NOVEMBER 2004 - REAL FIGHTING TEAM: FIRST TOURNEMENT IN MANTOVA

On the 21st November the young Real Fighting Team Leone athlets  took part to  the "Eternal Gladiators" Submission Grappling Tournement  promoted by Shoot Team of Modena (Emiliano Lanci and Paolo Salati) in Mantova. Good results with more experienced opponents. We notify:

second place to Ivan Marchetti in the 79 Kg class, who won the first three matches with great technical performances against more skilled athlets, loosing a final in the last seconds. In the 91 Kg class, first and second place to Giuseppe Dell'Aira and Daniel Giampaolo, both showing good techniques and preparation. Bad luck in the 85 Kg class for Tommaso Pispico, defeated by a roman athlet  who dominated this weight class. Our compliments to all partecipants and to the coaches for the great work they're doing!

SEPTEMBER 2004 - FIGHT ZONE ACADEMY OPENING

The last week-end of Sept 2004, Real Fighting Association opened the new Fight Zone Academy in Alessandria. For R.F.A. students and for all the partecipants was possibile to share a 8-hours-marathon on all the disciplines of the school.

JUNE 2004 - REAL FIGHTING TEAM ITALIAN CHAMPIONS

On the 6th June took place in Turin the Sambo Grappling Italian Championship final, an event organized by A.S. Speranza Azzurra 2000, leaded by Mario Loi.
Real Fighting Team (the official team of our organization leaded by Sifu Filippo Leone) was invited to the five qualification bouts, named "Sambo Grappling Grand Prix 2003-2004". 
The young athlets of our team, who are at their first year of experience in Submission Grappling tournements, have always obtained good classements in the various bouts with good technical performance  against more experienced fighters from Judo, Wrestling, Sambo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

First place and italian title for Giuseppe Dell'Aira (Open Class) after an exciting final match won in the last seconds by submission. Daniel Giampaolo reached the third place imposing his powerful style in the 90 Kg class. Second placement for Tommaso Pispico in the 80 Kg class; in the 70 Kg class (the most crowed weight class), 3rd and 4th placement for Davide Boero and Ivan Marchetti (a good result after his winter injury). Michele Bovo, who had a great match in the first bout of + 90 Kg  class, couldn't partecipate to the final because of an injury.

At the end of the tournement, Sifu Leone was elected "2004 Best Trainer" receiving also the title of "2004 Best Team". 

"I am very proud of my team results - said Sifu Leone during the TV interview - even if my athlets didn't fight in their own discipline and following the usual Submission rules, they reached the Italian title with good performaces. This result push me to continue my job as trainer: new athlets are reaching my team to train with us for next tournements".

MAY 2004 - Guro MARC "Crafty Dog" DENNY'S SEMINAR

Guro Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny, the charismatic leader and founder of DOG BROTHERS was in Real Fighting Association for an unforgettable technical seminar on the 8th and the 9th of May. At the stage, organized by Sifu Leone, took part a great deal of Real Fighting Association members and affiliated and many practitioners from other italian organizations. Not to spread the energy of those intensive training days, we just want to thank Guro Marc for the great work he shared with us and thank to our Sifu for having organized with us such a special Real Contact Stickfighting training occasion.

OCTOBER 2003 - R.F.A IN DOG BROTHERS MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION

We finally ufficialize the important international collaboration of our Head-Instructor Sifu Filippo Leone with Guro Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny ( leader and founder of the Dog Brothers Martial Arts Association) and Guro Benjamin "Lonely Dog" Rittiner (european D.B.M.A.A. Head- Instructor). Sifu Leone, accepted as student and member of this great and well-known school, was recently authorized by Guro Denny to ufficialize his membership as italian rapresentative and his grade of "Group Leader" (first D.B.M.A.A. Instructor grade ): the Real Fighting Association confirm the level of his quality becoming today also a refer point for the italian Full Contact Stick Fighting practitioners and amateurs. 

JUNE 2003 - JKD UNLIMITED: NEW PROMOTION FOR SIFU LEONE

During his last seminar in Switzerland,  Sifu Richardson promoted Sifu Leone to the level 1 Instructor: to achieve this qualification, Sifu Leone did a great examination with many full contact sparring rounds on different ranges, with and without weapons. Here is Sifu Burton Richardson's enthusiastic comment:"Filippo is always emproving, as fighter and as teacher and his entire preparation is excellent : he shown aggressivness and pure fighting skills in all sparring rounds  and I particularly appreciated his fighting with real sticks and limited protections . He knows which techniques to use and how to apply them under pressure in real fighting on the different ranges and this is really JKD Unlimited! ". 

"I've been working hard to obtain this promotion and I'm happy about it , as I feel the honour of working with Sifu Burton Richardson in the JKD Unlimited, I think that official diplomas are a confirm to the hard work and dedication, but to reach a real ability in fighting they have to be supported by a serious and ever deepening practice.   (Sifu Filippo Leone)

Sifu Leone insieme a Sifu Richardson subito dopo l'esame. Il patch e il diploma di Sifu Leone (ci auguriamo che nessun "insegnante" sia tanto ridicolo da copiarsi il diploma).

MAY 2003 - GENOA KOMBAT FESTIVAL

On sat. 24th may 2003 the Real Fighting Association staff took part to the second edition of  Kombat Festival in Genoa, the Martial Arts and Ringsport italian kermesse organized by the world champion  Marco Costaguta.

Sifu Leone and his students scheduled a lot of exibitions presenting all disciplines of the school. A particular interest was shown for the Submission Grappling and Free Fight / Vale Tudo exbitions. We thank all visitators of our stand,  all people partecipating to Sifu Leone's lessons and a special thank to R.F.A. students who took part at the event.