Here is a little interview that i got about the current national Pankration coach and i thought i'd share it with the rest of the forum members.
Kon is one of the most accomplished all-round fighters in this country, and one of the least recognised.
Dave: I'm here with Australia's most accomplished all round fighter, and least recognised. Kon, first, can you tell me a little of your record.
Kon: I started in 1978 doing Judo at Newtown Police Boys club, under the late McCarthy. I got to yellow belt but I hated people pulling on my clothes, so I left and I started wrestling in 1980 with Col Harding at the same Police Boys Club.
Dave: You would have been about 16 then?
Kon: Yeah, about 16, and I wrestled until I was about 24. I won state and Australian titles, represented Australia overseas in the World Championships and South Pacific championships. I then moved to the UK and took up boxing. I had 29 professional fights, all over Europe and in Australia. I came back to Australia and took up Hapkido with Father Dave, then moved on to Brazilian Jiujitsu and of course Pankration. I've won two State titles in Pankration, Sports Jiujitsu, traditional Jiujitsu. There were Australian titles in Pankration as well, and last week I came second in the World Cup in Pankration in the Open weight class in Denmark.
DAVE: It sounds like you had a bit of a 'Karate Kid' experience there with someone trying to smash you in the leg so that you couldn't compete in the final!
KON: Oh no, no, I don't think the Israeli guy meant it. He did sweep me full hard on the knee. I couldn't continue, but I think he was just trying to keep me at bay because he had seen my previous matches. You know, I'm mainly a wrestler - grab 'em, take 'em down, and tap 'em out. But I don't think it was a deliberate thing, and the guy is quite a good fighter. I've got no hard feelings.
DAVE: You were saying that in your earlier days as a wrestler that when the guys saw you turning up in the change-rooms, they'd pack their bags and go home. You were obviously winning everything you competed in at that stage.
KON: Yeah, I went through a stage, because I was trained by Col, who was a very hard task-master, and I was also trained by the Russian coach from the ex-Soviet Union, so when the club used to turn up and they'd all see us, 14 guys, you know, one tougher than the other, yeah people would like basically ... the competition was for second and third place.
DAVE: Mind you, your standard this year is just as good. How many fights have you had this year? How many wins? How many losses?
KON: This year I've had 27 fights for 27 wins. I won three wrestling competitions, a jiujitsu competition, a Pankration competition, and ah ...
DAVE: That's not bad for a guy of 38?
KON: Ah, 39, I'm going to turn 40. I was the oldest guy at the World Championships this year in Denmark. They pointed that out, embarrassed me a bit.
DAVE: You've had a wonderful history as a fighter. You're also a great fight trainer, but it's really as a fighter that I'm interested in talking to you today. In terms of what makes a great fighter. I tend to think in terms of good form, good fitness, good mental attitude, good management - maybe those four areas...
KON: No, the biggest one is total disregard for your own safety. If you've got that, you're in there!
DAVE: That's part of the mental attitude. You have to be a little bit crazy.
KON: A little bit would be good for me.
DAVE: I'm really wanting to explore with you what you think are the most important things in those areas: good form, good fitness, good mental attitude, good management - what things are important in those areas and what do you think is the most important of those areas.
KON: All these things are nothing without discipline. You usually get very disciplined fighters that eventually beat very talented fighters. Discipline. If you haven't got discipline, nothing else will come. If you've got discipline, your skills will improve, you'll train hard, you'll listen, but without discipline you're nobody. It doesn't matter... I'll give you an example - Mike Tyson, a very talented fighter. He's going to wind up (I hope to God I'm wrong) as nothing one day because he's got no discipline. Discipline is number one. Everything else - luck, good management, things like that come later. Number one is discipline and, again, a total disregard for your own safety. You must have those things. They're a must.
I hope all of you enjoy it till i get the second part of it...
Nice.
Elvis
glad u enjoyed it, Elvis..