Cauldron

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Pricsilla Bigner With choreographed skill, adjunct philosophy professor Scott Sullivan demonstrates a Muay Thai martial arts move with one of his students in the Bam Bam Martial Arts class, taught in Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center.

It's Monday night, and Scott Sullivan, adjunct professor of philosophy, grabs one of his students by the head and nearly knees him in the face. The student came out OK, however, because the maneuver was a choreographed part of Sullivan's instruction of Muay Thai martial arts. Sullivan, who is also recognized for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu abilities, has appeared in a martial arts movie and hosts a weekly martial arts radio show.

Sullivan said he began training at 11 years old and began competing around 17 or 18 years old. During his career he won U.S. Heavyweight titles in kickboxing from the Universal Kickboxing Federation and shootboxing, a type of kickboxing involving throws and submissions, from the United States Shootboxing Association.

During his career, he trained under brothers Rickson, Relson and Royce Gracie, sons of Hélio Gracie, who is credited as the creator of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

"Training with those guys was great," Sullivan said. "I used to fly out from Indiana to Los Angeles on my spring break or summer break and load up on the techniques and come back to my school and teach."

Sullivan said he was asked by his kickboxing instructor to be in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, but declined at the advice of his manager-father, because the championship was too new.

"Every fisherman has their big one that got away, so this is my martial arts big one that got away," Sullivan said. His spot was given to Ken Shamrock, now a renowned fighter. "So I'm here teaching philosophy and that guy was in the WWF," Sullivan said.

Sullivan has fought in Japan, Las Vegas and various arenas in the Midwest, but he said his favorite place to fight was Moscow.
"Moscow had its slums, but there were all these warnings from people that there was no food in Moscow because of all the warring and stuff," Sullivan said. "So I carried a bag of food all around Europe full of Spaghettios and canned foods and stuff, and this thing is like 40-50 pounds. I got there, and I was in this very nice, ornate hotel with carved wood and there was a McDonald's across the street."

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools