Ryan Bow facts for kids
Photograph of Bow
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Occupation | MMA fighter |
| Spouse(s) | Adrian Bow |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Mixed Martial Arts |
| Weight class | Welterweight, Featherweight |
| Club | Super Brawl |
Ryan Bow, born on February 3, 1979, is a retired American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is also a coach, an author, and a business owner! Ryan competed in both the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions. He holds a black belt in two awesome martial arts: Kodokan Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Ryan learned from famous fighters like Frank Shamrock, a five-time UFC Middleweight Champion. He was also part of the American Kickboxing Academy's professional team.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Ryan's Early Life and Training
Ryan Bow was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1979. When he was young, he faced a health challenge. But this didn't stop him from chasing his dreams!
At 17, Ryan moved to Japan all by himself. He only brought what he could carry. He was a young fighter who traveled across the world. His goal was to become a professional mixed martial artist. In 1997, at just 18 years old, Ryan earned his black belt. He got it from the Kodokan Judo Institute. This is the main place for judo in the world!
Becoming a Professional Fighter
Ryan started his fighting career a long time ago. Back then, it was common to have tournaments with eight fighters. This meant fighting at least three times in one night!
A group called Super Brawl welcomed Ryan to the world of professional MMA. He was ready to show his skills. In 1999, Ryan beat all three of his opponents in the first round. He won his first two fights with an armbar. He won his last fight with a rear naked choke. Ryan became the Super Brawl Lightweight Tournament Champion. He fought with help from MMA legend Frank Shamrock.
Ryan also became the number one ranked fighter in the World Shooto organization. His amazing skills helped him get noticed. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is one of the biggest sports groups in the world. They were interested in Ryan.
Ryan was supposed to fight Jens Pulver for the first UFC Lightweight Championship. However, a health issue kept him from getting a license to fight in some states. Ryan shares more about this in his book, Tunnel Visions: Memoirs of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion.
Ryan didn't let this stop him. He found other professional MMA groups where he could compete. Ryan became a well-known fighter in Shooto, Bodog Fight, and DEEP. He won many more fights and became very famous.
While fighting, Ryan also opened his own gym. It was called Kaminari Dojo Mixed Martial Arts Academy. He ran it from 2005 to 2009.
Retirement and New Adventures
In 2009, Ryan had to close his gym in Tokyo. He moved back to Michigan to help his mother. He later reopened his gym in the United States. But then he closed it again to travel and try new things. Ryan retired from mixed martial arts. His final record was 17 wins and 9 losses.
After spending time in Las Vegas, Ryan learned Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. He trained with world champion Robert Drysdale. Then, he took a job in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He became the Head MMA Coach at Team Nogueira Dubai. Ryan and his wife moved there in September 2014. In 2016, Ryan earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He learned from former Pride and UFC Heavyweight Champion Rodrigo Nogueira. He also learned from former BJJ world champion Rafael Haubert.
In 2017, Ryan and his wife moved back to Seattle. There, he opened Fight Gods Mixed Martial Arts Academy.
Ryan's Personal Life
Ryan is married to Adrian, who is a veterinarian. Ryan is currently working on turning his life story into a movie! His autobiography is all about the tough challenges he faced. It shows how he became an international MMA champion.
Achievements and Awards
Ryan Bow has achieved many great things in his career:
- He has over 10 years of experience as an MMA instructor.
- He was a professional MMA fighter for 9 years.
- In 2012, he won the NAGA (North American Grappling Association) Expert Division Championship.
- He was the number one world-ranked fighter in the World Shooto rankings in 2004.
- He trained at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). He trained with famous fighters like Frank Shamrock, Cain Velasquez, Josh Koscheck, Luke Rockhold, and Josh Thomson.
- He fought on the same events as current UFC stars like Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.
- He trained with Judo Olympic Gold Medalists Yoshida Hidehiko and Takimoto in Japan.
- He earned his Judo Black Belt from the Kodokan. This is the world headquarters of Judo.
- He was the 1999 Hawaiian Super Brawl Tournament Champion.
- He trained Muay Thai in Thailand under Santien Noi, a former Lumpinee Stadium Champion.
- He wrote the MMA book Tunnel Visions: Memoirs of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion in 2013.
Images for kids
-
Photograph of Bow
