Is there a Martial art champion who started training kinda late?
929098
If you trust your skills why not compete? May you be the first martial artist champion who started training late!  Good luck!
596449
His best bet would be to enter some "open" tournments in the area. EX: The N.A.G.A. holds grappling tourments where one does not need to be part of a club to participate.  If he does well there other's that are part of clubs will attempt to recruit him.  From there he will train with others and when skill levels raise they will support him into UFC events and or Pride events.  Or look for any training facilities in your area that specialize in martial arts but make sure they are endorse by a national agency. If your located out in the lost lands it might be tough but worth the effort if he's really serious about it.
702422
No....  They didn't.  \n\nBruce Lee offered demonstrations at some of the Karate tournaments, but he did not compete.  Chuck Norris was a world karate champion who did compete, but according to his own biography and books has never physically used his skills outside a ring or off screen.  (In other words, he's never used his skills in a real self-defense situation.)\n\nThey did, however, informally train together and exchange ideas on at least one occassion according to Chuck Norris.  In an interview Norris gave in one bio-pic on Bruce Lee, Norris said they had an occassion to train in -of all places - the hallway of a hotel.  Norris also states that he was one of those who influenced Bruce Lee to use kicks higher than the waist.  Bruce Lee coming from a primarily Wing Chun background did not think using high kicks in a real fight was a sound strategy.  However, Norris stated he essentially offered to Lee that though practically speaking a fighter might not choose to use kick higher than the waist, the ability to do so offers the fighter greater choices/resources to draw from in a fight.  \n\nHowever, as far as on screen fights, the finale of "Return of the Dragon" between the two is a classic.
879226
Marmeladka ~\n                      Fresh from of getting out of the Hospital for having his severely broken jaw operated on from his fight with Edison Miranda Arthur stated "I'm going to need a bit of a rest, I will most likely be in the gym in three of four months, it's mostly about the healing process." If this is the case chances are he may be stripped of the IBF title for not defending the title against a mandatory challenger in the allotted time constraint.\n                      With a injury such as Arthur's, fighters usually can't fight for at least a year, if all goes well. So it might be quite some time before Arthur Abraham is back in the ring, maybe late 2007.
818416
i saw a guy who was a total noob to martial arts punch the bag a few times with no real technique (pretty normal for someone with no experience). then he tried to jump kick it, but he was an unusually high jumper. his foot kinda slid off the top of the back and caught in the chains that held up the bag. he was hanging upside down from his ankle and when they lifted him out, he had a big red welt on his foot from the chains. the guy never came back. \n\nhe also was talking to a kid that was 15 and had been studying for several years. he found out the kid (a sophomore) went to the same high school he used to go to. he said "yeah, i played football.... if you ever have someone giving you trouble there, just let me know... " \nthat same night, they sparred lightly (no heavy contact, no face contact) for about 4 miutes. the 15 year old (who was REALLY good at what he was doing) was pretty much going as lightly as he could and the other guy just couldnt keep up. he was sweating, out of breath, and missed every block no matter how easy the other guy went on him.
1173117
My training is similar to yours.  I train BJJ, Muay Thai, and Boxing.  I also have a strong background in wrestling, having done it for over 6 years and having coached it for a short time.  Right now I'm not near any schools, as I work on a Navy base in Italy.  There are a couple of guys here with different backgrounds and we spar together, teaching each other what we can.  When I get back to the states I'm going back to my BJJ school, and looking for a muay thai gym if I can find one.\n\nI think you're training now is ideal for MMA.  Boxing and muay thai have awesome footwork and striking techniques. Combine that with the comfort muay thai fighters have in the clinch and the ground fighting prowess of BJJ and you have a very well rounded fighter.  All that's missing is the takedown ablility of wrestling or judo.  I've trained with many higher ranked (in belt)BJJ practitioners, and I've always had them off the takedown.  They eventually improve their position and get me with a submission, but that will change in time.\n\nI don't completely agree with your view on Kung Fu, though.  It's true that there aren't many MMA champions with Kung Fu backgrounds, but I don't think that is because of the stye.  I think it's more because of the training.\n\nKung Fu, traditionally, was a mixed martial art form.  The chinese brought together various famous fighters to study their styles and techniques and to develop strong fighters for battle.  It's techniques are effective and it has potential for MMA  Presently, though, I don't think Kung Fu is practiced in a way that builds great fighters. Especially in the US.  It has become more of a forms based martial art and the practitioners don't spar enough, if at all.  It's possible for a Kung Fu fighter to study for years and have less ring time than a Muay Thai boxer would get in his first few months at a gym.
560660
Tee,\n\nI've studied multiple disciplines over the last 22 years..\nThe main two arts were Hung Ga Chuan Fa (17 years) and Bujinkan Taijutsu for the last 5.\n\nIn the midst of those...I've played around and cross-trained w/ Muay Thai, Yoshinkan Aikido, MMA players, Kodokan Judo, Kokkar military knife and firearm tactics, Wing Chun, Xingyiquan, and Bagua...\n\nBut Hung Ga and the Bujinkan were the major two, the only two that have really spoken to me. The others were for fun mainly.\n\nHave I ever had to defend myself? Yes...\n\nOnce at an attempted ATM mugging : the assailant left w/ a broken elbow and a nasty concussion.\n\nOnce at a bar : I hit him w/ an ashtray, and my bouncer friend threw him out. 30 seconds and done.\n\nThat's good enough for now...
314884
Could be Barry Migugan of Nazeem... possibly Cooper as he has Ali beat had he not had to change gloves!
1174251
I started in Boxing and Tae Kwon Do, for about a year.  This was about 1989, my sophmore year in college.  I switched to a Northern Style Kung Fu called Shipagi, some of the forms of which I still practice to this day.\n\nIn 1992 I studied Wing Chun and Arnis at the local YMCA for about 3 years.  After that, when I became a school teacher, I just trained on my own until 1999.\n\nThat's when I hooked up with Joseph Simonet in Wenatchee WA.  I trained in quite a few arts at that point (mainly because Joe is so well versed in so many himself) including Arnis/Eskrima, Tracy's Kenpo Karate, Yang style Tai Chi, Wing Chun and Pentjak Silat Serak.  I eventually earned a black belt in a hybrid curriculum he developed called American Wing Chun-Silat.\n\nSo let's see... I guess all told I have been training about 17 years.  Hmm, doesn't seem all that long and yet it's been quite the journey.\n\nPeace,\nVT
714174
Alan Minter was the former world Middleweight champion, the guy who Marvin Hagler beat to become world middleweight champion back in the early eighties. Im pretty sure he never did bare knuckle boxing though, unless as said in the answer above there is someone else of the same name?. He retired years ago but is still involved in boxing, i think he currently trains his son Ross who is an up and coming fighter.
1030574
I have studied Martial Arts since 1987 and I have never heard the term "apprentice" black belt. I think you may be trying to over simplify your question. Since their are two major branches of Kempo; Chinese and American, I assume you study American Kempo, and are the equivalent to a Chodan-ho of Tang Soo Do. Since you've been in Tang Soo Do for anywhere from about one and a half too two years (depending on if your school test every three or four months) you understand the term Chodan-ho.
496831
Osama Bin Laden lives in my basement.  I feed him saltines and Diet Pepsi.  Sometimes I like to practice Tae Kwon Do on him.  When he's asleep.  But he doesn't stay asleep for long enough, all I can get in is one or two good kicks.  Once I gave him some boxing gloves and fought him in an 8-round bout.  I won by TKO in the seventh...that old man is pretty feisty.
47986
Get a good trainer. Do your roadwork every morning, and then do whatever your trainer tells you to do. I know that sounds lame, but you someone who can see what you look like and how you're progressing will know a lot better than anyone else.\n\nAnd of course, watch lots of fight tapes to see the techniques of the other greats. I would recommend Ricardo Lopez. Though a strawweight, he is the most technically sound boxer I have ever seen and is great to learn textbook moves from.\n\nStay focused, and good luck!
953216
they are trying to sell their "training" as better...of course they will say "theirs" is better.\n\nYou answered your own question, the art doesn't make the fighter.  Someone with zero ability is not going to become a "fighter" because they learned someones "art".
1069235
I started when I was 28.At the time i was smoking,drinking and over weight,I knew a little about the honor respect thing but never put it into perspective.Started in Tae Kwon Do made it to second degree black belt before switching to Hapkido  earned a third in Hapkido.In the ten years I've been in the M A people would always ask me if I ever used it I would always laugh and say no I never need to because I have been taught to keep myself away from the things and places that would give me a reason to use it.And I think back to when I first started and ask myself if I hadn't taken Martial Arts were would I be.And my answer would probably be in jail or dead.So Martial Arts has given me a life that has been better than I would have had.Had I not joined.All my friends and family agree that it has turned my life around.
19792
obviously chuck norris, he has much more martial arts and physical combat training (since he often trained with bruce lee) and is the 6-time World Karate Champion, also a karate teacher, and has founded two of his own martial arts styles: Chun Kuk Do ("the Universal Way") and American Tang Soo Do. There is so much more than this too.
1118238
Is it too late to start Tae Kwon Do ?  \n  The answer is NO. \n     Tae Kwon Do is a great sport or art- form for Young & Old. Ps . ( You Still Very Young) . My Son & I started Tae kwon Do together a couple of years ago. I am in my Middle forties & my son is now 11yrs old. We had a  blast learning this together & it was great for building ours self- confident. We competed in Tournaments & did quite well. I actually has more trophies then my son. When you compete it is group by age & belt rank.  My Son is now a Black Belt but I still need one more test, due to some old injuries.  Tae kwon do is great , you will love it !!