Combat Archives

DK Yoo and the Martial Art of Hypnosis

Bullshido | 13 September 2021

One thing I’ve always wanted to write more about for this blog is all the ridiculous stuff I’ve seen in the world of martial arts over the years. Let’s start by taking a look at one of the people being put under the martial microscope in recent times. DK Yoo is a Korean martial arts instructor whose purported skills have been questioned for the last six years. With a boxing match against a famed martial arts debunker looming, let’s take a look at his work and the bizarre world of modern martial arts at large. (more…)

Fujita’s Skull: 10th Year of Seanbaby’s Masterpiece

by: Sonny Go

Blog, Internet, Mixed Martial Arts | 18 April 2020

Earlier in this blasted quarantine lockdown, I had the bright idea to do a reading of a particular online article published on Cracked.com that had just turned 10 years old. It gained a sort of cult following during that decade and boosted its writer as an online funnyman. Its proper title is “Worst Life Ever,” but it’s known better as its subject matter — Fujita’s Skull.
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Fedor vs. Rampage — Well, That Happened

by: Sonny Go

Mixed Martial Arts | 01 January 2020

That was something, I guess. Bellator 237 was a middling card full of unknowns and prospects with an interlude featuring two legends from Pride Fighting Championships. I’d like to talk a bit about Fedor vs. Rampage, each of the two men involved, and circumstances that led them to this point. While it may seem like I speak ill of them, I still hold them in the highest respect for their achievements. (more…)

Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs — Red-Headed Problem

by: Sonny Go

Boxing | 09 May 2019

It took me a while to find a way to watch Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs, but my patience was rewarded as I got to watch a pretty high level fight with two world champions vying for middleweight supremacy. The story was mostly Daniel Jacobs trying to find a way to get through this brick wall known as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The solutions he tried to employ to do that were interesting, but to no avail. (more…)

Theorycrafting on DIY Pepper Spray

by: Sonny Go

Self-Defense | 29 April 2019

This took me time to write, but I thought I had to say something about do-it-yourself self-defense solutions like this. Commercial solutions tend to be expensive and specialized, so it’s more of a chore to carry them around and replacing them when they’re no longer fresh, whether it’s stun guns or pepper spray. In this post, let’s talk about the latter, specifically a DIY version of it. (more…)

Fighting in the Age of Loneliness — Martial Melancholy

by: Sonny Go

Mixed Martial Arts, YouTube | 04 December 2018

Fighting in the Age of Loneliness on SB Nation

I’ve been binge-watching videos on the SB Nation YouTube channel and related channels, specifically ones produced by SB Nation Labs creative director Jon Bois. There’s also the Deep Rewind series, which is also fascinating, even if it involved sports I don’t give two shits about. Recently, he came out with a five-part documentary series called “Fighting in the Age of Loneliness.” I watched it as it came out and am pretty depressed now because of it. (more…)

Pacquiao vs. Matthysse — Don’t Look to Counter

by: Sonny Go

Boxing | 18 July 2018

Having left the tutelage of Freddie Roach for the first time in almost forever, Manny Pacquiao’s latest career decisions as far as boxing is concerned are still questionable. However, results can’t be refuted. His first knockout win in nine years doesn’t get by without some suspicion, but that’s what happens when he has the closest thing to home advantage in this card and winning a world champion at 39 years old. Pacquiao vs. Matthysse was an odd duck of a spectacle—technically interesting yet didn’t feel like that big of a deal. (more…)

Boxing, Betrayal, and a Bus Attack

by: Sonny Go

Combat | 07 April 2018

The past two weeks have been quite interesting for the fight game, and I wanted to talk about it in a show. However, with the amount of production needed and lack of time due to work, preparation for MWF 1: Kasaysayan, and chronic procrastination, I finished writing a script with neither the time nor patience to produce the actual video. I thought it would be a really good show since I’d get to talk about a lot of boxing, a freak injury, and even a bus attack. (more…)

Quintet by Sakuraba — The Proleague of Grappling

by: Sonny Go

Grappling | 14 December 2017

Here’s a video that just got uploaded with seemingly little to no fanfare, yet got me incredibly excited. Kazushi Sakuraba, the legendary Japanese MMA fighter, deserves a lot more mainstream attention. He’s now pushing 50, yet can’t stay away from competition. It’s granted that he hasn’t had a fight since the end of 2015, yet he’s nowhere near retired just yet. The man known as “The Gracie Hunter” and “The IQ Wrestler” has now come up with a new submission grappling event unlike any other. (more…)

Andy Kunz Fight Night — Impromptu Juggling Act

by: Sonny Go

Kickboxing, Vlogs | 02 December 2017

A week after MWF Balikbayan (late blog post on that coming soon), I had to do another ring announcing gig in the same venue. It was the Andy Kunz Fight Night, an amateur kickboxing event. I did think it was going to be a relaxing day of me just shouting out names of two guys about to beat the shit out of each other, but it turns out I had to do more things than that. In fact, particularly for this event, I had to do even more juggling than I usually do with MWF events. (more…)

Mayweather vs. McGregor — Kid Gloves

by: Sonny Go

Boxing | 28 August 2017

With the announcement of Mayweather vs. McGregor, I had planned to write about it here. Never mind how it has been a circus show with a ton of dosh on the line, it was still a circus show. Since it did happen anyway, let’s do something most aren’t willing to do—take it (kind of) seriously. Conor did something most wouldn’t, and Mayweather did what he needed to even at 40 to bring his record up to 50-0. I watched it (because I had to) and it was entertaining while it lasted. I then turned off the stream as soon as the referee stopped the fight. (more…)

UFC 211 — To Be in Limbo

by: Sonny Go

Mixed Martial Arts | 14 May 2017

Lately, whenever I’ve written about the UFC, I get a sense of urgency, but not outright fun. UFC 211 has made me confront these feelings because of how much in limbo the company seems to be at the moment, as well as many of those who competed in this event. I’m not one to talk bad about anything related to pro wrestling (other than those in it who are named Vince), but maybe I’m starting to change my mind when it comes to pro wrestling-style promotion of combat sports. (more…)