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Graciela Casillas

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Graciela Casillas
Born1957 (age 66–67)
Oxnard, California, United States
Other namesThe Goddess
NationalityUnited States American
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight53 kg (117 lb; 8.3 st)
DivisionBantamweight
StyleAmerican Kenpo Karate, Cabales Serrada Eskrima, Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, Kodenkan Jujitsu, Shen Chun Do, Taekwondo
Fighting out ofSanta Monica, California, United States
TeamOlympic Gym
TrainerJimmy Montoya
Rank  3rd degree black belt in American Kenpo
  3rd degree black belt in Kodenkan Jujitsu
  10th degree black belt in Shen Chun Do
Years active1976-1986
Professional boxing record
Total6
Wins5
By knockout2
Losses0
Draws1
Kickboxing record
Total32
Wins31
By knockout18
Losses0
Draws1

Graciela Casillas (born 1957) is an American former boxer and kickboxer who competed in the bantamweight division. After training in several traditional martial arts, Casillas began competing as a kickboxer in 1976, and in 1979 she became the first fighter to hold world titles in both boxing and kickboxing by taking the World Women's Boxing Association's and the World Kickboxing Association's bantamweight championships. Although Casillas' Boxrec record is 5-0, Black Belt Magazine reported in May 1984 that she had 27 boxing matches, winning 15 by KO up to that point.

Noted for her punching power and also as one of the first American fighters to incorporate low kicks into their arsenal, Casillas retired undefeated in 1986. She is considered a pioneer of women's combat sports.[1]

Early life

Casillas was born as one of eleven children to Mexican parents in Oxnard, California.[2] She took up taekwondo at the age of fifteen when the church she attended began offering self-defence classes. After the classes were discontinued, she began training in hwa rang do and then American Kenpo karate. It was at her karate school where she was introduced to kickboxing.[3][4]

Career

After going 6-0 with all of her wins by knockout as an amateur, Casillas turned professional in 1977. On June 13, 1979, after winning her first eight professional full contact karate fights, she defeated Karen Bennett by unanimous decision at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California to win the WWBA World Bantamweight (-53.525 kg/118 lb) Championship in what was her professional boxing debut.[2]

Later that year, on December 23, she beat Irene Garcia to take the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) title in Las Vegas, Nevada. This made her the first person to hold world titles in boxing and kickboxing simultaneously.[5]

In a controversial bout in Chicago, Illinois on October 6, 1981, Casillas went the distance with Cheryl Wheeler. Initially, it was announced that Wheeler won on the judges' scorecards to take the WKA bantamweight title but it was later overturned to a win for Casillas.[2]

She retired undefeated in 1986 with a record of 31-0, 18 KOs.[6]

Personal life

Casillas has spent the years following her retirement from competition developing her own eclectic martial art of Shen Chun Do, "the way of the warrior spirit".

Originally a student of taekwondo and full-contact karate she earned a 3rd degree black belt in Kenpo as well as Kodenkan Jujitsu. Casillas trained under Grandmaster Angel Cabales and became the first woman instructor for Cabales Serrada Eskrima. She later studied Jeet Kune Do under Sifu Dan Inosanto and Arnis under Grandmaster Bobby Taboada and her husband Sensei Ernie Boggs.[7] She has been President of the United States Sport Jujitsu Trade Association and an assistant coach to the USA Jujitsu Team. She was awarded Black Belt Magazine's and Inside Kung-Fu Magazine's "Woman of the Year" in 1989 and inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. She has been credited as the designer of the Boxing Skirt.[8]

In 1996 Casillas designed a knife known as the Ladyhawk, manufactured by Masters of Defense (MOD) as a collaboration with Microtech Knives and marketed as a self-defense knife designed for women.[9] Impetus for this design came after Casillas stabbed one of two attempted rapists, using the thug's own knife after disarming him.[10]

Casillas has appeared in the films Full Impact (1993) and Fire in the Night (1986).[11]

Championships and awards

Boxing

  • World Women's Boxing Association
    • WWBA World Bantamweight (-53.525 kg/118 lb) Championship

Kickboxing

Boxing record

Boxing record
5 wins (2 KOs), 0 losses, 1 draw
Date Result Opponent Venue Location Method Round Time Record
1986-02-25 Win United States Tanya McCloud The Forum Inglewood, California, USA Decision (unanimous) 4 2:00 5-0-1
1983-01-27 Win United States Lanay Browning Las Vegas, Nevada, USA KO 3 4-0-1
1980-09-18 Win United States Debra Wright Tucson, Arizona, USA KO 3 3-0-1
1980-06-25 Win United States Anna Pascal Silver Slipper Paradise, Nevada, USA Decision (unanimous) 6 2:00 2-0-1
1979-11-23 Draw United States Karen Bennett San Diego Coliseum San Diego, California, USA Draw 1-0-1
1979-07-13 Win United States Karen Bennett Grand Olympic Auditorium Los Angeles, California, USA Decision (unanimous) 6 2:00 1-0
Wins the WWBA World Bantamweight (-53.525 kg/118 lb) Championship.

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record
31 wins (18 KOs), 0 losses, 1 draw
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time
1981-10-06 Win United States Cheryl Wheeler Chicago, Illinois, USA Decision 7 2:00
Retains the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) Championship.
1981-04-09 Win Hong Kong Chan Lai Yin Hong Kong TKO
1981-03-10 Win United States Cookie Melendez Decision 7 2:00
Retains the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) Championship.
1980-10-18 Win United States Darlina Valdez Decision 7 2:00
Retains the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) Championship.
1980-06-16 Win Mexico Darlena Valdez Mexico Decision 7 2:00
Retains the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) Championship.
1980-03-29 Win United States Rochelle Reggsdale TKO
Retains the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) Championship.
1979-12-23 Win United States Irene Garcia Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Decision 7 2:00
Wins the WKA Women's World Bantamweight (-53.5 kg/117.9 lb) Championship.
1979-11-16 Win United States Gina Troy Decision
1978-12-29 Win United States Gina Troy TKO
1978-09-01 Draw United States Valerie Gardner Draw
1978-07-29 Win United States Linda Costineda TKO
1978-01-21 Win United States Jeanie Harris TKO
1977-06-26 Win United States Cheryl Altmore KO
1977-05-14 Win United States Ana Maria Garza TKO
1977-02-12 Win United States Joanna Mitchell TKO
1976-10-23 Win United States Crystal Lee TKO

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

References

  1. ^ "Women's Boxing World Ratings 1977-1984". WBAN. Women Boxing Archive Network. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  2. ^ a b c Black Belt. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Graciela Casillas: Pioneer of Women's Full-Contact Fighting". Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  4. ^ USA Dojo profile
  5. ^ Origins: The World Karate Association
  6. ^ Black Belt. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  7. ^ Kelly, Perry (2000). Dan Inosanto: The Man, The Teacher, The Artist, Paladin Press. ISBN 1-58160-079-8.
  8. ^ "Women of Steel". Playboy Magazine. February 1984. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  9. ^ Kertzman, Joe (August 1, 1998), "Tactical Folders for Her", Blade Magazine, 25 (8): 124–129
  10. ^ Massad Ayoob "Selling Select Self-Defense Knives". Shooting Industry. March 2001. FindArticles.com. 15 Aug. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_3_46/ai_72346103
  11. ^ "Graciella Casillas". IMDb. Retrieved 15 March 2015.

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