Kauaʻi
The Garden Isle
August 1995 satellite photo.
Location in the state of Hawaii.
Geography
Location	22°05′N 159°30′W / 22.083°N 159.5°W / 22.083; -159.5
Area	562.3 sq mi (1,456 km2)
Rank	4th largest Hawaiian Island
Highest point	Kawaikini
Max elevation	5,243 ft (1,598 m)
Demographics
Population	65,689 (as of 2008[1])
Density	106/sq mi (41/km²)
Official Insignia
Flower	Mokihana (Melicope anisata)[2]
Color	Poni (purple)

Kauaʻi or Kauai^[3] ( /kə.ˈwaɪ.iː/; Hawaiian: [kɔuˈwɐʔi]), known as Tauaʻi in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km²), it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States.^[4] Known also as the "Garden Isle", Kauaʻi lies 105 miles (169 km) across the Kauaʻi Channel, northwest of Oʻahu. This island is the site of Waimea Canyon State Park.

The United States Census Bureau defines Kauaʻi as Census Tracts 401 through 409 of Kauaʻi County, Hawaiʻi, which is all of the county except for the islands of Kaʻula, Lehua, and Niʻihau. The 2000 census population of Kauaʻi (the island) was 58,303.^[5]

Etymology and language[link]

Native Hawaiian tradition indicates the name's origin in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa — the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates how he named the island of Kauaʻi after a favorite son; therefore a possible translation of Kauaʻi is "place around the neck", meaning how a father would carry a favorite child. Another possible translation is "food season."^[6]

Kauaʻi was known for its distinct dialect of the Hawaiian language that is still spoken on the neighboring island of Niʻihau. Whereas the standard language today is based on the dialect of Hawaiʻi island, which has the sound [k] at the beginning of words, the Kauaʻi dialect was known for pronouncing this as [t]. In effect, Kauaʻi dialect retained the old pan-Polynesian /t/, while 'standard' Hawaiʻi dialect has innovated and changed it to the [k]. Therefore, the native name for Kauaʻi was Tauaʻi, and the major settlement of Kapaʻa would have been called Tapaʻa.

Geography[link]

Kauaʻi's origins are volcanic, the island having been formed by the passage of the Pacific plate over the Hawaii hotspot. At approximately six million years old, it is the oldest of the main islands. The highest peak on this mountainous island is Kawaikini at 5,243 feet (1,598 m).^[7] The second highest peak is Mount Waiʻaleʻale near the center of the island, 5,148 feet (1,569 m) above sea level. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual average rainfall of 460 inches (1,200 cm), is located on the east side of Mount Waiʻaleʻale. The high annual rainfall has eroded deep valleys in the central mountains, carving out canyons with many scenic waterfalls. On the west side of the island, Waimea town is located at the mouth of the Waimea River, whose flow formed Waimea Canyon, one of the world's most scenic canyons, and which is part of Waimea Canyon State Park. At 3,000 feet (914 m) deep, Waimea Canyon is often referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Kokeo Point lies on the south side of the island. The Na Pali Coast is a center for recreation in a wild setting, including kayaking past the beaches, or hiking on the trail along the coastal cliffs. ^[8]

History[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In 1778, captain James Cook arrived at Waimea Bay, the first European known to have reached the Hawaiian islands, which he named after his patron the Earl of Sandwich.

During the reign of King Kamehameha, the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau were the last Hawaiian Islands to join his Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Their ruler, Kaumualiʻi, resisted Kamehameha for years. King Kamehameha twice prepared a huge armada of ships and canoes to take the islands by force, and twice failed; once due to a storm, and once due to an epidemic. In the face of the threat of a further invasion, however, Kaumualiʻi decided to join the kingdom without bloodshed, and became Kamehameha's vassal in 1810, ceding the island to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi upon his death in 1824.

In 1815-17, Kaumualiʻi led secret negotiations with representatives of the Russian-American Company in an attempt to gain Russia's military support against Kamehameha; however, the negotiations folded and the Russians were forced to abandon all of their presence in Kauaʻi, including Fort Elizabeth, after it was revealed that they did not have the support of Tsar Alexander I.

In 1835 Old Koloa Town opened a sugar mill. Missionaries also came in the 19th century.

Economy[link]

The commercial area in Port Allen

Tourism is Kauaʻi's largest industry. In 2007, 1,271,000 visitors came to Kauaʻi. The two largest groups were from the United States (84% of all visitors) and Japan (3%).^[9] As of 2003, there were a total of approximately 27,000 jobs on Kauaʻi, of which the largest sector was accommodation/food services (26%, 6,800 jobs) followed by government (15%) and retail (14.5%), with agriculture accounting for just 2.9% (780 jobs) and educational services providing just 0.7% (183 jobs).^[10] In terms of income, the various sectors that constitute the visitors industry accounted for one third of Kauai's income.^[10] On the other hand, employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all nonfarm businesses having fewer than 20 employees.^[10] As of 2003, Kauaʻi's unemployment rate was 3.9%, compared to 3.0% for the entire state and 5.7% for the United States as a whole; and, Kauaʻi's poverty rate was 10.5%, compared to the State's 10.7%.^[10]

As of mid-2004, the median price of a single-family home was $528,000, a 40% increase over 2003. As of 2003, Kauaʻi's percentage of home ownership, 48%, was significantly lower than the State's 64%, and vacation homes were a far larger part of the housing stock than the State-wide percentage (Kauaʻi 15%, State 5%).^[10]

Agriculture[link]

In the past, sugar plantations were Kauaʻi's most important industry. In 1835 the first sugar plantation was founded on Kauaʻi and for the next century the industry would dominate the economy of Hawaii.^[11] The minimum wage law (Federal Labor Standards Act) and protection of the rights of workers to unionize led to the closure of most of the sugar plantations.^{[citation needed]} Most of that land is now used for ranching.^[9] Kauaʻi's sole remaining sugar operation, the 118-year-old Gay & Robinson Plantation plans to transform itself into a manufacturer of sugar-cane ethanol.^[9]

Land in Kauaʻi is very fertile and is home to many varieties of fruit and other crops. Guava, coffee, sugarcane, mango, banana, papaya, avocado, star fruit, kava and pineapple are all cultivated.

Island facts[link]

Hawaii Standard Time is observed on Kaua'i year-round. During DST, for example, the time on Kaua'i is three hours behind the West Coast of the United States and six hours behind the East Coast.^[12]

The city of Līhuʻe, on the island's southeast coast, is the seat of Kauaʻi County and the second largest city on the island. Kapaʻa, on the "Coconut Coast" (site of an old coconut plantation) about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Līhuʻe, has a population of nearly 10,000, or about 50% greater than Līhuʻe. Waimea, once the capital of Kauaʻi on the island's southwest side, was the first place in Hawaiʻi visited by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1778.

Kauaʻi is home to thousands of wild chickens, who have few natural predators. Kauaʻi's chickens originated from the original Polynesian settlers, who brought them as a food source. They have since bred with European chickens that have gotten free from farms and cock-fighting breeders.

Kauaʻi is home to the U.S. Navy's "Barking Sands" Pacific Missile Range Facility, on the sunny and dry western shore.

HF ("shortwave") radio station WWVH, sister station to WWV and WWVB in Ft. Collins, Colorado, is located on the west coast of Kauai about 5 km south of Barking Sands. WWVH, WWV and WWVB are operated by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, broadcasting standard time and frequency information to the public.

The Kauaʻi Heritage Center of Hawaiian Culture and the Arts was founded in 1998. Their mission is to nurture a greater sense of appreciation and respect for the Hawaiian culture. They offer classes in Hawaiian language, hula, lei and cordage making, the lunar calendar and chanting. Plus trips to cultural sites.

A view of the Hanalei Valley in Northern Kauaʻi. The Hanalei River runs through the valley and 60% of Hawaii's taro is grown in its fields.

A view of the Nā Pali coastline from the ocean. It is part of the Nā Pali Coast State Park which encompasses 6,175 acres (20 km²) of land and is located on the northwest side of Kauaʻi.

A view of the Kalalau Valley on Kauaʻi's Na Pali Coast from the Kalalau Lookout.

Important towns and cities[link]

Hanalei Town with a view of Mt. Na Molokama, and Māmalahoa.

Cities and towns on Kauaʻi range in population from the roughly 9,500 people in Kapaʻa to tiny hamlets. The list below lists the larger or more notable of those from the northernmost end of Hawaii Route 560 to the western terminus of Hawaii Route 50

• Hāʻena
• Wainiha
• Hanalei
• Princeville
• Kalihiwai
• Kilauea
• Anahola
• Kapaʻa
• Wailua
• Hanamāʻulu
• Līhuʻe
• Poʻipū
• Kōloa
• Lāwaʻi
• Kalāheo
• ʻEleʻele
• Hanapēpe
• Kaumakani
• Waimea
• Kekaha

Transportation[link]

Air[link]

Located on the eastern end of the island, Lihue Airport is the aviation gateway to Kauaʻi. Lihuʻe Airport has direct routes to Honolulu, Kahului/Maui, the United States mainland and Vancouver, Canada.

Highways[link]

Several state highways serve Kauaʻi County:

• Hawaii Route 50, also known as Kaumualiʻi Highway, is a thirty-three mile road that stretches from Hawaii Route 56 at the junction of Rice Street in Lihuʻe to a point approximately 1/5 mile north of the northernmost entrance of the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the far western shore.
• Hawaii Route 58 stretches two miles (3 km) from Route 50 in Lihuʻe to the junction of Wapaa Road with Hawaii 51 near Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauaʻi.
• Hawaii Route 56, also known as Kuhio Highway, runs twenty-eight miles from Hawaii Route 50 at the junction of Rice Street in Lihuʻe to the junction of Hawaii Route 560 in Princeville.
• Hawaii Route 560 passes ten miles (16 km) from the junction of Route 56 in Princeville and dead ends at Keʻe Beach in Haena State Park.

Other major highways that link other parts of the Island to the main highways of Kauaʻi are:

• Hawaii Route 55 covers 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from the junction of Route 50 in Kekaha to meet with Hawaii Route 550 south of Kokeʻe State Park in the Waimea Canyon.
• Hawaii Route 550 spans 15 miles (24 km) from Route 50 in Waimea to Kōkeʻe State Park.
• Hawaii Route 540 goes four miles (6 km) from Route 50 in Kalaheo to Route 50 in Eleʻele. The road is mainly an access to residential areas and Kauaʻi Coffee.
• Hawaii Route 530, also called Kōloa Road, stretches 3.4 miles (5.5 km) from Route 50 between Kalaheo and Lawai to Route 520 in Koloa. The road is mainly an alternative to Route 520 for travel from the west side to Poʻipū.
• Hawaii Route 520 runs five miles (8 km) from the "Tunnel of Trees" at Route 50 to Poʻipū on the south shore.
• Hawaii Route 570 covers one mile (1.6 km) from Route 56 in Lihuʻe to Lihuʻe Airport.
• Hawaii Route 580 spans five miles (8 km) from Route 56 in Wailua to where the road is no longer serviced just south of the Wailua Reservoir.
• Hawaii Route 581 passes five miles (8 km) from Route 580 in the Wailua Homesteads to a roundabout just west of Kapaʻa Town.
• Hawaii Route 583, also known as Maalo Road, stretches 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from Route 56 just north of Lihuʻe to dead-end at Wailua Falls Overlook in the interior.

Hawaii Scenic Byway[link]

• Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway, this state designated scenic byway runs over 19 miles and connects many of Kauai's most historical and cultural sights such as the Maluhia Road (Tree Tunnel), Puhi (Spouting Horn), The National Tropical Botanical Gardens, and the Salt Beds.

Mass transit[link]

The Kaua'i Bus is the public transportation service of the County of Kauaʻi. It is operated by Roberts Hawaii.

Places of interest[link]

The Spouting Horn: located on the southern coast of Kauaʻi

• Alakai Wilderness Area
• Allerton Garden
• Bell stone
• Camp Naue YMCA
• Fern Grotto
• Hanalei Bay
• Honopo arch
• Iraivan temple
• Keʻe Beach
• Kokeʻe State Park
• Limahuli Garden and Preserve
• Makauwahi Cave Reserve
• Makeleha Mountains
• McBryde Garden
• Moir Gardens
• Moloaa Bay
• Na 'Aina Kai Botanical Gardens
• Nā Pali Coast State Park
• Na'Pali-Kona Forest Reserve
• Pao'a Point
• Poi'pu Beach State Park
• Polihale State Park
• Princeville North Shore
• 'Opaeka'a Falls
• Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain)
• Spouting Horn
• Wailua River
• Waimea Canyon

In films[link]

The island of Kauaʻi has been featured in more than seventy Hollywood movies and television shows, including the musical South Pacific and Disney's 2002 animated feature film and television series Lilo & Stitch, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, Stitch! The Movie, and Lilo & Stitch: The Series. Scenes from South Pacific were filmed in the vicinity of Hanalei. Waimea Canyon was used in the filming of the 1993 film Jurassic Park. Parts of the island were also used for the opening scenes of Indiana Jones' Raiders of the Lost Ark. Other movies filmed here include Six Days Seven Nights, the 2005 remake of King Kong and John Ford's 1963 film Donovan's Reef. Recent films include Tropic Thunder and a biopic of Bethany Hamilton entitled Soul Surfer. A scene in the opening credits of popular TV show M*A*S*H was filmed in Kauai (helicopter flying over mountain top). Some scenes from Just Go with It and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides were also filmed in Kauai.

Parts of the 2002 film Dragonfly were filmed there (although the people and the land were presented as South American) and the producers hired extras (at least three with speaking parts) from the ancient Hawaiʻian native population, which seeks to preserve its cultural heritage,^[13] including the pre-USA name of these two islands, Atooi or Tauaʻi.^[14][15]

Major parts of the 1966 Elvis Presley film Paradise, Hawaiian Style were filmed at various locations on Kauai. One of the most famous was the Coco Palms resort. During Hurricane Iniki, the Coco Palms was decimated and never rebuilt, but the film showcases the resort at its peak.

The Descendants, a film by Alexander Payne released in November 2011 and featuring George Clooney as lead actor, has major parts shot in Kauai, where the main character and his cousins own ancestral lands which they are considering selling. The film is based on the 2007 novel by the Hawaiian writer Kaui Hart Hemmings.

See also[link]

• Hurricane Iniki
• Kauai cave wolf spider
• List of beaches in Kauai
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii#Kauai
• Tourism on Kauaʻi
• Hawaii Scenic Byways

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Edward Joesting. Kauaʻi, the Separate Kingdom. University of Hawaiʻi Press and Kauaʻi Museum Association. Honolulu. 1984. ISBN 0-8248-1162-3
• Cook, Chris (October 1996). The Kaua’i Movie Book. Landscape photography by David Boynton. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing. ISBN 1-56647-141-9. 

External links[link]

Find more about Kauai on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Kauai Tourism links at the Open Directory Project
• Kauai Business and Economy links at the Open Directory Project
• Kauaʻi Chamber of Commerce
• Hawaii Scenic Byways

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Coordinates: 22°05′N 159°30′W / 22.083°N 159.5°W / 22.083; -159.5

Alana Blanchard
Personal information
Born	Alana Rene Blanchard (1990-03-05) March 5, 1990 (age 22) Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Residence	Kauai, Hawaii
Website	AlanaBlanchard.com

Alana Rene Blanchard (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional surfer. At 22 years of age, Blanchard has gained fame as "one of the best female surfers."^[1] Alana surfs on the ASP World Tour.^[2] Alana is involved in designing Rip Curl bikinis.^[3] She is best friends with fellow surfer Bethany Hamilton, and was present when Hamilton suffered the shark attack that cost her an arm.^[4][5] She is played by actress Lorraine Nicholson in the 2011 film Soul Surfer.

Accomplishments[link]

2007 Accomplishments:

• 1st place – Women’s Pipeline Championships, Hawaii^[6]
• Quartersfinals – Rip Curl Girls Festival, Spain
• 1st place – Rip Curl Girls Festival Jr. Pro, Spain^[6]
• 1st place – Roxy Pro Trials, Haleiwa, Hawaii^[6]
• 1st Place – Billabong Pro, Pre Trials, Hookipa, Maui^[6]
• 1st Place – Volcom Pufferfish Surf Series, Pinetrees, Kauai^[6]
• 3rd place – HASA State Championships, Alamoana Bowls,Hawaii
• 4th place – NSSA Nationals, Trestles, California

Past Accomplishments:

• 2006 International Rip Curl Gromsearch Championships
• 2005 T&C Women’s Pipeline Championships. – 1st Place
• 2005 HASA State Championships. – 1st Place
• 2005 NSSA Regionals – 1st Place Explorer Women, 1st Place Explorer Girls & 3rd Place Open Women
• 2005 NSSA Nationals – 2nd Place Explorer Girls, 3rd place Open Women & 4th Place Explorer Women
• 2005 Rip Curl Grom Search Nationals – 1st Place
• 2005 Oneill World Cup of Surfing – 3rd Place/Users/
• 2005 Triple Crown Rookie Of The Year

References[link]

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Frank Shamrock
Born	Frank Alisio Juarez, III (1972-12-08) December 8, 1972 (age 39) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other names	The Legend
Residence	San Jose, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Division	Middleweight (2006–2009) Light Heavyweight
Reach	72.0 in (183 cm)
Style	Catch wrestling, Kickboxing, Submission Fighting
Stance	Orthodox
Team	Lion's Den (1994–1998) The Alliance (1998–2010)[1]
Teacher(s)	Ken Shamrock, Maurice Smith, Javier Mendez
Rank	Retired
Years active	1994–2010
Kickboxing record
Total	1
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Losses	0
Mixed martial arts record
Total	35
Wins	23
By knockout	6
By submission	10
By decision	5
By disqualification	2
Losses	10
By knockout	4
By submission	2
By decision	3
By disqualification	1
Draws	2
Other information
Notable relatives	Ken Shamrock, adopted brother
Website	http://www.frankshamrock.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: March 13, 2011 (2011-03-13)

Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez, III; December 8, 1972) is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion. Shamrock was the #1 ranked pound for pound fighter in the world during his reign as the UFC Middleweight Champion.^[2] Shamrock has won numerous titles in other martial arts organizations, including the interim King of Pancrase title, the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.

He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 1990s by the Wrestling Observer, "Best Full Contact Fighter" by Black Belt magazine (1998), and three time "Fighter of the Year" by Full Contact Fighter Magazine. He is a 7th degree black belt in submission fighting, awarded by O-Sensei Philip S. Porter of the United States Martial Arts Association.^[3] He is the adopted brother of former UFC champion Ken Shamrock. He holds notable wins over Bas Rutten, Tito Ortiz, Jeremy Horn, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Kevin Jackson and Phil Baroni. He is also the only man to defeat Cesar Gracie. He holds the Guinness World Records for Fastest UFC Title Fight Victory by Submission in 16 seconds over Kevin Jackson at UFC Japan in Yokohama Japan. An author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and social activist, he is a color commentator for Showtime Networks and a brand spokesman for Strikeforce.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

From the age of 12, Frank Juarez was placed in various foster homes, group homes, and crisis centers. He also had a few run-ins with law enforcement. Eventually he went to live with Bob Shamrock, who had taken in hundreds of troubled boys (including Frank's older foster-brother Ken). Juarez went to live with Shamrock at his home in Susanville, California, and was officially adopted by Shamrock at the age of 21.

Pancrase[link]

In 1994, Ken began to train Frank in submission fighting. Frank accompanied his brother to bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and grew to love the sport. He became a member of Ken's training school, the Lion's Den, and made his mixed martial arts debut in the Pancrase organization in Japan.

Shamrock debuted as a fighter in Pancrase on December 16, 1994 in one of the biggest events in mixed martial arts history to date, the King of Pancrase Tournament. He was a large underdog against top Pancrase fighter Bas Rutten but went on to defeat Rutten in a close decision victory. Shamrock faced off against expert grappler and eventual tournament finalist Manabu Yamada later that night, but was defeated via submission at 8:38 of round 1.

In 1995, Shamrock fought 9 times, all within the Pancrase organization. He went 6–2–1 over that span, splitting fights with MMA legend and master catch wrestler Masakatsu Funaki, fighting to a draw with BJJ black belt Allan Goes (yet snapping Goes leg with a leglock in the process) and losing a close split decision in a rematch with Bas Rutten.

After an injury prevented King of Pancrase Bas Rutten from defending his title, an interim championship was created. Shamrock faced Olympic alternate wrestler and master submission grappler Minoru Suzuki on January 28, 1996 for the vacant belt in a match that drew widespread anticipation. In an epic bout, Shamrock submitted Suzuki with a kneebar at the 22:53 mark of the fight to win the King of Pancrase interim title in front of a sellout crowd in Yokohama.

Shamrock scored decision wins over Ryushu Yanagisawa and Osami Shibuya before facing off against Bas Rutten for the third time for the undisputed King of Pancrase title. Rutten won the bout via TKO due to a cut stoppage.

Shamrock then avenged his loss to Manabu Yamada in his next bout, scoring an impressive submission win over the talented grappler. Shamrock found success in Pancrase, but after his adopted brother Ken left the organization following a dispute with management, Shamrock was fired in retaliation.

Mixed martial arts[link]

On January 17, 1997, he lost to John Lober in Hawaii's Superbrawl by split decision, having dominated the fight until his lack of cardio became a factor. After his loss to Lober, Shamrock shifted the focus of his career exclusively to mixed martial arts. Shamrock then fought top ranked Japanese fighter Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in RINGS and defeated Kohsaka by decision.

Within the Lion's Den, Shamrock trained up-and-coming stars such as Jerry Bohlander, Pete Williams, and Guy Mezger. He also developed a close relationship with Maurice Smith, who trained him in kickboxing with Javier Mendez.

Shamrock then fought Enson Inoue in a bout in Vale Tudo Japan '97 that would determine who would fight Kevin Jackson for the newly created UFC Middleweight Championship. After an exciting back and forth battle, Shamrock knocked Inoue out with a knee, although the match was officially ruled as a disqualification win due to Enson's brother, Egan, running into the ring after Shamrock had knocked out Inoue. Shamrock later stated that this was the toughest fight in his career.^[4]

UFC Middleweight Champion[link]

After the win over Inoue, Shamrock joined the UFC and fought Kevin Jackson for the newly created UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship). Jackson had won the belt in a tournament at UFC 14 and was undefeated in MMA at the time, and was also the Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling for the 1992 Summer Olympics. Despite being a heavy underdog, Shamrock armbarred Jackson in just 16 seconds to win the championship.

Shamrock then made his first title defense against undefeated Extreme Fighting champion Igor Zinoviev at UFC 16. Zinoviev was a feared Russian kickboxer and sambo specialist who held wins over Mario Sperry and Enson Inoue. Shamrock shot a double leg takedown and slammed Zinoviev down so hard that it knocked him unconscious. Zinoviev suffered a broken collarbone and a fractured C-5 vertebra from the slam and had to be carried out on a stretcher.^[5] Zinoviev's fight with Shamrock forced him to retire permanently from mixed martial arts. Shamrock then defended his belt against Jeremy Horn at UFC 17, submitting him with a kneebar. In October 1998, Shamrock avenged his earlier loss to John Lober by beating him decisively in 7 minutes at UFC Brazil.

In September 1999, Shamrock defended the UFC Middleweight Championship against future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz at UFC 22. Ortiz had exploded as a star after his confrontation with Shamrock's brother Ken and his Lion's Den camp at UFC 19. The bout was hyped as a grudge, as Shamrock was a former Lion's Den member who, according to the marketing, was out for revenge against Ortiz. However, this was not necessarily the case because Shamrock had left the Lion's Den on bad terms a year and a half earlier. Despite dominating his opponents in his previous title defenses, Shamrock was considered to be an underdog in this fight; Ortiz had come off convincing wins over Shamrock's former teammates Jerry Bohlander and Guy Mezger and popular opinion was that Ortiz was too big and strong for him to deal with (Ortiz cut weight to fight and by the time he stepped into the cage he would have 25 lb (11 kg; 1.8 st) on Shamrock).^[6]

However, in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest fights in UFC history, Shamrock won after brutal elbows, punches, and hammer blows forced Ortiz to tap out at the end of round 4. Shamrock has stated that Ortiz was his toughest opponent physically due to his weight advantage and style of fighting.^[4] With this win, Shamrock solidified himself as perhaps the greatest UFC champion in history to that date, going 5–0 in title fights and finishing each fight decisively. After the win, UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz and announcer Jeff Blatnick both praised Shamrock as the greatest competitor in the history of the UFC.^[6]

Shamrock then relinquished his title and retired from the UFC. After retiring, he briefly acted as a consultant and commentator for the company. In an interview, UFC president Dana White said:^[7]

"I've talked to Frank Shamrock many times. Frank Shamrock will lead you to believe that we've never talked and we completely have hated each other forever and everything else. He's a weird guy. He's a very, very weird guy. I can't explain it. Frank is a weird guy."

Return[link]

After a brief retirement, Shamrock returned to mixed martial arts as a career. He signed a deal to fight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu standout Elvis Sinosic at K-1, the premiere kickboxing event in the world. Shamrock beat Sinosic via unanimous decision after five three-minute rounds. Later, when Sinosic faced Tito Ortiz for the UFC light-heavyweight title (formerly the middleweight title) at UFC 32, Shamrock served as guest commentator. On August 11, 2001, he took on his former student, Shannon Ritch in a kickboxing match for K-1. Just 56 seconds into the first round, Shamrock broke Ritch's arm with a roundhouse kick and thereby won the match.

Shamrock helped to train UFC veteran B.J. Penn for his early bouts with the UFC at the American Kickboxing Academy and produced his own events Bushido and ShootBox. His first MMA match since 1999 was winning the WEC light-heavyweight championship in under two minutes from Bryan Pardoe by submission in March 2003.

On March 10, 2006, at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie, the first MMA event sanctioned by the state of California, he knocked out Cesar Gracie in 21 seconds. Gracie had never fought an MMA match and was 40 years old, so the fight was considered a serious mismatch. However, Gracie is an elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor with years of training under his belt as well being the mentor of students such as the Diaz brothers, Nate and Nick.

On September 14, 2006, it was announced that Shamrock had signed a multi-million dollar contract with startup MMA organization "The World Fighter" and was scheduled to fight in January 2007. However, Shamrock told Sherdog that the World Fighter contract no longer applied because it was entirely contingent on the organization getting a television contract with Showtime; the cable network instead agreed to air fights for the EliteXC promotion.

On February 10, 2007, Shamrock lost his fight by disqualification to Renzo Gracie during the EliteXC event which was televised on Showtime. Shamrock delivered two knees to Gracie's head while both men were on the ground. After a five minute injury time out, Gracie was unable to continue. Referee Herb Dean disqualified Shamrock due to a foul (illegal strikes to the back of the head, and knees to the head of a grounded opponent). Dean had already warned Shamrock once earlier in the fight about striking to the back of the head—an illegal move under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

In December 2005, Shamrock opened his first school, Shamrock Martial Arts Academy in San Jose, California. Shamrock trains his students in kickboxing and submission wrestling. He also manages Team Shamrock, his own fight team. In June 2006, Shamrock was chosen as a coach for the San Jose Razorclaws of the International Fight League. Debuting against Carlos Newton's Toronto Dragons on September 23, 2006 at the Mark in Moline, Illinois, The Dragons won 3–2. The Razorclaws subsequently lost 2–3 against the Ken Shamrock coached Nevada Lions on January 19, 2007.

Strikeforce[link]

Shamrock and Phil Baroni had engaged in a war of words with YouTube videos following Shamrock's fight with Renzo Gracie. The two faced off at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni, a co-promotion between EliteXC and Strikeforce on June 22, 2007, on pay-per-view.^[8]

Shamrock went on to out-strike Baroni in the first part of this fight in the stand-up. Shamrock was deducted a point for using strikes to the back of the head while he had Baroni's back. In the second round, Shamrock took some strikes from Baroni, but he was able to regain control and drop Baroni, transition to his back and end the fight with a rear naked choke. Baroni refused to tap out and was choked unconscious. As soon as he regained his senses, he walked over to Shamrock, congratulated him and left the cage. By winning the match, Shamrock became the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, thereby making him the first person to win a title in all three major North American fight promotions: the UFC, WEC and Strikeforce.

Shamrock and Cung Le after their bout

On January 11, 2008, it was announced that Shamrock would face Cung Le in a match on March 29, 2008 for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship during the joint Strike force-Elite XC event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Le arguably controlled the fight, at times out-striking the more MMA-experienced Shamrock. At one point in the later stages of round 3 Shamrock appeared to have Le hurt but was unable to finish him with a barrage of punches against the cage. Le recovered and responded in the closing seconds of the round with more kicks and a spinning back fist. Shamrock was unable to answer the bell to begin round 4 due to a broken arm caused by one of Le's kicks and the fight was ruled a TKO as a result of corner stoppage. Shamrock indicated post-fight that these kicks had broken his right arm.

Shamrock publicly stated that he would like to face Ken Shamrock in the first quarter of 2009, until stating in an interview "there's no point in fighting Ken, he's finished, why beat on an old man?" causing the likelihood of this fight to now be very slim.^[9] Afterwards, he said that he would like to fight Tito Ortiz and then Cung Le and then "do some boxing stuff."^[10]

On April 11, 2009, Shamrock was defeated by Nick Diaz by technical knock out.

Retirement[link]

Shamrock announced his retirement from fighting on June 26, 2010 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum.^[11]

Personal life[link]

Shamrock and his wife, Amy, reside in San Jose. The couple had a daughter named Nicolette on April 24, 2008.^[12] Shamrock also has a son, Frankie from a previous marriage.^[13] Shamrock runs a franchise of schools, a merchandising company, Frank Shamrock, Inc. (a personal asset management company), MMA Entertainment, and Mixed Martial Arts For Law Enforcement (a law enforcement training business).^[14]

Shamrock also wrote the Wiley book "Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies". In 1998, Shamrock had a falling out with his brother Ken and his father Bob; they would not communicate again until Bob became terminally ill years later. In separate interviews aired Jan. 18, 2007 by Sherdog.com's Beatdown radio show, both Frank and Ken said they remain estranged—Frank claimed Ken has spurned all attempts at reconciliation; Ken accused Frank of treating their adoptive father badly.^[15]

In an interview with Sam Caplan of sportsline.com, Shamrock revealed he felt concerned with Ken's training methods, and when he confronted Ken, he was told "You don't have what it takes, you're not going to be a world champion and I want you to run my gyms for the rest of your life." This spurred him on to leave which led to the estrangement of both Ken and Bob (who took Ken's side in the disagreement). He also stated that he would be happy to fight against Ken, should the opportunity arise.^[16] Ken feels the same way, stating on Sherdog radio network that Shamrock vs. Shamrock is a distinct possibility, stating that he taught Frank everything he knows and that it is wrong to proclaim yourself "The Legend", a moniker Frank has been using since his return at WEC 6.

On January 14, 2010, Frank and Ken Shamrock's adoptive father Bob Shamrock, died due to health complications from diabetes.^[17] Shamrock is a commentator and fighter on the EA Sports MMA video game which was released in 2010.^[18] On November 18, 2010, Shamrock appeared as a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.^[19]

Shamrock is featured in the feature-length documentary on the sport of mixed martial arts titled Fight Life, released in 2011. The film is directed by independent filmmaker James Z. Feng and produced by RiLL Films.^[20] After his retirement, Shamrock landed a guest role on Walker, Texas Ranger and the main role in a Burger King commercial. He was also featured as Damien in the 2005 movie No Rules.^[21] Also was uncredited in an episode of Oz.

In October 2012, Shamrock will be releasing his autobiography "Uncaged: My Life as a Champion MMA Fighter."

Championships and accomplishments[link]

[edit] Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time, First, Then named Middleweight Championship)
  • Four successful title defenses
• Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling
  • Interim King of Pancrase (One time)
• World Extreme Cagefighting
  • WEC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time, First)
• Contenders
  • Contenders Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Middleweight Championship (One time, First)
• Black Belt Magazine
  • 1998 Full-Contact Fighter of the Year ^[22]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 1998 Most Outstanding Fighter
  • 1999 Most Outstanding Fighter
  • 1999 Fight of the Year - vs. Tito Ortiz on September 24, 1999
• Other
  • Former WKC Submission Champion

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Kickboxing record[link]

Frank Shamrock kickboxing record
1 wins (1 (T)KO's) Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record 2001-08-11 Win Shannon Ritch K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, United States TKO (Injury) 1 0:53 1-0 Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Frank Shamrock Martial Arts Academy
• Professional MMA record for Frank Shamrock from Sherdog
• Frank Shamrock on Twitter
• Frank Shamrock on Facebook
• Frank Shamrock at the Internet Movie Database
• Five Ounces of Pain: Interview with Frank Shamrock
• Frank's Interview with John Kline of Elevation Radio