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WARRIORS’REALM REALITY
FIGHTING
 Shane Balmer with Australian Welterweight Champ Kyle 'KO' Noke.
©Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
photos © Shane Balmer
MMA promoter Shane Balmer initially became involved in martial arts as a teenager when he first saw Bruce Lee leap across the television screen. Shane originally enrolled in Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu classes to emulate his childhood hero, before expanding his fighting-style horizons when he took up work as a bouncer. "I studied the traditional martial art under Henry Sue, then I eventually got into bodybuilding – which was a bit of a different direction to take. I was working pubs and clubs when I turned 18, and I realised I needed more strength to complement the martial arts skills," says Balmer. "How I got into the MMA was like everybody else – I started watching the early UFCs." Shane also came to appreciate the effectiveness of MMA’s realistic approach to combat during the years he spent in the RAAF police unit, before he operated his own large security company, and was employed as a prison officer at one of Australia’s maximum security prisons. "Later on, a mate of mine, Mick Green, competed in a few local MMA tournaments before going over to Japan to fight in pankrase events. He needed somebody heavier than he was to wrestle with, and through training with Mick, that was pretty much how I got into MMA." Shane says he’s always been an entrepreneur by nature, and he quickly recognised the potential for MMA contests in Australia, judging on their success overseas. By coincidence, UFC and BJJ star Roberto Traven moved to Australia’s Sunshine Coast where Shane lives. "There I was, training in the gym, and I thought, ‘Gee, that guy looks like Roberto Traven.’ I went up and introduced myself and it all coincided: I started training with him. At the time it was in my mind that there was no caged-fighting federation in Australia. "So I decided to do something about it. I asked Roberto if he was interested, and short of Elvis Sinosic, there probably wasn’t really anybody here with the credentials to fight him. With that notion of having two UFC veterans fighting for the first time in Australia, the first Warriors’ Realm Reality Fighting event was born." Shane had always been impressed by the reality of caged fighting, where contestants didn’t have to worry about falling out of a roped ring, or have to be stopped in the middle of a bout so officials could restart the fight at centre ring. So Balmer went about designing a cage that would be both competitor and spectator friendly. "We built the Hexagon, which we believe to be the only one of its kind in the world. The reason we went for a hexagon as opposed to an octagon shape was to reduce the number of corner posts obstructing the spectators’ views. We found the name ‘The Hexagon’ to be a little bewitching and pretty cool – something medieval even." Shane says that prior to the inaugural event, he went from being a fan of MMA to being a close friend of Traven, and he came to know Sinosic, who he’d always looked up to and respected for his skills. And they too became friends. "All of a sudden, as the fight got closer I was thinking, ‘Shit, one of these guys is going to lose.’ And the whole thing was, I wanted to put on a good show. But then you start to get personally involved and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Plus I was hoping they’d be happy with how they went. Unfortunately for Roberto he got knocked out."
Due to the overwhelming public response to Warriors’ Realm Reality Fighting #1, Balmer began making plans for a second event. Today, he is preparing for WRRF #5. Not only is the tournament one of Australia’s premier MMA events, but it is also attracting top-ranking combatants from the international NHB circuit. And Shane Balmer has made a name for himself as one of the most respected promoters amongst fighters (see John Leven article at knucklepit.com). Shane, can you tell us a bit about the Hexagon please? "I got an engineer to do up a blueprint for the Hexagon and it’s the coolest contraption you’ve ever seen. Even guys like Elvis who have competed overseas in caged events reckon it’s the best cage they’ve ever come across." And by being a six-sided arena, you don’t find the athletes get caught up in the corners? "No, because of the way it’s designed. It’s still very round. In the four shows we’ve run, we’ve never had anybody stuck in a corner. Of course, in a boxing ring people can get caught up in the corners, but in our Hexagon the corners aren’t harsh at all." You’re showing fans an exciting sport that the rest of the world has been enjoying for years – one that Australia has been kept in the dark about. And you must be pleased by the response WRRF has received from the fighters. You’re treating them all like professional athletes rather than like meal tickets and seat fillers. "You know, I believe in trying to do everything properly, trying to pay them well, looking after the guys, and giving them nice trophies. I had a fighter say to me, ‘The trophies are awesome, and we’re used to making our own way to the events and staying at backpackers…’ I think if you look after people, they’re going to let others know. But the person I have to thank more than anybody is my wife, Leisa. I couldn’t have done it without her." Are more people in Australia becoming aware of NHB - despite the mainstream media? "People are coming around. MMA is the biggest combat sport in Japan, and now it’s second only to boxing in the US, with the younger demographic audience growing. And Australia always follows suit. We’re a little bit slower, but you can walk into any of the bigger video-game stores and they’ve all got IFC, King of the Cage… You don’t see any boxing or kickboxing DVDs on the shelves. You talk to young people, and they know about it now. That’s only been in the last 12 months or so. "In Australia, I think some of the main sporting bodies still have control over what’s aired on p-p-v. It’s only a matter of time before the mainstream audience gets a bit of exposure to good MMA, and they’re not going to settle for just boxing or just kickboxing. They can only stem the tide for so long. The time is coming, and it’s coming soon. And Warriors’ Realm is going to be putting on the best shows when that time comes." Shane, who are you tipping between Elvis Sinosic and Forrest Griffin at UFC 55? "I think it will be a pearler. Forrest loves to stand up, and Elvis can stand up too. Sinosic has the experience, but Griffin might be mad enough to ignore this experience. I’ll be barracking for Elvis and it will be a great UFC match."
For more on WRRFighting - www.warriorsrealmrealityfighting.com For more on UFC 55: Fury – www.ufc.tv
WARRIORS' REALM
Part 2 
by Shane Balmer
Hello and welcome to a New Year. 2006 is shaping up to be an explosive year for Warriors Realm and MMA in Australia. Warriors Realm is proud to announce its alliance with the International Fighting Championship (IFC). Later this year we will be hosting an IFC event here in Australia, with some big names from the USA making their way Down Under. Keep checking for details. This event was originally going to take place earlier this year, but due to Hurricane Katrina, the IFC were forced to reschedule. Warriors Realm 5 will take place on the 25th of February at the Lake Kawana Community Centre on the Sunshine Coast. In the Main Event George Sotiropoulos will challenge Kyle ‘KO’ Noke for his Australian Welterweight title. The two last fought at WR 4 in July 2005. In what was a very close fight, both fighters wanted another chance to get it on and now it will happen. This fight is scheduled for 5 x 5 Minute rounds. This gives you an idea of the conditioning of these Warriors. Neither believes it will go the distance. Additionally, an awesome card of MMA fights and some modified rules fights (limited ground time) will take place. Keep checking for details. For the last six months I have been fortunate enough to be volunteering at the Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge Society (SCARS). It has been a fantastic and rewarding experience. For mostly seven days a week, starting at 4:30 am, I have worked along side some of the kindest people I have ever met. These volunteers give up their time - including weekends and public holidays - for the benefit of Dogs and Cats that in many cases have been neglected and abused. Over Ten Thousand unwanted Dogs and Cats are euthanased in Australia every week. As human beings, we should all be disgusted that this is allowed to happen.
SCARS is a non-profit organisation that houses up to Two Hundred Dogs and Cats at any one time. It has a non Euthanasia policy, which means that the animals are kept and looked after until a home can be found for them (the exception being if an animal is in too much pain and all other medical efforts have been exhausted). Many of these animals are not purebred or the prettiest of their species, but all are beautiful. What I am attempting to do is raise approximately $50k for SCARS. This money will go towards building a Kennel complex for Dogs that are at the later stage of there lives. Most often unlikely to be wanted by anyone, these Dogs will have the opportunity to live out there lives in relative comfort. Any money that is not used for this project will go towards the general upgrade of the Refuge. This is a fantastic cause that deserves our support. Some of the most exciting Warriors in our sport have enthusiastically signed up to compete at this event, all generously offering there fight purses to this worthy cause. This is a great opportunity for the Australian MMA community to show the mainstream public the honorable people involved in this sport. -Shane Balmer.
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