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Competitor Profile on Raymond Daniels
By Boice Lydell
From Sport Karate Magazine
(Sept-Oct 2001)
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Date of birth: April 29, 1980
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Sport karate world titles:
Favorite sport karate players:
Most admired martial artist: Frank Daniels and Jon
Ramsey
Ok…now let’s get this right for all those young Raymond Daniels’ want-a-bees. We enter the stage in an exuberant manner, take our helmet and in full display before the audience, spin it around as if it were a basketball in the hands of a Globetrotter before magically popping it on our head. This is Raymond Daniels getting into his zone, “ready to get busy” as he puts it. This helps by “getting into the other player’s head” he says. Well, whether it’s a psychological ploy that works or not, it’s certainly a Raymond Daniels trademark. He equates the gesture with the heroes of the West, the gunslingers twirling their revolvers in the show before a duel began. In two short years since the 1998 Super Grands, Daniels has become somewhat of an enigma, the turn of the century karate superstar, nearly impossible to beat and always entertaining. One may recall his humbled beginnings at his first Super Grands attendance in 1997 in Colorado Springs. After disappointments in individual junior sparring and self-defense the Junior Dragon Force team consisting of Charles Llamas, Jameel Garbutt and Daniels faced the pro-rated and highly favored Junior Kani Team in the Grand Final for the world title. After a 10 to 12 second round score favoring Kani, chances were looking pretty bleak for Daniels who was left to face three-time world champion, Ryan Huntley to decide this coveted title. But in a stunning display, Daniels rebounded, crushing Huntley 8 to 3 in retribution to Huntley’s eliminating Daniels in earlier individual point sparring competition. This victory led to his first adult season starting in 1999 where he trounced everyone in sight, but it wasn’t until after the Super Grands that year that sport karate would crown its newly discovered champion with heroic stature. Entering Super Grands IX in 1999, Daniels was heavily favored, not only in individual point sparring but in continuous sparring and self-defense as well. But as fate would have it, first he received a facial laceration as a partner in his brother’s self defense routine, sending him to the hospital for stitches. Then after qualifying as one of the top two in the Grand Finale for individual point sparring, continuous sparring and self defense, he snagged a piece of glass in his foot for a return to the hospital for five more stitches. With stipulations both times by the medical personal, Daniels barely eked by being allowed to compete. His first division in the Finale was self defense, his least favored title to win. Recalling the medical personals’ demand that if his stitches broke open he would not be allowed to continue, he elected not to compete for fear he may be disqualified before making it to his point sparring world title match that he wanted to win the most. But just before his announcement to bow-out an impulse sent him to the stage anyhow, only to earn a devastating tie. Appearing like a war-torn soldier, limping and bandaged, miraculously he won the tie runoff and continued to win both his sparring titles to complete one of sport karate most memorable stories of victory. Despite Daniels image of being the epitome of “Mr. Cool” in sport karate, he’s very level headed and sets a good example for the younger crowd by abstaining from drinking, smoking and drugs. He enjoys working with kids and runs his own school of 70 students, simply called “The Dojo”. Despite his initial eagerness to start karate lessons under his father’s supervision as instructor, he elected to exit training several times a young rebellious teenager. But giving credit where credit is due he now appreciate his father’s tenacity preventing him from quitting all those times. After renewing interest in competition, his big break came when family martial arts friend, Jon Ramsey, sponsored the Dragon Force Team to the Super Grands in 1997. Without Ramsey, Daniels admits, he never would have afforded that first World Games that changed his life. For that gesture, Daniels continues a deep admiration for his friend. Following Super Grands IX, Daniels was offered a coveted position on Team Paul Mitchell furthering his access to national competition and acclaim. But his biggest team opportunity came with the chance meeting of olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. After Daniels exposed Lewis to the needs of team sponsorship this year, Lewis awarded Daniels with the opportunity to host his own squad of players called “Showtyme”. Daniels met the challenge with elation drafting west coast players Kreus Lay, Cayenne Mayes, Brandon Bertsch and Tara Gabelmann onto the new team. When quizzed on upcoming talent Daniels mentioned Chris Millares and Brain Smith as future fighters to watch. And Daniels’ future…well after a broken wrist suffered at a tournament in Venezuela this year, competition was slowed, but far from non-existent. He’s been on the campaign trail once again to win the $1,000 men’s sparring grand championships after winning over $12,000 in 2000. Besides his competition he’s entertaining a career in law enforcement. Right now he says his biggest goal is awaiting the opportunity to visit Barnes & Noble to witness himself on the front cover of Sport Karate Magazine. “Hey, that’s me”, he can exclaim to the vendor. Yes, the sport just wouldn’t be the same without Raymond Daniels on board! |
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