|
|
| Written by Doug Jeffrey | |
|
Left to right, Dino Costeas, Andrei Arlovski, Dino Spencer and Matt Kristufek. Life on ice skates began early for Matt Kristufek, which is, as you are about to see, one of the biggest understatements in the history of mankind. "As soon as I could stand, my parents had skates on me," says Kristufek. And he didn't have far to go. He grew up in Illinois, and his parents had a rink in their backyard. His mother always loved hockey, and following the 1980 Olympic Games ("Do you believe in miracles?"/USA's upset over the USSR), she encouraged Matt's three older brothers to play. "That is when things started to get serious," says Matt, whose father played professional baseball during the 1930s in the farm systems of the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. When Matt laced up the skates as a youngster and gingerly stepped onto the rink, he took to the ice like a duck takes to water. "I loved it from the start, and I wanted to be like my brothers," he says. Like every kid who has a passion for sports, Matt played as much as possible. And like every kid who has a passion for sports, Matt had big dreams. "I wanted to play in the NHL (National Hockey League), and I still have those dreams," says Kristufek, adding that former Boston Bruin Bobby Orr is one of his favorite players. "It's just a passion I have had my whole life. I just love the game." When he turned 16, he became a member of the Helena Bighorns and played defense. The Bighorns weren't affiliated with an NHL team, but they put a quality bunch of guys on the ice. In fact, these guys were so good that they wiped NCAA teams right off the ice, he says. Locked Out And then it happened. The NHL lockout occurred. Scrambling for a place to play, the NHL players ended up in places they never envisioned. By taking the roster spots on teams such as the Vancouver Giants, that meant guys like Kristufek had nowhere to play. So, he decided to take the year off. What's a bored hockey player do when he can't lace up those skates? He and his dad, who recently turned 79, decided to get UFC 47 on PPV. Kristufek, currently a freshman studying kinesiology at the University of Chicago at Illinois, admits they didn't know anything about the event, but they thought it might be fun to watch. Within moments, it became very obvious the action was real, but that's not the only thing that got his attention. "While we were watching, one guy stood out in my mind, and it was Andrei [Arlovski]," says Kristufek. "I just remember a big Russian guy beat the crap out of some guy, and that is all I know." During the course of the broadcast, the announcers revealed that Arlovski was fighting out of Chicago. That also got Kristufek's attention. Because one of his brothers had been a member of the Harvard boxing club, Kristufek was aware of the arts. Until UFC 47, however, he admits he had not thought much about them. While Dino Costeas (rear) provides instruction, Matt Kristufek (top) rolls with UFC champ Andrei Arlovski. "When I heard that, I thought it might be something that I could look into and maybe do some training," he says. So, the next day he opened the Chicago phone book for a martial arts academy. The ad that caught his eye said they teach karate, kung-fu, krav maga, Thai boxing and this "jiu-jitsu stuff," he says. The following day, he took the big step. "It was a great workout," he says. "I took all these classes and probably did 1,000 kicks. Of course, my body was not used to that, so I got tired, but none of the guys were fighters and no one was intimidating." He hung around and later took a jiu-jitsu class, which hooked him. "In the last class, [the instructor] Dino [Costeas] turned on the music, and we rolled to Social Distortion," says Kristufek. While Kristufek, who is a big guy, handled himself on the ice with no sweat, he found that this jiu-jitsu stuff was a new ballgame. "There were guys half my size kicking my ass," he says. "That's when I realized that I have to learn this. I did not know what it was, but I was hooked." And Dino played a key role in hooking him. "I've played a lot of sports, and I know a good coach," he says. "I learned a lot from him." And that was just day No. 1. Among other things he learned, well ... "I learned to be humble and how to tap," jokes Kristufek. As each day rolled by, his skills got better and better and he fell in love more and more with this new art. "When I wasn't there, they had to hook me up to a jiu-jitsu IV," he says, laughing. And then one day that big Russian came in. "This huge guy comes in, and it's Andre," says Kristufek. "I thought, 'No, way.'" Well, yes way. Arlovski had taken some time off, but he was back. At 6 foot 3 and 240 pounds, he was definitely back. Before Kristufek could say "hockey stick," he was training with Arlovski. Because of his size, athleticism and endurance, Dino paired Arlovski and Kristufek together. "It was just amazing," says Kristufek. "Going with him improved my game so much." Training with the big man also gave Kristufek the opportunity to get to know him. The 20-year-old says Arlovski is nice, quiet, good-hearted, humble and soft-spoken. And, a little mischievous. "He [sometimes] pretends that he does not speak English," says Kristufek, laughing. "He is really nice, and his whole demeanor is not what you would expect from a guy who is the heavyweight champion." Will He Take the Leap? While training with the UFC's heavyweight champion, Kristufek says his focus is on enhancing the champ's game, and they have developed a nice bond. "We are like family," he says. "There is no competition between any of us at the school. We all want to help each other." And that means Arlovski helps Kristufek, which means Kristufek, who already has a ton of athleticism, is getting better all the time. Considering his training partner is one of the elite, has it crossed Kristufek's mind to jump into the MMA world? "Yes, it has," he says. "But it isn't something you just jump right into. Besides, I still have hockey, school and a lot of dreams. At some point, however, whether it's the big time or not, I want to hop into a cage." And the other side of the coin? Will Arlovski lace up the skates and play a little "D" for some hockey team? Well, that's not even a consideration, but if he ever did, his fighting skills would sure come in handy in the rough world of professional hockey. "If Andrei could figure out a way to get a hold of a guy, I'm sure he would figure out a way to beat the crap out of him [on the ice]," says Kristufek. "He is such a specimen. I'm sure he could learn to play any sport he wanted and succeed. He's a physical freak. I'd put my money on him." Arlovski's chosen sport happens to be MMA, and he certainly has succeeded. Big time. And for that, you can give Kristufek an assist. Until next time. |