The following is an email that was forwarded to me regarding an upcoming protest of the MMA ban in New York. Enjoy...

For Immediate Release

Contact Byron James, 516 312 6573

Committee Legalize Mixed Martial Arts New York State

FORMER MARTIAL ARTS WORLD CHAMPION AND FILM STAR WILL BRING 10,000 CHILDREN TO ALBANY TO PROTEST GOVERNOR DAVID PATTERON’S BUDGET CUTS

Lifting the Ban on Mixed Martial Arts Would be an Economic Boom for the Cash Starved State of New York

Albany,NY---Former Martial Arts World Champion and Film Star Lou Neglia is bringing 10,000 Karate Kids to protest Governor David Patterson's chop of Children’s Programs, that are going to be cut because of the 14 billion dollar deficit.

Neglia is calling on a March on Albany, next week on the day before Bruce Lee’s birthday, November 26, 2008. The group is calling for Mixed Martial Arts to be allowed in New York State to make multi-million dollar revenue to save children in need. New York State is losing hundreads of millions of dollars to other arenas according to a recent economic impact statement. Over 36 states in United States have legalized Mixed Martial arts.

A study commissioned by the Ultimate Fighting Championships and conducted by HR&AA Advisors revealed a UFC event at Madison Square Garden would generate $11.5 million in economic activity and $400,000 in tax revenue for New York City and $555,000 in tax revenue for the cash-strapped state. An event in Buffalo would generate $5.3 million in economic activities. Thirty-six states currently allow professional martial-arts matches, as well as Washington D.C. and two Native American reserves. Syracuse and Albany are among the other upstate cities that would be in contention to host the matches.

According to the report, a martial-arts event could attract thousands of visitors, bringing in $1.1 million in revenue for the Buffalo area. The report states $300,000 alone would be spent on overnight stays.

Martial-arts events in Buffalo would require about 300 staff, resulting in the creation of 57 new jobs, according to the report.

The group wants the Legislature to pass a bill that would allow the state Athletics Commission to regulate martial-arts matches. Without the regulations, the events cannot be held in New York.  Mixed martial arts events include karate, kickboxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu, a Japanese sparring method.

Lou was a film Icon in Bruce Lee Post Era of the martial arts movies staring in blockbusters like ''A Hard Way to Die, ''Fist of Fear'' and ''One Down Two to GO''.  He has been featured on several magazine covers and is known in some circles as the “Brooklyn Bruce Lee”.