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In October, espnWs weekly essay series will focus on heroes.Even as a high school athlete, my father, Hannibal Ware, was known for his long shooting range. He and his youngest brother, James, were a fearless duo on the court. In Lexington, Kentucky, the two lanky teenagers were known as the Ware boys.In 1968, my father played collegiate hoops at the University of the Virgin Islands. When I was a kid in grade school, he loved telling me stories about those days as a young hoops star. An opponent once yelled out, Dont let the Yankee shoot! according to my father.My father could tell a story better than anyone I have ever met. And to this day, I can still see his lean brown form standing in my grandmothers living room reenacting his winning jump shot.I remember watching him stand behind the 3-point line on our neighborhood basketball court. He made so many baskets in a row, it felt like magic. He loved perfecting his basketball skills.He never made it to the pros, but he imparted his basketball knowledge to my sister, Saneda, and me. Be aggressive when going inside, he told me. Dont play with fear.In high school, I wore a jersey emblazoned with his number -- 14. Maybe, I thought, it would bring me luck. Or maybe I was just proud to wear the same number as a superstar. I was a pretty good player. Like him, I had a consistent jump shot of my own and was one of the star players on the Bryan Station Middle Schools Bearcats. I am very proud that both my father and I were part of teams that won championships for Bryan Station.Even though I chose not to continue my basketball career after middle school, I still feel proud knowing that I shared such an important interest with him. Basketball will always remind me of the special moments that connected us.But in my second year of college, I received a terrible shock. My father was diagnosed with throat cancer. What started off as a tiny bump on his neck gradually grew into a large tumor.My father was stubborn and unwilling to go for a checkup. My grandmother, sister and I watched as he slowly deteriorated. He began to forget little things. He was aware of his decline. I could see the fear on my fathers face at times. It was difficult watching my?hero meet his kryptonite. He spoke as if he would beat cancer, but deep down I believe he knew his fate.During the last stages of his illness, I dropped out of school. The stress of witnessing my fathers illness left me in a dark place. I remember lying to my uncle about still being enrolled at the University of Kentucky. I was too ashamed to say that I had failed.I watched my Dad -- my first love -- wither away in a nursing home. I saw the light fading from his large almond eyes and I knew that he was leaving me. He would stare off into space, listening to R&B. In his last days he seemed to find some peace listening to slow music. I can still see him breathing, gasping for air.My life will forever be changed by these events. I will always have the special moments we shared to bring me joy. His love for his children and basketball taught me compassion and commitment. Eventually, I found the strength to go back to school and graduate with a masters degree in social work.So Daddy, thank you for the wonderful moments we shared. Thank you for your kind heart and your dedication to others. Thank you for being my first love and my first encounter with a real-life superhero.Ebonie Ware is a writer based in Kentucky. She started the blog Ware Im Coming From.?Follow her on Instagram?for?inspirational nuggets.? Adidas Ultra Boosts For Sale . The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. Cheap Ultra Boost . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. http://www.cheapultraboostsaleus.com/ . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Buy Ultra Boost . Radwanska, making her debut in the Seoul tournament, hit eight aces in a match that lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium. "It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. Ultra Boost Online . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. On Saturday, history could repeat itself when Stephen Thompson (13-1) challenges Tyron Woodley (16-3) at UFC 205 for the welterweight title at New York Citys Madison Square Garden.It was more than seven years ago when a karate expert challenged and defeated a wrestler for a UFC title. At UFC 98, Lyoto Machida knocked out Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight strap, inciting UFC commentator Joe Rogan to utter the famous words, Welcome to the Lyoto Machida era.Could this be the start of the Wonderboy Era?The parallels between the two fights and styles used are no doubt, well, striking. And the outcome is something Thompson hopes to mimic as well.His rise to No. 1 contender status in the welterweight division is a vindication of sorts for karate. The long-standing perception that karate is impractical for MMA started to turn when Machida rose to prominence. Indeed, many past champions in recent years such as George St Pierre, Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson all boast deep karate backgrounds that served as the foundation for their striking, footwork and agility.You see all of those champions, you know they all learned outside the Octagon -- their persistence and discipline to be a champion -- they learned that from karate, Machida says.But considering the widespread popularity of karate around the world and especially in the United States, how did that perception ever begin?The myth of karate in MMAAccording to Machida, traditional karate -- the kind he and his family practice at Machida Karate Academy in Los Angeles -- utilizes many more elbow and knee strikes.Karate, however, had taken on a more sport approach during the developmental days of mixed martial arts, with points tournaments where elbow and knee strikes are frowned upon, as they simply cause too much damage. Traditional karate as a combat sport had gotten, as Thompson says, watered down.Because of this, MMA fighters saw little value in a style that seemed largely for show.You got a lot of schools opening up that stressed doing things that would score points and maybe not as practical for a street situation, Thompson says.So in the early UFC, everyone looked down on it. People would say, those angles and spinning kicks wont work in mixed martial arts, Thompson added. But Machida was the one who really brought it back.Thompsons dad and trainer, Ray, agreed.I think the perception of karate, until the Machida era, was karate doesnt work. Early UFCs karate guys got crushed because they couldnt grapple, says Ray, a former karate and kickboxing pro. Theyd try their kicks and punches and just get taken down. They just got beat up. They had no idea what to do on the ground.The integration of karate into todays MMA offers it a rebirth in the sport. As MMA evolves, the precision and fluidity of a fighters integration of combat disciplines can be the difference between a good fighter and a great fighter.Machida says karate can be very effective in honing a fighters timing and use of distance. Where Machida is a masterful counterstriker with impeccable timing, especially against charging opponents, Thompson is one of the best at using his length -- particularly in his legs.Youre seeing it more and more in MMA, in the movements and stances. Thats my goal, to bring karate back and to help it grow in the UFC, Machida said. But its not an easy technique to learn. It takes a long time to build up the muscles in the front leg and the balance on the back foot. Its not something you can learn in a couple of months.Watch Thompson when hes in his traditional southpaw, or side-out stance. He actually uses his leg as a longer jab. While hes listed at having a 75-inch reach, jabbing with kicks gives him a distinct advantage as he tries to keep the 5-foot-9 Woodley at bay.ddddddddddddAccording to FightMetric, Thompsons 4.7 strikes per minute (SLpM) ranks sixth-highest among UFC welterweights.Wonderboy is a unique guy. His timing is so good -- that is very hard to teach, Machida says.This side-out approach allows Thompson to keep his hands down and come from multiple angles with both his legs and fists, in combinations, hook and head kicks. The position of his hands does leave his head exposed, but thats actually what Thompson wants.You blade that body and [it] gives a smaller target for your opponent, Thompson said. I have my hands down, so you gotta get past my arm to get to my body. You turn straight on doing the Muay Thai, those kicks are straight on and always there [on the body], so thats a lot of wear and tear on you. I think our careers will last longer not taking the abuse, especially the head. That goes for training as well.But that head also serves as a kind of bait for aggressive strikers. As they come in, Thompsons footwork allows him to pivot and counterstrike effectively, and while the front leg seems exposed and ripe for a single-leg takedown, Thompsons improved takedown defense and quick feet allow him to either sidestep or readjust and sprawl.Yeah, Ill leave my head out there just to get guys to throw at it, and youll take one on the nose every now and then, Thompson says. But my feints and head movement are key to making that effective.Thompson has effectively worked karate into an approach that also includes a ground game that has significantly improved since he entered the UFC in 2009. Hes earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a first-degree black belt in Tetsu Shin Ryu Ju-Jitsu (Japanese ju-jitsu), but hes probably most proud of how much his wrestling has improved. Thats probably the biggest thing thats different in me since my only UFC loss (to Matt Brown in 2009), Thompson said.Of course, it also helps when former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, a two-time All-American wrestler, is your brother-in-law.Training with the bestThompsons trained with Weidman for several years, but hes been training with his dad Ray since he was 3. Ray Thompson was a champion kickboxer and runs Upstate Karate in their native South Carolina. Thompson also served as the punching bag to older brother Tony and his sister Lindsay, both accomplished martial artists in their own right, but dads influence is unmatched.I remember taking Stephen to UFC 2 or 3 and he was just hooked after that, Ray says.Thompson first toyed with the notion of entering mixed martial arts after working out at Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada -- the home and training center of Firas Zahabi and Georges St Pierre.Its a career that has suited him well. With such an esteemed pedigree, and riding a seven-fight win streak, Thompson, 33, seems ready for prime time. With that goal in mind, what better place than New York City, where MMA makes its long-awaited debut, for Thompson to put himself on the map.Weidman trains with Matt Serra and Ray Longo on Long Island, and all of them have been major proponents and activists in getting MMA legalized in New York State. Thompson also sees this fight as an opportunity to show his appreciation for all that Weidman has done.I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for my family and my team and Chris, so Im doing this for all of them --and [for] the sport, Thompson says. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '