On Saturday night, Aug. 18, Brett Baker won his first amateur kickboxing match at the International Martial Arts Acadaemy in Mineola, in the successful culmination of months of training. Baker, a member of Great Neck South High's Class of 2000 and student at George Washington University, has had only six months of kickboxing training, and attributes his success to his trainer Warren Dreyfus, "Warren trained me as if for a pro debut instead of an amateur debut, touching all aspects of the sport." Dreyfus said in addition, "The growth we had to produce in order to feel confident was staggering. In three months, he went from a beginner lacking in mental, spiritual, and physical preparation to a confident and well prepared kickboxer, considering the limited time we had for training." Dreyfus is also a longtime Great Neck resident, and has been training in the martial arts for 16 years. In addition to his eight years of kickboxing experience, Dreyfus is a Black Belt in Shotokan karate, certified as a full instructor in Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee's martial arts system), and has studied Philippino Kali, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Kung Fu.

Baker's opponent was one Charles Stuart from Kiaiki Dojo. "We knew his name, but that was all. Our strategy was simple: get inside and let Brett's skills prevail," Dreyfus said. At 5' 6", it was almost certain that Baker would fight a taller opponent. An aggressive, close range attack would keep Stuart from using his reach to his advantage. At 6' 1", Stuart surpassed their expectations. But such height has its disadvantages at the 145-pound weight limit, as Baker clearly proved the more powerful of the two contenders. "I was hurt only once, by a roundhouse kick to the ribs, but he couldn't punch with me," Baker recalled. As the match opened, both fighters stuck to their plans, with Baker pushing forward and Stuart attempting to keep the shorter fighter away with his strong kicks. When Baker did manage to get inside and attempt to attack to the abdomen, Stuart instantly tied him up, which was initially very frustrating. At about one minute into the first round, Stuart was hit with several clean headshots that sent him reeling. Leaning on the ropes to stay up, the referee stepped in, giving Stuart a standing eight count (like a 10 count for a knockdown, but to protect a boxer who is "out on his feet"). As the fight continued Baker again went on the attack, cutting off the ring and pinning Stuart in his own corner. Several punches later, the referee stopped the fight, leaving Baker with a victory by technical knockout at 1 minute, 46 seconds of round one.

Excited by their initial success, and the payoff of "countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears," this winning team is looking forward to next summer, and perhaps another fight with a more experienced opponent.