Last Saturday night, December 15th, UsH! Entertainment and G-Up Promotions hosted UNITED FOR THE CHILDREN. A Benefit Event for the The Twin Towers Orphan Fund and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation at the San Jose Event Center in San Jose, California, USA.

A crowd of about 1,500 were treated to a great night of San Shou Style fighting which featured 12 San Shou fighters from East to West fighting for 6 IKF San Shou Titles. The Main event of the night featured the top ranked San Shou Fighter in the Nation, Cung Le San Jose, California, USA against top UFC competitor Shoni Carter of Chicago, Illinois, USA. This was a great bout that saw two warriors going at it toe to toe. Unlike some of Le's former opponents, Carter was much stronger and wasn't allowing Le any easy throws as we've seen in past bouts. Carter was strong in the clinch and had plenty of weapons from the outside as well. It was sure to be a true test of Le's fighting skills as well as Carters.

In the opening seconds of round 1, the two banged heads which resulted in a cut over Le's right eye. Immediately the cut started to bleed quite a bit which brought a worry to everyone at ringside, wondering if the ringside doctor was going to request the bout be stopped early due to an accidental injury. If so, the bout would have ended in a "No Contest", but this was not to be on this night. As the round ended, Le's corner did an excellent job of sealing the cut to insure the bout would continue. The first round saw Le ahead in total points on the 3 judges cards. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 18-10. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 31-17 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 17-4.

NOTE: San Shou scoring is a lot like Amateur Boxing. Each strike that a judge sees as a scoring blow (Kick or Punch) the judge clicks a point on his/her judges clicker. Throw points are also added to the striking points. The throw points are awarded by the referee after each throw. Throw points are 1,2 or 3. All of these points make up the final round score. With this system, there will always be a vast difference in "Counted" points at the end of a round. In final scoring, only 1 point is awarded after each round which goes to the fighter with the highest point total. In round 1, Cung Le won on all 3 judges cards so he lead on all 3 judges cards 1 round to 0 after round 1.

In round 2, both fighters seemed to pull back a bit to re-think their strategy. In the end, Le was ahead on all 3 judges cards again. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 8-5. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 23-14 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 9-4. As the bout continued, Le proved he was the one with the throwing skills. Carter on the other hand continued to keep his focus on scoring points in the stand-up fighting which was soon to be his downfall. Le scored on several of his throw attempts to win round 3 decisively. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 16-8. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 34-17 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 18-7

In round 4 we saw a lot of the same. Carter continued his stand-up striking and tried to get at Le's cut over his right eye, landing a few good shots here and there. However, the points in the throw category continued to make all the difference as Le won round 4 with ease. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 14-7. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 30-19 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 10-3.

In the final round the two continued the same pace. Carter still failed to score any throw points and managed little in the stand-up game as Le scored in both stand-up as well as throws. Although Carter was a strong opponent for Le, he was no match for Le's throwing skills. He was able to continue standing both times Le attempted his famous Scissor Sweep takedown but wasn't able to counter some of Le's other throws. At the end of the 5th, Le again won on all 3 judges cards. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 10-5. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 27-14 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 19-5.

In the end, Le won on all 3 judges cards 5 rounds to 0 to be the first to capture an IKF San Shou World Title in the ring. Carter proved to be one of Le's toughest opponents. Although he didn't have the throwing skills to match Le, his heart and toughness kept him strong throughout all 5 rounds. Great fight by both!

After this match-up, the question was asked, "Who has the San Shou Skills to match-up against Cung Le?" With that in mind it was clear to understand why many were saying that the future of not only Cung Le as a San Shou Style Fighter, but the fighting style of San Shou itself will be tested in the future competition of this rules style whether it be called San Shou or "Punch, Kick Throw." It's clear that Le is one of the Greatest San Shou style fighters in the World. He's proved this time and time again, but the question is,

"Who's Next?"

SHONI CARTER

Danny Steele

The Semi Main Event lost some of it's hype when IKF MT & IR World Champion Danny Steele (Left) of Los Angeles, CA, USA didn't make the weight cut off of 147 lbs for the vacant IKF San Shou Welterweight World Title. Steele made 149.5 but was unable to drop any more as he was nursing a groin injury he had suffered about 4 weeks ago. Because of this, Matee Jedeepitak (Right) of Ratchaburi, Thailand via Indianapolis, Indiana, USA was awarded the World Title by forfeit. However, both fighters agreed to fight anyway to assure some excitement for the event.

In round 1, Steele was hit in the head with a knee strike by Jedeepitak which dropped him to the canvas. Referee Marcos Rosalas didn't see the knee and gave Steele an 8 count instead. (Knees were not legal in any of these bouts) As if that wasn't enough to slow Steele down, he also re-injured his groin at the end of the round when he threw a kick. However, as many know, Steele wasn't about to have the injury stop him. Steele tried his best to fight toe to toe with Jedeepitak but it was not meant to be. Unable to move at will Jedeepitak picked his shots against Steele and landed them wherever he wanted to. After 1 the scores were, Judge Jon Schorle scored it 28-27 for Steele. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 47-11 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 29-8 for Jedeepitak.

Round 2 started strong as Steele tried to put more pressure on Jedeepitak. However Jedeepitak exploded back with an attack of his own. Picking his shots from a simple jab to explosive leg kicks, these two wouldn't get into any kind of Throwing game, but the stand-up action was explosive when they mixed it up. As round 2 continued the two seemed to do more standing around than fighting. Playing a waiting game to see who would commit first. When they did Jedeepitak seemed to always come away with the best. As in the Draka style of fighting Steele fought in the mid 90's, the "Point System" once again hurt Steele as his activity wasn't anywhere near Jedeepitak who scored and scored often with his hands and feet. In round 2, judge Jon Schorle scored it 17-9 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 25-14 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 18-8 for Jedeepitak.

As the rounds progressed, it all looked the same. Although Jedeepitak was making a name off an injured Steele, the fact was, HE WAS MAKING A NAME! Everyone was impressed at his skill and technique. After round 3, judge Jon Schorle scored it 20-10 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 31-11 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 22-9 for Jedeepitak. After round 4, judge Jon Schorle scored it 15-6 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 28-9 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 14-6 for Jedeepitak.

When round 5 came around, Jedeepitak didn't want to leave any doubt in the judges minds or the fans. Steele was an injured animal with very little movement and Jedeepitak was out for his prey. He exploded with kick and punch combinations scoring at will and impressing everyone. After round 5, judge Jon Schorle scored it 25-5 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 37-7 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 25-3 for Jedeepitak. When it was over, the IKF had no problem crowning Jedeepitak the IKF San Shou World Champion.

What we would like to see though is 2 things. 1, a rematch with a healthy Steele, but more important, for Jedeepitak to challenge IKF World Champion Khunpon (right) for his IKF MuayThai Rules Welterweight World Title. This would be a Great Match-up!

Matee Jedeepitak


Khunpon

IKF
Pro US San Shou Middleweight Title Bout

Rudi Ott

Before the two Pro World Title bouts was the challenge for the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Intercontinental Title between IKF Pro US San Shou Middleweight Champion Rudi Ott (Left) of San Jose California, USA against Peter Kaljevic (Right) who was born in Montenegro, Yugoslavia but currently resides in New York City, New York, USA.

This bout was a strong match for both fighters. However, Ott, as Le in his bout, proved to have all the throwing skill in this match-up. Kaljevic entered the match with plenty of experience having a record of 47 wins, 15 loses with 18 wins coming by KO or TKO. He also proved to have a heavy right hand as well, but in comparison, Ott proved he had a chin as solid as a rock. On several occasions, Ott dropped his left hand and Kaljevic saw the opening and went for it, landing several times. However Ott never staggered and answered back with a sort of "That was a good shot" smile but take this as he threw Kaljevic around the ring. After round 1, judge Jon Schorle scored it 20-6 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 45-11 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 29-7 for Ott.

This fight was clearly the "Rudi Ott Show" as he used nearly every throw in the book scoring often as if Kaljevic never knew a counter. At the end of round 2, the judges scored the round, judge Jon Schorle 29-12 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 41-21 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 18-6 for Ott. In round 3, judge Jon Schorle scored it 32-10 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 39-13 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 23-7 for Ott. In round 4, judge Jon Schorle scored it 20-11 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 31-16 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 20-12 for Ott. In the final round 5, judge Jon Schorle scored it 15-7 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 20-11 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 17-5 for Ott.

This was Rudi Ott's title to win and he did so with a strong effort. Although the scores didn't sound close, Kaljevic made a great fight out of it. In the win, Ott was awarded the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Intercontinental Title.

Peter Kaljevic

Before the Pro bouts were 3 IKF Amateur San Shou Title Bouts.
Here's how they scored...

Santos Soto

BOUT 1
IKF Amateur San Shou California Cruiserweight Title
Brian Madigan defeated Brian Kuhn by majority decision.

BOUT 2
IKF Amateur San Shou Light Middleweight U.S. Title
Although Santos Soto (Right, 11-2/8, 151, 5'9", 17) of San Jose, CA, USA came in under the title weight limit of 153 lbs, the fight continued and he went on to defeat Chris Overby (13-2/7, 157, 5'9) of Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA by TKO at 1:55 of round 3 to claim his second IKF Amateur San Shou U. S. Title.

BOUT 3
IKF Amateur San Shou U. S. Bantamweight Title Defense
Jenna Castillo (Below - Left, 7-0, 5'5, 123, 19) of San Jose, CA proved once again that she IS THE WOMAN OF SAN SHOU! Castillo successfully defended her title and continued her undefeated streak by defeating Christine Yandolli (9-3/0, 5'7, 20, 123) of Smithtown, Long Island, New York, USA by unanimous decision.
NOTE: To respond to some of the fans comments about the IKF not having a belt to present toCastillo after her win, the reason was because her camp forgot to bring the Title Belt she was defending to the ring. This was not the fault of the IKF.

Jenna Castillo

Net proceeds from United for the Children are being donated to the US Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Foundation and the The Twin Towers Orphan Fund. Toys for Tots has been a fixture in holiday charity for needy children since 1947. Although more recently founded, The Twin Towers Orphan Fund is a volunteer organization founded to support the orphaned children of the September 11th rescue workers and victims. All funds are being independently handled by the San Francisco CPA firm Shea, Labagh, Dobberstein.

Net proceeds from United for the Children are being donated to the US Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Foundation and the The Twin Towers Orphan Fund. Toys for Tots has been a fixture in holiday charity for needy children since 1947. Although more recently founded, The Twin Towers Orphan Fund is a volunteer organization founded to support the orphaned children of the September 11th rescue workers and victims. All funds are being independently handled by the San Francisco CPA firm Shea, Labagh, Dobberstein.

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Cung Le

Being ranked number 1 in the IKF Pro San Shou Division has never been enough for Cung Le.
His hopes are to move out of the numbered rankings and into the solid IKF World Champions Position.

A world-class fighter, martial artist and three time world champion in other San Shou organizations, the 28 year old Le is still in his prime and he's already made a tremendous impact on martial arts. His popularity as a fighter has brought San Shou Kung Fu to the forefront of the fight world and is catapulting Le into the main stream.

Most recently Le was simultaneously featured in the January 2001 issues of three of the top martial arts and fight publications. Le made the cover of the number one martial arts publication in the world, Black Belt Magazine, with a headline that proclaims Le as "San Shou Kung Fu's Top Fighter". A testament to his high status in Asia, an article on Le is in the Japanese version of Black Belt Magazine, the Bible of Martial Arts. In Asia this is the equivalent to being covered by Sport Illustrated. Inside Kung Fu, who named Le the 1999 Competitor of the Year reviewed the August, 2000 K1 SuperFights Championship Tournament that were held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The magazine's Dave Cater had this to say about Le:

"The biggest name there was Cung Le, pound for pound the toughest most complete hombre this side of Roy Jones Jr."

This statement is supported by Martial Arts Illustrated's June 2000, Best Fighters of All Time issue that featured Le on the cover. He has also been on the cover of every major Martial Arts publication multiple times during the last five years. As a testament to Le's ability, he proves the credibility of his technique and skill by knocking out his competition on ESPN2 StrikeForce events as well as Pay-Per-View ës such as the DRAKA Championships and Shidokan, The Triathlon of Martial Arts.

Le, the U.S. Team Captain at the World Martial Arts Championships in Italy in 1997 and Hong Kong in 1999, possesses a record of 38-2, with 26 wins by knockout. With Sanshou's fast paced style where unlike boxing, a fighter is penalized for non- engagement or resting, Le is an ominous presence with the ability to knock someone out with both hands and as well as both feet.

The subject of a documentary that chronicles his life "Cung Le, The Making of a Champion", begins with Le as a child in Vietnam, follows him as a wrestler in college and takes you ringside for his many hard fought victories. The film also takes you behind the scenes to see the type of grueling training that makes a champion. This film set to be judged at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Also this year, Le was the subject of a feature for The Discovery Channel titled "On the Inside: Martial Arts."

In 1998, Le's UsH! fight team brought home four gold and two silver medals from the Sanshou Nationals, in Baltimore, MD. Le has since opened a second school in Santa Clara and has expanded to a larger San Jose location at the end of last year to accommodate the growing number of students.

Le is also the guiding force behind popular line of sports attire and accessories, UsH! Gear which is sold direct, through retailers and on-line.

Shoni Carter

UFC Veteran Carter started wrestling at 12 years old. He was the smallest kid and everyone around him was a basketball player. Some of them are in the NBA now. Michael Finley, Sherell Ford. They were big! They were dunking from the free throw line as freshmen. Due to his size he tried out for wrestling and loved it. He still competes in wrestling. "This will be my 16th year wrestling. I was a collegiate All American at Junior College, made 2 collegiate world teams, and did the Olympic trials in 96." He also trained Judo with his uncle and his dad. "At Carson-Newman College I found out they had a Judo team and I was like, "Ooh, I still know how to throw people with a gi."

He joined the club and excelled really quick, winning a couple of state and regional titles. His instructor sent him out to University of Tennessee to work out with their Judo team and he also did Jiu-Jitsu there. He was doing wrestling practice, Judo practice, drive 30 miles to University of Tennessee for more Judo, come back and go to weight training.

On training in Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling simultaneously: "I've always considered them hybrid cousins. Jiu-Jitsu emphasized submissions, wrestling emphasized control, Judo, along with Greco Roman, emphasized throwing. It all really worked well for me."

On how he started competing in MMA: "I was in the dorm with all the athletes. Where the wrestlers, the football players, the basketball players all stayed at. They would see me in my Jiu-Jitsu gi and they would challenge me to do matches. I told them we could not do it in the dormitory hallway so they set up their own mock UFC tournament. It was funny because I felt unfair fighting the guys because they didn't know what I was doing. They coerced me into doing it and I basically choked everybody. Then they signed me up for a tournament called Hybrid Street Wrestling. I just blazed everybody because I was still an active wrestler where most of the guys used to wrestle. It all just seemed to fall together in one spot."

On incorporating striking: "The first time I fought in the cage, I lost my very first fight to Laverne Clark. The very next day I registered with the United States Boxing Association. Ever since then I have been boxing and kickboxing. Different styles sort of cling to me and it's always a challenge."

Shonie regularly competes in MMA, kickboxing, Shidokan, San Shou, wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Pancrase and boxing.

"Why I do it? I enjoy competition. It's fun. I want to be considered a consummate martial artist. They say Frank Shamrock is a complete martial artist. I want to go beyond that. Yes, he can punch, he can kick, he can take down and get submission in a NHB venue really well. He's proven himself, but I want people to say, "Shonie Carter can go to a Judo match and win, go to a Jiu-Jitsu tournament and win, do any style of kickboxing and win. Do boxing and win. After the UFC, I'm boxing in the Golden Gloves. I want to be able to say that I'm a consummate, complete martial artist with an eclectic or hybrid style that's proven effective. I can do ANY type of fighting style, that's my mentality."

I've promised myself I am going to put forth the best performance I can possibly give. I am going to give you an exciting match. Win, lose or draw you are going to be clapping."

Shonie claims a 45-5-5 MMA record. "The title means everything to not just me for myself, but others as well. My two schools; All-American Academy of Martial Arts, and Chicago Fitness Center (Shidokan Hombu Dojo), my daughter Sierra, my unborn son Marcelle. My training partners, Rolando Higueros, John Welch, Brian Gassaway, instructor and master instructor, Robert C Schirmer, and Shihan. Eddie Yoshimura and Sensei Bo Medenica of the Shidokan Center. I have to give a special thanks to Dean Deallassandro for preparing me for this as well. I almost forgot TshortyB.

Danny Steele

Steele, who is 37-9-2 with 28 wins by KO/TKO as a professional, currently holds six championship titles. He was born in Vietnam and moved to Hawaii when he was 3.

He grew up admiring the martial arts and realized that the prospects for a career in kickboxing in Hawaii weren't very good. So he moved to Los Angeles in 1993 and turned professional shortly thereafter.

"I'm very confident -- not in a cocky way, but in a way that I feel that nobody will get in the way of what I have to accomplish," he said.
"I'm not going to take anyone lightly. When you get too confident, that's when (bad) things can happen.
It's happened before, so I'm not taking anyone lightly."

Steele currently holds 2 IKF World Titles, one in MuayThai Rules and the other in International Rules.

San Shou will be no stranger to him though having won several times in the original DRAKA system.

Steele has also tried his skill in some mixed martial arts in Japan as well. No matter what the rules, we're sure to see a war with whoever faces him.

Matee Jedeepitak...

Matee Jedeepitak is the Ranked #1 in the IKF Pro MuayThai Rules Rankings. He's a Former Featherweight World Champion of Thailand and considered one of Thailand's best fighters.

His nickname "Left Dragon Leg" was coined after the many knockouts he has delivered with that leg.

His fight record stands at 123 wins, 52 loses, with 38 wins by KO/TKO. He was Born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in Hawaii.

His Hometown is Ratchaburi, Thailand but he is currently training in Indianapolis, IN, USA.

RUDI OTT...

Rudi began martial arts in Boston with Yao Li learning traditional Kung Fu. In 1986, when he was only 13, he traveled to China for extensive training with the Beijing Wushu Team. In 1996, after 10 years away from the martial arts, he returned to focus on fighting. Training under Jason Yee, Rudi began studying the Chinese art of Sanshou.

As an amateur Rudi won 3 national Championships as well as a selection to the US National Team. In 1998 he took some time off from fighting to pursue some of his other interests in martial arts. Migrating to Vancouver British Columbia he studied internal Wushu and Qigong with renowned Master Liang Shu You. In 1999 with the inception of professional Sanshou Rudi resumed his fighting career.

He currently trains with, three time World Champion and Sanshou's top fighter, Cung Le in San Jose California. Under Coach Cung Le, Rudi has become a more versatile and dangerous fighter. He currently holds the IKF San Shou U. S. Middleweight Title and has been selected to the US National Team for a third time as team captain for the 2001 World Championships. As one of the main instructors for the UsH! Fight Team, Rudi has solidified himself as one of the top Sanshou fighters in the United States.

Peter Kaljevic

Previous to April, 2000, Peter Kaljevic was once a USKBA Full Contact rules Super Middleweight United States Champion. That is, until he lost it in April of 2000 to the person he won it from, Tony "TNT" Ventura.

After seven action packed rounds, the judges scored it 68-67 (Ventura), 69-69 (even) and 68-66 (Ventura). Immediately after the bout, Kaljevic asked for a rematch but he has yet to be granted one.

Kaljevic also won the USKBA Super Welterweight International Championship as well. The surprise though is Kaljevic's Mixed Martial Arts experience. Although San Shou won't let him fight on the ground, he hopes to show his throwing skills to everyone.

ACCLAIMED R&B STAR
D'WAYNE WIGGINS
HEADLINES CHILDREN'S BENEFIT UNITED FOR THE CHILDREN

D'Wayne Wiggins

San Francisco, CA -- December 3, 2001:
D'Wayne Wiggins, (Right) top neo-soul/R&B vocalist, composer, arranger and producer, announced today he will be headlining the United for the Children half time show on Saturday, December 15, 2001 at the San Jose Event Center, San Jose, California.

"This is a terrific event that I am proud to be a part of," said Wiggins. "United for the Children is THE event that puts R&B, Hip Hop, and live martial arts at center stage. It also carries the important message that we care about our communities and our children during the holidays and all year."

Wiggins' career has taken him to the top of the music charts with platinum selling albums as a founding member of the legendary group Tony, Toni, Tone and recently with his solo debut "Eyes Never Lie," which included collaborations with Carlos Santana and Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish. Wiggins was responsible for originally signing multi-platinum artist Destiny's Child to Columbia records and has written and produced several songs for the group. An accomplished and sought after musician, songwriter, and producer, Wiggins has composed hits for Tony Toni Tone, Jody Watley, Tevin Campbell, Karyn White, Too Short, Lighter Shade of Brown, E-40, Richie Rich, and most recently Destiny's Child, India Arie, and Alicia Keys.

As a member of the Tonyies, Wiggins co-wrote movie tracks for "Boys in the Hood," "Beverly Hills Cop III," "The Mask," and "Panther." As a soloist, his soundtrack credits include songs for "Sugar Hill," "Men in Black," and the TV comedy hit "Living Single." He now adds Movie Producer to his list of titles, as Executive Producer for the feature film "Me & Mrs. Jones". The film is scheduled for release in 2002 and stars Brian White, Wandachristine, Victor Williams, and Kim Fields.

Considered the creator of "neo-soul", Wiggins deftly combines classic soul vocals, a live band, and a distinct lack of studio-created sounds, making his on-stage performances very personal, unique experiences. His performance is going to be the highlight of United for the Children.

Cung Le

"Having the support of artists like D'Wayne Wiggins is what this event is all about," said Cung Le, (Left) Martial Arts superstar and coordinator for United for the Children. "This is truly an event that brings together all the world of music, athletics, and Hollywood."

Benefiting the Marine Toys for Tots and the Twin Towers Orphan Fund, United for the Children will be a spectacular evening of live music, pyrotechnics, and world class martial arts as Cung Le challenge Shonie "Mr. International" Carter (Right) for the IKF World Title.

With the support of corporate giants including G-Up, Hyatt Hotels, and ClearChannel Wild 94.9 FM, United for the Children will be THE event of the Holiday Season. Tickets are available online with Tickets.com and Bass. More information about United for the Children is online at www.unitedforthechildren.com. or see this page on the IKF web: United for the Children.

Shonie Carter