JON LEVEN

 Australia’s Welterweight
 Pancration Sensation

 

Jon Leven is Australia’s recently crowned Welterweight Pancration Champion, and he now intends floating his skills on the world pancration market.

Born in Caringbah, New South Wales, Jon Leven commenced his martial arts career at age 12 with fellow student Cameron Johnson, under the guidance of Kung Fu’s Peter Fan Rong Xiong. When Fan Rong Xiong returned to his homeland, Hong Kong, Jon continued his martial arts studies with Sydney’s renowned instructor Chan Cheuk-Fai (articles at knucklepit.com).

"In 1988 I trained with Cheuk-Fai in Chinatown for twelve months, before having a bit of a hiatus whilst finishing school and starting my first job. So I had a couple of years off from training, before recommencing the arts at a Chinese Kung Fu school in Sutherland Police Boys’ Centre. That was with former World Kung Fu Champion Mick Spinks (articles at knucklepit.com), before he set up the Sutherland Double Dragon Gym," says Leven.

Originally Jon was working out twice a week, which then increased from three to four days, until he was attending five Kung Fu classes on a weekly basis. Coincidentally, Jon discovered Mick Spinks had been trained by Cheuk-Fai in the Chinese arts, and Cameron Johnson was now studying under Spinks.

"I’ve been instructing in Kung Fu at Mick’s Double Dragon Gym for the past four years, and I also work there as a full-time personal trainer. Some clients come to me for kickboxing and Kung Fu, others are there for weight training and self-defence lessons. I have some people, such as corporate executives, who are quite unfit because of the demands of their jobs, so I just work on their general fitness and improve their lifestyles which in turn improves their abilities within their working environments.

In Jon’s personal training client base he works with many programs, including self defence, kickboxing, traditional Jin Wu Koon Kung Fu, cardio and resistance programs. "I worked recently with an elite Aussie Rules football player who I trained in weights and plyometrics, which are explosive techniques I employed to develop his speed and jumping ability. Plyometrics is something the other guys competing from the gym and I incorporate into our training."

 

Jon says he has some young students, fourteen years and upwards, who he instructs in general self-defence and strength exercises. He refrains from having them partake in weight training at this early age, preferring to avoid strenuous workouts until their bodies are more developed.

"I give them bodyweight resistance exercises to get them into shape, because the young kids of today have a low level of fitness and flexibility, which are life skills we wish to develop. I get them doing squats without weights, push-ups, triceps dips, a bit of back work as well, and some exercises with the fit ball or medicine ball - just generally light stuff."

Having secured the Australian Welterweight Pancration title in October 2003, Leven’s busy schedule demands he put in his own rigorous training sessions. Jon has his sights set on the big picture in the sport, and is hungry to gain more experience by competing in the new direction of Mixed Martial Arts: a concept utilized within the styles taught at the Double Dragon Gym.

"We’re off to Denmark from 18^th – 25^th November for the 23-nation Pancration World Cup. Eastern Bloc countries, America, Britain, Denmark, Germany, and of course Greece - because it’s a Greek sport - will all be fielding teams. It will be a good spectrum of athletes. And there will be a team of eight Australians to just cover the weight classes."

Jon says there are no women competing, but Australia will be sending an additional team of fighters for the demonstration polydama event.

Pancration fighters are not allowed to punch, elbow or knee an opponent’s face, but body punches are allowed. Palm strikes can be delivered to the face of a standing fighter, as can elbows to the body of an opponent standing or grounded. Knees can be used against the body of a standing fighter. A standing opponent can be kicked to the legs, body and head. Once on the ground, grappling rules apply: Chokes and armbars can be used.

"You get points for takedowns, so the higher the lift on the takedown, the more points awarded. A sweep would only earn one point, but a full suplex - picking an adversary up and throwing over your shoulder - would bring more points. I got big points for doing a suplex to a guy in the Australian Titles. Cranks cannot be used in the ground fighting, so twisting of the head or ankle is out."

 

Jon is very self-motivated and predominantly works his own conditioning routine. Mick Spinks guides Jon through striking techniques, and, with Nevo Yatom, through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Glenn Smith coaches Jon in stand-up wrestling.

"I’m just training hard now, getting myself ready for Denmark. I did some weights tonight: I normally do weights a couple of times a week. And I do the Kung Fu every day, basically. I do Jiu Jitsu maybe two or three times a week, and just a bit of wrestling practice: lifting and throwing one of the heavy bags. Every now and then I’ll go through techniques with Glenn. Mick’s got me doing some pad work as well for the stand-up, striking techniques."

Jon’s ultimate goal is to push himself to the limit and see where that takes him. "I’d like to try Shooto and PRIDE or UFC style competitions, because that’s where the media exposure is at the moment. Pancration is a great sport in that it is an introductory sport for me, and it’s giving me an international level of competition. But ultimately, it’s not a really well-known sport. I do want to step towards the more internationally recognised events," says Jon.

For more on Jon Leven: www.doubledragon.com.au or 029 589 0400.

 

JON LEVEN
 Part 2

Setting his Sights on Global Warfare

 

© Marc Wickert 
www.knucklepit.com

photos courtesy Jon Leven

In late 2003, former Australian Pankration Champion Jon Leven returned from the 23-nation Pankration Games in Denmark with the bronze medal in hand.

Then in July of 2004, Jon tore a ligament in his left knee, which prevented him from training for eight months and also from defending his Australian title. "It was a grade-three tear of my lateral ligament, and because lateral ligaments don’t respond well to surgery, I had to settle for having a lot of intensive physiotherapy and time off," says Leven. "It stopped me from doing nearly all training except for teaching."

However, Jon is now fully recovered and eager to take on different challenges, exploring new horizons in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. After getting back into heavy workouts early in 2005, Jon tried his hand at MMA competition in July of ’05.

"I had the opportunity to compete in a caged fight at the Warriors’ Realm Reality Fighting # 4, which is promoted by Shane Balmer. Shane has constructed a hexagon-shaped cage with the best surface I have ever fought on. The cage is very sturdily built, and the floor is good to wrestle on, and also very good for stand-up fighting where you don’t feel as though you’re sinking into it.

"WRRF 4 was held at the Exhibition Centre in Brisbane. Shane had big screens up for the event, and it was a really well run show. However, the big thing about Balmer that I wanted to say is that he not only puts on a good show for spectators, but he’s probably one of the best promoters as far as the way he looks after the fighters. He spoke to each competitor personally, and he treated you like you were one of his best friends. It was something I found to be very honourable. And he stuck by his word. If he said he was going to do something for you, he did it. You don’t see that a lot in the fight business."

Jon was called in as an alternate fighter for WRRF 4. Other big names in the Australian MMA scene competing on the card were Kyke Noke, Byron Donnelly, Andrew Specht and George Sotiropoulos. Coby Jones, the Hawaiian national training under Nathan Corbett, was Leven’s opponent on the night.

"Coby came out strong with a leg kick, which I checked. He followed it up a matter of seconds later with a further leg kick, which I stepped away from. On his next attack I struck him with a right hand, finishing the fight in just 20 seconds."

The sudden finality of Jon’s bout stunned the huge crowd in attendance that night. After the match, promoter Balmer guaranteed Leven a place on his next card in October. A venue for the upcoming tournament has not been finalised, but one possibility being considered is the Townsville RAAF base. MMA fans can keep up to date with details by visiting www.warriorsrealmrealityfighting.com.

Jon, the rules you fought under at the WRRF tournament were similar to the UFC rules, weren’t they?

"Yes, they are basically identical to UFC’s. But there are no pointed or cutting elbow strikes allowed. However, forearm strikes are okay, and it’s a fine line between elbow and forearm strikes, I suppose."

Were you surprised to see such a huge crowd in attendance?

"It was outstanding. Even though the show was scheduled on the same night as the Australia vs France Union showdown and the AFL Brisbane Lions vs Melbourne Demons match, the response was still amazing.

"And Shane provided an awesome arena to fight in. You felt like the crowd were very close to you, with the front rows just two metres away from the cage. It was a really invigorating atmosphere to fight in. Stepping in there I felt right at home. When I fought in kickboxing, Muay Thai or Pankration events, they seemed more like sporting environments. When I stood in the cage, it felt like a real environment where your skills come to the fore, because if you make mistakes they come at a high price."

Is fighting in the UFC still your ultimate goal?

"I would certainly be interested. I had the opportunity to train with Ian Shaffa coming into this fight, and I’m also training with Ian’s Jiu Jitsu coach, Bruno Banno. I’ll continue to train with both of them in preparation for my next fight at WRRF 5. I think the Australian shows are great stepping stones to the international arena, and that’s something I want to pursue. I believe the more support we get behind the Australian shows, the more the international arena will recognise the talent we have here. And the Australian MMA talent is definitely world class."

Are you still training with Mick Spinks?

"Yes, I am. And I’m going to be doing some work with Chan Cheuk-Fai (see articles on Mick Spinks and Chan Cheuk-Fai at www.knucklepit.com) on the side as well. I still feel my Kung Fu, which is my passion, can be improved. And I have one grade to go before my red sash, which is something only five other people in the Jin Wu Koon system have achieved in Australia. I plan on doing that within the next 18 months."

What other goals do you have?

"A lot of the MMA fighters are competing with BJJ, wrestling, and kickboxing backgrounds. I just want to show what a force my background in Jin Wu Koon Kung Fu, and adding the MMA element to it, can produce. BJJ black belt Bruno Banna is working with me to improve my ground techniques, but predominantly I’ll always be a striker. That’s my game. But I want to be able to control, and ground’n’pound will be my technique. If I get the opportunity to submit, that’s a very efficient way to end a fight as well."

 

For more on Jon Leven: www.customisedfitnesssolutions.com.au

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