Fight Review
by Sensei Martin Blakeway

Paul Taylor - Cruiser Weight Title Fight - Scotland
10am on Saturday morning and I was picking up Paul Taylor ready for the five hour journey to Fife - Scotland. After rounding up the other members coming to help and support Paul we were on the way. Richard Barrett, Wayne Whitehouse and Peter Stanton squeezed into the BRMB beetle and the full length of the M6 beckoned. Steve Pride and his family also endured the journey to witness our top fighter do battle on foreign soil. -

On behalf of Paul & myself thanks to all for your support. The journey took us past the disturbing sight of the burning cattle and sheep mounds that are a familiar site in the north this last week and into the snow showers of southern Scotland. We arrived with time to visit a local castle ruin on the chilly coast of East Scotland. Taking in the sea air and stretching the by now cramped legs. Weigh in for the fight was at 6pm and all the fighters were now assembled in a small room with the Doctor checking blood pressure and brief medical examination.
All the fighters looked in good shape and the buzz was in the air - this was going to be an entertaining night.
There were a few novice fighters but in the main there was a fair amount of experience and talent ready to fight. None more so than the 2nd Dan Chief Instructor of Spartan Kickboxing Club, English and 3x North East full contact champion - Paul Greaves. This was Paul Taylor's opponent for the Cruiser Weight Title.
It was obvious from the start this was going to be no push over. The features and flattened nose of Greaves showed his vast experience in this type of thing and he stared intimidatly at Paul during the weigh in. Paul Taylor - now a doorman , has seen many intimidating "hard" looking men in his line of work and the "psycing" out would not work on our Paul.

The first few fights were the novice fighters and the standard was very high even at this level. There were several knockout finishes including the very first fight which finished within one minute with a couple of big hooks to the head. The fights kept getting better and as we approached the Title fights, two giants stepped in the ring -one man six feet four inches tall, had to duck to enter the room. His fight ended when his opponent - not much shorter finished that fight with a thundering right. The Spartan Kickboxing camp had a couple of fighters in the Championships and we watched their performance with interest. All were good tidy fighters and it was obvious the skill level was high at their camp and their boxing was clever and technical. Taylor's boxing ability is already known by all at Chongshin Do, but his kicks are something special - I had the feeling these homing missiles would be the deciding factor in his fight.
The 300+ plus crowd were by now fully revved up in anticipation for the Title fights. The compere for the evening dressed in traditional bow tie announced the next fight - as the two fighters waited at separate doors ready to enter the arena Taylor showed his great sportsmanship by approaching the other camp and banged gloves together in mutual respect. With the words "Paul Taylor" shouted over the noise we walked in. 98% of the crowd were Scottish and as this was a England V's England Match there was no bias one way or the other. Our small group of supporters made enough noise to be heard and the two fighters stepped into the ring.

Round 1 Both men took to the centre of the ring as soon as the bell sounded - both eager to do battle yet the experience tells them to "weigh up" your opponent before you explode - like chess, to attack can leave you open - you have to throw out a few pawns first. A few jabs were thrown by both men and bang, a turning kick from each - both head high - both with loads of sting in them - both connecting on the gloves just short of the head. Warning shots… both moved well and the physique of both men told each other and the crowd they were both very fit. Bang another big turning kick from Greaves hits the arms of Taylor, followed up by some great punches. Taylor moved well and replied with equally fierce barrage of punches to the body, head and guard of Greaves. They separated and began the sizing up again. Around equal punches and kicks thrown during this first round. This was going to be a hard fight and the fighters and crowd knew it was going to be a big one.

Round 2 Taylor opens the round with another big turning kick towards the head of Greaves, a few hard punches then two more great kicks and a barrage of hooks and uppercuts. The movement from both men was a fantastic sight and easily as good as any professional fight I've seen on TV. Taylor comes in with a big right over the top, followed by a thundering turning kick landing on the guard but still getting through to move the head of Greaves. Greaves obviously a hard individual shakes it off and returns with some massive punches on Taylor. Taylor gets caught with one or two and as the two men separate, Taylor shakes his head from side to side as if to say "hello - OK lets go" Greaves tries a spinning back kick but fails to hit the target - Taylor comes back with another short burst and the round ends - both men touch gloves again showing the mutual respect for each other.

Round 3 I had a few words in Paul's ear - things I can't repeat on this report but when I saw the look in his face and the stare he gave me I knew he was going out in this round with the "eye of the tiger". Taylor now fired up exploded for the first time - Turning kicks landing left & right, more close exchanges of great punching combinations. Bang - again Taylor lands a massive turning kick to the body of Greaves - this can be heard on the video being recorded many feet away and yet his opponent keeps coming in, both now in the red (Taylor's) corner they both put in a hard barrage of punches the sound of each could be heard from way back. I was now right under Taylor and shouting blue in the face. Then the "sidewinder" homing missile of Taylor exploded from nowhere and the turning kick connected right on the side of the head of Greaves. He stumbled and his legs were buckling stepping back - dazed and confused. Anyone else I would say that would have been it, but the experience and tactical know-how of Greaves told him to hang on and smother Taylor. As Taylor came to finish he smothered him stopping the big blows connecting. The ref. trying to break it up and Taylor desperate to get another finishing blow in broke free and started coming in hard Greaves looked like he was finished only to saved by the bell.

Round 4 Taylor comes out fired up now and starts dictating the fight delivering a double turning kick to the arms and guard of Greaves again Greaves comes forward throwing some huge punch's only to be met with equal and even bigger punch's from Taylor. Greaves delivers another big turning kick just missing Taylor showing why he has won many titles in the past. Yet again Taylor slaps another crunching turning kick into the ribs of Greaves and follows up with a quick exchange of turning kicks and punches landing left & right. The round finishes with Taylor now well ahead on points.

Round 5 The fifth and final round opened with both men throwing big side kicks at each other again with plenty of close work punching exchanges. Taylor again lands a massive turning kick to the body which is now draining the opponent of energy. The onslaught continued with both men wanting this over ASAP big right from Taylor lands to the head more kicks and another big right. In desperation and with tiredness Greaves spins with an illegal spinning back fist that lands on the back of Taylor's head momentarily shaking him. Soke stops the fight and warns Greaves - the fight continues and Greaves holds out his glove in a sign of apology but Taylor clips the glove of Greaves in anger then steams in with some great quick strikes from all limbs. Suddenly Soke intervenes and takes Greaves to a neutral corner. Wiping the eyebrow with a towel the obvious deep cut spews out blood that runs down the face of Greaves - the Doctor is called to ring side and examines the fighter. Taylor is poised ready - now seeing the end in site. The Doctor gives the wound a good looking at and decides that the cut is too big and deep to continue. With blood pouring down the face of Greaves he is visibly upset to have been stopped in the last round but accepts the decision knowing he was beaten on points and one more massive missile from Taylor could have meant permanent damage he accepts defeat.
Taylor raises his arms and the crowd show their appreciation for a fight that professionals would be proud of. Soke announces the decision and that the cut was very deep and dangerous - Taylor happy to be victorious bows to the crowd and the respectful looser Greaves holds Taylor's arm aloft. Holding the new belt and huge trophy Paul Taylor once again showed the crowds what he is made of. Soke called me later that night to talk about the fight and has plans to get Paul noticed by some of the bigger players in the Martial Art circuit. In over 50 years experience in the Martial arts Soke recognises the natural raw talent mixed with a great attitude and self-discipline of Paul Taylor and knows great things will happen for him. Well done Paul from all at Chongshin Do - "you de man"