Pono Pananganan, 27, of Kapa‘a will represent Kaua‘i mixed martial arts at the Gracie Proving Ground, an event at Blaisdell Center in Honolulu tomorrow. The Gracie Proving Ground is the ultimate mixed martial arts circuit featuring fighters from around the
Pono Pananganan, 27, of Kapa‘a will represent Kaua‘i mixed martial arts at the Gracie Proving Ground, an event at Blaisdell Center in Honolulu tomorrow.
The Gracie Proving Ground is the ultimate mixed martial arts circuit featuring fighters from around the globe and the United States, states the GPG Web site. The circuit allows fighters to prove themselves in a “hex,” a six-sided cage.
“If I win this fight,” said Pananganan, “I go to Ohio for a Pay Preview fight in November,” said Pananganan.
Fighters who survive the proving ground get an opportunity to participate in the Gracie Fighting Championships. Many of the GPG events feature not only jiu-jitsu experts but also NCAA wrestlers.
Mixed martial arts is a form that integrates boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. “There is some kicking, but that’s only to bring your opponent to the floor,” said Pananganan. “There aren’t a lot of rules, but we do wear gloves, cups and a mouth piece.”
“Most of the fighting is in the form of grappling,” Pananganan said. “There are weight requirements and they try to match fighters with close to the same amount of fights under their belts.”
Pananganan may be the only participating member of his martial arts club fighting this weekend, but he won’t be alone: “I think there’s about a hundred guys going to the fight as support, but I’m the only one competing.”
Pananganan has been teaching martial arts on Kaua‘i for three years. “Our school is in Lihu‘e Industrial Center,” he said. “At Kaua‘i Technical Institute I only teach jiu-jitsu, but guys wanted to learn mixed martial arts too,” he said.
The Kealia lifeguard started studying with Relson Gracie in 1998. “I fly between here and O‘ahu to study, and Relson also comes here to teach,” he said.
“Mixed martial arts is no-holds-barred. It’s all around people having to train in everything — boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu.”
Part of the attraction for this dedicated martial artist had to do with the technical superiority of the style that the Gracie family has perfected. “It’s so smaller guys can defend themselves,” said Pananganan. “Originally jiu-jitsu was strength versus strength, the Gracies developed techniques for how to overpower bigger guys.”
An abbreviated history on the Gracie family legacy goes something like this: In the early 1900s, a Japanese jiu-jitsu instructor by the name of Esai Maeda immigrated to Northern Brazil where he befriended Gastao Gracie who helped him get established. To show his gratitude, Maeda, taught jiu-jitsu to Gastao’s oldest son, Carlos.
Ultimately, it was the youngest son though, Helio Gracie, who transformed the traditional jiu-jitsu to suit his small stature. He introduced the signature moves that used leverage to overcome the strength of a larger opponent. Three generations later and Gracie jiu-jitsu still flourishes across multiple continents.
“My first fights were in March and August of 2006,” said Pananganan.
Mixed media fighting is fairly new to Kaua‘i, he said, “It just started in 2005.”
“I’ve been doing martial arts since I was a kid,” said Pananganan.
Pananganan has been training with Relson Gracie for nine years and is a third degree purple belt, “that’s a little below a black belt,” he said.
Tomorrow at Blaisdell Arena, Pananganan will fight his third mixed media match. “This will be my biggest. My first two were in Hanapepe,” he said. “I’m just trying to show Kaua‘i has a lot of talent.”
Gates open at 6 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m.
