May 26, 2009

Martial artist yells war cries

A heart pumping the blood of a warriorNative American athletes throughout Oklahoma are commonly known for a dynamic three-point shot or for scoring a record setting touchdown--but known for delivering a knockout karate kick?

Thomas “Thunderkick” Longacre, Muscogee and Absentee Shawnee by blood, is fast becoming the Native American icon in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

With over 20 years of martial arts experience, the reigning X-treme Fighting League (XFL) lightweight MMA champion encompasses his Native American culture when preparing for a fight.
And:Longacre, 31, begins each fight journey with a prayer. He doesn’t pray for a win, instead he asks God for “The strength to fight my best and that no one gets seriously hurt.”

Then the war-cries begin.

Released from the depths of his soul, Longacre gives forth a warrior’s war cry. Not just one, but a continuous series of deep echoing, sometimes ear-piercing screams--a sound his opponent is definitely not expecting.

“After I pray, when I’m still in the dressing room, I begin the transformation into this warrior spirit. I want my opponent to know I’m bringing it. I want him to know I’m coming for battle. I’m coming to go to war,” says Longacre. “So I begin hollering louder and louder to make sure my opponent hears me. Then when he sees me, and I’ve got my game face on and I’m hollering directly at him, my opponent knows I’m definitely in the zone.”
Comment:  The war cries sound stereotypical. But I guess that's what actual Indian warriors did before and during their battles.

For more on the subject, see Cage Fighter Doesn't Like Violence, Mixed Martial Arts Champion, and Up-and-Coming Martial Artist.

2 comments:

dmarks said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Although I agree to it that war cries does indeed "sounds stereotypical", but that alone shouldn't be the case. War cries in my mind, is to identify yourself as an American Indian. Whether Native Warriors did use war cries into battle or not, but it does, however signify who you are. For that, I solute Longacre for showing some pride in who he is. If he was white, surely we as Natives would be insulted.