August 2010 Issue - Zebra Mats E-Newsletter
Master Mehrdad Promotes a New Mixed Martial Art
Master Mehrdad Moayedi operates a highly successful martial arts and Muay Thai training center in Tampa Bay, Florida where he teaches more than 150 students. He discovered a lifelong passion for martial arts very early in life. As a three year old in Iran, he first practiced Judo. He soon started wrestling and was a five-time champion in his home country.
Throughout his extensive career, he has trained in Kung-Fu, Tae Keuk Do, Hapkido, Muay Thai and Persian Kushti Kaj, earning black belt ranks in several of these arts. He is an 8th degree black belt in Hapkido and the Heavyweight Title Holder of Shin Do Kumaté. One of his opponents in his fighting career includes Rick “The Jet” Roufus, 6 time world champion.
After the revolution in Iran, he travelled the world and lived in India, Pakistan, Tibet, Holland, and Canada. He eventually moved to Tampa Bay and opened the first Muay Thai School in the Florida back in 1992.
Master Mehrdad found that the politics of martial arts negatively affected these great sports. He wanted to work with others who were interested in highlighting the best aspects of martial arts training and professional competition. "I saw the amount of effort and work these athletes were investing in their training and for events. Their fighting spirit was amazing and I wanted to provide a stage to showcase their skills and talents. I also saw that female fighters were taken advantage of in the industry and fighting without pads while not getting paid a fight purse, so as a father of two female fighters I took a stand for them and took female fighters pro and provided them with fight purses and title fights,” he said.
Master Mehrdad figured fans would come to see events with rules that called for more fast paced fights and much more explosive techniques. He was fascinated by the early stage Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) from early 90s because they brought traditional artists using different skills and multiple styles, but with the turn of ownership felt that it lacked the honor, skill, and technique that he once admired. As a traditional martial artist, he felt that stand up striking arts were more explosive and exciting to watch. He developed a striking style called Shin Do Kumaté, and launched his own company bearing his initials, MKM Knockout Promotions, LLC, to promote professional bouts. His company titled World Shin Do Kumaté Association, Inc. produces a series of amateur events to promote and build new athletes since fighters begin training at such an early age.
Shin Do Kumaté allows explosive elbow strikes, knees, kicks to entire body, throws and sweeps but does not include ground grappling. Instead it allows for stand up wrestling and Muay Thai clinches. Events are contested in a ring and fighters wear standard boxing gloves. His company has copyrighted the rules and registered their intellectual property. Shin Do Kumaté features professional male and female fighters from around the world and the events are broadcast via television networks worldwide.
In 2002, he was the first promoter/fighter to produce a professional Muay Thai event in the state of Florida. Since that time, he has produced fifteen very successful professional shows for television and since 1995 he has produced the Master Mehrdad Muay Thai Classic events for amateur kickboxers.
Master Mehrdad differentiates his events by matching the toughest, most exciting fighters against each other ensuring that the level of entertainment is always high. Because his shows are well attended, he has attracted several sponsors and has now partnered with a casino agency to produce casino shows for television worldwide.
He is capitalizing on the popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). "The UFC paved the road and created a platform for Shin Do Kumaté," he noted. "Boxing has been around for more than a hundred years but it is dying due to not producing athletes like Mohammad Ali. While many corporations are reluctant to be involved with the UFC because of the violence in the cage, our events offer an exciting alternative. Great entertainment combined with highly skilled and quality athletes who tap into the honor and tradition of the sport," he commented.
His approach has worked well. Since 2002, his professional league was broadcast on Time Warner, Fox, ESPN, and other pay-per-view outlets. His audience is made up of 12-57 year olds and he's even been able to attract large numbers of women.
Master Mehrdad's partnership with Zebra has been very beneficial. "I really respect Zebra as a company. Their products are the best quality and they do everything they can to service our gym and our promotions company," he commented. "We use Zebra's full line of equipment and we’re proud to endorse the brand."
Master Mehrdad discovered along the way, that not all organizations were excited about his events. "The state boxing commission was a real challenge for us. All they cared about were the fees they felt they were entitled to. We needed their sanction to hold professional shows but Muay Thai should be governed by a Muay Thai-specific organization," he stated. He's even considered launching a national governing body to help organize the sport in the U.S.
Always striving to improve, Master Mehrdad has set some ambitious goals for his business. "I'd like to bring in TV partnerships and bigger, stronger sponsors. I'm very selective, however, in the companies we choose. They have to be a good fit and they must be interested to grow their brand globally," he mentioned.
As it stands, ESPN will be airing several Shin Do Kumaté events internationally, and Strykerz TV will be streaming them via the Internet. Master Mehrdad also hosts a weekly TV show in the U.S. and Canada.
"I really enjoy the marketing, public relations, and the entertainment side of this industry. Finding the right athletes and pairing them in exciting fights is also a thrill. I'm very interested in the personal stories of the athletes who compete and to see how their discipline carries into their personal lives," he commented. Master Mehrdad is also an accomplished social networker, leveraging Facebook and YouTube whenever possible.
If you're in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to drop by his training center and checkout the programs he offers. The Dojang website is: http://www.mastermehrdad.com. To learn more about exciting Shin Do Kumaté events, visit the website at: http://www.shindoKumaté.com
Author: Todd A. Brehe, TBrehe@gmail.com
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