Bart Vale

Last updated
Bart Vale
Born (1957-05-04) May 4, 1957 (age 65)
Miami, Florida, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight250 lb (110 kg; 18 st)
Division Heavyweight
Style Shootfighting, American Kenpo, Wrestling, Kickboxing
Fighting out ofMiami, Florida, United States
TeamTigers & Dragon Karate Gym
Rank 10th Dan Black Belt in Kempo Karate
Years active1993–2000
Kickboxing record
Total2
Wins0
Losses2
By knockout2
Draws0
Mixed martial arts record
Total3
Wins1
By submission1
Losses2
By knockout2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Bart Vale (born May 4, 1957) is an American former kickboxer, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is known for his "old school" American martial arts look, consisting of a mustache, mullet and American flag trunks. [1]

Contents

Career

Bart Vale began his martial arts training in 1970 with kenpo. He later traveled to Japan where he was a professional wrestler in the Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (a shoot-style professional wrestling organization) champion for close to three years. In Japan, he also studied a number of other styles and coined the term "shootfighting", a martial art that combines striking and grappling. He co-founded the International Shootfighting Association and in 1992, began the Shootfighting World Championships. [2]

Vale began participating in events for Fighting Network Rings in March 1993. He appeared in five matches for Rings, four of which took place during the organization's pro wrestling period. Rings began promoting mixed martial arts bouts rather than shoot-style works in 1995. [3]

In October 1995, Vale competed in the World Combat Championships. In the first round of the tournament he defeated Mike Bitonio via first-round submission. Fighting at 260 lbs, Vale outweighed Bitonio by 45 lbs. [4] Vale was to face Renzo Gracie in the semifinals, but wasn't able to continue due to head lacerations. He had two further MMA bouts, in which he lost to Kazunari Murakami and Dan Severn. He also competed in the K-1 kickboxing promotion twice. In 1996, he was invited into the K-1 World Grand Prix and was defeated by Andy Hug. His next bout, against Nobuaki Kakuda in 1998, also ended in defeat. In the early days of MMA, when it was still called NHB, Vale was introduced as the man who beat Ken Shamrock in reference to a pro wrestling bout that occurred in Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi on May 15, 1992. [5]

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record
0 wins, 2 losses
DateResultOpponentEventLocationMethodRoundTimeRecordNotes
October 28, 1998Loss Flag of Japan.svg Nobuaki Kakuda K-1 Japan '98 Kamikaze Tokyo, Japan TKO (doctor stoppage)12:090-2
March 10, 1996Loss Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Andy Hug K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle Yokohama, Japan TKO (3 knockdowns)12:240-1
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
3 matches1 win2 losses
By knockout02
By submission10
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss1–2 Dan Severn TKO (doctor stoppage)CFA 1: Collision at the CrossroadsMarch 25, 200020:36 Corinth, Mississippi, United States
Loss1–1 Kazunari Murakami TKO (punches)Extreme Fighting 3October 18, 199614:37 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win1–0Mike BitonioSubmission (arm-triangle choke)World Combat Championship 1: First StrikeOctober 17, 199517:10 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixed martial arts</span> Full-contact combat sport

Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. The question of who actually coined the term is subject to debate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Shamrock</span> American professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and other combat sports. A member of the UFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as an icon and pioneer of the sport. He has headlined over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride FC and set numerous MMA pay-per-view records. In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named "The World's Most Dangerous Man" by ABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things". The moniker has stuck as his nickname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan)</span> Japanese professional wrestling promotion

The original Japanese-based Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1984 to 1986, formed by wrestlers who had left New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It was a pioneer in shoot-style wrestling, which emphasized legitimate techniques and realism. It was revived as the Newborn UWF in 1988. Newborn UWF lasted until 1990. It was revived again in 1991 as Union of Wrestling Forces International, which in turn lasted until 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shooto</span> MMA promoter based in Japan

Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as a mixed martial arts promotion. It is considered one of the first true mixed martial arts competitions, with its Vale Tudo Japan events being essential to the rise of PRIDE Fighting Championships and the development of modern MMA. Many Japanese MMA fighters had their start at Shooto and the organization still holds both professional and amateur tournaments. The list of current and past MMA fighters to come from Shooto roots is quite impressive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiyoshi Tamura</span> Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

Kiyoshi Tamura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be one of the greatest shoot wrestlers of all time. Competing exclusively in shoot style wrestling, Tamura began his career with UWF Newborn and later joined its successor group UWF International before transitioning to mixed martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shootfighting</span> Type of competitive martial art

Shootfighting is a martial art and combat sport, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). It incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principal of these being wrestling and kenpo.

Shoot wrestling is a combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their excitement. The name "shoot wrestling" comes from the professional wrestling term "shoot", which refers to any unscripted occurrence within a scripted wrestling event. Prior to the emergence of the current sport of shoot wrestling, the term was commonly used in the professional wrestling business, particularly in the United Kingdom, as a synonym for the sport of catch wrestling. Shoot wrestling can be used to describe a range of hybrid fighting systems such as shootfighting, shoot boxing and the styles of mixed martial arts done in the Shooto, Pancrase and RINGS promotions. Organizations, promotions and gyms with origins in shoot wrestling are referred as the "U-Kei".

William Brenneman is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by his ring name Jerry Flynn. Flynn is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling between 1996 and 2000. He is also known for his appearances in Japan with puroresu promotions including Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoshiaki Fujiwara</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Yoshiaki Fujiwara is a Japanese Professional Wrestler and trainer. He is famous for his long career in wrestling, having worked in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE (ZERO-ONE), and the two incarnations of shoot style promotion Universal Wrestling Federation. Fujiwara is known for his Catch Wrestling expertise, having been praised by fighters like Josh Barnett and Ken Shamrock. He was trained by Karl Gotch and has trained many MMA fighters and professional wrestlers. Fujiwara also has a strong background in Judo and Muay Thai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazuyuki Fujita</span> Japanese professional wrestler and MMA fighter

Kazuyuki Fujita is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He has most recently fought in Road FC, but is also known for his work in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1, Rizin Fighting Federation, and World Victory Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobuhiko Takada</span> Japanese professional wrestler, actor and mixed martial arts fighter

Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, retired professional wrestler, actor, and writer. He competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and the Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFI) in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming one of the highest figures of the "shoot-style" movement.

Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Group was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan, operating from 1991 to 1996. It was formed by Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki after the collapse of the second incarnation of the UWF. The company had the financial backing of eyeglass brand Meganesuper Co., Ltd executive Hachiro Tanaka who was also funding Super World Sports (SWS). Its motto was "ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE".

Takashi Otsuka, better known by his ring name Alexander Otsuka and Otoko Sakari, is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. Having competed for multiple pro wrestling organizations in his career, most recently with Antonio Inoki's Inoki Genome Federation, he is known for his work in the promotion Battlarts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuji Shimada</span> Japanese martial arts referee

Yuji Shimada is a Japanese mixed martial arts and professional wrestling referee, as well as professional wrestling booker, authority figure and occasional wrestler. He has refereed more than 1,000 contests in major MMA promotions including Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, One, M-1 Global, Dream, Deep, Super Fight League and Rizin Fighting Federation. He was formerly the head referee and head of the rules committee for Icon Sport.

Masayuki Naruse is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, competing in the light heavyweight division who fought most of his career in Fighting Network RINGS (RINGS). As a professional wrestler, he notably competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In MMA, Naruse was the first and only RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in professional wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Hasdell</span> English kickboxer, combat sport promoter and mixed martial arts fighter

Lee Hasdell is a British martial artist, promoter and former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Hasdell is considered by many to be a pioneer of mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom, particularly in the 1990s, when he drove a great deal of innovation in the field. Hasdell promoted the first professional mixed martial arts events in the UK and helped develop many of the standards within the British MMA scene of today.

Willie Peeters is a Dutch mixed martial artist. He competed in the Heavyweight division.

Dick Vrij is a retired Dutch professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1995 until 2003, he competed in the Heavyweight division for RINGS and It's Showtime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuki Ishikawa (wrestler)</span> Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and promoter

Yuki Ishikawa is a Japanese professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and promoter. Ishikawa is known for his violent shoot-style matches, that often include him and his opponents legitimately hitting each other and ending the match with numerous injuries and/or blood on their faces. He is perhaps best known for his work in Battlarts, a promotion he founded in 1996. Ishikawa has also competed extensively on the Japanese independent circuit as a freelancer, competing for companies such as Pro Wrestling Zero1, All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) as a freelancer.

U-Kei (U系 or ユーけい, eng. U-Series, U-Group or Class U)is a combat sports related term that refers to either a professional wrestling-, martial arts- and/or mixed martial arts organization, programme or a sportsman with either UWF and/or shootwrestling roots.

References