Street Tough, Fight wise

VICTOR STEPHEN KAMONT / The Bull

The man’s face turns red — he is being choked to death. Suddenly a loud slap on the ground breaks the silence. The losing opponent lets out a sigh of relief as he gasps for air. Unlike boxing, an opponent can “tap out,” submitting to the other opponent to avoid serious injury. Mixed martial arts training is in full throttle, an unlikely way to escape into a form of tranquility through no-holds-barred combat. Old traditions never die. They just evolve.

In better shape than most people a third of his age, 62-year-old Santos Flaniken has the coveted title of Kyoshi-Master as a seventh-degree Judo black belt. The Pierce College alumnus has been studying the style of martial arts called Jiu-Jitsu for 55 years. He surfs, runs on the beach and trains students in the art of combat fighting and mixed martial arts.

During the day he is a realtor in Malibu, a contractor and an entrepreneur.

“Training in combat wrestling, one has to be totally focused or the results could be deadly,” Flaniken says with authority and conviction.

“Successful participants have taken on rock star status. Gyms are popping up all over the world, no-holds-barred mixed martial arts will soon pass the boxing profession in revenue and popularity,” says Flaniken, a historian and expert in the field of mixed martial arts.                                                                                             

LeBell had the first mixed martial fight on television in 1963, and is an alumnus of Pierce.

“My mother wanted me to go to college. We were driving past Pierce College one day and I saw them throwing feed to the chickens and I said, ‘That’s where I want to go to college,'” LeBell says with a resounding sense of humor. A master teacher of mixed martial arts, LeBell also does stunts and has appeared in 2,000 movies and television shows.

Flaniken benefits from mixed martial arts, giving him a sense of stillness as he focuses on a sport dangerous enough to cause serious injury. He uses his surfing, workouts and mixed martial arts to escape the troubles of everyday life.

“More than an escape, martial arts have provided a base for a healthy lifestyle that I’ve found to be extremely rewarding,” Flaniken says with a smile. “What’s particularly nice is to be able to get the benefit of the workout and learn something new simultaneously.”

Flaniken demonstrates a strong commitment to his students at the gym, leaving them equally enthusiastic with a sense of joy. “It’s a never-ending process of pushing the learning curve,” says Flaniken.

“I make it a point to associate with smart and talented people who share their knowledge. Just when you think you have a technique refined, there’s more. Who knew that strength and conditioning and nutrition could come so far in developing all types of an athlete’s potential?” Flaniken says.

Stepping outside of his gym, Flaniken begins reflecting on his life. “I recognized my natural abilities as a young boy. I am lucky to have had some positive reinforcement from my parents. They inspired me to maximize my interests and press on. It’s terrific to incorporate some athletic interests with hard work. I never get bored.”

“I enjoy my work, but being able to supplement it with a good surf session is icing on the cake,” he says excitedly. “I have young students enrolling who want to become mixed martial arts fighters. They have lost interest in becoming doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs.”

Flaniken thinks the field of martial arts has progressed more in the past fifteen years than in the last 1,500.

“Once a mixed martial arts fighter receives a $1 million purse, the sport will break wide open,” he says. “The sport traditionally uses but a few holding techniques; the modern day fighters use 50 to over 100.”