Kick boxer ready for extreme fight

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 12/30/2005 7:19pm

Kick boxer ready for extreme fight

Move over big, bad boys. All 5 foot, 3 inches and 118 pounds of Cindy Christian of Mannford is ready to bust a move on Patty Stickler of Catoosa when the two meet at Massacre in Muskogee, Extreme Fighting.

Twelve bouts begin at 7:30 p.m. today at Muskogee Civic Assembly Center, presented by Dale “Apollo” Cook.

Extreme fighting is growing in popularity, agreed Louie Cruz of Muskogee and Mark Mason of Tulsa.

Cruz, owner of Dragonfly Dojo Taekwondo Kick Boxing, 705 N. York St., is Christian’s trainer. She drives more than one hour twice a week to workout with Cruz. Cruz, 40, who has been in business since 1997, said he’s had a recent growth of 45 to 80 students.

Christian, 22, is the best woman. She has been the United States Women’s Muay Thai Champion since 2002.

“She’s also a professional boxer,” Cruz said. “Nobody would fight her.”

Christian said this will be her first time to do extreme fighting.

“I can’t say I don’t like it if I’ve never tried it,” she said.

She got her start in martial arts at age 9 or 10 in an after-school program. By 16, she got her black belt.

““Martial arts is challenging mentally as well as physical,” said Christian, a physical therapist assistant student at Tulsa Community College. “I wanted to do something challenging.”

She found a gym to started kick boxing.

“It’s just awesome,” she said. “I’m never sacred, just excited.”

Cruz said extreme fighting is “brutal.”

“It’s what you know vs. . . . it could be street fighter against martial arts. It’s tactical and positioning. You try to exploit the opponents weakness.”

Mason, also known as Mark Hine, who is from Muskogee, is helping to bring extreme fighting to Muskogee.

“These guys are welders, truck drivers and cowboys but they are all good fighters and highly skilled marshal artists,” Mason said. “This is a new sport. It’s happening everywhere.”

Christian is represented by Tommy Morrison of Aurora, Mo., who fought his first fight in Muskogee in 1980 at the fairgrounds. It had great success later beating George Foreman.

Also coming to Muskogee is Tonya Harding of Oregon, a fight manager.

Mason said they will be out in the lobby at the civic center for photos and autographs before the extreme fighting begins.

The event will have a concert lighting system and be shot by five cameramen for a national TV airing.

http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/apps/...D=200551230007

Marshal artists? Tonya Harding?!? OH MY!! :5shocking