Rock 'em, Sock 'em
Musician has fists of fury
By JIM BENDER, SUN MEDIA
The Manitoban is going from a world of painted nails and pyro-technic rock to one where fists of rock can paint blood on your face.
Glam rocker Robin f. Black wants to play a different tune these days by competing in Ultimate Cage Wars.
"Here's a guy with blue hair and nail polish who wants to get into a Mixed Martial Arts cage," Black said from Toronto yesterday.
"It's pretty exciting. It's a totally different world for me and an amazing challenge. You're putting yourself at risk against a professional fighter who wants to (beat) you up. It's a completely different world but you're still entertaining a crowd."
Black is coming to town as part of the Ultimate Cage Wars, to be held at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on Nov. 28.
Black was just starting to have some success in his music career -- he even played Canad Inns Stadium once -- but decided to give this new venture a go.
"I was into martial arts my whole lifetime," said Black, who grew up in Pinawa. "My two heroes were Bruce Lee and Alice Cooper."
But when school was out, he went the snakes and noose way.
"When I decided to get into music, it was girls, booze, late nights so it was hard to keep up with the martial arts," he said.
But the fists of fury kept beckoning.
"Some guys want to run with the bulls; some want to climb the highest mountain," Black said. "I just want to fight.
"I'm a real driven guy and I believe you can do anything you put your mind to. I'm just a regular guy who believes anyone can do what they dream of doing."
Now, this is no novelty act.
"People don't realize the amount to training it takes," said Black, who stands 5-foot-51/2 and weighs in at 135. "I've been training for four-six hours a day for the last two years. Anybody who knows me from my old days in Winnipeg wouldn't believe it. I get up at 6 a.m. and go for a run. I eat six meals of the healthiest food there is and I don't drink any alcohol for eight weeks leading up to a fight.
"I just want to be taken seriously. When I'm playing my music, I am strutting around and being arrogant. But this is much more serious. Mixed Martial Arts is about humility."
Black will take on a fighter from Regina in his second MMA bout after entering a Quebec ring a while ago.
"I ended up on the losing end but I think I gained some respect," said Black, who is in his 30s. "I was fearless and I fought with a lot of heart."
But ended up with two black eyes.
"I went on tour (with his band) two days after the fight with two black eyes and lost some feeling in my face," said Black, who covered up the eyes with his usual stage makeup.
Black will not completely give up on his music career as he will still play some gigs.
"But I can't make my band the focus of my life," he said. "I can always go back to playing and writing music later. But it's still a huge risk because my music career basically stops while I'm trying to become a fighter."
Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster and you can book tables through Tony Condello at 229-9173.
"An oddball like me will enter the MMA ring and people will want to see me take a beating," Black predicted. "But a lot of people will be cheering for the underdog, too. We'll put on a good show."