Cheick Kongo repertoire and trained in Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Savate and Greco-Roman Wrestling at age of 19. At age 23, he studied Pencak Silat, an Indonesian martial art, and was coached by Charles Joussot and Franck Ropers, men who brought silat to France. They taught Kongo the Pencak Silat style of Setia Hati Terate. He is also a cousin of rugby star Fulgence Ouedraogo, the French back-rower. Cheick is also a columnist for the French MMA magazine, Top Fight. On June 10, 2001, Kongo began his professional career by knocking out Doog Ward. Kongo then followed up that win with a TKO
Pencak Silat these hand and arm movements and contain only limited kicks, almost all of the linear variety. The Bugis "kekuda" is identical to the southern Chinese horse stance. Styles from southwestern Sulawesi generally come under the Makassar category ("silat Mangkasara"). Chief among them are the kuntao-influenced tiger style Karena Macang and the kick-based Manca Tonaja from southern Sulawesi, which is believed to have Minang roots. The mangrove swamps and rocky inlets along the coasts of Sulawesi served as hiding places for pirates, so silat among the Bugis and Makasar community makes use of and defends against ambush. Countering surprise attacks is