polderi
21-12-2005, 11:57
Aus www.tatame.com. Am Ende verrät er Tipps wie man einen solchen Sohn auf die Welt stellt ;)
The King Zulu
(By Marcelo Alonso)
At the eighties, a black fighter extremely strong for that time was called the king of the MMA in Brazil. It was a time that fighters faced each other without gloves and time limit. Born in São Luiz, capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Maranhão, Casimiro Nascimento Martins, aka King Zulu, was respected for mixing aggressivety with calmness at the ring. He was capable to take his opponent down and blow him by headbutts (that's it, at that time the headbutts were allowed) and, later, he laughed ironically to his opponent. By the way, the faces that Zulu did during his fights were his trademark and also a good show. The audience loved it and Zulu really seemed to love changing punches on the ring.
It didn't take longer to the Gracie Family hear about the King Zulu performances around the Brazilian countryside. And in 1981, after Zulu beating a Waldemar Santana student in Brasília, Zulú was called to face a guy who was debuting at MMA, Rickson Gracie, in a combat considered by Rickson as the most difficult challenge of his career. During the last 25 years, Zulu kept on his journey around the country fighting and, today, despite being at the age of 59, he still fights. There's no more glamour on his fights, most of the time he fights unknown people at the countryside of Maranhão, but that's how he earns his money. When he started to talk about his retirement, his life changed. Last October, his son fought for the first time at the most important MMA tournament in the world and, at the Pride corner, Zulu got back his crown. He was interviewed by the most important media vehicles in Japan, he took pictures with the Japanese fans and so he decided: 'now I can do my retirement. I already have the guy to keep my name on the MMA rings. But before reaching the age of 60, I want to do my last fight with glamour, at Pride, with my son on my corner'.
How were you received by the Japanese press when you were at Pride?
It was cool! I didn't realize they would remember me. But, before fighting me, Rickson hadn't seen a MMA fight... and Rickson was the guy who took the MMA to Japan, so the Japanese were really interested on me. On a certain way, I contributed for the MMA in Japan. it was after Rickson checks the Tarracá skills he started to do MMA (laughing).
How was your first fight against Rickson?
I was called to fight MMA. But, 20 minutes before the combat, Waldemar entered my locker room saying that punches weren't allowed and I couldn't kick Rickson on the ground. He took out my best! I accepted, because if I didn't accept they will say I was afraid. I took Rickson out of the ring for three times. it was a tough fight. but he had a lot of heart and he was a warrior going towards me. But I was affected by the rules. I didn't have a ground game. I took him down and I couldn't do anything on the ground. When he took my back, he submitted me.
How Zuluzinho got so big (2m and 175kg)?
He was planned to be the giant he is. I wanted a big fighter. Zuluzinho's mother was a friend of a friend of mine. When I saw that big black girl, taller than me, I realized she could give me a first class son. I thought, I will do with her. I put 1 liter of 'the milk' on her and I took my thing out of her for the left side to get a baby boy. because if I had done it for the right side, it would have been a baby girl.
The King Zulu
(By Marcelo Alonso)
At the eighties, a black fighter extremely strong for that time was called the king of the MMA in Brazil. It was a time that fighters faced each other without gloves and time limit. Born in São Luiz, capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Maranhão, Casimiro Nascimento Martins, aka King Zulu, was respected for mixing aggressivety with calmness at the ring. He was capable to take his opponent down and blow him by headbutts (that's it, at that time the headbutts were allowed) and, later, he laughed ironically to his opponent. By the way, the faces that Zulu did during his fights were his trademark and also a good show. The audience loved it and Zulu really seemed to love changing punches on the ring.
It didn't take longer to the Gracie Family hear about the King Zulu performances around the Brazilian countryside. And in 1981, after Zulu beating a Waldemar Santana student in Brasília, Zulú was called to face a guy who was debuting at MMA, Rickson Gracie, in a combat considered by Rickson as the most difficult challenge of his career. During the last 25 years, Zulu kept on his journey around the country fighting and, today, despite being at the age of 59, he still fights. There's no more glamour on his fights, most of the time he fights unknown people at the countryside of Maranhão, but that's how he earns his money. When he started to talk about his retirement, his life changed. Last October, his son fought for the first time at the most important MMA tournament in the world and, at the Pride corner, Zulu got back his crown. He was interviewed by the most important media vehicles in Japan, he took pictures with the Japanese fans and so he decided: 'now I can do my retirement. I already have the guy to keep my name on the MMA rings. But before reaching the age of 60, I want to do my last fight with glamour, at Pride, with my son on my corner'.
How were you received by the Japanese press when you were at Pride?
It was cool! I didn't realize they would remember me. But, before fighting me, Rickson hadn't seen a MMA fight... and Rickson was the guy who took the MMA to Japan, so the Japanese were really interested on me. On a certain way, I contributed for the MMA in Japan. it was after Rickson checks the Tarracá skills he started to do MMA (laughing).
How was your first fight against Rickson?
I was called to fight MMA. But, 20 minutes before the combat, Waldemar entered my locker room saying that punches weren't allowed and I couldn't kick Rickson on the ground. He took out my best! I accepted, because if I didn't accept they will say I was afraid. I took Rickson out of the ring for three times. it was a tough fight. but he had a lot of heart and he was a warrior going towards me. But I was affected by the rules. I didn't have a ground game. I took him down and I couldn't do anything on the ground. When he took my back, he submitted me.
How Zuluzinho got so big (2m and 175kg)?
He was planned to be the giant he is. I wanted a big fighter. Zuluzinho's mother was a friend of a friend of mine. When I saw that big black girl, taller than me, I realized she could give me a first class son. I thought, I will do with her. I put 1 liter of 'the milk' on her and I took my thing out of her for the left side to get a baby boy. because if I had done it for the right side, it would have been a baby girl.