NEW ERA FOR TEAM KARABAW

Moving into a new place, there's always mixed feelings. Leaving an old place behind is not easy due to familiarity and nostalgia where memories have been built over the years. 

New place means a new chapter, a new beginning, a new era. This is Team Karabaw Sabah. This 1 September 2018 will mark a milestone for Team Karabaw, as their headquarter will move into International Technology & Commercial Centre, Penampang (ITCC-Penampang). 

Team Karabaw is possibly the biggest gym network in Borneo.

Founded by Sensei Rayner Kinsiong (former national Malaysian Karateka and ONE Championship fighter ) in 2012 , that time was it was based in AllFit gym. It was together with his Karate brothers...  

"My main aim was to keep our Karate way of life/discipline and eventually to tap into MMA/muaythai/boxing scene.

The people who started the team and still with me now is Sensei Vallerio Gumbilai, Sensei Thomas Olin and Douglas Gumbilai." 

Founding members: from right Thomas Olin, Rayner Kinsiong, Vallerio Gumbilai, Daouglas Gumbilai 

Eventually Team Karabaw set up it's own home in 2012 at Market 88. It was a two shop lot space on the 1st floor. This was a place where have seen the blood and sweat of many fighters that train here for their fight camp and also a birthplace for many new prospect that eventually became regular in the local combat sports scene.

This venue in Market 88 also has seen several events being held here. MIMMA 5 Sabah trial selection, STAND Junior, Muay Fight Night (MFN) and MFN Ladies Cup.

Team Karabaw crew  at MIMMA 5 selection at Karabaw gym Market 88

Karabaw HQ at Market 88 : The boxing ring and sparring mat 

Karabaw HQ at Market 88

"I wanted to represent who we were... wanted to show that KARATE isn't a bad place to start with...  
We built the team and now we have some world ranking Muaythai fighter through teachings with the mixture of karate and other martial arts...

We still believe strongly in the way we were brought up."

With this believe...Team Karabaw further expand.

Tamparuli branch set up in 2013, Papar 2014, Sipitang 2014, Putatan 2016, Keningau 2016 and the latest addition...Labuan 2018.

Last year Rayner was hands-on involved in building Sabah Muaythai Camp. From clearing of land, sourcing of equipment, planning layout, etc to the day it open in November 2017 with a Youth Muaythai Competition. The Sabah Muaythai Camp is a sprawling huge well equipped facilities for fighter training in Papar, believe to be the first of it's kind in Borneo. It is also the new home for Team Karabaw Papar.

Sabah Muaythai Camp

Army of Karabaws in MIMMA 3 selection at 1Borneo

Tell us what is the significance of the name Karabaw.

Rayner explains...

"KARA (KARATE WAYS) + BAW (KERBAU - the Malay word for bull) because we believe in the spirit of a bull...  hardworking, a beast in a way)"

What is your fondest memories?

"Seeing our young ones achieve what they have achieve to date....THAT always will be my fondest memories, I am sure Val and Thomas will say the same thing."

What's your message to the new generations of Karabaws?
"Keep the Karabaw spirit alive, stay as one... We are stronger TOGETHER."

What's your vision for the team?

"I want TEAM KARABAW to be known as ONE powerhouse in any martial arts in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia...and someday be known around the world."

photo by Deb Gauges

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The new gym has a clean, minimalist white ambiance. The concept of white is actually a part of martial art. White gives a feeling of serenity. When you are a martial artist doing battle, calmness and serenity is the key to victory. Chaos is brashness that will lead most of the time to defeat.

White also symbolizes pure heart, humbleness and respect. A true martial artist will always carry themselves with honour and respect.

Team Karabaw HQ is located at ITCC Mall, Donggongon Penampang, 20 mins drive from Kota Kinabalu. It is the latest mall in Kota Kinabalu. It has ample parking space, spacious shopping area, many food outlets...and now you can go there and train in Team Karabaw Martial Arts and Fitness Academy.

Opening hours is 10am - 10pm. Currently classes available are for Muaythai, Muaythai Kids (below 13years old), Brazillian Jiujitsu, Capoiera, Personal training (Muaythai and Fitness)

There are lockers for rent, hot & cold shower rooms and changing room available.

Grand opening is on 1st Sept, which will be officiated by Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence Bongkos Malakun at 2pm. 

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EMILLIA E. RAYNER - WARRIOR WOMAN FROM SARAWAK

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May was the month of Kaamatan ( Harvest Festival ) in Sabah.  In the brand new mall of ITCC in Penampang, Sabah on 12 May Ultimate Beatdown Borneo was organised at the event hall.

Ultimate Beatdown is acknowledge as Malaysia's pioneering MMA promotion. The Borneo edition is the initiative from Rayner Kinsiong of Team Karabaw to bring the Ultimate Beatdown brand for the first time to Borneo. Rayner is the founder of Jesselton Fight League and has rebrand JFL to UB Borneo

Although started as a MMA promotions, it has progress to a multi style promotions, offering Boxing, KickBoxing and even grappling. For the first UB Borneo, 13 Kickboxing bouts, 8 Cage boxing and 12 MMA bouts were on the cards.

One of the stand-out fight was female straw weight MMA, between Emillia Elisha Rayner of Warmonger Miri vs Magdelina Meding of Tomoi Labuan. The fight was very close and each women giving their all in the age. Emillia won the fight by decision.

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Warriors of Borneo talked to Emillia to get to know her better.

Emilia was born in Serian but she grew up in Miri, the oil town of Sarawak. She studied in Miri until 2003 and then moved to Labuan with her parents. In 2006 she went to Kota Kinabalu to continue her tertiary studies in University Malaysia Sabah.

Emilia is of mix heritage. Her dad is Melanau from Kampung Sg. Kut, Dalat and her mother is of Iban heritage from Serian, Kuching.
"I love that I come from a mix parentage.. I can celebrate both Gawai and Christmas. Now I can even celebrate Hari Raya since my sister converted to Islam."

Emillia posses winning attitude. When she put her mind into something she will do her best in it. This was evident when she first got into into martial arts at 9 years old in Tang Soo Do. She was successful in it, winning Malaysia Tang Soo Doo Championship in Free Fighting Category for 2 consecutive years. But when she moved to Labuan, her martial arts training stop. She switched to bowling. In bowling too, her dedication saw her representing Labuan in SUKMA.

Currently Emillia works at Velosi (M) Sdn Bhd as a QHSE Officer & Management Representative. An oil & gas company specializing in inspection and maintenance throughout Malaysia. In the male dominated industry and stessfull work enviroment, it's very common that workers in this field spend their after work hours drinking in the pub. Especially when Labuan offers very cheap booze.

She became a heavy drinker. At one project in Labuan, she spend 2 months consecutively drinking liquor after work, in the likes of 2 bottles per night. Eventually her body gave her the warning signs to stop. The warning was in the form of a mild heart attack. It may be mild, but it was a big jolt to her to realise that she had to stop that lifestyle and take steps to improve on her health. Not just for her ownself, but for the sake of her two young children whom was 4 & 6 years old at that time.

Back in Miri in 2016, her journey of fitness brought her to Warmonger Gym. Although her job requires her to travel a lot, but she put in her best effort whenever she can. Instead of being at the bar at 4pm, now she is at the gym at 4pm. Martial arts has changed her life and she is proud to have make the change.

Team Warmonger Miri

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In Warmonger she trains under Sarawak's top notch Muaythai specialist - Trevor Salang and MIMMA 5 Lightweight champion Nathaniel Imang Lakai.

"Warmonger is a place where I normally get bullied in a good way...especially by Nat. He's the king bully of all time. And also Trevor and Gavin...as I'm always the 'stubborn' one in the team, haha"

Warmonger's: Miri Grappler420 members earning their stripes from Prof Mike Yates

"One thing about Warmonger is that, everybody we treat like family. We train together, eat together, drink together, etc. Practically everybody is like a brother to me. When you're a family, you have the tendency to push each other to their best. In Warmonger, everyone are welcome. The doors are always open."

Just 6 months into her training, she decided to join Fight Fest to compete.
"I love fighting because it's the only place where you can punch people in the face without getting arrested...LOL. 
What motivates me to fight? I don't know.. maybe its about me testing my own limits. On how far I can go."

Ask on her UB Borneo fight.

"It was a close fight. No doubt about that. I give credit to Mag for a good fight.. that's when we can learn more and improve "

On what went through her mind in that fight."

"I want my Guinness back LOL, because the fight took me away from my stout! "

Well she certainly got her Guinness stout back. Warmonger got 3 MMA win and 1 Kickboxing victory from Ultimate Beatdown Borneo. Emilia and her team mates celebrated at Waterfront KK with plenty of stout and long session of karaoke till the wee hours of the morning.

The next day Emillia decided to get a new tatoo right after her fight. She had a lion tattoo done on her left shoulder by Reen Rebecca from Deadlights Tattoo. 

"My first tattoo was back in 2006. My first tattoo was a rose, initially to cover up my appendix scar. And I got hooked from then. As for my latest tattoo, it was pretty much spontaneous."

pre lion tatoo

The lion represent herself as a Leo, symbolizing strength, heart and courage. These are quality she embodies as even in life she has to face lots of stereotyping from an early age. She have her dad to thank for believing in her and supporting her to break the gender stereotype. 

At 31, being a mother to two young kids and working in a male dominated industry and competing in combat sports surely needs a strength of a lion to go through. 

Emillia's life principle

Emillia now have a record of K1 4-1, Semi-pro Muay Thai, 0-1 MMA 1-1, BJJ 1 gold 1 silver 2 bronze.

She is looking to extend her MMA win at BigBox Beatdown in Bangkok on July 2. She will face fellow Malaysian, Colleen Augustin from Monarchy MMA

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MIKE SIDIS PRO DEBUT IN ULTIMATE BEATDOWN BORNEO

The small island of Labuan is off the west coast of Sabah. It has beautiful beaches and is an International Offshore Financial Center. It is also well known for having cheap booze and cigarettes due to it's tax free status.

This is also home to Mike Sidis, the 1st MMA pro athlete from Labuan. Mike will debut in his first pro fight in Ultimate Beatdown Borneo on 12 May 2018 at ITCC. Mike will be feature in the main fight of the night vs American Ryan Feltner

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Going into this fight Mike has a 3-1-0 amateur MMA record and a 3-0 amateur Kickboxing record. Mike did not expect to turn pro. He just love to compete. To him fighting is a personal thing. It motivates him to improve his skills, his mental preparations and force him to watch his diet. It doesn't matters who the opponent is, the one that matters is himself.

Working in the oil & gas industry in Labuan, his job deals with handling industrial chemicals. It's a job that does not have fix working hours or days. It requires him to be on call for any work that requires him to travel offshore, either working on an oil platform or boat for days or weeks.

This obviously does not give him the luxury of consistent training. Even though it's a challenge, Mike does not mind. He says that his irregular working schedule forces him to really focus on his training when he is able to hit the gym. It becomes a quality over quantity matters. He will pay attention to drill techniques properly and learn as much as possible from his coach Alvin Chong.

Mike trains at Borneo Combat Gym Labuan (BCG), founded by Alvin. If not offshore, Mike would wake up around 4am, he will pack his cloths ( working and workouts )
" If you see my car, the amount of cloths I have others will think that I am in the business of selling cloths. "

He needs all these clothings as by 6.30am he will reach town and will do his morning run. Around 7am he hit the gym for pad work, sparring and BJJ roll. Then he change to work cloths and works starts around 8am till 4.30pm. Then it's back to BCG again for another session of workout. By the time he finish & get home, it's usually 7 or 8pm .

It wasn't always like this for Mike. He used to weigh around 110kg, a very heavy smoker and drinker. That was 3 years ago. 

Mike first experience in martial arts was when he was in high school in SM.St Anthony Labuan, he took up karate class, but he didn't excel. 

" I remember entering my first and only Karate tournament, I suck at it, only won 1st round."

For tertiary education he came to Kota Kinabalu to attend PTPL College. After that he got the job in Labuan and was occupied with work. Working out was far from his mind. In mid 2000, there was a combat sports event in Labuan call Ultimate Warrior. He watched as he brother fought and reach the final. It moved him to consider the sports.

He started training with Alvin, but it didn't last as he got suck into the lifestyle of oil & gas worker. After work usually they hit the local pubs and clubs. As Labuan is a tax haven for alcohol & cigarettes, plus the good income from work, they would party away till late night.

"I used to smoke around 3-4 packs a day, and the drinking session is like no tomorrow, ...although I still manage to wake up for work the next morning,...I don't know how, hahaha"

This unhealthy lifestyle soon took a toll on him. His health deteriorate. Then in 2014, without thinking through properly he quit his job in short notice. He was directionless and emotionally very down.

Thankfully his close friend David Wong decides to get him to start exercising together. Together they started to jog and doing light work out. As Mike began to lose weigh and gets healthier, this motivates him to take it a level higher.

He heard that Alvin is moving his BCG gym to a bigger and better place. As the new BCG was being set up, Mike remember he constantly bug Alvin on when will the gym be ready as he was very eager to began training there.

The new BCG opened at the 5th floor of Labuan Times Square in October 2015( read the story here ).  Mike began to have proper training with good facilities and good coaching from Alvin. He also started BJJ under coach Nazrul.

As his skills and fitness improved, he decided to up it another level by committing to a fight. It was in Borneo Amateur Challenge (BAC) 1  that he took his 1st MMA fight. Initially signed up for Kickboxing at 85kg, but couldn't find an opponent for him. 1 week before event, coach Alvin asked him to switch to MMA at 75kg. At first Mike was reluctant. But Alvin managed to convince him and he followed Alvin's advice in cutting weigh and manage to make weigh.

It was a tough but valuable experience for him. He learn to know about his body better. It taught him about focus and commitment and to act professionally even though it was a amateur fight. In that fight he fought Nathaniel Lakai from Warmonger Miri ( Nathniel is the current MIMMA Lightweight Champion). He lost the fight as Nathaniel's grappling was much better.

Mike has since added grappling and wrestling to his arsenal. But he still prefers to stand and bang.

Mike standing in front of the statue of Datuk Peter Mojuntin, a local Kadazan statesman from his mother's home in Penampang

On taking this fight, due to his irregular working schedule, he almost pulled out but Alvin again convince him to persevere. Again applying the concept of quality over quantity he train whenever he can, sometimes doing shadowbox on the helipad of a oil platform. Mike also practices mental alchemy. It's a meditation method that helps him to mentally be calm and control his emotion

" One can never be fully prepared. There's always something you need to improve on, nothing is perfect, but I am ever ready to step into the cage.  This works for me, as I see this fight as a learning process.There's no pressure for me to win. I just wanna enjoy the fight and do my best on fight night."

In his Jesselton Fight League 2 bout

"After this fight, win or lose I will celebrate by having a glass of stout!"

 It's going to be a classic match between a striker and a grappler. Come and support Mike as he steps into the Ultimate Beatdown Borneo cage to represent Labuan.

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About Ultimate Beatdown

Ultimate Beatdown is base in Johor Bahru. It is the most successful and the longest running MMA promotions in Malaysia. Founded by Melvin Yeoh, former ONE Championship fighter and widely considered as the pioneer of MMA in Malaysia. It started off as an MMA only promotions, but has these pass few events evolved to a multi style promotions which include cage boxing and Kickboxing. There was even a cage grappling super fight in pass event.

This Saturday event is the first time UB venture out of Johor. Working together with Team Karabaw lead by Rayner Kinsiong, this special edition will be located at 1st floor, convention center of the new high-tech mall – ITCC in Penampang

Come and experience the new Ultimate Beatdown Borneo edition this Saturday 12 May. UBB will feature 14 bouts of Amateur Cage Kickboxing. 10 bouts of Cage Boxing. 10 Amateur MMA . It promise to be a night full of actions as many season fighters from Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak, Japan and from India will showcase their skills and showmanship. 

Fights starts at 1pm to 6pm. 6pm onwards is MMA bouts. 

Tickets are still available at only RM10 ( free seatings ) Please call 019-8128379

ULTIMATE BEATDOWN BORNEO FEATURING RYAN FELTNER

Redemption. It’s on Ryan Feltner’s mind. He wants to wipe off the horrible lost in FMD 13 last year. It was a 5 second lost via TKO. Ever since then, American Ryan ‘Bodat’ Feltner has been focusing on training to get better and seek a fight to erase that nightmare in Bangkok.

Come 12 May, he will have his chance. Ryan will be featured in the main card for ULTIMATE BEATDOWN 28 : BORNEO. He will be fighting pro at middleweight against local Malaysian from Sabah pro debutant Mike Sidis.

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At 29 years old, Ryan has 4 MMA fights experience. 1-1 at pro. But his journey began when he was very young. At 8 years old struggling to focus on his studies and getting bullied regularly, his aunt signed him up for Taekwondo classes.

When he turned 11 he moved from Arkansas in the south to Michigan in the north, but things didn't gets better. The bullying got worse, mainly because southerners speak a different slang than northerners.

It was on a fateful day in a playground that 7 older kids jump him. Ryan did not concede defeat, he fought back even though the odds was against him. He managed to knocked out 3 of them before he was taken to the ground as they kicked and stomped on him. It was fated that the teacher on duty that day, Mr. Hutchinson saw what happened and came to break off the fight and chase the delinquent away.

He sat Ryan up and asked whether he was okay. He said Ryan was really tough and brave but that he need to learn control. Turned out that Mr Hutchinson was the school’s wrestling coach. From then on he joined the after school Wrestling Club program, in which he gets to train with the high school wrestlers.

“ I'll never forget the act of kindness and understanding that coach Hutchinson showed me. It paved a way for me to become a better person.”

Ryan didn’t compete in wrestling when he was in Michigan because he started at a considerably late age compare to others in Michigan where they train at a very early age and the local competition circuit is very high level at his age group. But the exposure and the chance to be able to train with other athletes gave him a good foundation in martial arts.

Ever since then Ryan has trained in American Kenpo (considered as one of the first MMA systems introduced to North America consists of Goju-Ryu Karate, Chinese kenpo and Judo.) He has also started training in BJJ 3 years ago along with Muaythai, Sanda and western boxing.

Jobs opportunity was tough back then and he being a person with high principle and an independent attitude, Ryan at one time was homeless and live out of his truck. He even experience rummaging through garbage bin for food just because he does not want to beg for food.

Making a huge decision one day to just leave America and use whatever little money he has, he board a flight to Malaysia. Seeing that Malaysia MMA scene is growing, Ryan felt that he found a place close to his heart, he found a place to develop his art and also to contribute his knowledge to the local Malaysian combat sports. It is also a place that he found love, where he met his wife from Penang.

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He is now a certified personal trainer and specialize in nutrition and rehabilitation. He is currently training at Batam Fighter Club with 70kg Indonesian One Pride MMA Champion Jeka Saragih.

Recently Ryan travelled to the north eastern part of Thailand ( the Issan province close the the Lap border). It is where many Thais start their careers as Thai boxers. The training here is more raw and hardcore but not many gyms here openly accept foreigners. He search around and was rejected by all until finally he found Kru Kreed.

Ryan considered the experience with Kru Kreed as the best striking coach he ever had. 

“He said I can kick and punch but I'm not using any technique. So he started me from very basic training and in my one month my technique got better than from a year of training anywhere else.
But it was not easy. The training was very hardcore and intense. My legs was bruised and battered so bad, I could hardly walk.”

But it was a no pain, no gain journey for Ryan. He felt his striking improve leaps and bounds.

Ryan is looking to showcase what he has learn from Thailand on Saturday night, combining his improved striking with his strong grappling.

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On his fight with Mike Sidis, 

“It's a classic match-up between striker and grappler. I have worked extensively on my submissions and to refine my stand-up techniques. 

I understand that my opponent is a kickboxer. You never want to underestimate someone but I've watched his tape and I'm not really impressed with his stand-up skills.

I am confident of victory. I feel I'm more athletic and more experienced and more well-rounded. I have the ability to take the fight to the ground and keep it there. Fighting against a strong wrestler is completely different than a BJJ guy. There's nothing more embarrassing than getting thrown like a child and being held on the ground knowing you can't get back up."

Ryan says that he believe that people are underestimating him quite a lot because they are judging his ability based on his last fight, the 5 second loss in FMD 13. He does not mind being the underdog. It gives him more motivation to proof them wrong.

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About Ultimate Beatdown

Ultimate Beatdown is base in Johor Bahru. It is the most successful and the longest running MMA promotions in Malaysia. Founded by Melvin Yeoh, former ONE Championship fighter and widely considered as the pioneer of MMA in Malaysia. It started off as an MMA only promotions, but has these pass few events evolved to a multi style promotions which include cage boxing and Kickboxing. There was even a cage grappling super fight in pass event.

This Saturday event is the first time UB venture out of Johor. Working together with Team Karabaw lead by Rayner Kinsiong, this special edition will be located at 1st floor, convention center of the new high-tech mall – ITCC in Penampang

Come and experience the new Ultimate Beatdown Borneo edition this Saturday 12 May. UBB will feature 14 bouts of Amateur Cage Kickboxing. 10 bouts of Cage Boxing. 10 Amateur MMA . It promise to be a night full of actions as many season fighters from Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak, Japan and from India will showcase their skills and showmanship. 

Fights starts at 1pm to 6pm. 6pm onwards is MMA bouts. 

Tickets are still available at only RM10 ( free seatings ) Please call 019-8128379

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