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ANNA EDWARDS DESIGN PORTFOLIO CONTACT // [email protected]

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Design Portfolio

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AnnA EdwArds dEsign portfolioContACt // [email protected]

EXpEriEnCE

Intern | National Geographic Magazine | Washington, D.C. | Summer 2010 — Present Currently working with the design deparment of National Geographic Magazine updating layouts and utilizing K4 livetext software, assisting production of iPad layouts, and other various tasks for Design Editors.

Intern | Hitchcock Fleming & Associates | Akron, Ohio | Summer 2009 Participated in a wide variety of projects with hfa’s Creative, Interactive, and Production departments, ranging from revisions of print and online designs, to working with creative teams to develop a multimedia project from start to finish.

Intern | Ohio.com | Akron, Ohio | Summer 2008 Worked alongside the staff of Ohio.com, the online home of the Akron Beacon Journal. Projects ranged from shooting and editing video for the web, to interactive widgets and graphics for the site. Additional Experience: Published a Life section centerpiece with the Columbus Dispatch, Front Page Designer at the Post, Ohio University’s Newspaper.

EduCAtion

Ohio University | Athens, Ohio | School of Visual Communication

Graduated June 2010 | Magna Cum Laude | GPA 3.8Bachelor of Science in Informational Graphics and Page Design, with additional concentrations in Photojournalism and Creative Writing

Member of: Golden Key Society, Society for News Design

Please contact me for references.

VisuAl CommuniCAtor print & onlinE dEsign // infogrAphiCs

1731 18th St. Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223 [email protected] | 330.414.6692

InDesign PhotoshopIllustratorDreamweaverAfter EffectsK4 and Filemaker Pro

Windows and Mac OSCanon 30d and G2 (Video)HTML and CSS Proficient in French American Sign Language

Numbers • ExcelPages • WordKeynote • PowerpointBridge • Expression Media ProCopyediting, Fiction, and Non-Fiction Creative Writing

skills my nAmE is AnnA EdwArds And i striVE to bE A VisuAl CommuniCAtor. I recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Informational Graphics & Publication Design, but I started my college career studying Photojournalism. I gained a backround in photo editing, journalism ethics, and technical photography skills before finding my path through clean and effective storytelling through design.

Pairing this with an emphasis in non-fiction creative writing, I aimed for an education that would balance and enhance my design major, and began interning with various field in the design industry to gain a broader exeperience base.

Currently as an intern with the design department of National Geographic magazine, I have learned day-to-day the level of talent and commitment any major publication requires to shine. I’ve had the chance to assist design editors with the production of iPad layouts, updates to feature stories using K4 (live text software), and communicate with members of staff in many departments to ensure projects are being followed.

So what’s next? I hope to take my skills to any publication or firm that can challenge, inspire, and teach on a daily basis. I’d love to share clean, effective design practices with a professsional and timely attitude, and continue to love what I do.

A Whirlwind of Energy1-20 20-100 100-1000 1000-9500

With increasing gas prices and the dangers of offshore drilling, seen by the Deepwater Horizon leak, alternative resources are becoming ever more important. Wind energy has seen an increase over the past decade, but still has a long way to go to fully tap into its potential. New projects, however, are changing where and how this clean and ever constant source of energy can be harnessed and stored.

Turbine Technology

cost per mile

elecTric

gasoline

Sources: http://www.ecoworld.com/energy-fuels/electric-car-cost-per-mile.html, http://www.flickr.com/photos/pjh/185488383/, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_animation.html, http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/images/windmaps/installed_capacity_current.jpg http://www.capewind.org/article34.htm http://news.discovery.com/tech/wind-power-top-countries.html

An offshore wind farm is currently being planned in Lake Erie, with companies interested in Cleveland and Canada. Wind turbines, such as this one, located in the Thames Estuary, could provide clean energy to the Midwest.

$.03 $.10

Wind turbines in California, like these near Palm Springs, can already produce enough energy to light a city the size of San Francisco.

FleXible energy

As a country with diverse terrain and climate conditions, turbines provide many ways to harness winds in different areas. Check out what states are making strides in wind power production, and ways that different areas can harness unique energy. Wind Power Capacity in Megawatts, 2009

0

20-200

100-1,000

1-20

1,000-9,500

BlAdEs are more streamlined than traditional windmills. Their lengths and the number vary on the location and typical wind strength.

The NACEllE houses gears, which convert the rotation of the blades into energy, and a generator. Some can be large enough to land a helicopter on.

UrBAN ArEAs

lAKEs

WhaT Wind can do For you

hoW The us sTacks up

Clean, renewable energy like wind power not only provides a constant source of power, but clean technology that has little to no impact on our environment. It also provides safe jobs and, as production increases, cheaper power.

cost per mile

hoW iT Works

Wind energy is actually a type of solar energy. The sun heats the earth irregularly in different areas, based on terrain and the rotation of the earth, which causes air movement. .

As wind blows, it pushes the blades, which are angled to catch the wind, in a circular motion.

The blades are attached to a shaft, which rotates through a system of gears. This charges the generator.

The generator is then attached to a specific home or building, or to an electrical grid to provide energy for larger areas.

The TOWEr provides stability for the blades

and nacelle. Towers also provide height to reach

stronger and more consistent winds .

Currently, the US produces the second most number of Megawatts per year than any other country, behind Germany. However, many countries much smaller than the US are close behind, and provide much larger percentages of their total energy used.

WiNd POWEr CAPACiTy iN MEgAWATTs PEr yEAr, 2003-2009

The Gulf and Atlantic Coasts have great potential for wind farms. Cape Wind, an offshore wind farm soon to be built near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, will be the first offshore wind farm in the US and provide over 1.4 million megawatt-hours of energy to the area.

OCEANs

year

Meg

awat

ts

TOP 10 WiNd ENErgy PrOdUCiNg COUNTriEs

1. Germany2. United States 3. Spain 4. India 5. China 6. Denmark 7. Italy 8. France 9. United Kingdom 10. Portugal

A Whirlwind of Energy1-20 20-100 100-1000 1000-9500

With increasing gas prices and the dangers of offshore drilling, seen by the Deepwater Horizon leak, alternative resources are becoming ever more important. Wind energy has seen an increase over the past decade, but still has a long way to go to fully tap into its potential. New projects, however, are changing where and how this clean and ever constant source of energy can be harnessed and stored.

Turbine Technology

cost per mile

elecTric

gasoline

Sources: http://www.ecoworld.com/energy-fuels/electric-car-cost-per-mile.html, http://www.flickr.com/photos/pjh/185488383/, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_animation.html, http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/images/windmaps/installed_capacity_current.jpg http://www.capewind.org/article34.htm http://news.discovery.com/tech/wind-power-top-countries.html

An offshore wind farm is currently being planned in Lake Erie, with companies interested in Cleveland and Canada. Wind turbines, such as this one, located in the Thames Estuary, could provide clean energy to the Midwest.

$.03 $.10

Wind turbines in California, like these near Palm Springs, can already produce enough energy to light a city the size of San Francisco.

FleXible energy

As a country with diverse terrain and climate conditions, turbines provide many ways to harness winds in different areas. Check out what states are making strides in wind power production, and ways that different areas can harness unique energy. Wind Power Capacity in Megawatts, 2009

0

20-200

100-1,000

1-20

1,000-9,500

BlAdEs are more streamlined than traditional windmills. Their lengths and the number vary on the location and typical wind strength.

The NACEllE houses gears, which convert the rotation of the blades into energy, and a generator. Some can be large enough to land a helicopter on.

UrBAN ArEAs

lAKEs

WhaT Wind can do For you

hoW The us sTacks up

Clean, renewable energy like wind power not only provides a constant source of power, but clean technology that has little to no impact on our environment. It also provides safe jobs and, as production increases, cheaper power.

cost per mile

hoW iT Works

Wind energy is actually a type of solar energy. The sun heats the earth irregularly in different areas, based on terrain and the rotation of the earth, which causes air movement. .

As wind blows, it pushes the blades, which are angled to catch the wind, in a circular motion.

The blades are attached to a shaft, which rotates through a system of gears. This charges the generator.

The generator is then attached to a specific home or building, or to an electrical grid to provide energy for larger areas.

The TOWEr provides stability for the blades

and nacelle. Towers also provide height to reach

stronger and more consistent winds .

Currently, the US produces the second most number of Megawatts per year than any other country, behind Germany. However, many countries much smaller than the US are close behind, and provide much larger percentages of their total energy used.

WiNd POWEr CAPACiTy iN MEgAWATTs PEr yEAr, 2003-2009

The Gulf and Atlantic Coasts have great potential for wind farms. Cape Wind, an offshore wind farm soon to be built near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, will be the first offshore wind farm in the US and provide over 1.4 million megawatt-hours of energy to the area.

OCEANs

year

Meg

awat

ts

TOP 10 WiNd ENErgy PrOdUCiNg COUNTriEs

1. Germany2. United States 3. Spain 4. India 5. China 6. Denmark 7. Italy 8. France 9. United Kingdom 10. Portugal

UNCRACK tropical flavor

Although it’s found easily in grocery stores pre-shaved, toasted, and covered in sugar, the exotic flavors of fresh coconut are well

worth the extra effort it takes to get them. The milk can be used in all kinds of drinks and soups, while the rest finds its way into asian-influenced stir fries and delicious desserts. Find out how to get cracking with this rich and unexpected ingredient.

FResh CoCoNUt liveNs Up A vARiety oF dishes

1312

Photos by Liz Theobald Design by Anna Edwards

{ taste } { taste }

UNCRACK tropical flavor

Although it’s found easily in grocery stores pre-shaved, toasted, and covered in sugar, the exotic flavors of fresh coconut are well

worth the extra effort it takes to get them. The milk can be used in all kinds of drinks and soups, while the rest finds its way into asian-influenced stir fries and delicious desserts. Find out how to get cracking with this rich and unexpected ingredient.

FResh CoCoNUt liveNs Up A vARiety oF dishes

1312

Photos by Liz Theobald Design by Anna Edwards

{ taste } { taste }

TAKE A SHOT

36 37

With the golf season in full swing, you’d better bet that sooner or later your work buddies or father-in-law is going to ask you to shoot 18 holes. Never held a club before? Don’t worry. With some basic swing tips and a guide to lingo on the green, you’ll be able to hang with the rest of them.

The BUNKeR a depression filled with sand. Like any hazard, a golfer may play the ball as it lies, or take a penalty stroke and playing from outside the hazard.

The GReeN the smoothest area on the course, where the hole is located and is specifically prepared for putting

YoUR Tools

DRiveR

iRoN

PUTTeR

swiNG sTePs

1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders. Line up parallel to where you want the ball to go, and turn your right foot perpendicular to this line. Bend knees slightly, and bend forward at the waist. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.

2. Bring the club back by rotating your shoulders from your back. Bring your arms, hands, and club back together as one unit. Keep your right knee stable. Cock your wrists by the time you get halfway up your backswing.

3. Keep your head still through-out the backswing. Keep your eyes on the ball. Rotate from your spine and don’t turn your hips back. This creates the resistance you need for power. Keep your left arm straight, but relaxed, and right elbow bent in towards your ribs.

4. Start the downswing by rotating your shoulders forward, bringing your arms, hands, and club together. Straighten your right arm quickly. This helps to create an arc with power and control.

5. Rotate your forearms gradually throughout the swing. Begin the rotation of your forearms early, don’t snap your wrists just before contact. Turn your hips towards the target. The hips need to turn before you come through with your arms and club.

6. Swing through the ball, not at it. Continue the swing smoothly even after contact, and keep your head down with your eyes on the tee.

7. Continue your swing naturally to a smooth finish. Your right foot will pivot on your toe as you finish your swing. Watch where your ball goes, and yell “Fore!” if necessary.

Grip the club loosely in the base of your fingers with your right hand below your left hand. Interlock the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left hand.

GeTTiNG A GRiP

Drivers, or woods, are typically used in your first shot. If you’re a beginner, though, using an iron—specifically the 9 or 7 iron—might give you better control for a drive. irons (and the wedge) get you the rest of the way down the fairway, and then pull out your putter to finish from anywhere on the green.

SPORTS

KeePiNG scoReGolf’s not like most sports—the object of the game is to have the lowest score possible. Each course has a par, or number of shots it should take to get in the hole, and scores above and below par have their own lingo:

BoGeY

+1 one over par

BiRDie

-1 one under par

eAGle

-2 two under par

The FAiRwAY the closely mown area between the tee and green

fore!

Each part of the course has a differ-ent name and is textured differently for different shots. Here’s a little more about each one: The RoUGh

longer grass adjacent to fairways, greens and tees

TURF TAlK

Sour

ces

from

: ht

tp://

ww

w.p

gapr

ofes

sion

al.c

om/g

olf_

glos

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.htm

l

TAKE A SHOT

36 37

With the golf season in full swing, you’d better bet that sooner or later your work buddies or father-in-law is going to ask you to shoot 18 holes. Never held a club before? Don’t worry. With some basic swing tips and a guide to lingo on the green, you’ll be able to hang with the rest of them.

The BUNKeR a depression filled with sand. Like any hazard, a golfer may play the ball as it lies, or take a penalty stroke and playing from outside the hazard.

The GReeN the smoothest area on the course, where the hole is located and is specifically prepared for putting

YoUR Tools

DRiveR

iRoN

PUTTeR

swiNG sTePs

1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders. Line up parallel to where you want the ball to go, and turn your right foot perpendicular to this line. Bend knees slightly, and bend forward at the waist. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.

2. Bring the club back by rotating your shoulders from your back. Bring your arms, hands, and club back together as one unit. Keep your right knee stable. Cock your wrists by the time you get halfway up your backswing.

3. Keep your head still through-out the backswing. Keep your eyes on the ball. Rotate from your spine and don’t turn your hips back. This creates the resistance you need for power. Keep your left arm straight, but relaxed, and right elbow bent in towards your ribs.

4. Start the downswing by rotating your shoulders forward, bringing your arms, hands, and club together. Straighten your right arm quickly. This helps to create an arc with power and control.

5. Rotate your forearms gradually throughout the swing. Begin the rotation of your forearms early, don’t snap your wrists just before contact. Turn your hips towards the target. The hips need to turn before you come through with your arms and club.

6. Swing through the ball, not at it. Continue the swing smoothly even after contact, and keep your head down with your eyes on the tee.

7. Continue your swing naturally to a smooth finish. Your right foot will pivot on your toe as you finish your swing. Watch where your ball goes, and yell “Fore!” if necessary.

Grip the club loosely in the base of your fingers with your right hand below your left hand. Interlock the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left hand.

GeTTiNG A GRiP

Drivers, or woods, are typically used in your first shot. If you’re a beginner, though, using an iron—specifically the 9 or 7 iron—might give you better control for a drive. irons (and the wedge) get you the rest of the way down the fairway, and then pull out your putter to finish from anywhere on the green.

SPORTS

KeePiNG scoReGolf’s not like most sports—the object of the game is to have the lowest score possible. Each course has a par, or number of shots it should take to get in the hole, and scores above and below par have their own lingo:

BoGeY

+1 one over par

BiRDie

-1 one under par

eAGle

-2 two under par

The FAiRwAY the closely mown area between the tee and green

fore!

Each part of the course has a differ-ent name and is textured differently for different shots. Here’s a little more about each one: The RoUGh

longer grass adjacent to fairways, greens and tees

TURF TAlK

Sour

ces

from

: ht

tp://

ww

w.p

gapr

ofes

sion

al.c

om/g

olf_

glos

sary

.htm

l

loveyour nest

Wednesday, February 24, 2009 special section E

Spend a little time around your nest with the Dispatch’s Spring Home & Garden Special Section for 2009. It’s filled with

easy and affordable ideas to spruce up around the house, both inside and out.

Grow something tasty

make the most of your

garden with fresh herbs and

vegetables to plant now

Reuse unexpectedly

find out tips to recycle tricky

objects in ways that are

useful and fresh

Spring Home & Garden | 2009

Clean up naturally

use our recipes to clean

homes in safe ways, or read

reviews on user-tested

green products

pg E5pg E3 pg E4

‘Princess’ tops box officeThe Princess and the Frog earned

a big kiss from family audiences,reaching No. 1 in its first weekend ofnationwide release, as studios re-ported yesterday.

Estimated ticket sales for Fridaythrough yesterday at U.S. andCanadian theaters, according toHollywood.com:

1. The Princess and the Frog,$25 million

2. The Blind Side, $15.5 million3. Invictus, $9.1 million4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon,

$8 million5. A Christmas Carol, $6.9 million

Screening to target slaveryFour high-school seniors in central

Ohio have organized a screening tobenefit the fight against humantrafficking.

The documentary Call + Response— with musical performances byMatisyahu, Moby and Tom Petty —focuses on international slavetrading.

It will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesdayin the Drexel Theatre, 2254 E. MainSt., Bexley.

The organizers are Jazmyne Burleyof Franklin Heights High School;Brooke Krutsch, New Albany;Samantha Sudai, Bexley; and EmilySyfers, Reynoldsburg.

The students planned the screen-ing as part of the Mosaic program,

open to juniors and seniors inFranklin County.

Admission is $7, or $6 for stu-dents — or $5 in advance. For moreinformation, call 614-231-9512 orvisit www.drexel.net.

‘Sons of Anarchy’ renewedFX has ordered a third season of

Sons of Anarchy, according toDaily Variety.

The motorcycle-club drama— starring Charlie Hunnam,Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal— recently concluded its secondseason.

The Dec. 1 finale attracted 4.3 mil-lion viewers, the most yet.

The first of the next 13 episodeswill premiere in September.

Name of musical shortenedBecause of copyright issues,

Shadowbox has changed the nameof its most successful company-created musical.

Woodstock: Back to the Garden,which premiered this fall at EastonTown Center, will be shortened toBack to the Garden when it returnsnext year.

Shadowbox received permission touse Woodstock in the title, accordingto producer Steve Guyer, but laterreceived a letter threatening legalaction.

The musical will reopen Feb. 7 fora limited run. For reservations, call614-416-7625 or visit www.shadowboxcabaret.com.

— From staff and wire reports

SHOW & TELLFX

Ron Perlmanof Sons ofAnarchy

DOGGY DELIGHT Put an empty dog-food bag to gooduse by dressing it up with twine and atreat fit for nonhumans.Tip: Keep the present out of reach, lestfour-legged friends munch the giftbefore it reaches its intended recipient.Ideal recipient: a pet lover or the loveof his or her life

BERRY CHICIntroduce a little haute couture into theholidays with stretched scrunchies plusads from discarded magazines.Tips: Tie the scrunchies together beforetaping them to the package, and, for thefull effect, use ads featuring similarcolors.Ideal recipient: a familial fashionista ofany age

BATHROOM BLISSBlanket a gift in winter white: papertowels, cotton swabs and cottonballs. The result: pretty — and clean!Tips: Make a double layer of papertowels — and use a hot-glue gun forthe topper.Ideal recipient: a roommate who“occasionally” forgets to clean thesink

KITCHEN CREATIONProduce an unexpectedly elegant packagefrom foil and the drawstring from akitchen trash bag.Tip: Keep the foil as smooth as possibleunless you want a “leftovers” look.Ideal recipient: Great-grandma, who hasspent your lifetime’s worth of years in thekitchen

PARTY LEFTOVERSFor a belated holiday present, matchunused party napkins and balloons invarious color combinations.Tips: Tape the napkins together at thestart — and don’t fill the balloons toomuch (or await their deflation).Ideal recipient: anyone who skipped yourholiday party

TECHNO TREATTo create an unusual look for the newyear, pair broken compact discs withmetal and paper muffin liners.Tips: Break the CDs inside a towel toprevent injuries and keep the shardsaway from children (or clumsyrelatives).Ideal recipient: the music fan in yourlife

Note: Anna Edwards, a senior in the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University in Athens, created this feature for a layout-and-design class.

SCRAP WRAP In a pinch, household items can be your cover

By Anna Edwards | FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Find yourself suddenly out of holiday gift wrap and ribbons? � No need to rush out for additionalsupplies. � Instead, stay home and embrace your creativity. � Consisting of everyday householditems, these scrappy ideas — along with the old standby: newspaper — serve as effective wrap-

ping alternatives. (Americans, after all, generate about 1 million extra tons of household waste betweenThanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.) � If anyoneon your shopping list dares to complain, just note that the cash saved was spent on the gift inside..

12-14-09 PAGE D1

DLIFE&ARTS�

MONDAYDECEMBER 14, 2009

Painter’s 4-week residency

Coming Tuesday

AN UNUSUAL STUDIODispatch.com/now

Online

HOLIDAY FUN FOR KIDSHost to keep Golden Globes light �D6

Gentle Gervais

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — Had alightning bolt struck Abe Nathan-son between the eyes that day, theoutcome could hardly have beendeemed more, uh, fruitful.

A frustrated Nathanson wassitting at his dining-room tablefour summers ago, having lost yetanother Scrabble game to his 11-year-old grandson, Aaron.

Nathanson was bothered not somuch by the loss but by the twohours spent playing the game.

“We need an anagrams game sofast,” he said, pondering his lettertiles, “it’ll drive you bananas.”

He began rearranging the wordsin his head:

Anagrams. Bananas. Banana-grams.

Bingo.In short order, Nathanson had

conceived one of the hottestgames to reach the toy market inyears.

Simple in design, yet challengingenough for grown-ups, Banana-grams packs a fast-paced familyword game inside a banana-shaped yellow pouch.

Named “game of the year” at the2009 Toy Fair, it is expected to sell2 million units this year in theUnited States alone.

It is sold in 21 nations and sixlanguages. It even boasts aniPhone application and a Face-book page.

Can you spell P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-O-N?

“It’s a juggernaut,” said Nathan-son, 80.

He expects sales of the game todouble next year, with an eye onmarkets such as Brazil, where“They’re crazy about bananas.”

Bananagrams has succeededwithout heavy advertising, anational sales force or exposure inretail giants such as Wal-Mart andToys R Us, with which Nathansonrefuses to do business.

“It’s a personal animus on mypart,” he acknowledged. “They

GAMES

Creativewordplayappeals toall ages

See WORDPLAY Page D6

Bananagrams: named the “gameof the year” at the 2009 Toy Fair

By Joseph P. KahnTHE BOSTON GLOBE

PubDate: 12-14-09 Page: 1 D Edition: 1 Replate: User: tlemmon Color:CMYK

Page as published in the December 14, 2009 issue of the Columbus Dispatch

m i d w e s t

Flint residents find comraderie in cage matches, despite the danger of injury

>> pg 13

the thrill of the

Jeremy Wood wrestled his opponent to the mat, got on top of him and proceeded to punch his face at will, not stopping until the referee

called an end to the beating.Later, the 36-year-old Davison man tried to ex-

plain what turns an otherwise civilized, well-spoken family guy into a savage fighting machine for up to nine minutes in an octagon-shaped cage.

“The thrill,” said Wood, whose day job is removing asbestos and lead paint for a national environmental firm. “I wanted to experience it. It was just a chal-lenge to see if I could be up to it.”

Wood is part of a growing legion of fighters and their fans who are turning a violent, often bloody activity into an entertainment industry.

Cage fighting, such as the Warrior Challenge event that drew Wood and 700 fans to Perani Arena on July 14, is one form of a sport known more broadly as mixed martial arts. It combines boxing, kick-boxing, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu — a martial art focused on submission holds like chokes and arm-bars (pressure on the elbow joint) — with a dash of street-fighting. At higher, televised levels, it’s called Ultimate Fight-ing Championship and Bodog Fight.

An earlier version known as Toughman was legis-lated out of business after nine people died as a result of fights.

Mixed martial arts proponents are quick to sepa-rate themselves from the Toughman legacy.

“Toughman was a show, it wasn’t a sporting event,” said Davison’s Barry Young, 42, a Delphi engineer who won nine local Toughman shows but now helps train martial artists at a Grand Blanc club. “In that, you’d see a lot of guys just put out their cigarette and climb in the ring. It was pretty brutal.

“Here, not many guys are going to enter that cage unless they’re training. You look at those guys in UFC, those are athletes.”

MMA is legal in Michigan only at the amateur level. But a bill has been introduced that would legal-ize professional fighting in the state.

At the amateur level, wrestling is a big part of the action. Wood, a former Bentley High wrestler, is a “ground and pound” specialist — dropping an oppo-nent to the mat with a take-down and then punching wherever he can. In this match, he trapped his oppo-nent’s right arm under his left knee and rained blows until referee Brad Beverly saw it wasn’t going to stop.

Fighters can end the punishment themselves by “tapping out” — literally tapping anything to signal surrender — but some are stubborn, and a good ref-eree won’t let someone be seriously hurt out of pride. This particular bout lasted about 90 seconds.

“It was pretty tough for him to defend himself once that arm got trapped,” said Wood. “He had a cut under his right eye.

“Brad is one of the best refs around. He knows when to shut it down.”

Choking is allowed, as is bending the elbow back-ward until it breaks, if someone lets it go that far. But there are rules prohibiting things like grabbing the clavicle and direct blows to the throat.

the thrill of the

by Dan Nilsen

photographs by Peter McCollough

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chucky Mady defends himself from Justin Goodall during a match in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Friday, Jun. 22, 2007.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Choking is allowed, as is bending the elbow backward until it breaks, if someone lets it go that far.

14

m i d w e s t15

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“The crap they do on TV to add drama—the shows about who’s saying what—that’s too much. But this is pretty real here. This is fun.”

-Mike Breece, 35, of Millington

Fighters are barefoot and wear padded, fingerless gloves to soften punches. Paramedics also were on hand at this show and examined some battered fight-ers between rounds. One bout was stopped after the first round on their orders.

“We’ve had some issues with the state over it,” said promoter Mike Ballance, 46, a former fighter who now trains others at his Michigans Freestyle Grap-pling Club in Grand Blanc. “My take on it is, I’m a martial artist putting on events for martial artists. I’m not a hot-dog salesman or somebody who’s trying to take advantage of these guys to line his own pockets.

16

clockwise from upper left:

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Tony “lionheart” Hervey gets thrown out of a boxing ring during an amateur mixed martial arts fight in Birch Run, Michigan, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. A fighter takes a moment to himself in the locker room prior to his cage fight in Birch Run, Michigan, Friday Apr. 13, 2007.

A fighter has the tape on his fists cut off after losing a cage fight, and breaking his nose for the third time, in Flint, Michigan, Saturday, Jul. 14, 2007.

Ring girls react as they watch a cage fight from front row seats in Flint, Michigan, Saturday, Apr. 14, 2007.

“What interests me is that these guys have a good amateur background so when they do decide to go pro, like UFC or Bodog, they can look back and say Warrior Challenge was a great amateur event to get their feet wet in.”

The Perani crowd loved it, even as some matches settled into “horizontal clinches” — both fighters

hugging each other tightly on the mat to prevent punches.

Calls of “Stand ’em up!” were sometimes answered by Beverly, who ended the stalemates by returning the contestants to a standing position.

Up in the cheap seats ($20; others went for $30 and $40), Mike Breece of Millington was enjoying his first visit to an MMA event.

“The fighting is pretty good,” observed Breece, 35, who has been watching UFC for about 12 years. “The crap they do on TV to add drama — the shows about who’s saying what — that’s too much. “But this is pretty real here. This is fun.”

Breece, a confessed street-fighter, was mulling participation as he analyzed the action.

“To me, it’s a common sense — knowing the hu-man body and what joints to lock, what it’s going to take,” he said. “I’m out of shape, but if I could keep up with these guys, I could definitely keep up with any knowledge that’s in this ring tonight.

“Then again, everybody’s cocky until they get out there.”

The featured attraction of this show was a tourna-ment for the 155-pound weight class. Four fighters were entered in that class, and it came down to Wood and Kyle Bergquist, a former football, wrestling and track standout at Kearsley High. Bergquist had a budding football career at Northwood University curtailed by a broken ankle, and the still-chiseled 20-year-old needed an outlet for his competitive drive.

“I’m used to being a three-sport athlete in high school, and I was sitting around doing nothing,” he said. “I came and watched the fights and it just brought back the wrestling in me. I said, ‘Man, I want to do this.’”

Bergquist won his first two bouts, but after losing his third, he hooked up with trainer Andre Garcia at Ultimate Fighting Academy to learn Jiu-Jitsu. The Wood-Bergquist bout was the highlight of the night, bringing the fans to their feet and many of them crowding around the cage for a closer view.

Bergquist scored the first take-down and slammed Wood to the mat twice. But Wood escaped a choke-hold and ended the first round with Bergquist in a headlock.

Wood was on top most of the second round, then escaped another chokehold in the third round and finished the match punching Bergquist’s face, elbowing his neck and kneeing his side. To his credit,

m i d w e s t17

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“It’s good to see the guys out here handshaking and hugging when they’re done. That doesn’t happen after the bar.”

-Mike Breece, 35, of Millington

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(Top) Nick Salem, 18, gets ready to enter the arena for his first cage fight as other members of Michigan’s Freestyle Grappling Club psych him up in Flint, Michigan, Saturday, Apr. 14, 2007.

(Bottom Left) A paper towel, left by a fighter, sits on a bench in the parking lot of Hooters in Bay City, Saturday, Jun. 30, 2007.

(Bottom Right) Chris Shaski is tended to after a spi-nal injury during a cage fight at Perani Arena in Flint, Michigan, Saturday, Apr. 14, 2007.

Bergquist never tapped out.As the ref wrapped the belt around Wood, fans chanted,

“Woody! Woody!”“I think he tired a little quicker than I did,” said Wood,

now 5-1 in his yearlong career. “I might have had a little experience on him, too.

“But I’ve got to give it to him. He was strong and he was tough. He’d make me nervous for a second fight.”

Such sportsmanship is another factor that elevates MMA above street-fighting. Contestants almost always hugged and praised each other after combat.

“This is a good way to get some aggressions out,” said Breece. “Better to do it here than on the street, where you’re going to get shot afterwards. “It’s good to see the guys out here handshaking and hugging when they’re done."

18

clockwise from upper left:

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Brian Slieff stands backstage prior to a fight at Perani Arena, in Flint, Michigan, Saturday, Jul. 14, 2007. Both Brian and his older brother, James, fought and lost that night.

Jamie Villalouos, after winning a cage fight in the parking lot of Hooters in Bay City, Michigan, Saturday, Jun. 30, 2007.

Najee Shahid leans against the cage during an amateur mixed martial arts fight as medics check if he is able to continue fighting in Flint, Michigan, Saturday, Jul. 14, 2007.

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