MARTIALFORCE.COM
ONLINE MAGAZINE
PRESENTS
Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors
At the Tropicana Casino and
Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey
The Greatest Martial Arts Event on Earth
The Greatest Show on Earth is synonymous with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. On January 8th and 9th, Martialforce.com attended The Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors Banquet an event referred to as The Academy Awards of The Martial Arts and many called it, ‘The Greatest Martial Arts Event on Earth.’
The 10th Annual Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame Event took place over the course of two days beginning on Friday, with seminars and certification programs that continued into Saturday morning and afternoon, and culminated with the Hall of Fame Awards Banquet in the evening. As only Sifu Alan Goldberg could put together, this event was jam backed with celebrities and notables in the martial arts and film, which created its own excitement.
To Kyoshi William Rivera of Martialforce.com, and what it was like to be at this event, as he bounced from table to table, room to room, to meet and speak to the many martial arts greats in attendance? To put it simply, it was like being a kid in a candy store, surrounded by so many treasures.
Lydia Alicea – Executive Writer and Editor
You have heard the term “it is not personal, just business,” to me it was both. As an executive writer and editor for Martialforce.com, it was business but as a martial artist, the event is one that touched my heart and is personal. What I encountered was an event full of martial artists, families and friends who shared experiences and stories.
Like Dan Severn inviting me to sit with him at the dais as he spoke about the power of positive thinking and achieving one’s goals. Luis Morales and his wife Rosa, speaking about the rewards of the martial arts and family. Jeff Speakman’s powerful speech on the pitfalls of selling ranks thereby cheapening the value of the arts, discussions with Carlos Montalvo into the wee hours of the morning, on the influences of the martial arts in Puerto Rico and in Latin American countries demonstrating the reach of the arts globally.
This is only a speck of what took place that weekend. There were many more people I had the great fortune of speaking to, who enlightened me, but as Sifu Alan Goldberg said to me as the event closed, “This was not my event; this was their event, everyone who attended.
William Rivera Kyoshi
We asked those who attended to give us some comments about this event. Here are some of the responses we received:
“I am here for Alan Goldberg. He puts so much into this event, a yearlong project. Just for that, we are thankfully here to do whatever we can to support him. That is why my wife, my family and I enjoy coming. I mean, it is truly incredible how he can get so many martial artists at one event. More importantly, for me, I look forward to seeing those who I have not had an opportunity to see all year. To get us all here together is quite a thing.”
Don Rodrigues
“Like everyone says, it is the greatest martial arts event on earth. I have so much fun here. I see many friends that I only get the chance to see here since I live on the West Coast. Everybody here on the East Coast is so warm and loving. It is like being with family, like coming home. I have attended this event for ten years and hopefully, for another ten.”
Cynthia Rothrock
“I am here for Alan Goldberg; and for the sport of the martial arts industry. As Chairman of the Pro Martial Arts Hall Of Fame and Museum, represent a newly chartered museum in the State of New York, similar to the same charter ship as the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, the Hockey Hall Of Fame and the Baseball Hall Of Fame. Our goal is to have the same recognition given to the martial arts, to be a long lasting tribute for generations to come. Tonight I am here to pay honor to Alan Goldberg and to all the great things he has done for the martial arts industry.”
A.J. Verel
“It is a chance to see my brethren and brothers that I have not seen in many years. There is a feeling of love here that I cannot miss it.”
Grandmaster John Saxton
“The reason I am here today is because I have been inducted into several Martial Arts Hall of Fame, but this is the only one that martial artists get together outside of their field. It is a chance to see how my peers and contemporaries are doing, to say hello and to celebrate what we do. What makes this event different is because it is the biggest and there are more celebrities as well as many martial artists from all over the world.”
Sifu/Guro Doug Pierre
“The reason why I am here is to celebrate with my students who have been devoted to me for over forty years. Yes, it is about them today it is not about me at all. I feel like a grandfather today. It is all about sharing this moment with all of my students.”
Professor Pierre T. Rene
“For me, this is an honorable day. It is a privilege for me to attend considering the honorees that have won awards and will be inducted into tonight. Most important, I am here to support Alan Goldberg.”
Kyoshi James Zeno
“This event is wonderful because of the great caliber of martial artists present who have contributed so much to the arts. It is a pleasure to have them here where no body has an ego.”
Kyoshi Earl Woodbury
“There are a multitude of reasons, and also a personal one. Many people do not know what type of person I am. They see this guy on a ‘Pay-Per-View’ event or on reality TV, known as ‘The Beast,’ and watch me compete. I want people to meet Dan Severin the person, the instructor and say, “By God, the guy does have a humor, an imagination and, he can breakdown technique!”
I take a great deal of pride in what I have accomplished as an athlete and even more pride of what I have done as an instructor to my students or people that come in and want to learn a little bit more of the mixed martial arts. I chose wrestling because it is a team sport based on individual performance. I have paved my way to the top with my drive to succeed. I have succeeded through the power of positive thinking.”
Dan “The Beast” Severn
“He is my Master and I love him to death. He gets all the people together and that is great.”
Demetrius “Oak Tree” Edwards
“I am impressed by how organized this event has been. I came here this weekend to support all martial artists, East Coast and West Coast and to lend support to this event.”
Kyoshi Luis Morales
“This event is one in a million. It brings me back to my younger years when I see the brotherhood that there is tonight, where there are no different styles, where we are all under the same umbrella all of us together.”
Soke Felix Vasquez
“This is a huge gathering of so many different martial artists of different backgrounds and where everybody celebrates each others’ uniqueness. It is an event that many know about at one of the top places to be.”
Shihan A. Tito Allen
JOE PISCOPO
MICHAEL JAI WHITE
BILL WALLACE
JEFF SPEAKMAN
ALAN GOLDBERG AND JASON LAU
MICHAEL DE PASQUALE JR.
MASTER GRANT CAMPBELL
MASTER CARLOS MONTALVO
MASTER TAYARI CASEL
SENSEI JOHN LIBUTTI AND MASTER GINA TATUM
MASTER LUIS MORALES, MASTER LOU FERRER AND SENSEI JOHN LIBUTTI
KICKBOXING CHAMPION OLANDO RIVERA
Thank-you Sifu Alan Goldberg and to all who attended The Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame event for allowing us to share in what is definitely:
In my opinion, this is
The Greatest Martial Arts Event on Earth