I've been involved with martial arts since I was 16.  Throughout the years I've been able to train with a variety of people, and it's helped me to learn a lot about limits and perception.  A few years after starting Karate I began to learn Jiu Jitsu, and my world was forever changed as I found a sport in MMA that I could watch, follow, and learn ...and even better, there were no limitation, and age only meant a longer time to gain knowledge. In 2006 I got involved in the local martial arts world becoming invested in a small club with a friend/training partner/teacher.  The goal was to provide a stable and respectable environment to allow those who were serious about training a place to learn, and giving back to the community with the hopes of furthering the local public's knowledge of MMA (with our club's primary focus being jiu jitsu).  In 2008 we successfully became the first local club to join and internationally recognized jiu jitsu school with our affiliation to Eddie Bravo's 10 Planet Jiu Jitsu system.  Throughout my time with the club we were able to utilize community connections to host and participate in various charity fund-raiser's; provide and support many youth and adults with a unique and informative place to train; and provide the jiu jitsu world with some great provincial champions (not bad for a small club of under 40 student when put up against the big schools).
While training one night in March 2009, I received an injury that would change my life again.  A vigorous, yet improperly executed judo throw combined with my attempt to block said throw resulted in a complete knee dislocation.  The peroneal nerve was severed resulting in drop foot, and my acl, lcl, and ocl were all torn to a point where recovery without surgery was not an option.  I have since had surgery on my foot to allow for some movement, and am now waiting for knee surgery to correct what is possible. I can't say I've handled the entire time with grace, however my art has given me an amazing outlet to help the time go by, and I still love MMA and miss my ability to train.  As such I wanted to do a MMA themed painting to both celebrate a sport I love, and to exploit a hobby I love, which resulted in my artistic tribute to UFC 129 in Toronto.  The event is the first of it's kind in Ontario, and something that I'm happy to see occur after years of trying to convince people that MMA was here to stay, and was indeed more then just a sport for thugs, but instead a legitimate physical game of chess executed by athletes without peer.

The painting can be found here, along with my a write-up of its process:
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Chris

Hey, I'm thinking about doing a couple MMA paintings, unlike older ones I would like these ones to be focused on big name fighters.  Currently from canvasing Facebook it appears that GSP is the leading candidate, however I would appreciate other thoughts ...though i wont guarantee I'll go with the recomendations.  Also thinking about doing a boxing one, so thoughts on fighters there would also be appreciated.  Thank you for reading, hopefully I get a couple responses

My first internationally printed tshirt design has been printed via a 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu contest by Melee Fight Gear, go buy yourself one here:
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Original version is here:
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Hello! I would appreciate any and all support in the contest at the attached link, thank you for your time, and hopefully a vote of at least 4 or 5

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Hey, just an update on other sites I have stuff posted:

Facebook Fan Page:
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Flickr:
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Mozilla Personas:
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And the rarely used Twitter:
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The April fools avatar's are marginally cruel and inhumane, and I'm not entirely sure I get the joke other than the obvious.  Wouldn't changing the avatar's to reference's to Avatar seem to make a bit more sense? They could do the blue man group, smurfs, cookie monster ... and any other blue avatar you can think of.  That would be just as timely, and more intelligent

The Llama Badge is a great idea though.  I'll share you mine, if you'll share me yours

Hello all, thanks for another 6000 page views, I'm getting page views much faster these days, so thanks!

Have a facebook page now also, please stop by!

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Thank you to everyone that has viewed, I've finally hit 5000 page views!  

I'm actually pretty excited about this, so thank you all very much!

So I have been doing some graphics work and such for my business, Eris Martial Arts, and haven't really posted any of the works here, so thought i'd actually just start a new Deviantart page for it, please visit and enjoy, over the next few weeks I will slowly be adding works to it that i have accumulated.

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Have finally posted on Comic Art Community.  Joe Skrullsada at [link]

Have my first art showing starting Feb. 23 at a local cafe in my little town of Peterborough.  The cafe is Nata's, and i will be showing along side another local artist... though i'm not sure whom they are lol.  That's it really.  If you're in the area please stop by.