Some Kickboxing History
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Back in my amateur days before I turned pro around 1982
Martial Arts is not just fighting, it is also;
Wisdom - Science - Knowledge - Discipline - Channel
Expression - Art - Vitality - Philosophy - Challenge
My Training History
I was a kickboxing champion and a Muay Thai contender during the mid 80's to mid 90's. I had the experience of being caught up in the middle of the martial arts explosion era of the 1970’s with Bruce Lee and martial arts movies. There was an evolution of fighting sports taking place as well. From the mid 70's through the early 90's a guy named Benny "The Jet" Urquidez was known as the baddest dude in the world. He dominated and helped to pioneer international kickboxing and full contact competition. I had the privilege of training with him for many years. The Jet Center gym in Van Nuys California was an international hub for fighters coming from all over the world. (1983 to 1995) I got to train with fighters from various styles. I was among the first Americans to fight champion Muay Thai fighters from Thailand in America.
I began Karate training in 1976 at 14 years old. From 1978 to 1980 competed in semi contact "Tournament" Karate a number of times before I started Full Contact and Kickboxing rules. I had my first kickboxing match in 1980. In full contact karate there were no knees or elbows allowed and you could not kick below the waist. There was also an 8 kick minimum per round that you had to fulfill. There was also WKA or international rules style of kickboxing where you could kick to the legs and there was no minimum kick requirement.
Then there was Muay Thai which was not very well known yet in the United States. In that style you could use knees and elbows as well as clinch and knee. American fighters were largely unfamiliar with that style of fighting and The California state athletic commission was very restrictive on allowing full Muay Thai rules. There was a guy however who wanted to promote full Muay Thai rules fights in California but there were not many Americans who were willing to risk getting kneed and elbowed in the face until I came along. Danny Rodarte started the I.K.B.A. (International Kick Boxing Association) I was the first American to compete full Muay Thai rules in the state of California. It was 1982. Danny Rodarte was the promoter.
THE LEGEND OF DAN RODARTE
Before there was the UFC, there was the Long Beach Internationals. Martial Artists from all over the world came to share their knowledge through demonstration, competition and seminars. A time when full contact karate was at its highest. People like Ed parker , Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bob Wall, Benny the jet and more would show their skills to teach, learn, perform or to win in the tournaments. Among them all was one of Ed Parker's first Black belts who would evolve the fight world by being the first in History to promote one of the worlds deadliest sports here in the united state in southern California, The Art of the Eight Limbs also known as Muay Thai. Introducing it as a sport in the spotlight of the western culture of fighting. Evolving through rules in the ring in which Dan Rodarte promoted his fights, he would Create his events under a new name, The I.K.B.A, the International Kick Boxing Association. This is the Legend of Dan Rodarte.
Wisdom - Science - Knowledge - Discipline - Channel
Expression - Art - Vitality - Philosophy - Challenge
My Training History
I was a kickboxing champion and a Muay Thai contender during the mid 80's to mid 90's. I had the experience of being caught up in the middle of the martial arts explosion era of the 1970’s with Bruce Lee and martial arts movies. There was an evolution of fighting sports taking place as well. From the mid 70's through the early 90's a guy named Benny "The Jet" Urquidez was known as the baddest dude in the world. He dominated and helped to pioneer international kickboxing and full contact competition. I had the privilege of training with him for many years. The Jet Center gym in Van Nuys California was an international hub for fighters coming from all over the world. (1983 to 1995) I got to train with fighters from various styles. I was among the first Americans to fight champion Muay Thai fighters from Thailand in America.
I began Karate training in 1976 at 14 years old. From 1978 to 1980 competed in semi contact "Tournament" Karate a number of times before I started Full Contact and Kickboxing rules. I had my first kickboxing match in 1980. In full contact karate there were no knees or elbows allowed and you could not kick below the waist. There was also an 8 kick minimum per round that you had to fulfill. There was also WKA or international rules style of kickboxing where you could kick to the legs and there was no minimum kick requirement.
Then there was Muay Thai which was not very well known yet in the United States. In that style you could use knees and elbows as well as clinch and knee. American fighters were largely unfamiliar with that style of fighting and The California state athletic commission was very restrictive on allowing full Muay Thai rules. There was a guy however who wanted to promote full Muay Thai rules fights in California but there were not many Americans who were willing to risk getting kneed and elbowed in the face until I came along. Danny Rodarte started the I.K.B.A. (International Kick Boxing Association) I was the first American to compete full Muay Thai rules in the state of California. It was 1982. Danny Rodarte was the promoter.
THE LEGEND OF DAN RODARTE
Before there was the UFC, there was the Long Beach Internationals. Martial Artists from all over the world came to share their knowledge through demonstration, competition and seminars. A time when full contact karate was at its highest. People like Ed parker , Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bob Wall, Benny the jet and more would show their skills to teach, learn, perform or to win in the tournaments. Among them all was one of Ed Parker's first Black belts who would evolve the fight world by being the first in History to promote one of the worlds deadliest sports here in the united state in southern California, The Art of the Eight Limbs also known as Muay Thai. Introducing it as a sport in the spotlight of the western culture of fighting. Evolving through rules in the ring in which Dan Rodarte promoted his fights, he would Create his events under a new name, The I.K.B.A, the International Kick Boxing Association. This is the Legend of Dan Rodarte.
Danny Rodarte was the founder of the I.K.B.A.
In 1983 I turned pro as one of the Benny The Jets team members while living in Van Nuys Ca. My first fight was against a Muay Thai fighter who was actually from Laos. It was a Thai promoter who was managing the show. There is a large population of Thai people living in Los Angeles area. Everyone on our team won and I won by knockout. Another promoter apparently saw the show and approached us to compete against a team that would come from Thailand. They said they would be champions. I didn't really believe it and was not afraid of anyone anyway. (I technically had no business competing against a champion from Thailand being that it was my second pro fight. Inseenoi probably had 40 or more matches) So we, our team and me in my cocky zeal took the challenge. The audience was all Thai people. It was obviously not promoted to showcase Americans but for their heroes from Thailand. It was at the Stardust Hall on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood Ca. Scheduled for 5-3 minute rounds, the traditional amount for Muay Thai bouts. We both were surprised at each other's strength and skill. I made it the distance. The audience was booing their fighter because he should have slaughtered the inexperienced American. It was a draw. Here are some snapshots below.
Mongoose Fight System
My passion and goal is to create the ultimate training environment for students and fighters to build their Body Soul and Spirit through martial arts training
Mongoose Fight System incorporates;
Muay Thai, Boxing and Karate training for full contact standup fighting & competition
Mongoose Fight System incorporates;
Muay Thai, Boxing and Karate training for full contact standup fighting & competition
Mongoose Fight System
Ricardo O'Kane
-Former 3 time pro Kickboxing welterweight champion
-W.K.A. I.S.K.A. and K.I.C.K. Titles
-Featured on ESPN 2, Prime Ticket and Strike Force
-3 time California state amateur Full Contact champion
-First American to compete full Muay Thai rules in California 1982
-Amateur boxer and Expert Pro boxing trainer
-Expert trainer in "Dutch style" Muay Thai
-Developer of Attack-Response-Impact-Training system
-Tae kwon Do black belt and Hwa Rang Do practitioner
Attack-Response-Impact-Training:
-Managing impact with training to counterattack effectively
-Learn how to use training equipment to get the best results
-How to develop good defense while training to react optimally
-Develops self defence and confidence in students faster
-Enables students to be ready for competition sooner
I would like to thank my mentors below for passing on to me skills that took them decades of training and dedication to possess. -Ricardo O'kane
Benny Urquidez - Jesse Lechuga - Shuki Ron - Saeksan Janjira - Ray Leonard
Celebrities and others that I have trained with over the years
Some of my kickboxing bouts
Reseda country club 1991
Hollywood Palladium 1985
Mirage Hotel Las Vegas Nevada 1993
Bicycle club casino Bell Gardens Ca 1992
Reno Nevada 1994
Montreal Canada 1995
Devonshire downs California 1986
- My experience and philosophy:
I began my first year of Martial arts training in Taekwondo at 12 years old. When that school ended up closing I was introduce to a more sophisticated Korean style. Dr Joo bang Lee was the Supreme grand master of Hwa Rang Do, and the world headquarters was in Downey California. There were also several other masters brought in from Korea So I had plenty of willing teachers who wanted to mold me into a kicking machine. A standard of excellence was established in me from that point forward. I was intrigued by the master’s ability to perform seemingly superhuman feats of strength, speed, agility and mental powers. Most of the other martial arts schools I visited after that seemed sub standard. I was drawn to the challenge of developing my full potential. - I wanted to be like the great masters that I was privileged to train with. I began reading martial arts books and magazines. I came across articles about “Full Contact” Karate. This sounded like something that would really challenge me to be my best. In the late seventies and early eighties Benny “The Jet” Urquidez was known as the best of the best when it came to Full Contact Karate and I loved reading the stories of how he beat the best in their own countries. I decided I wanted to get into “Full Contact” and began looking for places to do that kind of training. At the very next tournament that I went to Benny "The Jet" himself happened to be there.
- I signed on with his team and within two weeks I had my first "full contact" fight.
- I was 18 years old. I won three state titles and at 21 years old I turned pro. I was Benny the Jets top fighter. I learned everything I could from him and other great fighters as well. I also began boxing and loved the thrill of watching the best boxers in the world competing against each other. I wanted to know what set them apart from the rest so I could be like them. I didn’t want to be second best, I wanted to be one of the outstanding champions. My background in martial arts I believe gave me an edge against opponents in the ring because I learned many diverse training methods.
- I went on to win 3 professional international titles.
After my pro career was over I began training fighters. I then began to research and discovered new techniques and how to accelerate the skill development process. This took me years to learn. I watched the great champions competing but what I really wanted to see was the way they trained. I wanted to see everything they did and their various unique abilities and training methods. Now my passion is taking young prospects and giving them the best possible training environment and methods. My passion now is creating outstanding athletes and champions through intelligent comprehensive training...
- My experience and philosophy:
I began my first year of Martial arts training in Taekwondo at 12 years old. When that school ended up closing I was introduce to a more sophisticated Korean style. Dr Joo bang Lee was the Supreme grand master of Hwa Rang Do, and the world headquarters was in Downey California. There were also several other masters brought in from Korea So I had plenty of willing teachers who wanted to mold me into a kicking machine. A standard of excellence was established in me from that point forward. I was intrigued by the master’s ability to perform seemingly superhuman feats of strength, speed, agility and mental powers. Most of the other martial arts schools I visited after that seemed sub standard. I was drawn to the challenge of developing my full potential. - I wanted to be like the great masters that I was privileged to train with. I began reading martial arts books and magazines. I came across articles about “Full Contact” Karate. This sounded like something that would really challenge me to be my best. In the late seventies and early eighties Benny “The Jet” Urquidez was known as the best of the best when it came to Full Contact Karate and I loved reading the stories of how he beat the best in their own countries. I decided I wanted to get into “Full Contact” and began looking for places to do that kind of training. At the very next tournament that I went to Benny "The Jet" himself happened to be there.
- I signed on with his team and within two weeks I had my first "full contact" fight.
- I was 18 years old. I won three state titles and at 21 years old I turned pro. I was Benny the Jets top fighter. I learned everything I could from him and other great fighters as well. I also began boxing and loved the thrill of watching the best boxers in the world competing against each other. I wanted to know what set them apart from the rest so I could be like them. I didn’t want to be second best, I wanted to be one of the outstanding champions. My background in martial arts I believe gave me an edge against opponents in the ring because I learned many diverse training methods.
- I went on to win 3 professional international titles.
After my pro career was over I began training fighters. I then began to research and discovered new techniques and how to accelerate the skill development process. This took me years to learn. I watched the great champions competing but what I really wanted to see was the way they trained. I wanted to see everything they did and their various unique abilities and training methods. Now my passion is taking young prospects and giving them the best possible training environment and methods. My passion now is creating outstanding athletes and champions through intelligent comprehensive training...
- My experience and philosophy:
