Decades before mixed martial arts became popular in the United States, events matching fighters of different fighting disciplines were very common in Japan. They weren’t called “mixed martial arts” at the time, but that’s essentially what they were.There’s an entire history of pro wrestlers fighting specialists from other martial arts (particularly judo) that were leaving out, but during the’70’s Antonio Inoki began to put the concept of “mixed martial arts” on the map with his matches against fighters from other disciplines.

Before and after his matchup against Muhammad Ali, Inoki would frequently compete against other martial artists in what are widely accepted to be “worked” (ie: having a predetermined outcome) matches. Inoki fought boxer Chuck Wepner, judo Gold Medalist Wilhelm Ruska and world karate champion Willie Williams among others. His most famous match internationally, however, was against Ali.

There’s a great deal of uncertainty about many of the stories surrounding how the event came together and transpired, but a few facts are now known. Ali took the fight as it was a large and presumptively easy paycheck. The big money he was earning is what kept him from walking out when his camp started to disagree with Inoki’s handlers over the rules and ‘finish’ fo the fight. Some suggest that it was supposed to be a fair fight going in, but Ali at the last minute insisted on rules more favorable to him. The more likely version of events is that Ali’s handlers agreed to a predetermined finish, only to have Ali balk at the last moment.

The rules that were in place on fight night were so ridiculously one sided in favor of Ali that it almost defies belief. Inoki wasn’t allowed to hit Ali with a closed fist, nor strike him in the head at all. He was also prohibited from using any sort of choke or submission maneuver. Most problematically, he was prohibited from trying to take Ali to the ground. In other words, Inoki was basically not permitted to do anything that would threaten Ali with any sort of physical harm.

The result was an absolutely horrible fight. Neither man showed much interest in engaging the other, with Inoki spending most of the time on the ground doing what he could under the one sided rules. Inoki threw kicks at Ali’s legs, Ali threw an occasional jab and tried to protect himself from his opponent’s leg strikes. The fight ended a 74-74 draw, with the real losers being the fans.

The fight was officiated by former pro wrestler “Judo” Gene Labell, a legendary tough guy considered at the time to be the ‘baddest man on the planet’. He could have easily beaten up both men, possibly at the same time. That might have provided some much needed entertainment to liven up the tedious charade masquerading as a fight.

The fiasco didn’t hurt Inoki’s popularity in Japan whatsoever. Oddly, he became something of a hero for trying to take the fight to Ali despite the one sided rules. He would remain one of Japan’s most popular pro wrestlers and later serve in the country’s parliament. Inoki’s fights against other martial artists remained wildly popular, and are often credited as being the forerunner of PRIDE, RINGS and the major MMA organizations in Japan today.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer specializing in casino gambling, fine dining and sports betting. He has appeared on a number of TV and radio programs offering strategies for successful NFL football betting. He lives in the Nevada desert with three Jack Russell Terriers and a pet llama. He is currently writing a biography of former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett.

Going to the movies is a very popular recreational pastime especially for those young executives living very|considerably stressful lives running corporate affairs. However, for those who cannot afford to waste time travelling to and from movie theaters, the answer to this recreational problem could be just inside their own house.

Why not recreate the visual and sound systems of the movie theaters with your very own custom home theater system? The best custom home theater set up certainly can include high quality components that are capable of recreating the entire movie theater experience without having to drive from your house to the movie theater spending time and effort waiting in heavy traffic. This modern technology can give you the relaxation and experience that full-sized movie theaters provide.

The basic components: a wide screen and loudspeakers with clear and flicker free images from a high quality DVD, can easily create quite an authentic movie-going experience. Home theater professionals recommend that before you choose the final set-up and equipment for your custom home theater system, the dimensions of the room must be the first thing to think about.

So, if you have a small size room intended for your home theater system, a television may be best situated in the middle of one wall and three loudspeakers, placed on the left, right and center, might be enough to provide the surround sound you require from a custom movie theater. However, if you have a larger room, a home theater projector might be the best bet for recreating the “big screen”.

Home theater projector screens can provide an authentic movie theater experience. If you have a very large location for your home theater system, in conjunction with your home theater projector and home theater projector screen, you could add some more loudspeakers about the room. Another useful tip is that a sub-woofer could also help to produce the best surround sound to enable you to produce that authentic sound of a movie theater in your own living room.

There are a variety of designs and models of home theater projector you can choose from. You will need to become acquainted with the features of each one, before you decide which one to purchase. It may also be necessary for you to enlist the services of a home theater designer in order to obtain the home theater package that will give you the best entertainment value. This will mean not having to spend an unnecessary amount of time and money on your home theater system and home theater projector.

It is so easy to purchase equipment with an over- capacity for your home theater, especially if you do not know what the choices are and the various requirements that your home theater may have due to the room’s size. The size of your home theater projector screen should be a function of the measurements of your custom home theater and the kit in your custom home theater. For example, from where you plan to sit to the screen should be between two and five times the diagonal diameter of the screen. Therefore, looking at it from the other perspective, if you are going to sit 10 feet (120 inches) from the screen, then the screen should be 24-60 inches, but it is very subjective and depends on the viewers eyes.

Your home theater designer could also suggest options that do not require a television set for your home theater. Why|How come|How is this so? The reason for this is the technological innovations employed by computers and home theater projectors. Home theater projectors like InFocus screenplay models, for instancecan be hooked up with a computer in a small room set-up. Home theater projectors are also lightweight and can be moved about effortlessly. Therefore, a projector is very useful for employment in custom home theaters and business presentations.

Home theater projectors and home theater projector screens can help provide an authentic cinema-like experience. This kind of set-up is extremely useful for business presentations and so it is becoming more and more popular. Combining your custom home and custom office theater systems is a new innovation, which only very few intelligent consumers have thought of.

I am sure that being aware of all these facts: that is, that a basic television, three speakers and a DVD player can be enough for those people who only want a start-up home theater, you may well come to the conclusion that you do not really require a home theater projector, especially if the room set aside for your custom home theater system is not that big.

Enjoy a cinematographic experience right there in your very own home by considering your options carefully. Then you can experience the exhilaration a movie theater gives you without having to put up with boring traffic jams on the way back and fore from the movie theater.