Dragon Profiles: FRANK TREJO (1952-2018)

Fighter, teacher,
superstar – these are some of the labels befitting the memory of
Grandmaster Frank Trejo. Beginning his journey in the fighting arts
by learning boxing at age 8, Frank was introduced to eastern styles
via shotokan karate but found his niche in American kenpo under
founder Ed Parker. Not content to only master theory, the young black
belt initiated a competitive career in the early 70s, winning over
400 championships on the karate circuit and entering the fledgling
kickboxing scene to secure a state title. Additionally, Trejo was the
coach and captain of the Budweiser National Karate Team – America’s
first martial arts troop to receive corporate sponsorship – and
toured internationally for two years. Eventually becoming an
instructor, Frank combined his diverse experience into the “kenpo
fusion” style he taught as part of his international seminars and
work with disabled students. As if all this wasn’t enough, Trejo
also enjoyed a film career for which he acted in and choreographed
action features – mainly vehicles for fellow martial artist Mimi
Lesseos.

Tragically, health
problems plagued the grandmaster late in life, with diabetes and
complications from treatment necessitating several amputations. On
April 11, Frank Trejo died – leaving behind a major contribution to
the martial arts and an endearing legacy. He will be greatly
missed.

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO THE FRANK TREJO
MEMORIAL FUND

Styles &
Accomplishments
Kenpo (10^th
Dan, 19-time IKC Champion, Budweiser National Karate Team captain;
Kenpo Karate Hall of Fame entrant)
Kickboxing
(California State Champion, record: 21-1)
Shotokan Karate
Judo

Films to See

Pushed to the Limit (1992) –
co-starring role / fight choreographer
Beyond Fear (1993) –
co-starring role
Personal Vendetta (1995) –
co-starring role / fight choreographer

Trivia:
As
of this writing, Trejo is the only competitor in IKC history to win
international titles in both
forms
and fighting on the same day.

Video
Vs.
Ron Pohnel

Honorary Dragon: SOON-TEK OH (1932-2018)

Source

I’ve
recently heard about the tragic death of Soon-Tek Oh, one of my
favorite actors and a person who definitely deserves honoring on this
page. Oh was an acclaimed Hollywood performer whose work spanned
genres and mediums, and while he wasn’t generally labeled a “karate
guy,” it’d be an oversight if nobody mentioned his involvement
with the action genre in memoriam. A practitioner of taekwondo and
kendo, Oh brought an authenticity to his fighting roles that wasn’t
lost on his fans, and he thus made an impression even when performing
alongside established martial arts stars. Indeed, his last fight
scene (in The President’s Man
[2000])
featured
the 68-year-old Oh leading
a
furious
climactic showdown
against Chuck Norris.
Though his involvement with
my U.S. video niche
was limited, his memory deserves the lasting respect of anyone who
enjoys the martial arts subgenre as a whole. With
regard to his towering
portfolio of dramatic work, I’ll
always remember him as a deceptively
skilled
fighter who brought much class to every production he was involved
with. I’m
going to miss him very much.

Below
are some clips of his fight scenes.

Vs.
Lee Van Cleef – The Master
(1984)

Vs.
Adrian Paul – Highlander
(1992)

Vs.
Chuck Norris – The President’s Man
(2000)

Dragon Profiles: CHRISTINE BANNON-RODRIGUES

Source

No collection of
martial arts greats is complete without Shihan Christine
Bannon-Rodrigues. A New England native who chose karate over other
sports because of its high level of participation (less “time on
the bench,” as she says), she would soon realize it was her
calling. She was 17 when she earned her first black belt, and was
successfully competing at the world championship level by 25.
Competition earned Bannon-Rodrigues 135 grand championship wins, her
most notable being nine world titles at the WAKO games – two in
forms, three in weapons, and four in fighting. The “Lady Lightning”
balanced this career with one in show business, netting stunt roles
in major productions while shining as a featured fighter on the small
screen. Now retired from competition and appearing only infrequently
on film, she co-owns and teaches at the Don Rodrigues Karate Academy
in Warwick, RI.

Styles &
Accomplishments
Oki-Ryu
Kenpo (9^th
Dan; 9-time
WAKO World Champion)
Kickboxing
Wushu
Judo
Jujutsu
Krav
Maga

Films to
See
Xtreme
Fighter
(2004) – co-starring role
WMAC
Masters
(1995-1996) – recurring role
The
Martial Arts Kid
(2015)
–
cameo

Trivia
Bannon-Rodrigues
set back-to-back world records at the WAKO games. At the 1991 world
championships, she became the first competitor to win three titles at
the same event. When
critics dismissed this as
a fluke, she repeated the feat two years later at the 1993 world
championships.

Videos
Vs.
Heather Boler
Vs.
Cheryl Nance

Dragon Profiles: DON NAKAYA NIELSEN (1959-2017)

Source

When
it comes to living a rich and exciting life, not many can compete
with the scope and thrill that Don Nakaya Nielsen experienced.
Starting out as a college football player, Nielsen moved on to a
career of combat sports that began with amateur boxing and
transitioned to professional kickboxing. Tough and charismatic, Don
became an international
superstar while
capturing three major
championships. His
popularity allowed an easy move
to pro wrestling in Japan,
wherein
Nielsen competed in shoot-style matches while wearing boxing gloves.
Around
this time, Nielsen initiated a
short but successful film
career and
co-starred
in three movies.
These were
Filipino productions but
made
for the western film market, and subsequently
found homes in retail
and rental shops during
home video’s
heyday.

Eventually,
Don traded
his fighting career for one
in chiropractic and
opened
the first official clinic of
Thailand in 1993.
He continued
this practice until
the end of his life on
August 15, 2017 – the
result of a heart attack
stemming
from surgical complications.
He was cremated nine days later.

Styles
& Accomplishments
Kickboxing
(WKA US National Champion; WKA International Champion; UKF
International Champion)
Muay Thai
Tang Soo Do

Films
to See
Blood
Ring
(1991) – co-starring
role
Eternal
Fist
(AKA Fist of
Steel)
(1992) – co-starring
role
Blood
Ring 2
(1995) – supporting role

Trivia:
Nielsen played an important role in the establishment of Japan’s
mixed martial arts scene
when
he faced Frank Shamrock in a 1992
mixed
rules bout. [VIDEO]
Though Don lost, the match itself was a popular success and helped
lead
to the founding of the Pancrase Hybird Wrestling promotion in
1993.

Videos
Vs.
Rob Kaman
Vs.
Akira Maeda (pro wrestling)

Dragon Profiles: BRIDGETT RILEY

Source

A
career in the fighting arts wasn’t what people expected of Bridgett
Riley, a former cheerleader who was working as a flight attendant
when she made the transition to professional kickboxing. Her
nickname, “Baby Doll,” was bestowed on her in her teens by a
karate instructor who was amazed by the small-statured young woman’s
fighting ability. Nowadays, people are less surprised, given
Bridgett’s thorough domination of the pro kickboxing scene and five
world championship reigns. What’s more, Riley bridged
the gap between martial arts and boxing – becoming a top rated
pugilist and securing a 15-3 record with one IFBA World Championship
reign. All the while, Riley successfully balanced her fighting
careers with one in show business: though still mainly known for her
stuntwork in major blockbusters, she’s also notable for a handful
of fighting parts in DTV films and television.

Styles
& Accomplishments
Kickboxing
– ISKA, WKBA, WKA,
UKF & IKBF World
Champion; record: 26-2
Karate
– 1^st
Dan
Muay
Thai

Films
to See
Triple Impact (1992)
– lead role
Bare Knuckles
(2013) – supporting role
WMAC Masters
(1995-1996) – recurring role

Trivia:
In her first professional kickboxing match, Riley defeated
U.S.
national champion Denise Taylor in a major upset. Taylor grabbed a microphone and demanded a rematch, calling
her loss a fluke.
A month later, Riley defeated Taylor again
via
technical knockout – breaking her nose in the process.

Videos
Vs.
Olivia Gerula
Highlights
(Boxing, Kickboxing, Film, Etc.)

Dragon Profiles: ROD KEI

Photo
credit
Kei,
R. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/rodtitude

In
1979, three amateur kickboxers – Maurice Smith, Peter Cunningham, and
Rod Kei – met at a WKA event and collectively predicted their
destinies to become great world champions. While Smith and Cunningham
have since then been
more often remembered by mainstream history, Kei proved himself no
less impressive of an individual.
Arguably the most diversely-talented of the trio, Kei competed in at
least four different styles of martial arts
and won world titles in several of them. His film career was likewise
multifaceted, with Rod
spanning the gambit from background fighter to supporting villain and
even leading man – excelling in all roles
through his standout athletic ability. Today,
Kei teaches boxing, kickboxing, and personal
fitness at the EXF Boxing and Kickboxing Academy and the
Sweet Science MMA gym
in California. He also works for American
Airlines.

Styles &
Accomplishments
Kickboxing
– 2-time WKA World Champion, KICK World Champion
Muay
Thai – Ranked 4th in the world by the International Muay Thai
Federation
Savate
– World Cup Champion
Judo
– 3rd Dan, Metro Champion
Taekwondo
– 3rd Dan
Hung
Gar
Sil
Lum

Films
to See
Blind
Vengeance (1994)
– lead role
L.A.
Task Force (1994)
– lead role
Dragon
Fire (1993)
– supporting role
Full
Impact (1993)
– featured fight scene

Trivia:
Kei
was involved in an infamous 1989 kickboxing match wherein
his opponent – Saekson Janjira – kneed him in the face while the
referee was attempting to separate them. A disqualification victory
for Kei was indicated, after which both fighters’ cornermen began
brawling. The fight turned into a full-scale riot with spectators
throwing chairs into the ring. A
video of the incident can be seen HERE.

Videos
Rod
Kei vs. Takashi Aoyama
Rod
Kei vs. Pee Wee Walker