Chocolate: Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda

Chocolate is a 2008 Thai martial arts film directed by Prachya Pinkaew with martial arts choreography by Panna Rittikrai, the same pair who directed Tony Jaa in Ong-Bak and Tom Yum Goong. The star of Chocolate is Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda, who makes her debut film performance. Hiroshi Abe and Pongpat Wachirabunjong also star.

A young autistic woman named Zen (Yanin Vismistananda) has developed uncanny martial arts skills by watching television, and from living next door to a Muay Thai academy.

The girl is the daughter of Zin (Ammara Siripong), the Thai wife of Yakuza boss Masashi (Hiroshi Abe).

Zin was previously the girlfriend of Thai gangster No. 8 (Pongpat Wachirabunjong), who was jealous of her relationship with rival gangster Masashi, so he cut off one of Zin's toes, and forbade her from seeing Masashi.

Zin then falls ill with cancer, and does not have the money to pay for treatments. One day, Zen's friend discovers a list of debtors in an old notebook, from the days when Zin was a high-interest moneylender under No. 8. In order to get money to pay for her mother's cancer treatment, Zen decides to collect on the debts, which leads to confrontations with various criminal gangs and, eventually, No. 8.

The star of Chocolate, Yanin Vismistananda, was discovered by director Prachya Pinkaew in 2003 when the director was working on casting sessions for Panna Rittikrai's directorial effort, Born to Fight.

Already experienced in taekwondo, Yanin underwent more training with Panna Rittikrai's stunt team.

The script for Chocolate was then developed with Yanin in mind.

The film was in production during 2006 and 2007, with promotional efforts including a cast appearance at the Bangkok Film Market during the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival in July.

A three-minute promotional video was released online in early January, showing action scenes from the film as well as outtakes of what appeared to be painful injuries for the star and stuntmen.




technorati tags:mixed martial arts ,mixed martial art ,mixed martial arts fights ,mixed martial arts fighting ,mixed martial arts news ,female mixed martial arts ,martial arts karate ,martial arts ,martial art ,japanese martial arts ,filipino martial arts ,shaolin martial arts ,chinese martial arts

Free women’s safety course to be held Feb. 22 in Harriman

Free women’s safety course to be held Feb. 22 in Harriman

HARRIMAN — Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts will conduct a free safety seminar for women, part of its “Woman Safe Program,” on Friday, Feb. 22 at its Monroe-Woodbury martial arts center on 290 Larkin Drive beginning at 8 p.m.

http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2008/02/09/photo_news/news/8.txt





technorati tags:mixed martial arts ,mixed martial art ,mixed martial arts fights ,mixed martial arts fighting ,mixed martial arts news ,female mixed martial arts ,martial arts karate ,martial arts ,martial art ,japanese martial arts ,filipino martial arts ,shaolin martial arts ,chinese martial arts

SIU grad one of nation's top female fighters

SIU grad one of nation's top female fighters

Jill Fickes set to headline Carbondale mixed martial arts event
Jeff Engelhardt
Issue date: 1/31/08

The single stroke of a bell is all Jill Fickes remembers about her first fight.

Fickes was so nervous before the fight she doesn't remember how she beat an opponent with a 50-pound weight advantage, but she does remember the adrenaline rush.

Fickes has chased that rush ever since on her way to becoming a nationally ranked mixed martial artist. The 31-year-old is a Golden Gloves champion, has studied martial arts for the better part of 23 years and has trained with some of the best fighters in the world.






technorati tags:mixed martial arts ,mixed martial art ,mixed martial arts fights ,mixed martial arts fighting ,mixed martial arts news ,female mixed martial arts ,martial arts karate ,martial arts ,martial art ,japanese martial arts ,filipino martial arts ,shaolin martial arts ,chinese martial arts

Donahue woman to take on ‘American Gladiators'

Donahue woman to take on ‘American Gladiators'
By David Burke Saturday, January 05, 2008

Jessie Adams Foster laughs at the TV game show description that categorizes her as a “toilet paper saleswoman.”

But that’s how the 26-year-old Donahue, Iowa, woman will be known to the rest of the country Sunday night when she looks to wipe out her opponents as a contestant on a new version of “American Gladiators.”

“I’m the ‘tough single mom who sells toilet paper,’ ” the mother of three children — ages 7, 3 and almost 2 — said and then laughed. “That really made me feel like I wasn’t very exciting.”

(She is unsure whether she will be identified as “Jessie Adams,” her maiden name, or “Jessie Foster” on the series.)

She worked as a customer service representative for Great Western Supply Co. in Davenport for about a year until quitting in November, but spent most of the past few years co-owning a gymnasium with Pat Miletich, the nationally acclaimed mixed martial arts fighter and trainer from the Quad-Cities, and Collin Carney, her former boss at the paper company.

full story:
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/01/05/news/local/doc477f123204599866283257.txt




technorati tags:mixed martial arts ,mixed martial art ,mixed martial arts fights ,mixed martial arts fighting ,mixed martial arts news ,female mixed martial arts ,martial arts karate ,martial arts ,martial art ,japanese martial arts ,filipino martial arts ,shaolin martial arts ,chinese martial arts

Kelli Cofer ready to strike in mixed martial arts

Willard woman ready to strike in mixed martial arts
By JON SPENCER
News Journal

WILLARD -- Kelli Cofer doesn't need to fight.

As a college student, she interned on an engineering project for an aeronautical company, shifted focus to the medical fields of biomedics and prosthetics and eventually switched gears to business administration.

She graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University-Mansfield this past summer with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

As a businesswoman, Cofer started her own landscaping company, finding that it not only builds a bank account but muscle thanks to its cross-training benefits.

But wielding a set of 15-pound hedge trimmers doesn't bring as much satisfaction as cutting opponents down to size. So, the Willard-based athlete and entrepreneur has decided to reinvent herself yet again.

full story here:
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071217/SPORTS/712170332



technorati tags:mixed martial arts ,mixed martial art ,mixed martial arts fights ,mixed martial arts fighting ,mixed martial arts news ,female mixed martial arts ,martial arts karate ,martial arts ,martial art ,japanese martial arts ,filipino martial arts ,shaolin martial arts ,chinese martial arts

Gina Carano in her American Gladiators costume

Here's a couple of pics of Gina Carano in her American Gladiators costume.
Will they have a NHB section in the competition?



technorati tags:mixed martial arts ,mixed martial art ,mixed martial arts fights ,mixed martial arts fighting ,mixed martial arts news ,female mixed martial arts ,martial arts karate ,martial arts ,martial art ,Japanese martial arts ,Filipino martial arts ,shaolin martial arts ,Chinese martial arts