you unconscious. For me, that's a much more rewarding experience than pinning
somebody, which really fulfills no practical combat necessity."
Ouch.
Earlier this year, Townsend was hired by USA Wrestling as Manager of Developing Wrestling Styles. He previously was a coach
and competitor at Xtreme Couture, the MMA team.
"With the growth of MMA, Grappling is the next big thing as far as amateur wrestling goes," Townsend told ESPN.com. "It's
really cool."
And then there's Beach Wrestling, approved in 2004 by FILA. It merges all the best of current youth and corporate culture:
impressive athleticism, scantily-clad buff bodies, a little bit of sand, a lot of sun. And it's been affiliated -- at least
at some competitions -- with the wildly popular beach volleyball.
"I would hope, to be honest, that we could market it as well as we market other beach sports," said American Leigh Jaynes,
the bronze medalist in the 2006 women's world beach wrestling championships. "I think in the future it could bring in a lot
more money than traditional wrestling. It depends how much [leaders] want to support it."
Bottom line: Wrestling -- once two hairy guys swatting, tackling and throwing each other on a mat in an echoey gym -- is
changing, and purposely so.
During the past decade, wrestling has taken some hits. On the collegiate level, many colleges and universities have dropped
men's programs, often claiming Title IX as a reason.
Internationally, the sport -- as physically diverse and globally wide as any -- is fighting for standing within the Olympics.
While women's wrestling was added in the 2004 Athens Games, weight classes for men have been reduced in both Greco and freestyle.
Women have just four weight classes.
To differentiate freestyle from Greco -- and to convince IOC officials the styles are distinct -- FILA has changed the
rules of Greco, altering times of periods and required moves, and making it more difficult for the average fan to understand.
"I'm a wrestler and I don't even understand the [Greco] rules sometimes," Jaynes said.
Meanwhile, particularly in the United States, the rise of MMA, which includes striking and elements of wrestling, and the
marketing success of UFC caught USA Wrestling's attention. Once FILA endorsed Grappling, USA Wrestling responded.
"Whether or not it becomes an Olympic sport, I don't know," Bender said. "But if the international federation is going
to host a world championships, then we not only want to participate, we want to win."
Not surprisingly, the U.S. dominated the 2007 World Grappling Championships in Turkey.
What's it look like? It's all over YouTube. To the untrained eye, Grappling looks a bit like freestyle wrestling but with
limited intervention from a referee. The idea is to get an opponent in a position in which he or she submits. There are throws.
There is no punching or striking. Much of the action is with one grappler on his back and the other on top of him. A wrestler's
belly is never to the ground. It looks a lot like the way two brothers might wrestle in the living room, one atop the other
trying to get one sibling to shout, "Mommy!"
Choking can't be done with fingers. It's got to be accomplished through an arm hold, so the grappler on the bottom is guarding
against such moves.
"You have to learn to take your mind to a whole other level of meditation," said Townsend, who authored the Grappling rules
for FILA. "The worst thing you can do when you're getting choked is panic. You have to think about what it's going to take
to get out of that situation without having to tap out or lose consciousness. That's kind of the big reward there."
Brutal? Maybe. A true form of combat? Pretty darn close. And it is attracting a new breed of youngsters to the sport, Bender
said.
"It gives us an opportunity to touch an audience of young athletes that we aren't currently touching," Bender said. "And
then, it can expose them to traditional wrestling, as well."
USA Wrestling doesn't have data on whether the rise of MMA and UFC is driving an increase of membership to wrestling clubs.
But anecdotally, wrestling administrators are feeling it.
But there are also other styles on the table -- or on the sand. Beach Wrestling is a derivative of regional folk styles
from Asia and Africa, but it is clearly a bow to the rise of beach volleyball and its TV ratings.
No shoes, no shirts (for the men), no mats. But it's no day at the beach, either, said Carlos Dolmo, the 2007 men's world
beach wrestling bronze medalist, and a former NCAA Division III All-American at State University of New York-Oswego.
Sand slows the match. Low attacks mean sand in the wrestlers' faces. Footing is difficult. Sand gets very hot. A push out
of the prescribed ring means defeat. Oh, and the athletes are barely dressed.
"It does make it very sexy, very hunky," Dolmo said. "Everybody wants to be in shape to go to the beach."
Said Jaynes: "I don't think it's a derogatory thing that athletic women are wearing a sports bra and bikini bottom to wrestle.
I worked hard. I'm an athlete and this is what I'm required to wear to be efficient in my sport."
Last year, USA Wrestling staged its beach wrestling nationals near Rochester, N.Y., at the same beach with the New York
State Beach Volleyball tournament and a powerboat race.
The International Olympic Committee has instituted a new Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18. It's set to begin
in 2010. And guess what's on the initial program of those Youth Olympics? Beach wrestling.
Still, whether Grappling or Beach will make it on to the Olympic wrestling program any time soon is anyone's guess.
Townsend calls the beach style "a novelty." Some Olympic-committed wrestlers headed to this weekend's trials say the less
technical Grappling form or the more punch-oriented MMA don't require the skills freestyle and Greco do.
To them, MMA-influenced wrestlers are, more or less, second-rate wrestlers.
"The wrestlers that go to MMA real soon are the ones that have no chance to go to the Olympic team," said U.S. national
84-kg freestyle champ Mo Lawal, who trains with MMA athletes. "Good wrestlers stick in the wrestling game for a while and
then go to MMA next."
T.C. Dantzler, the U.S. Greco champ at 74 kg, pooh-poohed the notion that extreme versions of the sport are imminent entries
to the Olympics.
"As far as the demise of wrestling," he said, "when you go to Eastern Europe or go to Istanbul, Turkey, there's not a huge
MMA buzz. ... If you go to Iran, they're not talking about MMA."
But wrestling has changed with the times and been molded by its cultures. That's why oil wrestling -- with oil-lathered
men wearing only jeans-like pants -- on grass fields remains a huge spectator sport in Turkey. That's why "lutte lamb" on
dirt rings in filled stadiums in Senegal is popular. And perhaps, that's why an in-your-face U.S. culture embraces a martial-arts
influenced, highly revved version of wrestling like MMA or UFC.
"When you're talking about Grappling, you're talking now about one of the prerequisites being commercialization," National
Wrestling Hall of Fame executive director Lee Roy Smith said. "How commercial can it get? Will it engage viewers or sell products?
Don't underestimate that."
So, 21st-century wrestling stands -- hunched, arms out -- ready to take on a new challenge amid an ever-changing U.S. sports
marketplace.
"If I'm going to sit here and play wizard for a day, there's a high probability Grappling can be an Olympic sport," Townsend
said. "I don't know how the wrestling landscape can change. Twenty years? I'd bet it could change pretty dramatically and
sooner than you think."
And you really don't want to mess with that guy.
Jay Weiner is a sports journalist based in St. Paul, Minn. He can be reached at jay@jayweiner.com.
Dollamur Martial Arts * 705 Commerce St * Southlake,Tx * US * 76092 |
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