Demetrius Havanas • Tribute

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4 жыл бұрын

RIP "Golden Greek" Demetrius Havanas
𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿(Old School Kickboxing, full contact)
He won more than 90 consecutive tournaments in forms and fighting competition, and won 13 grand championships in 1971.
As a brown belt he racked up over a hundred and twenty five victories without a loss. His most memorable brown belt fight was against the undefeated brown belt, Bob Burbridge (Mike Stone and Chuck Norris' students.) This victory was proof of his determination to win. Near the end of 1971 he received his black belt.
From 1971-75 Havanas was consistently rated among America’s top 10 karate fighters.
In 1975, entering full-contact kickboxing, he won the PKA U.S. Welterweight Championship. He amassed a record of 39-4 with 24 knockouts, and the Star System ranked him number-one world welterweight contender in 1980-81.
A very muscular five foot five, the Greek perfected an explosive fighting style that consistently enabled him to outpoint men much taller than himself. No doubt partly to compensate for his lack of reach, Havanas took up body building, learning subsequently to punch with astonishing power. By 1980 the Greek had amassed a record of almost fifty fights. Up to that time, only Benny Urquidez had fought more often. Of his nearly fifty fights, Havanas lost only to Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, that fight by only one point. He also lost an unpopular split decision to Earnest Hart Jr. His other defeats were to Chris Gallegos, and Marc Costello - at least one of which losses he later avenged. Beside being a great fighter, Greek was also noted as Texas' best KickBoxing trainer. Training such champions as Billye Jackson, Raymond McCallum, Troy Dorsey, Cliff Thomas and Ismael Robles. Greek was fast pounding his way to the doorstep of the elusive world lightweight title.
He was scheduled for a world title fight against champion Howard Jackson. He was killed on July 23, 1981 in an airplane accident.
Havanas was posthumously inducted into the World Taekwondo Hall of Fame, the American Karate Black Belt Hall of Fame and the Texas Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Пікірлер: 39

@tonyarechiga751 2 жыл бұрын

He was a great friend of mine and got me into full contact fighting

@sevenman9672 4 жыл бұрын

A fitting tribute to a phenomenal athlete and superb technician. Him and Costello went to war!

@cottontop9276 4 жыл бұрын

I remember Dementrius well in Dallas Tx. he was a leading figure in my own Taekwondo school in the early 70's.

@USMC-ve7im 29 күн бұрын

Who is this? Were you at TKI on Garland RD next to Underwoods BBQ? What years? Did you know Mike M, a brown belt then?

@kbeldenkb 3 жыл бұрын

I remember reading a feature article about him in Karate Illustrated and later on he was on the cover. I remember the article saying he loved training the way other men loved a bottle of good port wine.

@douglascoe1385 Жыл бұрын

Back in the late 70's, Demetrius said that his idea of training was to go so hard and so long that it was like hell, so much so that on fight day, it was like a vacation and a great relief from training.

@purebloodheretic4682 2 жыл бұрын

Real Punches from a Karate Guy!

@dsussman 2 жыл бұрын

RIP Legend

@jftormenta 2 жыл бұрын

the musics you guys use are just great..... Hail old school fighters for giving us a taste of glory.....

@alfiocarmelobuffo3485 3 жыл бұрын

This was the real kickboxing not the modern k1,this was a different kind of kickboxing bur for me more beautiful than today

@HexenStar 3 жыл бұрын

I'll second that. Just Demetrius himself said in the beginning of this video.

@shaunlottering2500 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome vid, like always, keep up the good work....

@williamgarza6394 2 жыл бұрын

He came up to me to congratulate me on winning first place in team fitting.

2 жыл бұрын

amazing work about these legends, - Thanks a lot for your work

@arenabr1283 2 жыл бұрын

O nível desses lutadores é impressionante...

@randyrush9856 3 жыл бұрын

He died way too young. I remember watching him train at the Grand Prairie Youth Center when I studied under the Simpson's. Demetrius would wear a weighted vest, very heavy, and turn his focus on a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. He would throw all kinds of punches and kick combinations within only inches of it, and keep this up non-stop for long periods of time. The sweat would pour from his body, slinging from his hair as he spun around at times with, spinning back fists, roundhouse kicks, side kicks, etc... Occasionally he would assists during class sparring. I only recall sparring with him once. He just toyed with me, him being a seasoned black belt, and I but a rank amateur at the time. I couldn't touch his defense ever! And even though he was short in stature, still was intimidating. He was a finely tuned fighting machine. Later, when my brother and I signed on at a dojo with Allen Steen's Texas Karate Institutes over near Kiest and Beckley in Dallas, under the instructor D P Hill, D P told us that Demetrius was the only Texas man he hadn't beaten in tournament. Two years later, D P won the Texas Black Belt Championship in Houston, but Demetrius the "Greek", wasn't even there that year.

@marsoc0326 Жыл бұрын

Man I'm a younger guy, but reading the names you mentioned takes me back to having these long conversations with my instructor after doing the beginners,intermediates and advanced classes back to back, covered in sweat and just soaking it all the stories in. Thank you for bringing back the memories. Truly made my night.

@randyrush9856 Жыл бұрын

@@marsoc0326 Glad I could share that with you. It's getting close to half century since those days. I'm guessing I enrolled for classes with the Simpson's around '72-73, and about '75 with D P Hill. Later, D P broke ties with Texas Karate Institute about late '76, and opened his own place over on West Davis St. in Dallas. I got married in '77. And because of married life requirements, a job, starting a family, I lost interest in martial arts, and stopped training. Never knew what ever became of D P or the school.

@willieortiz4479 3 жыл бұрын

His style reminded me of benny the jet one of the greats

@merltravers4054 2 жыл бұрын

He gave Benny one of his hardest fights I believe it was a draw

@elvisrizvic7940 2 жыл бұрын

Oldie but a goody

@OldSchoolCombat 4 жыл бұрын

Почему я не знал про такого зверилу.

@oldschoolfighter 4 жыл бұрын

Он очень рано погиб, в 1981. В основном, его помнят те, кто начал интересоваться киком до 1981. И конечно же его помнит и чтит один из его учеников Стив Армстронг, который создал канал на вимео, на котором Стив выкладывает огромное количество боев, среди которых много боев Хаванаса

@OldSchoolCombat 4 жыл бұрын

Ух ты, надо глянуть его канал.

@kickboxing7857 4 жыл бұрын

Зверька, судятпо весовой