MARTIALFORCE.COM
PRESENTS
AN INTERVIEW WITH
SENSEI ROSS LEVINE
APRIL / 2011
My name is Eddie Morales and welcome to Martialforce.com Online Martial Arts Magazine. Evolution being the process of formation, growth and or development is ever so present in all facets of life. There is always a step taken forward that changes the way things were done yesterday. Whether the step is viewed as positive or negative becomes a matter of individual preference. With this thought comes the responsibility of the person taking the steps to have a strong base and understanding in regards to the traditions of past. You cannot create without a prototype unless you re-invent the wheel. Combative sports have reached a new plateau as MMA has demonstrated. Sport Karate has gone through its transition as well. In the last decade the majority have come to understand that it's ok to cross train and all champions of any given sport can attest to its benefit. The new way of training has affected the way sport Karate has evolved and new champions have been produced as a result.
At this time I want to introduce our readers to Sensei Ross Levine, who is part of this competitive evolution. He has the spirit and determination to be a winner in any endeavor. Mr. Levine has a very humble demeanor outside of the ring and his tenacity and expert level becomes apparent when in competitive mode. He has the innovation of today with the strength, technique and spirit of the champions long before his time. When watching him perform in competition you can see that Martial Arts is not what he does but instead who he is. Mr. Levine maintains a positive outlook on life as he sets goals and works hard to achieve them. It is our hope that this interview gives an insight into his life and Art.
Interview by Eddie Morales
Martialforce.com
Online Magazine
Martialforce.com: Can you tell our readers, where are you originally from and what area did you grow up in?
ROSS LEVINE:
My name is Ross Levine, I am 23 years old. I was born and raised in
Brooklyn, New York.
Martialforce.com:
What is your current
occupation?
ROSS LEVINE:
I am a Senior at
Brooklyn College, finishing up my degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science)
and plan to attend graduate school to pursue my Doctorate in Physical
Therapy. I also teach 3-4 days per week at
Amerikick Karate Studio
located in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Martialforce.com:
Who or what motivated
you to begin training in Martial arts and who was your instructor/s?
ROSS LEVINE:
My father,
Charles Levine was a kickboxer in his hay-day and my older brother Josh was
taking Taekwondo classes for 2 years before I got started. Those two were my
primary motivations to begin classes. I remember one evening my brother came
home with a trophy from an interschool tournament and I wanted that trophy
so bad! I had to get involved.
Martialforce.com:
What are your thoughts
on the practice of Kata? Is it useful and if yes or no, explain?
ROSS LEVINE:
Kata is a fantastic instrument we use in the Martial Aarts to teach
discipline and muscle memory. It is also essential in the understanding of
the application of the different techniques in which you learn. I do feel
that kata is helpful, but if practiced alone, it cannot protect you on the
street. The body is trained to be specific in what it does. Cross Training
is great, but if you want to be a better swimmer, you've got to get in the
pool and swim. If you want to increase your free throw percentage in
basketball, you've got to get on that line and practice your free throws. If
you want to be a better fighter, I feel that you must put the gear on and
learn through experience.
Martialforce.com:
Do you feel that
Martial Arts played an important role with who you have become today?
ROSS LEVINE:
The Martial Arts has completely shaped who I am today. The people I have met
and the lessons I have learned could never be duplicated by any other group
of people. Some of those who I have been so thankful to be guided by are: my
father, Charles Levine, my first instructors Tae Sun Kang, Dennis Buzis and
Angel Redondo. As I progressed in the Martial Arts, there have been a number
of people who have taken me under their wing and brought me to a higher
level as well. Those people include the names/talents such as Jadi Tention,
Nate Andrade, Hakim Walker and Willie Marshall.
Martialforce.com:
You compete in local
and National karate tournaments. Can you name some of your toughest
competitors?
ROSS LEVINE:
Raymond Daniels and Jack Felton have certainly been 2 of my biggest rivals
in the sport. They always give me a good fight. Unfortunately, they both
live on the West Coast, making it difficult for us to fight on a regular
basis.
Martialforce.com:
In regards to the
positive and negative of your competitive career, what would you change to
make the tournament experience better?
ROSS LEVINE:
I
would never ask to change my previous experiences. As I have said before,
they have shaped me in ways that nobody else could have. However, for the
future, I feel that a player's union could truly make a difference in the
sport. Nobody knows better than current and former competitive athletes how
to make the game better. We can definitely make a change, it is only a
matter of time.
Martialforce.com: When did you start training in the Bo (Long wooden staff) and do you practice any other weapon?
ROSS LEVINE: I started my Martial Arts training in general in 1994 (age 7). I first started learning weapons at age 10, using the tonfa! From there I went back and forth between tonfa and Bo until 1999 (age 12) when I decided to really work on mastering the bo. When I was 14, I met my instructor in World Champion Nate Andrade. He, like Jadi Tention, took me under his wing and helped to mold me into the Martial Artist I am today. Many people refer to me as a magician with the Bo, but Nate was the true wizard! So overall, I've been training with the Bo for 12 years.
Martialforce.com:
Do you cross train in
regards to styles, weightlifting or any other type of training?
ROSS LEVINE:
I
do like to weight train and use plyometrics to keep myself in shape. A ton
of cardio is necessary and I enjoy boxing, kickboxing and muay thai to keep
me grounded as a fighter.
Martialforce.com:
Who do you feel has
been your greatest influence in Martial Arts or life and why?
ROSS LEVINE:
Jadi Tention has been my closest friend and mentor since we met in 2003 (I
was 16). He has shown me the ropes, taken me through many of my life's ups
and downs and helped me through them. He has broken me down and built me
back up countless times. Jadi always knows how to push my buttons, make me
work harder, teach me the delicate points of the Sport and help me grow my
mind. Without that guy, I would not be the fighter or Martial Artist I am
today. I owe him a great deal of thanks and honor for my success.
Martialforce.com:
What would you say has
been your greatest achievement to date in regards to competition or life?
ROSS LEVINE:
My greatest achievement was to tie Sport karate legend Mike Bernardo
(Canada) for the most Warrior Cups won in the history of the Sport. The
Warrior Cup is a 60lb. trophy given out at the AKA Grand Nationals in
Chicago every year. Mike and I have both won 5 Championships. I hope to one
day surpass him and etch my name into sport karate history as one of it's
best players.
Martialforce.com:
Do you have any long
or short-term goals that you can tell our readers about?
ROSS LEVINE:
My short term goals would be to become a better instructor. I want to
continue learning and improving on my teaching skills so that I can give
back to the Martial Arts world. A long term goal would be to graduate with
my Doctorate Degree and have a successful business and loving family of my
own.
Martialforce.com:
You teach seminars
as part of your schedule, what can a beginner or advanced student expect to
learn in one of your seminars?
ROSS LEVINE:
I
do teach both Private Lessons and Seminars for Bo staff techniques as well
as conditioning and sparring. Students can learn a variety of tools on how
to get faster, stronger and most importantly SMARTER while they are
competing. I try to implement a very cerebral view of our sport to increase
my students longevity in the Martial Arts. One of my mottos has always been:
I may not be Stronger or faster than you, but I
CAN and
WILL out smart you.
If you can be smarter than your opponent, you can always come out on top. I
can be contacted for seminar information at
RLFighter@aol.com or via Facebook under Ross Levine.
Martialforce.com: In regards to tournament competition, what are some of your favorite fighting techniques?
ROSS LEVINE: I would have to say my Backfist and defensive Sidekicks are my favorite bread and butter techniques. There’s nothing like having someone try to kick at you, and slam that backfist down on the headgear! No feeling like it haha. In all seriousness though, I've always been a huge believer in sticking to my basics. It has been effective in the past and will be always remain effective in the future.
Martialforce.com: Who have been some of your toughest competitors?
ROSS LEVINE: Raymond Daniels has been my biggest rival since moving up to the adult divisions. He is by far one of the greatest fighters our Sport has ever seen and is certainly the most decorated. He has won everywhere he has ever been, truly an icon to the Sport. Trevor Nash from Canada is also a tough fighter for me. He is one of the few fighters I have never beaten (although i've only gotten to fight him 3 times before he retired). To shed light on some other areas of the World, my toughest competitor from Europe is Harald Schmidt, from Germany. That guy has an awesome lead leg and is very strong. Great guy as well.
Martialforce.com: What is your definition of a good instructor?
ROSS LEVINE: A good instructor is someone who is not only a great teacher, but a great motivator as well. A good instructor cares deeply for his Art and practices what he/she preaches. These things are very hard to come by nowadays. Good instructors are also those who continue to train and learn as well. Any Master, Grandmaster, etc who does not continue to be a student and is convinced that he/she knows all that there is to know, is not a true Master in my eyes. In order to be a good instructor, you must learn to be the student again. I personally Cross-Train my Taekwondo background with boxing, kickboxing, some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenpo, MMA and Sport Karate training.
Martialforce.com: Allot of kids don’t have role models in their life and as a result end up caught up in a negative street life. What would you say to a child that might be reading this in regards to feeling like they don’t fit or haven’t found themselves?
ROSS LEVINE: First of all, great question! There are so many children and teenagers who feel like they do not belong, or do not have an outlet to get away from all the negativity that they may encounter either in school, at home or on the streets. My advice is that YOU DO NOT NEED THAT! Martial arts is not necessarily the answer (although it is amazing at keeping kids and teens focused). But the key is finding a passion and attacking it. Strive to accomplish goals and take it all one step at a time. As long as you can find faith in SOMETHING, you will be okay if you stick to it. I do recommend all people try the martial arts. Competition is only one side of it. There are many aspects which people of all ages, races and religions can connect with. It is never too late to start!
Martialforce.com: Thank you for accepting this interview, you have great insight. We here at Martialforce.com wish you continued success.
ROSS LEVINE: Thank you sir!