New Pride Signing

[Shiruba]

http://www.prideofficial.com/free/news/details.php?id=1155005663

http://completevaletudoaccess.blogspot.com/2006/08/dse-to-sign-ssireum-champ-hyun-lee.html

Lee Tae-Hyun
31 years old, 196 cm, 138 kg.
Ssirum Record: 472-158
3 time ssirum open-weight champion etc.

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/headlines/images/20060808/20060808-00000019-spnavi-spo-view-000.jpg

Post from Sherdog about him:

Lee is just a big man, he's not fat (unlike most of ssirum fighters who came to K-1, recently.)

Lee was consider a ssirum genius who had speed, strength and great ssirum takedown technics. So Lee 'might' make a good transition in MMA, but I could say one thing...

He won't be another Akebono.(...)

[AKA]

Damn big guy!
Whats ssirum? Its like sumo? Rules?

[Shiruba]

Damn big guy!
Whats ssirum? Its like sumo? Rules?
Ssirum fighting lies behind the Koreans' #2 ranking in Judo in the world. The Korean Judokas also use techniques from ssirum in Judo, that is why they are so succesful according to themseleves.

If you go out of bounds in Ssirum, they just start you back in the middle. You have to wear a special belt, and you have to start crouching, facing each other, and gripping the opponent's belt. From there you're welcome to let go of the belt if you want to, however, gripping the belt gives you an advantage in the same way as gripping a gi does. Other than the belt and a speedo bathing suit, you don't wear anything.

Rules:

The winner is the first competitor to throw his opponent to the ground. A Ssireum match consists of 3 rounds of wresting in which one opponent must get 2 wins. If there is no winner after 3 rounds, the competitor who has a heavier weight or, the competitor who received more warnings, automatically loses the game. When the referee gives a competitor a first warning, the competitor receives a half score for that round. If he receives a second warning, he loses one round.

If he receives three warnings from the referee, he loses his right to compete in the match. In addition, if a competitor commits an infringement such as strangling or throttling his opponent, twisting or breaking arms, shaking his fist, head butting, kicking, or covering his opponent's eyes, the competitor is disqualified from the competition.

http://www.wrestlingsbest.com/photos/zssirum01.jpg

http://www.concentric.net/~Sdseong/images/ss2.jpg

Seems to be alot more sand than in Sumo, so they probably need very good balance.

[Shiruba]

http://www.prideofficial.com/free/news/img/photo_b/1155019311.jpg

http://www.prideofficial.com/free/news/img/photo_b/1155019309.jpg

http://www.prideofficial.com/free/news/img/photo/1155019241.jpg

[Herbo]

Hmm ok I didnt see him coming :)
I love how pride manages to sign these people that no one has ever really heard of.

[Shiruba]

They signed him to a one-year contract for 475.000 $$ (!)

I read that this was HUGE news in Korea with over 100 reporters showing up at the press conference. This guy is probably more popular than #1 :) ranked K-1 fighter Choi. So expect huge ratings in Korea for the shows he fights in.

[FieldingMellish]

Shiruba:

THanks for the explanation of Ssirum rules. Was wondering about that and wouldn't mind trying get hold of some to watch.

[Shiruba]

np, well, here is alittle: http://www.culturecapsule.net/mpeg/ssireum.mpg

[RedHawk]

Shiruba = our ssirum connection


Thanks for the explanation. I was completely clueless (as usual)

[migs]

He'll might do alright if they build him for the Korean audience and groom him properly. If they treat him like a Japanese fighter, he'll be killed.

[derUbermensch]

How come Koreans seem to be the only Sino-related people whose bodies can look like brickhouses?

[( o Y o )]

yaki-niku and kimchi? Protein and a rush for the metabolism. Hmmmm

[Shinobu]

Guy sure is big. If they feed him to the wolves he will be eaten alive, let's see what they have in plan for him.
yaki-niku and kimchi? Protein and a rush for the metabolism. Hmmmm
Need...more...kimchi! You may be up to something.

[Striker & Grappler]

This is the first time I've heard of this style. Thanks for the thread, and the explanation. Educational!!!!!!!!!!

[AKA]

thx a lot shiruba!

[FieldingMellish]

This is the first time I've heard of this style. Thanks for the thread, and the explanation. Educational!!!!!!!!!!

Only thing I really knew before this thread was that Choi Hong Man used to do the same sport.