SECTION: NORTH OF TAMPA; Pg. 1
LENGTH: 644 words
HEADLINE: 'Ultimate' fight
BYLINE: AMBER MOBLEY
BODY:
LUTZ - Karate?
Sure.
Tae kwon do?
Why not?
But mixed martial arts - a genre that's best known for bloody, often brutal Ultimate Fighting Championships where almost anything goes?
Ehhh, not so much, especially not for a 6-year-old.
But it's what A.J. Lopez loves to do - the punches, kicks, take-downs and submission holds of mixed martial arts that blend kickboxing, karate and a variety of other disciplines.
"There are some people who think we're terrible to let him do this," said his mother, Adele Lopez. "But this is what he likes to do and this is what he's good at, so we support him."
And mixed martial arts is the only thing A.J. likes to do. He doesn't like baseball, football or basketball.
"This is it," he said with a smile.
Today, the Lopez family - Mom, Dad, Anthony, and sister Shelby, 15 - are all in New Jersey cheering on A.J. as he competes in one of the nation's largest mixed martial arts tournaments, the Tiger Schulmann's Challenge of Champions, with more than 1,500 competitors.
Standing a mere 47 inches tall, weighing in at 47 pounds and constantly smiling, A.J. might be the last kid one would consider an "ultimate fighter."
But he trains like one, spending on average six to eight hours a week for the past year at Tiger Schulmann's Karate in Carrollwood.
A.J., who lives in Lutz's Crystal Lake neighborhood, is the only child from his dojo going to the competition, and he's usually the smallest and youngest kid on the mat at practice.
And the only one with a mohawk.
"A lot of people didn't know he did this until he cut his hair," said Adele Lopez. "(The kicking and hitting) is when he's here. When he's out of here, it's different. That's not the way he is."
The second-grader's low-cut mohawk makes him a standout at Claywell Elementary School but often draws concern from other parents, his mother said.
"A lot of the mothers will say, 'Why did you let him do that?' and I'll say I didn't let him do anything. His dad did it to him."
Dad Anthony Lopez just snickers.
Adele Lopez jokes that Anthony Lopez is living vicariously through A.J.
Trained in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate, Anthony Lopez grapples with A.J. all over the house. Any room and any surface is fair game. Mom sometimes joins in too.
When A.J. is at Tiger Schulmann's, though, his parents go from participants to spectators. With their dental lab business nearby, it's easy for one or both to stay during his nearly daily practices.
As A.J. smiles between kicks and punches, he often glances over to dad for an approving nod or two. It's a look that asks, "Was that okay, Daddy?"
Even though A.J. looks to his dad for support, he idolizes 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, and nicknamed himself "The Icekid."
But unlike the Iceman, the Icekid will suit up in protective headgear, shin guards and boots for his tournament, where several "ultimate fighting" techniques are illegal, such as body slamming and standing position kicks to an opponent's head, neck or face.
A.J. said he's ready for whatever comes his way in New Jersey.
He's not scared.
He's excited to compete.
But more than a trophy and accolades, the biggest prize A.J.'s looking forward to is dodgeball.
Instructor Tina Tuller promised him two hours of dodgeball play if he brings back a first-place trophy. But that's according to A.J.
"I must've been tired if I promised that," said Tuller, who has a black belt in tae kwon do.
Instructors use dodgeball during practice to help young students develop their reflexes while having fun, said instructor Rich Cifuentes.
Mom Adele Lopez simply hopes A.J. knows it's okay if he doesn't win a trophy.
"If he comes home without winning anything, I'm nervous that he'll be disappointed in himself," she said. "The mom in me just wants him to have a good experience."
Amber Mobley can be reached at (813) 269-5311 or amobley@sptimes.com.
GRAPHIC: PHOTO, MIKE PEASE, (3)
LOAD-DATE: June 4, 2006
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