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The following are pictures and articles concerning Kevin and the Ultimate Submission Academy.

MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME

Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame

Induction

Associates of Kevin's

A Different Kind Of Fight Club

Almost Anything Goes At New Kalispell Gym

 

By Francis Davis

The Daily Inter Lake

Kevin Moore hasn’t seen the movie Fight Club.  Nor does he want to.  He knows the actor Brad Pitt wouldn’t last two minutes in a true No Holds Barred fight, where almost anything is allowed.

 No Holds Barred is a mixed martial arts sport that combines elements of boxing, martial arts and street fighting.   And unlike the movie Fight club which starred Pit and Ed Norton as disgruntled yuppies who take to the boxing ring to stand and pound each other with bare fists, Moore’s fighters usually end up on the ground, manipulating each other’s bodies with complicated, painful holds until one finally submits.

 Moore, 45, is the owner-operator of Ultimate Submission Academy  (USA) in Kalispell, a training facility he describes as more of a club than a gym.  USA has been in Kalispell less than a year, and caters to people interested in jiu-jitsu, vale tudo, muay thai, kick boxing, and boxing – all of which can be utilized in a No Holds Barred event.

 Moore trains fighters, and also fights.

 “It’s an obsessive sport,” he said.  “Even at my age, although it’s becoming more and more difficult (for me) to remain injury free.   You don’t heal up too well and I’m usually fighting men less than half my age.”

 FEW RULES

 A No Holds Barred competition features barefoot competitors stripped to the waist fighting in a 20-by-20 ring until one of the fighters submits by tapping the ring canvas three times.  The competitors wear 3-ounce gloves and a pair of shorts.   Depending on the venue, they sometimes fight in a 24-by-24 caged octagon.  An amateur fight consist of two five-minute rounds, while a professional fight is five five-minute rounds.

 There are very few rules in a No Holds Barred event, with only head butting, eye gouging, small joint manipulation and groin shots barred.

 Moore is originally from Maryland and attended West Virginia University on a wrestling scholarship.  When he blue out his knee in his junior year, he chucked school and headed West, to Montana, arriving in 1976.  He lived in the Bitterroot Valley until 1991 when he came to Kalispell.

 He describes himself as a competitor, whose background includes a world record for sit-ups – 154 in two minutes – that is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records and Sports Illustrated.

 “I’ve fought in tough men competitions and it doesn’t compare to vale tudo,” he said. “f you don’t have training in several disciplines, you don’t do well.  Ten seconds into the match and you’re on the ground and can’t strike out anymore.” 

Vale tudo is Portuguese for “anything goes.”  Muay thai is a Thailand martial art emphasizing kicking.

 No Holds Barred features over 800 moves with each fighter mastering about a dozen.

 Moore trains regularly with his mentor Marco Ruas, a three-time world heavyweight champion of the sport.  He often travels to Laguna Beach, California to train with Ruas and last week went with 15 members of his club to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championships at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.  Twenty-thousand fans came out for the UFC fight, with ring-side seats going for $300 a piece.

 Moore said today’s boxing heavyweights would be no match for Ruas.

 “(Ruas) is a great man,” he said. “He could take out Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis in a matter of minutes.”

 THE PRODIGY

 One of Moore’s fighters is Brandon Olsen. 

Olsen trains in USA and is undefeated in amateur action with a 9-0 mark.  He will make his pro debut in September in Fort Collins, Colorado.

 Like his trainer, Olsen, 26, has a wrestling background, having starred at Corvallis High School and MSU-Northern in Havre.   He finds No Holds Barred action like nothing else he has experienced in the ring or on the mat.

 “I was getting pretty burnt out with wrestling,” Olsen said.  “It’s great for takedowns and ground control but there are too many limits and rules.  There are pretty much no limits with this.  It’s a fight situation but the amount of moves are infinite.  It never gets boring.”

 Olsen admits the action in the ring can get heated, but said there is no room for fear.

 “When it comes to fighting, it’s such a beautiful art,” he explained. “I’m not trying to hurt my opponent, just make him submit.  Fighting is such a pure art.  When you fear you don’t think straight.  You try to get into a Zen state of mind, to get into a flow.  Fear stops the flow.”

 THE PASSION

 Moore coached Bigfork High School wrestling for four years and thinks wrestlers are especially suited for No Holds Barred fighting because most of the action takes place on the canvas.

 As for his passion for the sport, it’s difficult to explain.

 “I think anyone who has a passion for something has a tough time explaining it,” Moore said.  “Mainly it’s that it could take 10 lifetimes to learn all the moves.  You never stop learning.  It’s kind of like fly-fishing.  There’s a big difference between fly-fishing and regular fishing.

 Moore is rapidly expanding his club.  He’s putting in a climbing wall and a caged ring.  In June, USA will host a No Hold Barred event open to competitors from all over the Pacific Northwest. 

Moore said it’s just a beginning.

 “These guys are like heroes to a whole generation of us,” Niire saud,  “The Ultimate Fighting Championship has only been around since 1993.  I think it’s going to get bigger and bigger.  I think it’s going to be an Olympic sport one day.”

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Moore, Olsen Vale Tudo Champs

 Two members of the Ultimate Submission Academy of Kalispell (USA) won titles at the Night of Thunder competition in Fort Collins, Colorado, last Saturday. Kevin Moore of Bigfork won by default while Brandon Olsen of Kalispell won by submission over Jeremiah Schiver of Boston in 2:21

 Both compete in the middleweight division. The competition was Vale Tudo, which is Portuguese for anything goes.   There are no rules. The event is held in a 24-foot by 24-foot boxing ring. Dennis Bain of Kalispell was a referee at the event.

 By virtue of Olsen’s win, he will get a pro debut in Fort Collins in September. The USA currently trains individuals for competition and self defense.  The local club is located at 419 First Ave. East. USA will hold a training seminar in the upcoming months featuring Marco Ruas, a heavyweight champion in Vale Tudo.  The club plans to host an event in June. 

For more information on USA, contact Moore at 257-1700.

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Moore Settles For Silver At Pan Am Games

 By David Lesnick

The Daily Inter Lake

 Kevin Moore had his eye on the gold medal, and felt he deserved it, but when all was said and done, he had to settle for a controversial silver instead.

 The 47-year-old Jiu-Jutsu athlete finished second in the Middleweight Division (161-173 pounds) Senior Class (ages 35-and-over) at the pan American Games.  Moore lost to Daniel Schnurenberger of Truckee, California, in the final.

 “I thought I had won the advantage, particularly having fought bact-to-back bouts,” said Moore.

 I didn’t mind losing that match as much as I would have to someone from another country. 

The event was held at the University of California – Santa Barbara on April 26-27.  Over 1,000 competitors were in attendance. 

Moore, owner of the Ultimate Submission Academy in Kalipsell, had a bye by default in the first round.  He then fought a law professor from St. Petersburg, Florida, and submitted him handily with a straight arm lock. 

However, during that semifinal match, he also reinjured an MCL knee tear on his first takedown. 

Moore had just 10 minute rest between the semifinals and finals. 

“Then I fought a guy who hadn’t competed at all that day,” he said of Schnurenberger. 

“He offered to give me the gold medal.  I declined it.   I couldn’t do it.” 

Schnurenberger had byes into the final. 

“It was an honor to compete in this event as I know I will be too old (to do so) someday,” said Moore. 

“It is just not today.” 

As it turned out, this was not the first time Moore and Schnurenberger had met in a competitive environment.   Both grew up in Maryland and wrestled each other in a varsity match during their junior season. 

This was Moore’s first competition in over two years.  He suffered a serious jaw injury in an auto accident two years ago and is still undergoing weekly therapy. 

“Training can be limited by any number of injuries an athlete might suffer during his/her career, but this one was a biggie for me,” said Moore. 

Kalipsell’s other entrant in the Games was Brandon Olsen, who is a member of the Ultimate Submission Academy.  He lost a controversial match in the first round of the single elimination tournament to a Brazilian, who is the No. 4 ranked competitor in the world. 

The Brazilian went on to capture the silver medal in the Senior Middleweight Division. 

Sponsoring Moore and Olsen were the Archery Center of Montana, Coca-Cola of Kalispell, Sportsman Ski Haus and Flathead Beverage. 

Moore’s USA will hold another No-Holds Barred event on June 21 at Majestic Valley Arena.

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Valley Trio Headed For Grappling Event

 By David Lesnick

The Daily Inter Lake 

You can be sure of one thing:  Kevin Moore and Brandon Olsen will never shy away from a good grapple. 

The two Flathead Valley athletes will compete in the Grapplers Quest starting Saturday in Las Vegas at Durango High School.   Also entered is Travis Johnston. 

The event will feature over 1,500 competitors fro the U. S. and the world.  It’s billed as the largest Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the U.S. 

“I’m hoping all of us do well,” said Moore, owner of the Ultimate Submission Academy  (USA) where all three train. 

“There is the possibility for each and every one of us to come home with a medal.” 

Moore, 47, of Bigfork will compete in the masters division (age 45-and-over); Olsen, 28, of Kalispell in the advanced adult division and Johnston, 17 of Kalispell in the teen division (14-17),All three are welterweights, 170 pounds. 

Moore and Olsen both competed in the Pan-American Games last year in Santa Barbara, California.  Moore was a silver medallist while Olsen missed out on a controversial division. 

“He’s taken any fight that comes his way,” said Moore of Olsen. 

“It’s made him better.” 

Olsen, who owns a 7-3 mark, nearly beat a three-time Canadian champion in his last outing. 

“All have been close,” said Moore of Olsen’s losses. 

Moore said this will be Johnston’s first exposure to such a talented field. 

But he believes the teen-ager is ready for the challenge. 

“He fought an exibition (match) at Art of War (last June) to a draw,” said Moore, who put on the event at Majestic Valley Arena. 

“He fought a very experienced fighter.  I have great confidence he will do well down there.” 

Johnston has been training for the past year and a half.  Moore says he’s the most talented youngster he has in his two academies.  The other USA is in Bozeman. 

Moore, Olsen and Johnston will be competing with the USA/Behring team.

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Moore Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

 By Sam Kaufman

Bigfork Eagle 

Kevin Moore probably didn’t need any substantiating for his recent induction into the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame by his mixed martial arts school being recognized as the school of the year. 

But one of Moore’s premier students, Brandon Olsen went out and stamped the approval on the honor.  Olsen, a Kalispell resident, surprised many by winning the open division at the recent Universal Martial Arts event in Orlando, Florida. 

Perhaps it was no coincidence that Moore’s induction for his Ultimate Submission Acacemy (USA) was staged at the same event.  Olsen posted two majore upset victories over Anthony Agyros and Shannon Ritch to win the open division of the no holds barred competition. 

“(Brandon’s win) kindo of solidified it,” Moore said of his hall induction for USA.  “It showed that our style of training is doing the right thing.” 

Part of USA’s training includes Behring Jiu-Jitsu – a rare style used by Master Flavio Behring. 

But Moore’s induction into the hall of fame wasn’t solely based on his ownership and operation of the Ultimate Submission Academy in Kalispell and other Montana cities. 

The 48-year-old Bigfork resident also competes, trains, promotes professional bills and sells fight wear.  He’s pretty much a jack of all trades when it comes to mixed martial arts. 

Case in point:  Moore earned a gold and silver medal in welterweight and absolute classes from the master’s division at the Universal Martial Arts event in Florida.   At the same time, he’s in the midst of promoting another professional night of fighting scheduled for October in Bozeman.  Through USA, Moore is also training top notch and up-and-coming talents like Olsen. 

Moore is only the second Montana resident to be named to the hall of fame.  The othe, tom Jordan of Libby, nominated Moore for the honor. 

“To be honest, I didn’t feel deserving,” Moore said of the induction.  “In Montana, I guess we’ve brought our discipline to the table.  I’m glad that I was asked to nominate someone else from Montana.” 

Moore was a gifted high school and college wrestler at West Virginia University.  He also coached wrestling for years at Bigfork High.  But Moore didn’t become involved in mixed martial arts until about six years ago, he said. 

It didn’t take long for me to become obsessed with it,” Moore noted.  It started by watching ultimate fighting.

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Olsen Wins Open Division

 Noyes, Moore Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

 The Daily Inter Lake 

Brandon Olsen of Kalispell pulled off a couple of stunning victories while John Paul Noyes of Kalispell and Kevin Moore of Bigfork were inducted into the Hall of Fame last weekend at a Universal Martial Arts event at Orlando, Florida. 

Olsen won the open division by defeating Moore in the first match by submission, Anthony Agyros by decision and Shannon Ritch by submission with a rear neaked choke. 

Agyros was named grappler of the year at the event and is a four-time world grappling champion. 

Ritch was named the most active mixed martial artist and fighter of the year.  He has over 127 fights and has a record of 73-52-2. 

“When I saw the guys I had to go against I was sweating it,” said Olsen. 

“But it turned out good.”By virtue of his performance, Olsen has been nominated for grappler of the year (2005).   That Hall of Fame induction and Universal Martial Arts event will be held in Las Vegas. 

“He’s finally being recognized for his talent as a world class (athlete),” said Moore. 

“I look up to him for what he’s accomplished.  The state of Montana should be proud of him as he represented us on a worldwide level.” 

Moore, owner of the Ultimate Submission Academy in Kalispell, was inducted to the hall for school of the year mixed martial arts.  Noyes was inducted for man of the year for Taekwondo. 

Moore also competed in Orland and medaled twice.  He also gave a demonstration along with Noyes.

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Fight Club

By Curtis Brundy

Mercury News

 Ten years ago, the Ultimate Fighting Championship aired their first “no holds barred” fighting event on pay-per-view TV.  Combatants squared off in a chain link octagon, mano a mano, to answer once and for all the perennial high school question of who was tougher; the ninja, the wrestler, or the tae kwon do guy.   With a Mad Max themed “Two men enter, one man leave” kind of advertising strategy, the first UFC was a hit.  In the ensuing years, the promotion has put on another 50 events, helping to give birth to the new sport of mixed martial arts. 

Think of mixed martial arts as a cross between kick boxing and grappling.  Competitors are allowed to punch, kick, knee, clench, wrestle, and use submission holds like chokes and joint locks to win the fight.  Gone are the days when head butting, groin strikes, and kicks to a downed opponent’s head were not only allowed, but expected.  Formal rules have evolved to protect the fighters and standardize the sport, allowing mixed martial arts events to receive official sanction by Athletic Commissions around the country. 

Kevin Moore, proprietor and head trainer at Kalispell’s Ultimate Submission Academy , is one of the many people who became interested in mixed martial arts after watching the early Ultimate Fighting Championships.   Moore had a background in wrestling and was impressed at how well wrestlers and grapplers faired against other styles.  “When I started watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship, I thought, ‘Wow, the grapplers are winning all of this; I gotta do it,’” Moore says. 

The problem however was there was nowhere in Montana to train in the new sport.  “When I first started,” Moore says, “I had to travel to go train.  I started the Ultimate Submission Academy  because I knew there were other people around who wanted to try it, too.  But, I couldn’t just open up a club and say I knew what I was doing because I was a wrestler.  You have to be proficient in 5, 6, even 7 disciplines, or you’re not going to do well in this sport.” 

Moore decided to train in Brazilian “jui jitsu”, a grappling discipline that specializes in the submission holds proven effective in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  But he did not stop there, going on to train in a variety of disciplines.  “I have traveled all over the country and have trained with some of the best people in the world,” Moore says. 

Four years ago, Moore opened the Ultimate Submission Academy in downtown Kalispell. 

Reflecting the diversity of his sport, Moore’s facility looks part boxing club and part wrestling gym.  A thick green pad covers most of the floor and a long black heavy bag hangs from the ceiling.  Along one wall, a shelf is stacked with boxing gloves, head gear, focus mitts, and other striking paraphernalia.  According to Moore, boxing, muay thai, grappling, kickboxing, and jiu jitsu are generally incorporated into every practice. 

For those who might be interested in training, Moore invites them to com in and either watch or participate in one or two classes, at no charge.  But, if your goal is to learn how to be a tough guy, Moore warns, the Ultimate Submission Academy  is not for you.  “We’ve had guys come in who say, ‘I want you to teach me how to kick someone’s ass in the bar.’ We just don’t do that.  If I find out one of my guys got in a fight and they started it, they are out of the club.” 

Opening his Academy in Kalispell was just the beginning for Moore.  He has since opened another Academy in Bozeman and has affilates in Missoula and Butte. 

In addition, he has the distinction of being the only person allowed to put on mixed martial arts promotions in Montana.  “We’ve worked with the Montana Athletic Commission and educated them [about mixed martial arts],” says Moore.  Because of the emphasis he placed on fighter safety, Moore was given permission from the Commission to put on “The Art of War I”, Montana’s first mixed martial arts competition. 

In June, 2003, Moore hosted his second event, “The Art of War 2”, in Kalispell.  He grows excited when he talks about it.  “I flew in a guy from Rio De Janeiro, a guy from Thailand, a guy from Japan, and a guy from Croatia.  And all of this in Kalispell!”  While he believes he may need a larger market for his event to do well, Moore was encouraged by the audience’s enthusiasm.  “We’re in a great position to be able to educate the Montana fan base.  Even if I lose money on the next one, I’m still going to continue to do it, because eventually it will end up helping our sport.”  Plans are underway for putting The Art of War 3 in Bozeman next year. 

Moore’s latest project is a non-profit called The Frontier Foundation, which is in the process of raising money to build a state of the art training facility in Whitefish.  Once built, the site will offer military and law enforcement training, rape prevention classes, and high altitude pre-fight training for mixed martial arts competitiors.  If fundraising continues going as well as it has, says Moore, then the best fighters in the world may soon be flying into Kalispell’s Glacier International Airport to train in the Frontier Foundation facility. 

For Moore, mixed martial arts is ultimately about more than competition and fighting.  Four years ago, he was in a car accident that left him with a severely broken jaw that still requires treatment.  “But,” Moore says, “I still train.  I do this because it’s my stress therapy, my physical therapy, and my emotional therapy.  I’m careful not to be injured, but it’s something that keeps me young and healthy.  I’ll keep doing it till the day I die, if I can.” 

In honor of his dedication and the hard work he has put into his school, Moore was recently inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.  While happy with his accomplishments, it is clear that Moore still believes he has a lot of work to do.

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