Sports
Fred Stonehouse brings hammer down in the ring
gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Rockland
One thing for sure about Fred Stonehouse. He can take a licking and keep on kicking, and that is going to be bad news for anyone stepping into the ring with him. The 27-year-old martial artist took his first step higher up the competitive ladder over the Feb. 25 weekend with his debut as a carded fighter in the Throwdown bouts for muay thai at Casino du Lac Leamy in Gatineau, QC. Stonehouse’s match was an amateur-category setup, which means the fighters earn glory and the satisfaction of the win to soothe any bruises and for now thatisgoodenoughfornowforStonehouse. “It was great,” Stonehouse said. “You’re the centre of attention. People are coming from all around to watch you.” Stonehouse, from the Rockland AcademyofMartialArts(RAMA),squared off against Armin Eshtabi of Ottawa’s Ronin Martial Arts, for a three-round regulation muay thai match. Muay thai is Thailand’s national mar- tial art and it has a reputation as being hard-core with emphasis on knee and elbow strikes along with the kicks and punches. Stonehouse beat Eshtabi with unanimous decisions from the judges in each round. He also almost had a knock- out win. “I gave hima head kick and he stumbled face-first to the floor. He was saved by the bell. As the ref was counting down, the buzzer went.” Stonehouse has one physical souvenir of his first amateur-class win to remind him to watch his technique in future. “My thumb is a little banged up,” he
Photo Darren Begg Fred Stonehouse slams Armin Eshtabi with a head kick during their fight before a capacity crowd at Casino de Lac Leamy.
CABANE À SUCRE
said, chuckling. “I threw a looping right hand and caught him against the side of his head.” Back in Rockland, Stonehouse mana- ges RAMA and is one of its instructors. Besides his training in muay thai, he holds a red belt in tae kwon do and is also ranked third-degree black in kankai-ryu karate, first-degree black in Japanese jujitsu and has his beginner’swhite inBrazilian jujitsu. He’s fought in at least 50 sparring mat-
ches in various martial arts tournaments over the past few years, either non-contact or light contact. But that was fighting for points. The past weekend in Gatineau was a new experience for him and he is eager to see how well he can do in regulation fighting. “This is just a taste,” he said. “I want to see how far I can go. Maybe even make pro. But that will bewhenmy instructor, andmy co-workers, say that I’m ready.”
• VISITE D’ANIMAUX • TIRE SUR LA NEIGE • PRODUITS DE L’ÉRABLE • PARC D’AMUSEMENT • GLISSADE SUR TUBES
MARS-AVRIL BUFFET À VOLONTÉ
Sur réservation : Tél. : 613 764-2181 ou 613 764-0314 Cell. : 613 850-7590
1230, ROUTE 400, CASSELMAN, ON www.fermedrouin.ca
Homebuyers continue to choose Woodfield
Ask the 93 Families who have already bought a Woodfield home in Morris Village why they chose Woodfield and the answer is sure to be value . These single family homes are outstanding examples of what quality design and construction can accomplish without exceeding affordability. Buying a Woodfield Home just makes Sense. u Todays most desirable features are included in the purchase price u Large 50 ft lots still available u Choose a Spacious Bungalow or two storey home u Design flexibility...you can customize your home u Interest Rates are at an all time low u More square footage for your homebuying dollar
Visit our model home today and you’ll see why choosing a Woodfield home makes so much sense.
THE CARTIER 2,086 SQ. FT. $353,800
HIGHWAY 17 E ROCKLAND’S $ 308,400 Bungalows and two storey single family homes from:
LAURIER
SILVER
H
JASPER
Tel: 613-446-1118 HOURS: MON. TO THURS. 1-7 SAT. & SUN. 12-5
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker