MARTIAL DIRECT- The Directory of Martial Arts Schools & Instructors

Kirik Jenness

Interview

(Page 3)

[Kirik Jenness] Those guys are just being nice. Each of them has more knowledge in his finger nails than I have in my entire body.

The Notebook was an accident. Something I wandered into and then got kinda obsessive over.

I have a truly terrible memory. I miss my own driveway once in a while.

I started trying to learn the ground game with seminars and classes and privates and tapes and like that. Because the next day everything that happened past "Hello my friend" is lost, I took notes.

Then I typed them up.

Then I got a MAC that allowed digitizing video images.

So I added images to the text. That took maybe a year all told.

On Tim Mousel's terrific forum (www.defend.net) I saw a curriculum from Rickson's association that listed moves according to offense and defense from Guard, Mount, etc.

In a moment it all made sense.

So Dave Roy and I started adding offensive and defensive moves, trying to make it as comprehensive as possible. If it wasn't for Dave, I am not sure any of this would have happened; he has made my life a lotta lot better, but that is another story.

That took another year I guess.

I would not have been surprised in the least if sales totaled in the dozens.

[Martial Direct] Any idea how many have been sold to date?

[KJ] That is a great question. If I had a little while I could likely calculate it from checks to the printer. It is definitely in the many thousands.

[MD] Tell us about RANKED. What is it and how did it come about?

[KJ] I started karate competitions in the 70s. There were a few good events, where it was understood if you won, you were good, or something. But there was no ranking system. It was something you did, but not exactly a sport.

Then one of the magazines set up a ratings system and things just took off. Suddenly everyone had their name listed, and it counted for a lot more.

The head software engineer for the page was an avid sport karate competitor when he was young, as was America's leading grappling promoter, Kipp Kollar. Both of them realized how crucial being nationally ranked was to the success of the sport.

So we got together and determined to recreate the success that karate has enjoyed, but this time for grappling.

[MD] How is it doing so far? Do you think it will be generally accepted by most or all of the grappling associations?

[KJ] So far so great. In a year or so, if a promoter doesn't see the value rationallyranked.com has for the sport, and for his event, the potential competitors will let him know.

This is no attempt to take over the sport, it is simply a way of adding value to it. And it is free to all.

[MD] There's been a rumor going around that you want to take out first: Jens Pulver, then Pat Miletich, then Tito Ortiz, and finally Mario Sperry all in one night. Working your way through the weights so-to-speak. Any truth to that? (Laughing!)

[KJ] Man I would be scared even if I beat their video game characters. Scared that Jens would hit me, that Pat would grind me down to Kirik dust, that Tito would grind me vertically against the cage to Kirik dust, and that Mario would unscrew my head and toss it to his corner.

And that is beating the video game characters.

Guys who fight at that level they have all of my respect.

[MD] Of course I was just joking around on that last one. I want to thank you for a great interview and wish you continued success with MMA.tv, RANKED, and The Fighter's Notebook.

[KJ] Thanks so much for the questions. That was fun!

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