MMA-URLS

The title of this series, "Gods of War", is inspired by the ancient Greek and Roman belief that mortals who accomplished great feats of martial skill would be deified and brought to live among the gods. This series will profile fighters that have transcended their martial art, be it grappling or striking, to become modern day Gods of War. Joining our Pantheon of modern day martial arts legends next to grappling ace Braulio Estima is the father of Kyokushin Karate, Masutatsu Oyama. A man who sought to instill toughness, focus, and power in himself as well as students, Oyama is a legend in the karate community. Karate is the most popular martial art in the world and is commonly associated with Japan, but it did not originate there. Karate actually started out as the art of Te, meaning "hand", on the Ryukyu Islands, modern day Okinawa. Known as the Ryukyu Kingdoms, these islands were a client kingdom to China and were a great center of trade and commerce. These kingdoms did a great deal of business with Chinese traders and cultural exchange began as well. The empty hand striking art of Te began to meld with Chinese martial arts to become what is called Kodate, translated as "Chinese Hand". In the late 1500s tensions arose between Japan and the Ryukyu kingdoms, and in 1609 the Shogun of Japan issued orders to the Satsuma samurai to invade Ryukyu. The Ryukyu's contacts with China were very valuable as the Chinese refused to trade directly with Japan. The Satsuma quickly overpowered the defenders and Japanese went to great lengths to conceal their invasion from the Chinese so they could profit by the trade. So the Ryukyu found themselves in the position of being subject to both the Chinese and the Japanese at the same time. In 1872 Japan officially transformed Ryukyu into a province, then in 1879 Japan annexed the islands turning them into the Okinawa Prefecture and making them officially Japanese land. At this point the Okinawans began to adapt their culture to fit Japanese culture and this included the art of Kodate. The name was changed to Karate, meaning simply "empty hand" and the students adopted the Judo gi and belt system to make the art more Japanese in appearance. Since then the art has grown by leaps and bounds and has diverged into many different styles, the most violent of them would be started by a young man from Korea. more after the jump... Masutatsu Oyama was actually born the Korean name Choi Young-Eui in southern Korea in 1923 during the thirty year Japanese occupation. His family owned a farm and Oyama worked the land as a child. He got his first martial arts experience learning a Chinese form of Kenpo from a farm hand. As war in the Pacific continued to grow, Oyama enrolled in the aviation school in 1938, with the goal of becoming a Japanese Army pilot. While living in Japan he officially changed his name to Masutatsu Oyama. One day he noticed a Karate class and decided to give it a try. He began training under Shotokan Karate founder Gichin Funakoshi and progressed very quickly, earning a 4th Dan black belt before his twenty-first birthday. Masutatsu Oyama as a young man Oyama's aviation career did not pan out and he joined the Imperial Japanese Army. He was sent to the Butokukai, a Japanese Military academy the specialized in, among other things, unarmed combat. There he began training in boxing and judo. Oyama showed a great talent for Judo and progressed quickly, in just four years achieving the rank of 4th Dan black belt. When the war ended in 1945 the Imperial Japanese Military was disbanded destroying any chance Oyama had at a military career. Oyama decided to focus on martial arts training and began training in Goju Karate under Master So Nei Chu, a fellow Korean living in Japan. Chu was the leading expert of the Goju style of the time, being the star pupil of the style's founder, Chojun Miyagi. Goju focused on both hard physical training, designed to condition the body, and soft spiritual training. This combination of hard and soft is also reflected in the techniques taught, which include the hard, linear strikes iconic to Karate but also softer defensive techniques with included joint locks and other grappling. Oyama was a troubled young man at this point in his life, still angry at Japan's defeat and the loss of many friends in the war. He routinely got into brawls with American soldiers stationed as part of the peacetime occupation. His anger at world affairs was further compounded when Korea, now no longer part of Japan, became embroiled in a bloody conflict over political ideologies. Chu saw how much turmoil his student was in and suggested a mountain retreat, where Oyama could remove himself from the troubles of the world and focus on strengthening his technique and spirit. Oyama agreed and departed for Mt. Minobu in central Japan with his karate gi, basic cooking supplies and copy of The Book of Five Rings by famed Samurai swordsman Miyamoto Mushashi with goal of training for three years in isolation. Chu sent a student with Oyama, but after six months of training with Oyama the man secretly fled in the night. Oyama himself began to doubt if he training in isolation was good idea and wrote his mentor. Chu replied by telling him to shave off an eyebrow, reasoning that that embarrassment of being seen with only one eyebrow would remove all temptation to come down off the mountain. Mas Oyama toughing his knuckles by striking a rope bound target attached to a tree trunk After fourteen months Oyama was forced to come off the mountain for lack of supplies. While falling well short of his three-year goal, the training had a pronounced affect on Oyama's technique. Shortly after coming off the mountain he won the Japanese Nation Martial Arts Championship in Karate. He then returned to solitary training, this time on Mt. Kiyosumi for 18 months. The training was intense and combined harsh physical training with periods of studying classic philosophy. When Oyama returned to civilization he was a change man, in clear control of his own life. Oyama then traveled the world demonstrating Karate, and one way he would seek to prove his skill was taking on bulls empty handed. He fought 52 bulls in total, three of which he killed and another other 48 he broke their off their horns with knife-hand blows. Mas Oyama grappling with a bull Oyama also fought countless challenge matches against human opponents. He always won, often with the first punch. Oyama believe that this decisive blow was the heart of karate and he trained to land a single, devastating strike. The fancy movements and complicated techniques were secondary in his mind to simply causing your opponent damage. He famously stated that his goal when he thew a punch was to break a rib and if it was blocked he wanted to break the arm. And when he opened his own dojo in 1953, landing decisive blows was the central idea for his new style of karate. Named Kyokushin, translated as "the search for the ultimate truth", Oyama trained his students very hard. He focused on simple, yet very effective techniques: straight punches, hard low kicks to the legs and roundhouse kicks to the upper body. The centerpiece of the style was full contact sparring with no protective gear known as Kumite. These were rough affairs that often result in injury, but students who wished to temper themselves in that fire flocked to Oyama. In the early days there were no rules in a Kumite but since then rules have been established as a sporting context developed. Gloves are not allowed and thus only punches to the body are allowed, but knees and kicks to the head are legal. True to Oyama's philosophy most Kyokushin matches do not feature only as much movement as necessary, as fighters exchange techniques until one of them is knocked down. It is a positively brutal contest that tests both fighters physical and mental strength. One of the toughest tests in the entire martial art was fighting consecutive kumites, which is required to earn a black belt. Oyama wanted to again test his mental and physical toughness, so he endured 100 rounds of kumite over a period of three days. He accomplished the "100 Man Kumite" three times in his life and has only ever been attempted by a few other brave martial artists. In 1964, Oyama created the International Karate Organization Kyokushin Kaiakan to oversee his martial art. He has sent students across the globe to spread his teachings and began hosting the World Full Contact Karate Open Championships, welcoming any style of Karate to come fight under Full Contact rules. On April 25, 1994 Oyama died of lung cancer despite never having smoked in his life. His impact on the world of karate was deep, as his style has produced accomplished fighters in Karate, Kickboxing and MMA alike. His influence continues to be felt for generations to come as students of his style continue to practice Kumite. Masuatatsu Oyama is most certainly a modern day God of War. There is almost no video of Oyama, what little there is available is here in this short Youtube video. For More on Masutatsu Oyama and Kyokushin Karate: Official Masutatsu Oyama Website Bio U.S. Kyokushin Website Fight Quest - Kyokushin Karate Human Weapon - Karate

Posted in: japanese, training, karate, art, oyama

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In case you’re among the many who don’t follow WWE’s Yoshi Tatsu on Twitter or trawl through gossip blogs at work, the jovial and underappreciated Japanese cruiserweight has found himself in the distinguished company of Anthony Weiner, Rupert Murdoch, and Chris Brown, all of whom tried to delete scandalous tweets that wouldn’t stay deleted. In a series of carefully worded posts, Tatsu pointed out that Lord Tensai‘s assumed name, Japanese for “natural disaster,” might be a bit insensitive to a country still recovering after 2011′s devastating earthquake and tsunami. Tatsu, who got tossed around by Tensai like a beanbag in a recent squash match, vowed yesterday to defeat Tensai in a rematch. As of today, I am planning to post several tweets regarding my thoughts and feelings toward Lord Tensai. First of all, I have a strong reason why I must defeat Lord Tensai. As in my Japanese lesson, “tensai” means natural disaster. As everyone knows, Japan experienced a major earthquake and tsunami on March 11th of last year. More than 15,000 people lost their lives, over 5,000 people are still missing, and more than 5,000 people were injured. In addition, over 130,000 people lost their homes. Sadly, the recovery has been very slow. Many people are still living in temporary housing, without jobs. Moreover,the Japanese people haven’t been able to recover from the grief of losing family members,including children who lost their parents. Out of respect, I strongly urge Lord Tensai to change his name. As Japanese superstar of WWE, I cannot tolerate him using this name during Japanese appearance. Even though he is tremendously big and very strong, I will defeat him someday. Japan was defeated by natural disasters – “TENSAI”. And I, Yoshi Tatsu is the one who defeats that “TENSAI”. When I beat him, I will make him change his name. This is #YoshiRevolution Episode 1. Sometime between yesterday and today all that vanished from the @yoshitatsuwwe feed. I hope to be wrong about thinking Big Brother came down on Tatsu, who rarely gets on TV for more than a minute or two if ever, but I think it’s pretty safe to assume he didn’t suddenly change his mind on trying to promote himself ahead of an August trip to Tokyo. Just so we’re all clear: Zack Ryder taking to Twitter to get his broskis top call Eve Torres a whore is A-OK, but the only actual Japanese wrestler on the current roster is discouraged from boosting what could be a natural conflict with an ambiguously Japan-themed character who used to be named for a dick joke. That’s a shame; Tatsu laid the seeds for what could have been a unique and interesting underdog storyline that we’re probably not going to have the slightest chance of seeing now. PHOTO CREDIT – WWE Tweet

Posted in: japanese, people, tensai, tatsu, lord tensai

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What we're witnessing on RAW with Brock Lesnar's return feels like deja vu all over again for Japanese pro-wrestling fans.

Posted in: japanese, mmasupremacy, brock, ultmma, prowrestling

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Yuya Shirai, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Imanari are in Singapore and ready to give ONE FC a healthy dose of Japanese MMA that according to Kawajiri, will hopefully include our daily required allotment of soccer kicks. That right there makes the wait for ONE FC: War of the Lions that much more excruciating. Zeus and Cynthia Vance caught up with the DREAM and DEEP vets to get their thoughts and feelings on their rapidly approaching invasion of the ONE FC cage. Of course, the trio plans on repping the Land of the Rising Sun to the fullest extent tomorrow morning at 8am EST. So in the meantime, be a good Japanese MMA fan and watch the video below and pump your fist out of sheer Japanese MMA fandom.

Posted in: mma, japanese, fc, cynthia vance, fc cage

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submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [7 comments]

Posted in: tekprodfx, video, japanese, sumo, fedor

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We showed you former Strikeforce women's champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos taking on a Japanese comedian in an MMA bout on Japanese game show "Honoo No Taiikukai TV" and now here comes current Strikeforce women's 135lb champ Ronda Rousey to one up Cyborg by taking on 3 Japanese comedians in a Judo match on that same show. Rousey, a former member of the Team USA Olympic Judo squad, took the Strikeforce title from Miesha Tate at Strikeforce's March 3 event in Columbus, Ohio. Santos is serving a year's suspension for failing a steroid test after her last defense of her Strikeforce 145lb women's title last fall. She was cut by Zuffa after the test results were announced so it's uncertain whether or not Rousey and Cyborg will ever get to face off. The two are not mutual admirers and there is no doubt that a bout between Rousey and Santos would be the biggest fight in women's MMA since Cyborg defeated Gina Carano in 2009. HT MMA Mania

Posted in: strikeforce, japanese, women, cyborg, rousey

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Five years later, the Japanese fight scene is burnt to a crisp after PRIDE's demise.

Posted in: japanese, year, mmasupremacy, middleeasy, postpride

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Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos takes on a male Japanese comedian in an MMA contest on Japanese TV. HT: DamnSevern

Posted in: mma, japanese, cristiane cyborg, mma contest, japanese comedian

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UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre held a fan question-and-answer session prior to UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan, where he talked about his kyokushin karate background, the state of Japanese MMA, how his rehab is going and the upcoming fight against Carlos Condit.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japanese mma, george, saitama japan

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Just littrally started watching the card from last and i'm utterly disgusted by some of the things the crowd are booing and laughing at. The fighters in the octagon are shedding blood, sweat and tears for the crowd and they have the cheek to boo them?! Personally think, why does the ufc bother putting on shows for such a disrespectful audience? It is a complete contrast to the respectful japanese fans the week before. You can respect what rampage was talking about when it comes to the fans. submitted by Nicecoldbud [link] [10 comments]

Posted in: japanese, crowd, japanese fans, disrespectful audience, blood sweat

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Four Japanese legends of MMA -- three of them former big stars in their homeland, the other the most successful Japanese UFC fighter ever -- fought last night at UFC 144. All four men acquitted themselves well and each of them had highlight reel moments. Unfortunately, only one came away a victor. Takanori Gomi, the "Fireball Kid," once the world's best lightweight fighter and the long-time Pride champion, pulled out a come-from-behind victory over Eiji Mitsuoka in the second round. Mitsuoka, a veteran of the Japanese circuit who's never managed to win the big one, once again came up short despite a brilliant first round that saw him outpunch and outgrapple Gomi and very nearly finish him with a triangle choke. Gomi lost the first round about as badly as it's possible to lose a round in MMA and yet he came out in the second round like the Fireball Kid of old and scored a triumphant TKO victory. According to Zach Arnold, Gomi's comeback win is the top story in Japan coming out of UFC 144. The other top stories are less uplifting for fans of Japanese fighters. Going into Yoshihiro Akiyama's welterweight debut against feared grappler Jake Shields, it was universally believed that if Akiyama could use his Judo prowess to keep the fight on the fight, he would win the fight. Akiyama certainly managed to stuff all but 2 of Shield's 14 take down attempts while landing 2 of his own, one of them by way of a dramatic Judo throw that slammed Shields to the mat. Unbelievably though Akiyama was still the clear loser of the fight as Shields managed to utterly outstrike him on the feet. Shields never appeared to hurt Akiyama but he landed 119 strikes to Akiyama's 52 (per Fight Metric) and outscored him 91-33 in significant strikes. The Japanese media is focusing on whether or not this will be Akiyama's last UFC performance as he's now 1-4 with the organization. Personally I felt the 36-year-old looked slow and sluggish against Shields but believe he merits one more shot in the UFC's welterweight division. Yushin Okami is not one of the big stories in the Japanese media coming out of UFC 144. He's virtually unknown in his native land as he's been relentlessly focused on the United States throughout his career and has been in the UFC since 2006 building up a 10-4 record with the promotion. And for two rounds of his bout with Tim Boetsch last night Okami looked every inch the UFC's best-ever Japanese fighter. He dominated Boetsch utterly both standing and on the ground, busting up "the Barbarian" with sharp jabs and taking him down at will. Unfortunately for Okami, who hoped to make a strong impression on Japanese fans seeing him for the first time, he dropped his guard in the third round and ate a brutal series of uppercuts from Boetsch. Okami's UFC 144 performance will likely be remembered, if at all, for his ugly unconscious fall to his back at the end of the fight, flattened by a storm of dirty boxing. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto was once one of the biggest stars in all of Japanese MMA, if not all of Japanese sports and entertainment. Against Vaughan Lee, he showed flashes of the athletic brilliance that once had everyone agreeing he was the best little man in combat sports. At one point he hurt Lee with a big punch and chased the staggered Brit across the Octagon looking for the kill shot, but Lee survived the brush with disaster. Then Lee did the unthinkable, the submission specialist beat up the mighty Kid Yamamoto on the feet. Lee stunned him standing before taking him down and choking out the man who once resisted a full fight's worth of submission attempts from the legendary Royler Gracie. Despite the win by Takanori Gomi and wins by Riki Fukuda and Issei Tamura, the UFC's roster of Japanese fighters took two steps back last night. There was one exception and that is Hatsu Hioki, but I'll talk about his big win in my next post.SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson More UFC 144 coverage here at Bloody Elbow: UFC 144 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Frankie Edgar Doesn't 'Need' To Drop To Featherweight - Brent Brookhouse UFC 144 Results: Rampage Jackson Goes Out Like A Lamb In Loss To Ryan Bader - Nate Wilcox UFC 144 Results: Ben Henderson And Anthony Pettis Ready For Rematch - Nate Wilcox UFC 144: Edgar Vs. Henderson Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 144 Results: Dana White Says Anthony Pettis Will 'Likely' Get Next UFC Lightweight Title Shot - Bloody Elbow UFC 144 Post-Fight Press Conference Video UFC Japan Video: Georges St. Pierre Gets Attacked By A Mob Of Kids With Samurai Foam Swords - Bloody Elbow Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 139: UFC 144 Results Review UFC 144 Results: Ryan Bader Dominates Rampage Jackson To Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Mark Hunt Knocks Out Cheick Kongo In The First Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Jake Shields Wins Hard Fought Decision Over Yoshihiro Akiyama - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Tim Boetsch Upsets Yushin Okami In The Third Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Post-Fight Press Conference Video UFC 144 Results: Hatsu Hioki Defeats Bart Palaszewski By Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Anthony Pettis Knocks Out Joe Lauzon In The First Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Takanori Gomi Stops Eiji Mitsuoka In The Second - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Vaughan Lee Submits Kid Yamamoto With An Armbar - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Riki Fukuda Dominates Steve Cantwell To Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Chris Cariaso Defeats Takeya Mizugaki By Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Issei Tamura Knocks Out Tiequan Zhang - Matthew Roth

Posted in: ufc, result, japanese, matthew, roth

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MMAWeekly got a moment of Hunt's time after his win in Japan for an exclusive interview were he says he feels like he was Japanese in another life as he is more popular in Japan than his homeland in New Zealand.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, life, japan, zealand

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UFC 144 Tweet of the Day: Japanese Translator, @the_mizutama shows a photo of her rainbow afro pen with this message: "Let me introduce my partner, Fluffy."

Posted in: ufc, japanese, photo, tweet, rainbow

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The televised FX portion of tonight's (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" preliminary card from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, is officially in the books. The final bout of the preliminary portion was expected to be a barnburner between Japanese lightweights Takanori Gomi and Eiji Mitsuoka, and that's exactly what is was. After an even first four minutes, Mitsuoka dropped Gomi and immediately pounced with his grappling attack, latching on a mounted triangle. Gomi, however, was able to survive until the final horn to make it to the second round. After being told by his corner that Mitsuoka had gassed himself out, Gomi came out guns blazing in the second round, swarming his Japanese counterpart with pure aggression, overwhelming him with a large volume of wild punches. "The Fireball Kid" eventually took Mitsuoka's back and dropped enough uncontested punches to force the referee to intervene in a crazy comeback. The rest of the undercard was just as wild: In one of the night's biggest surprises, Vaughan Lee and Kid Yamamoto waged a spectacular entertaining one round fight. Yamamoto had Lee on the ropes early after hurting him and unleashing a wild flurry of strikes against the fence, but Lee covered up and blocked enough to shake out the cobwebs. Lee then fired back with a knee which hurt the Japanese legend and then he stunned him again with a heavy hook. When Yamamoto tried to recover with a takedown, Lee immediately locked in a triangle choke and then transitioned to a beautiful armbar which forced a tap from a clearly dejected Yamamoto. The beatdown of the undercard award went to Riki Fukuda, who laid the smack down on former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell. Now battling at middleweight, Fukuda was able to utilize some occasional takedowns, although the large majority of his offense came from the clinch where he pounded Cantwell inside with short uppercuts, hooks and elbows. Fukuda's dirty boxing was just plain nasty and he poured it on in the second and third round as Cantwell began to tire out. The judges unanimous sided with the Japanese fighter with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 to hand him his first UFC victory after a robbery of a loss in his debut last year. In the most controversial fight of the preliminary card, bantamweights Takeya Mizugaki and Chris Cariaso battled very evenly in the stand-up over the course of three rounds although Mizugaki was able to mix in at least one takedown in each round. The Japanese fighter Mizugaki, spend a good amount of time in top position, occasionally dropping strikes, but he was unable to advance any further than half guard on the canvas. It could be argued that Cariaso got a slight edge in the stand-up and while on his back, he was relatively active with sweep and submission attempts while defending reasonably well with his guard, but the crowd, much of twitter and especially myself were all stunned when the judges unanimous sided with Cariaso via identical 29-28 scorecards. While it didn't take place on the FX portion, the first and only Facebook fight of the night was a doozy between Issei Tamura and China's Zhang Taiquan in the featherweight division. Tamura and Taiquan blasted each other early, coming out guns blazing but Tamura scored a takedown and kept Zhang down for the majority of the first round. In the second round, however, Tamura set up with a left hand beautifully and blasted "The Mongolian Wolf" badly with a huge right hook which knocked him out instantly and will be a serious contender for a big fight night bonus. Here are the complete undercard results: Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO at 2:21 of round 2Vaughan Lee def. Norifumi Yamamoto via submission (armbar) at 4:29 of round 1Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decisionChris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decisionIssei Tamura def. Zhang Taiquan via knockout at 0:32 of round 2 That's it for the preliminary card portion of the card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: round, japanese, yamamoto, lee, tamura

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Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto is snake bitten or maybe it's simply that the divison has caught and passed him by. The Japanese legend was shocked by Vaughn Lee via submission at 4:29 of thew first round in the fourth fight of … Continue reading →

Posted in: japanese, kid, yamamoto, vaughn lee, japanese legend

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MMAPayout will be taking a look at the storylines heading into UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson, which will be held at The Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday February 25, 2012. UFC Sells Out Long Awaited Return to Japan UFC officials today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that ticket sales are still moving briskly for this weekend’s event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the fight card is expected to sell-out all of the nearly 20,000 available seats. Furthermore, UFC officials are so encouraged by the buzz surrounding UFC 143 that plans for a return to Japan are already under consideration, and multiple annual visits – as well as a version of “The Ultimate Fighter” – are also possible.  (MMAJunkie) Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Misses Weight Quentin “Rampage” Jackson missed weight by 5 pounds last night at UFC 144 weigh-ins. Jackson claims that this was due to an unspecified injury and as a result he will forfeit 20% of his show money to his opponent, Ryan Bader. Ryan Bader seemed nonplussed by the fact Jackson missed weight by a considerable amount.(MMAPayout) UFC Japan Sponsors Plus “Pay-to-Play” TV Deal with TV Tokyo, – Event Set To Air at 3AM in Japan “This is why Dentsu backing UFC is so critical. A multi-year deal to promote shows in the country means nothing unless Dentsu, which has plenty of juice, can convince sponsors to back them to get the events on TV. If an outlet like TV Tokyo, which historically has plenty of pay-to-play examples for buying programming time, is taking a pass on the UFC… that spells trouble. WOWOW doesn’t cut it. You need a major broadcast TV network backing you or else you are going nowhere on a big scale in Japan.” - TV Tokyo will air 90-minute highlight version of UFC Japan show from 3:15 AM to 4:45 AM JST after the show is done. - Don Quijote & UFC Undisputed 3 are the TV sponsors. - This was a last-minute deal by Dentsu. (FightOpinion) MMAFighting Hit’s the Streets of Japan and Tests UFC Brand Strength and State of MMA UFC 144 will mark the promotion’s first event in Japan in over 11 years, and its return to the “Land of the Rising Sun” has forced the MMA community to once again figure out just how healthy the Japanese MMA scene is. With that in mind, we hit the streets of Tokyo to find out whether the locals were UFC fans and why they think MMA has fallen on hard times in the country. (MMAFighting)   UFC 144 Marketing and Advertising The UFC has been doing a pretty good job of sucking in those hardcore nostalgic MMA fans who hold Japanese MMA and their tradition in high regard.  Although some may have wanted the UFC to be held in a white ring and have a ramp with Lenne Hardt announcing the fighters, Dana White was not shy to remind MMA fans and Media that this isn’t PRIDE and that the Japanese promotion who was top dog only a few years ago is dead. Having said that, the posters released for UFC 144 have been great, adding some of that Japanese and PRIDE feel to them while maintaining the UFC’s brand.  Key to the UFC this time around is to spread brand awareness and create some roots for future expansion into not only Japan, but Korea, Philipines, and China, who they feel have even more potential at the moment as untapped markets.  At this time, it’s going to take a good amount of time and effort to elevate the MMA scene in Japan to what it once was. UFC 144 Poster + UFC 144 Rampage Poster:   Japanese fighter Megumi Fujii Tweeted an anime version of the UFC 144 Japan poster:

Posted in: ufc, mma, japanese, tv, japan

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Greetings all, We are less than an hour away from the start of UFC 144. The preliminary action starts at about 7:30 PM on the North American east coast, 4:30 PM on the west. If you are in the UK things get underway at 12:30 AM. If you are in Brazil the fights kick off at 10:30 PM in Rio de Janeiro, 9:30 PM in the norther region of Para and 8:30 for those in the Amazonas. And for anyone who is in Japan but not attending the event, it's an early start of 9:30 AM. Here is the fight schedule: UNDERCARD Featherweight: Zhang Tiequan vs. Issei TamuraBantamweight: Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris CariasoMiddleweight: Riki Fukuda vs. Steve CantwellBantamweight: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan LeeLightweight: Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka MAIN CARD Lightweight: Anthony Pettis vs. Joe LauzonFeatherweight: Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart PalaszewskiMiddleweight: Yushin Okami vs. Tim BoetschWelterweight: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake ShieldsHeavyweight: Mark Hunt vs. Cheick KongoCatchweight (211 lb): Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan BaderLightweight Championship: Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson A FEW QUESTIONS TO KEEP IN MIND DURING THE EVENT: 1. Is Frankie Edgar's chin going to give out? In his two fights with Gray Maynard in 2011, Edgar took a lot of damage. By my recollection the fights were on the verge of being stopped about five different times. That is a career's worth of close calls for some guys and Edgar can't possibly sustain that much damage in his future fights and expect to keep the belt. His opponent Ben Henderson is a bit more hip to jiu jitsu than Maynard and you can bet that if Frankie again gets rocked badly, he's almost surely going to be finished. 2. Will Rampage Jackson be affected by his failure to make weight? In his pre-fight interviews, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has been very vocal about his love of fighting in Japan. He talked about doing everything he could to put on a show for the fans and stage a great fight. Then he weighed in yesterday at 211 pounds, 5 pounds over the 206 pound limit, for his match against Ryan Bader. Usually this would be cause for concern, as four out of the last five guys to miss weight in the UFC have lost, but Rampage seems intent on having a spectacular fight. If he comes out guns blazing, he'll have to finish Bader quick, or there is a very real possibility that he'll fade and lose in the later rounds. 3. Can Anthony Pettis steal the show? Pettis is a creative striker with a great sense for the spectacular. He landed an off the cage kick against Ben Henderson in the final bout in WEC history that will go down as one of the best moments of all time. This is another historic event, with the UFC making it's return to Japan for the first time in years. It's the perfect chance for Pettis to once again thrill MMA fans worldwide with his peerless skills. Can he deliver or will Joe Lauzon play giant killer once again? 4. How will the Japanese fighters do? The Japanese contingent in the UFC has really struggled, there is no other way to put it. Only Yushin Okami has found success at the highest level, while his countrymen have all failed to make any kind of splash in the organization, which has to be a sore spot for the Japanese fans. Okami is fighting on the card although he has largely been ignored by the North American media covering the event. Joining Okami are nine of his countrymen, spread across eight fights. We know that at least two of the fights will have Japanese winners. What about the other six? To add to the pressure, Brazilian fighters were a stunning 7-1 against foreigners when the UFC made a return to Brazil last summer, so anything less than a dominant performance by the Japanese on the card will be seen as yet another blow to a country that was not long ago the center of the mixed martial arts world. Join us here at Head Kick Legend to find out the answers to those questions and to discuss the event as it happens.

Posted in: ufc, fight, vs, japanese, event

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The mixed martial arts scene isn't what it used to be back in the days of Pride, but UFC 144 co-main eventer Quinton "Rampage" Jackson believes it can be re-kindled.

Posted in: ufc, rampage, jackson, japanese, scene

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship introduced new Japanese Octagon Girl Azusa Nishigaki at the UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson weigh-ins.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, octagon, girl, nishigaki

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TOKYO -- UFC 144 will mark the promotion's first event in Japan in over 11 years, and its return to the "Land of the Rising Sun" has forced the MMA community to once again figure out just how healthy the Japanese MMA scene is. With that in mind, we hit the streets of Tokyo to find out whether the locals were UFC fans and why they think MMA has fallen on hard times in the country.

Posted in: ufc, mma, japanese, mma community, ufc fans

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I’m thoroughly convinced Roxanne Modefferi cheats at Scramble. How she is consistently able to beat me by 10-15 points in three closely contested rounds of word searching is unbelievable. It makes me question her ethics, her choices in life, and why I lost my voice cheering for her against Tara Larosa at Moosin. Just kidding, I love Roxy. I respect her for moving out to Japan and becoming a teacher out there. Even Rampage wants to follow in her footsteps and head out there for a year, but mainly so he can talk understand what his Japanese kids are saying about him, and to natively fire insults back in their direction.

Posted in: japanese, kid, tara larosa, japanese kids, roxanne modefferi

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It's not unreasonable to assume that someone flying to Japan on business (or pleasure) would be looking forward to eating a lot of sushi. Not Quinton Jackson. "Rampage" can get sushi anytime he wants, because his ex-wife is Japanese. So what does he really want after fighting Ryan Bader at KFC UFC 144 on Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012) at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan? Fried chicken. Not just any fried chicken, either, but the kind they sell at 7-Eleven for two dollars behind a crusty old case on the checkout counter. According to Jackson, it's so good, he'll fight you for it. Hear why (via 5th Round) after the jump. "My ex-wife is Japanese, so I get Japanese food all the time. But, some things I can’t get, and it’s gonna sound really stupid, but I can’t wait to go to the 7-Eleven and get that chicken that they have. I’m black, man. I like that little fried chicken. It’s better than KFC, [better than] everybody. That little fried chicken they got behind them little window things, man. It costs like $2. I go and I get me a big bag full and they be like, ‘No! No! You gotta leave some for the other people.’ I’m like, ‘Koku-jin. I’m black, man. You can’t tell me I can’t buy this chicken. What’s wrong with you? He’s like, ‘Go to the other store down the street.’ We got into an argument over chicken. So I’m pretty sure I’m gonna get kicked out of a 7-Eleven after my fight trying to buy up all the fried chicken." This could be the first documented case of a fighter holding an afterparty in a convenience store, but after dieting and training for so long, I guess you have to give in to your cravings. I prefer the 7-Eleven nachos with imitation cheese dip, but to each their own. Anyone think "Rampage" will have cause for celebration this weekend? Or will he "chicken out" against Bader on fight night? More on UFC 144 here. More on yummy fried chicken here.

Posted in: japanese, chicken, irsquom, canrsquot, i canrsquot

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Tim Burke: Dave Meltzer reports that UFC 144 ticket sales are doing very well (currently at 17,000 with a 3.1 million dollar gate). Does this lead you to believe that the UFC could have a bright future promoting events in Japan, or is it meaningless considering it's a sold show (meaning that the UFC was paid a flat rate for the show and ticket sales don't matter to them)? Josh Nason: It's tempting to say, "Yes! Of course!" but let's see how things play out with the crowd, the event, how everything goes this week, etc. I think in general, fans assume that ticket sales equal success when there's a lot of other factors that go into a successful event. Having a full house is a positive though and I'm intrigued if it will be a quiet respectful crowd like in PRIDE or otherwise. That could make for an intriguing viewing experience at home. Matt Roth: I'm honestly not sure. One one hand I think that having fans in the arena is a good thing, especially with the start time of like 9:30 AM local on a Sunday. Saitama Super Arena is 40 minutes outside of Tokyo which means that people want to get there to see the fights. On the other hand it's still hard for me to say this is anything but a vanity project. Yes it evolved from "We're running simultaneous PPVs" to just the solo show, but with the current MMA market in Japan, there's really no reason to believe they will be returning anytime in the near future. And by near future I mean in the next three years. Tim Burke: I believe that the curiosity factor is the main reason for the ticket sales here, and it'll be an uphill battle for the UFC to maintain this sort of interest in Japan, especially with no Japanese fighters in the main or co-main event. But it has to be a positive sign to see that Japanese fans do still care about MMA. The market is there, if the UFC plays their cards right. Sold show or not. Ben Thapa: At the same time, this can be viewed as an investment in the future of Japanese MMA, as the UFC is far, far less shady than PRIDE was in its heyday and how DREAM and K-1 have been handled of late. Despite this not airing live, the cordiality and respectability of the organizers, show runners and others could go a considerable way towards showing people in Japan that fights can be done on a big scale in a yakuza-free manner that is entertaining and features Japanese fighters battling at the highest levels. The Japanese media may not be as aflame about this event as the Brazilians are, but this event could pay off nice dividends in the future. Instead of a "We came, we saw and we conquered" moment, it could be "We came, we saw and we went away leaving behind good impressions of ourselves on this live audience and whatever TV masses we reach". We can build on this! - Herman Edwards Ben Thapa: Of course, I am doing a disservice to organizations that are righting themselves or have been chugging away solidly for all these years. DEEP, Shooto, Pancrase and the others have all built more solid frameworks to develop existing talent than many areas of the United States. Unfortunately, the Japanese gym culture is screwed up in a way that is truly hard to call "talent finding" or "talent building" and that is going to hurt. At least we have Ryo Chonan and his full time MMA gym. "Chenge oppernent! Honebackle is influenza!" T.P. Grant: I think the Japanese MMA fan has been starved of top flight fighters and have been misunderstood by MMA promoters. There seems to be a general sense that Pride was only successful because of the spectacle it created with intros, music, fireworks, giant monitors and rules that geared fights towards finishes but don't forget there were a lot of elite talent in that promotion. Promoters think that Japanese fans need Japanese fighters to cheer for, but again looking back many of the most popular fighters in Japanese MMA history have been foreign to Japan: Rampage Jackson, Ken Shamrock, Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva. I think the UFC is doing this the right way in coming to Japan. Don't try to be Pride, just be the UFC. The focus in the UFC is all on the fights, so bring elite fighters. Ticket sales to me are a sign that the hardcore Japanese MMA fans are excited that a big time show and elite fighters have returned. Anton Tabuena: The UFC hasn't been there in years, and ticket sales doing great in Japan simply because there are enough hardcore MMA fans in country. No one can really put much meaning in to it aside from that. The Japanese MMA scene is still declining, and what the UFC has shown isn't really enough to grow the sport for the long term. With the UFC in the country, it's easy to assume that that the interest in JMMA is high, but the reality is, after they leave, everything will dry up and return to how it was. Don't get me wrong though, if they visit Japan again a year from now, I think they will still be able to get similar numbers (like a sold-out arena), but again, that's just because they have enough hardcore fans that they can milk. The sport isn't flourishing, and this isn't a case of like Brazil, where you can see massive interest and a fanbase that keeps growing, nor is this a case of them being able to regain the level of interest that PRIDE once had. Kid Nate: couple of things 1) according to Zach Arnold the sold show deal with Dentsu is for a series of fights over the next couple of years. 2) many of the biggest Pride-era MMA events in Japan featured no Japanese fighters in main events. K.J. Gould: I think we need to forget about 'Japanese MMA' as anything meaningful beyond nostalgia. It's a paid show as mentioned, and it'll be interesting to see how many of those sold seats actually have butts in them come fight time. For the first show back the novelty might be enough to fill it, but future shows done at early AM hours in Japan to cater to the PPV prime time in North America might not be so great. By far the bigger picture is 'Asian MMA' both in terms of television revenue - assuming the PPV model doesn't work in Asia like it does in North America - as well as the live show and merchandise revenue, which is where the UFC can clean up if they price it right. The international tours WWE does makes for a significant part of their revenue stream with their domestic PPV shows being down year on year. Even with UFC's downturn in the last couple of years due to various factors, their domestic PPV numbers is still thought to be larger than WWE's global PPV numbers, and that's probably true of Boxing as well considering how many PPV cards UFC puts out. Ben Thapa: On a more serious note, Dentsu is apparently a top of the line media negotiating company and with the might and power behind the UFC, they were barely able to get a sniff in the TV market. Why is this so? Are the TV execs so confident in the various soothsayers that yell MMA is dead in Japan or is there some level of racism and/or exclusivism going on? Where is the adventuresome and fearless spirit that Sakuraba supposedly instilled in so many with his death defying bouts? Fraser Coffeen: Ben - the cynical answer to why the TV market is an issue is that, as was pointed out above, the UFC is trying to run things above the board without shady Yakuza influence, and that hurts them. I guess I view this as no different than any new(ish) market. They'll draw well the first time, but the real proof comes in when they return. Is it one time nostalgia that is bringing fans out? And will they have a good experience, or will the early morning show be just too much of a pain for them? I think that's the real question. They're definitely making choices to maximize the show's PPV appeal, but those choices also hurt the live experience. That's not a bad idea, but it could hurt their next Japan show's live draw. K.J.Gould: I wonder if Gaijin companies always suffer in Japan without a Japanese figurehead to represent them. As good as Mark Fischer can be, I get the feeling in Japan - which has historically always had a strong sense of nationalism - he's always going to be up against that particular roadblock. Plus the Yakuza issue as mentioned, which makes working in Japan even more pointless when you have better long term options in the rest of Asia. Dallas Winston: I'm fascinated to see how this show is received in Japan. The UFC's purchase of Pride left a bad aftertaste because it unfolded more like assassinating the competition than bolstering their roster with a host of elite fighters and staking a claim in a new, lucrative market. The oft-scrutinized decline of Japanese MMA was triggered by Pride's dissolution and there seems to have been a tangible divide between North American and overseas MMA. C'mon, son ... "we are all one." Dana and Lorenzo have opened up in recent years and divulged that they were sappy Pride fanboys just like many of us were, so I'm sincerely hoping that this show is a success and that Japan and its fighters will be an influential partner to improve global MMA rather than a separate faction with emaciated potential. Furthermore, I'd actually love to see the UFC alter their repetitive (and near-stale) formula and add a little Pride flavor to their Japanese shows. Random ideas are letting Lenne Hardt introduce the fighters before they walk to the cage, perhaps splice in a few pyrotechnics and/or bring back the legendary "ramp" from Tito Ortiz's heyday. I think it was obvious that Strikeforce was catering to the Pride nostalgia by accenting their shows subtly with some of the Pride-inspired theatrics, and a slight deviation from their format and paying tribute to Japan/Pride would be a welcome change.

Posted in: ufc, mma, show, japanese, japan

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Is MMA a big thing in japan? Is UFC coming in considered intrusive? Do Japanese audience recognize the new fighters? Since the PPV is scheduled for 9 AM Japan time on a sunday, is the japanese audience feeling slightly left out? submitted by lance_klusener [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: mma, japanese, japan, japan time, japanese audience

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It’s no secret that the Japanese mixed martial arts scene has fallen on hard times over the last few years, but with Saturday’s UFC 144 event at Saitama Super Arena, there is optimism from the local heroes on the card that this could be the start of a revival in Japan. One of those hopeful fighters is one who is no stranger to a thriving MMA scene at home, Takanori Gomi.“I think the level of Japanese MMA will rise as many people get to see the world’s top class bouts,” he said through translator Mizuka Koike. “I hope there’s gonna be a lot of Japanese guys who wish to be great fighters.”Gomi, the first and only PRIDE lightweight champion, as well as a Shooto welterweight titleholder, is no stranger to being in the role of flag bearer for the sport in his country. For years, “The Fireball Kid” took on and beat all comers, most notably going 13-1 with 1 NC from 2004 to 2007. Yet by the time Gomi arrived in the UFC in 2010, he was about to hit hard times in the Octagon. Just 1-3 in four UFC starts, with his Knockout of the Night finish of Tyson Griffin sandwiched by losses (all by submission) to Kenny Florian, Clay Guida, and Nate Diaz, the charismatic Kanagawa native has found himself in need of a win this Saturday against countryman Eiji Mitsuoka (a late replacement for the injured George Sotiropoulos). Yet on a positive note, the 33-year old southpaw appears to have pinpointed where he’s gone wrong in the UFC.“I think I lacked stamina and ground techniques,” he said. “I want to make an improvement on that, so I’ve reviewed the training regimen that I’ve done and trained even harder.”Well, if he was looking to see his ground game tested, Sotiropoulos was the perfect man to do it, but Mitusoka’s no slouch either, as the 36-year old has finished 11 of his 18 wins by submission.Said Gomi, “I think a fighter like Mitsuoka starts with boxing and then moves to grappling to end the fight with a submission. And when it comes to reach and body size wise, they (Mitsuoka and Sotiropoulos) are not very different, so it (the change in opponent) was okay.”It’s no secret that Gomi has had his difficulties with groundfighters (six of his eight losses are by submission), but he’s also had success against them over the years, and the one intangible when it comes to this weekend’s bout is that it is coming at home. That’s something that can’t be overlooked, especially when Gomi is so excited about his return.“I am really happy to have a chance to fight in UFC Japan,” he said. “I never thought it was going to happen this early, and I’m glad that I continued my career this long. It’s been a while, so I am looking forward to fighting in front of the Japanese crowd. I want to be my true self and show them a great fight.”Pardon the pun, but this is pride at its most telling and compelling. For a fighter like Gomi, one whose legacy is set no matter what happens against Mitsuoka, it is imperative that if he’s going to lose, it’s not going to be in front of his loyal fans. Not this weekend. Not at Saitama Super Arena. “I am proud of myself for being one of the Japan-born UFC fighters,” he said, “and I think Japanese fighters have this fighting spirit of not giving up until it’s really over.”And as far as Takanori Gomi is concerned, his run in the UFC is far from over.“The Fireball Kid is coming back,” he said. “Please keep an eye on me.”

Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, year, gomi

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Featherweight contender Hatsu Hioki is under no illusions about his debut win in the UFC over George Roop last October. He knows it wasn’t his best performance and he is well aware that he didn’t display the skills that had him dubbed before the fight as the best featherweight not fighting in the Octagon.“That was a tough fight, and because of that, it was a very educational one, since I got to know what to work on in training,” said Hioki through translator / manager Kei Maeda. “I was not nervous, but my preparation and thoughts about fighting in the UFC environment were premature, so to speak.”That was then. Four months later, Hioki has put the disappointment of his razor-thin split decision win aside, and now all that matters is showing off the “real” Hioki in front of his home country fans in Japan this Saturday against Bart Palaszewski, a welcome surprise to say the least.“I thought I was not going to have an opportunity to fight in Japan for a while, so I am glad I have gotten that opportunity this quick,” he said. “I'm motivated.”A recurring theme this week for the Japanese fighters on the card is that this event at Saitama Super Arena isn’t just an opportunity to get another win, but to help kickstart the flagging Japan MMA scene. Hioki is on board with that train of thought, saying “I believe this event will be one important step towards bringing heat back to Japanese MMA, as well as the implantation of the UFC brand in Japan,” but when it comes to his personal goals, he simply says, “I will fight as it is one of the UFC fights, not as one of the fights in Japan.”That’s a strong step in terms of establishing his presence in the UFC’s featherweight division. The first was getting that initial win out of the way. The next is treating this like any other UFC fight, and the most important is to look at Palaszewski as the most dangerous opponent of his nearly 10 year pro career.“Bart is very aggressive with his hands so I will have to be careful not to let him connect and not to give him his momentum,” said Hioki (25-4-2) who could actually put himself in the race for a shot at Jose Aldo with a big victory. The 28-year old from Nagoya was impressed with the champion’s “killer instinct and takedown defense” in his January win over previously unbeaten Chad Mendes, but he’s not in a rush for a title bout just yet.“I would like a few more fights and wins under the UFC rules in overseas shows before getting the title shot if I win this one,” said Hioki, a proud native of Japan eager to show the rest of the world just what it means to be born with the Japanese fighting spirit.“I am proud of being a Japanese fighter,” he said. “To me, the Japanese fighting spirit symbolizes overcoming obstacles and growing after every combat. As ancient samurai warriors always held the belief, the words also mean to respect a person in fighting, and pursue a form of beauty during the fight.”That’s definitely the goal this Saturday in Saitama, and beyond.“I would like to display how I have overcome weaknesses that shown in Roop fight,” said Hioki. “Please expect to see that I belong in the UFC.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, japanese, japan, hioki

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The fight is just days away and Rampage Jackson wants to please the Japanese fans

Posted in: rampage, jackson, rampage jackson, japanese, ryan bader

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It's fight week blog week. Those of us hoping for a Japanese flavor to Dana White's first UFC 144 vlog are in for some disappointment. This one focuses almost exclusively on UFC 143, including some interesting Nick Diaz stuff from 6 minutes forward. Not bad, but am I the only one who thinks this whole Japan thing is being handled way to seriously? Where's the fighters eating strange half-alive seafood? Octagon girls getting harassed in strange Japanese gameshows? Dana White riding a giant banana? Give us some of that sweet Japanese insanity, dammit!

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japan, giant banana, japan thing

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TOKYO -- Watch below as lightweight Takanori Gomi talks about his UFC 144 fight against Eiji Mitsuoka, his return to Japan, the rise and fall of Japanese MMA, the differences between Japanese and American MMA fans and his current losing streak.

Posted in: mma, japanese, takanori gomi, japanese mma, eiji mitsuoka

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When he stepped into the Octagon to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva last August, Yushin Okami was there in body, but in spirit, it simply wasn’t the same fighter who defeated Lucio Linhares, Mark Munoz, and Nate Marquardt in succession to earn a shot at a championship no Japanese fighter had ever secured.“In terms of the mental, my vision got very narrow,” said Okami through translator / jiu-jitsu coach Gen Isono. “I was confused and I lost what I should do there.”Silva can do that to any fighter, and he’s been doing it longer than anyone in UFC history, so for Okami to get stopped via strikes at 2:04 of the second round by “The Spider” was no reason for him to hang his head. That doesn’t mean he just dismissed the loss though; instead, he dusted himself off, and after a month’s rest to reflect, he began training again at Portland’s Team Quest gym.“About a month later, I started training at Team Quest, and then I could put things in perspective,” said Okami, who doesn’t look at the nearly ten month gap between his win over Marquardt and the fight with Silva as a factor in his defeat. That’s no surprise, as he’s not the kind of athlete who makes excuses. He’s one that takes his lessons and moves on. He did it after his first UFC loss to Rich Franklin in 2007, repeated the feat following a 2009 loss to future training partner Chael Sonnen, and now he begins the trek back to the top once again this Saturday, when he battles Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Okami’s first bout on home shores since a TKO win over Izuru Takeuchi in June of 2006.“It will be the first time in five and a half years,” said Okami of fighting at home. “I always wanted the UFC to come to Japan and I always wanted Japanese fans to enjoy watching my fights. Sweeping away my last loss in Japan with a lot of cheering on my back, it will give me a sense of satisfaction.” It’s a special moment for the 30-year old Okami, who has basically been the out-of-towner for the last 13 fights of his 27-6 career. That’s a long time for anyone to not be at least the home country favorite, but in the last five-plus years, Okami has built himself a level of respect among non-Japanese fans that has also earned him kudos from UFC President Dana White as the best Japanese fighter to ever compete in the Octagon. That’s high praise.“If Dana says so, it is a great honor to me,” said Okami. “But I believe myself I am the best fighter in Japan and will be the best fighter in the world, so that kind of reputation never gives me any pressure.”2012 will be a pivotal year for him though, beginning with his match against Boetsch, the underdog going into this fight, but someone who certainly shouldn’t be underestimated.“I have seen some of his fights in the UFC,” said Okami of “The Barbarian.” “He is big and physically strong and he has a good wrestling pedigree. He looks like a typical American-style fighter. I think he has a big frame with great power since he fought in the light heavyweight division, and I should be aware of his strength. Training with Team Quest, there are some changes in my mind about fighting and I am going to try them when I fight Tim.”Hoping to get three fights in this year, Okami is well aware that if he gets his wish, the next two are likely to be outside of his home country, so it’s back to being a road warrior. That’s okay though; he’s embracing his time at home and the task ahead, which is not just to beat Boetsch, but to let Japanese fans know that MMA in the Land of the Rising Sun is alive and well.“Japanese MMA has lost its vigor now,” he said. “But by touching the real MMA live, I believe it will grow back again.”And who better to bring it back than a resilient and classy fighter who represents the best the sport has to offer?“I have grown up in Japan, so every part of me is truly Japanese,” Okami said when asked about the Japanese fighting spirit. “In that sense, I think I carry through the way of fighting which I believe represents a Japanese fighter’s spirit. And I hope the fans enjoy watching a reborn Yushin Okami walking to the top again."

Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, japanese, okami

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Only five days before UFC 144, a Tokyo-based station has announced plans to broadcast a portion of the event on Japanese terrestrial television.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, tokyobased station, lastminute deal, freetoair

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I think I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to the "Land of the Rising Sun" for the first time in more than a decade when the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion brings UFC 144 to the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this upcoming Saturday (Feb. 25, 2012). And while you won't see grandiose entrances like you did back in PRIDE FC, or freak-show fights and masked combatants, you will see a little Japanese flavor when you taste some of the local marketing efforts to help garner interest in this weekend's combat sports extravaganza, evidenced by the video above. Can you dig it? To check out the latest UFC 144 fight card, which is headlined by a championship match between Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, click here. Be sure to also check out our complete UFC 144 event archive right here.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, pride fc, championship ufc, japanese i

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Now this one is definitely different…

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UFC 144 kicks off this Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. MMAFrenzy begins its coverage of UFC 144 with writers Chris Leslie and Bryan Robison taking a look at the preliminary card. The preliminary card begins with a one fight Facebook card around 7:30pm ET and the rest of the prelims taking place on FX at 8pm ET. Bryan Robison’s Things to Watch Does Takanori Gomi have anything left? The last time we saw Gomi, he was being dismantled by Nate Diaz at UFC 135 in September. Now he returns to the venue that made him a star over five years ago. “The Fireball Kid” has been disappointing since making his way stateside in the UFC. At 1-3 in the organization, Gomi could very well be fighting a farewell fight on Saturday. He faces an opponent in Eiji Mitsuoka, who stepped in for an injured George Sotiropolous with just a few weeks’ notice. Mitsuoka, a fellow former Japanese Pride fighter, has fought just twice over the last two years. His strength lies in Gomi’s weakness, and that is on the ground. Of Mitsuoka’s 18 career wins, 11 are by submission. Even though he is a late-notice opponent, Gomi should not look pats Mitsuoka because of his strong submission game, and if he loses, it could be his last time entering the Octagon. Can Steve Cantwell return to the win column? Cantwell’s last victory was over three years ago. That came in December 2008 against Razak Al-Hassan, who has long been gone from the UFC. Now Cantwell enters the cage on a four fight loss streak. This will be his second fight at middleweight, so if he is to lose, he will no longer have an excuse to fall back on concerning a new weight class. Four years ago, Cantwell was transitioning to the UFC with the WEC light heavyweight championship belt around his waist. Unfortunately for Cantwell, everything has gone downhill for him since then. Cantwell faces Riki Fukada, who last fought over a year ago at UFC 127. Much like Cantwell, the former Deep middleweight champion has suffered from injuries over the last few years. With this fight, it seems apparent that the loser will certainly be fighting for the final time in the Octagon. Chris Leslie’s Things to Watch Can Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto stop the slide and stay relevant? At one point in Kid’s career he was one of the most promising fighters in all of MMA. A Japanese fighter with an amazing wrestling family and impressive wrestling credentials of his own, if any Japanese fighter seem poised for success in the US it seemed to be him. Now at 1-4 in his last five, Yamamoto needs a win in a big way. While there are rumors of a possible future at 125 for Kid, without a strong performance in Saitama he risks losing any relevance at both 135 and 125. Is Takeya Mizugaki a gatekeeper or a true threat? Takeya Mizugaki is one of the better Japanese fighters that people often forget. The reason people tend to forget him is that whenever he has fought top competition, he comes up short. In Chris Cariaso, Mizugaki faces a strong fighter who is poised for a run if he wins Saturday. Mizugaki’s skills are better than Cariaso’s but a loss Saturday could relegate him to being a gatekeeper in the UFC. Bonus thing to watch: The Japanese and Chinese have long had a rather frosty, at best, history with each other. Meaning the ovation that Chinese fighter Tiequan Zhang when he faces Japanese fighter Issei Tamura could be rather harsh, even with it being the first fight of the night. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for complete coverage of UFC 144.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, year, cantwell

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With UFC 144 going down this Saturday, one of the most interesting storylines of the event is the promotion's ability to succeed in Japan. Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion has much better insight into the Japanese market than most in the MMA media and wrote a very interesting article on the five best questions to look at heading into the event. The first point deals with the UFC's ultimate upside trying to run this show: 1. Will the crowd for this show represent a floor or a ceiling for UFC & Dentsu?I am of two thoughts here. First, the positive take and one that UFC argues. They run a good show, they get a few backers, and then through repetition hope that some rich people who aren't yakuza buy into what they are doing. Second, the negative take and more realistic viewpoint. The Japanese MMA industry on a mainstream level is dead. There are no major Japanese stars being created now. Kid Yamamoto, Gomi, and the rest are a dying breed. Once they are gone, the replacements have nowhere near the same name value. That's the great irony about UFC's predicament here. They want to build something up in Japan but the local promoters that they weren't friendly with basically torched the business to the ground. If Dentsu is able to get UFC onto television, perhaps they have a shot - albeit a small shot. The UFC product is not tailored for Japanese cultural wants or needs. There aren't major Japanese players right now in the divisions sans Hatsu Hioki and Hioki's not a major star in his home country. The plan was to broker some time on TV Tokyo, the smallest of the over-the-air networks in Japan, and then try to parlay that onto a bigger network like Tokyo Broadcasting System or Fuji TV. The major problem with that strategy is that UFC is not a Japanese company and the TV suits have no desire to touch MMA right now because the police are on the warpath against the gangs. We know the history of black money in the Japanese fight game. It resembles Mexico in many regards. Zach also talks a lot about the long-term disconnect between the Japanese fighters the UFC views as draws versus those who actually are major hometown draws. It's a very interesting piece and one I suggest you give a read to really understand what this all means both in the short and long term. It's not all doom and gloom, but there certainly are many more hurdles to succeeding as an MMA promotion in Japan than just about any other market around the world.

Posted in: ufc, mma, promotion, japanese, japan

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I was going to link to my post in the other thread but I think that would've made it confusing so I'll just link it here and repost it here: This is actually a very interesting commercial and it's got nothing to do with how it looks but what it says in that one line of Japanese text. 「スポーツまで、ガラパゴスになるのか。」 I honestly had no idea what this meant when I first translated it. It's literal translation is "As for sports, will (we) become Galapgos." Now, this is very confusing until I did some digging and found out about Galapagos Syndrome. This started putting things in a bit of perspective and then I read this Japanese article that poses the question right at the end: do the fans want to Japan to be part of the global standard of MMA (ie. the UFC) or do they want to Japan to be this Galapagos Island of MMA where things are done their own way. The final line of the ad says "Another major has come." Time for Japan to step up and find out what it's made of. Would love to hear your thoughts on how you think the Japanese fighters will fare and/or what the results will mean for Japanese MMA in general. submitted by BaronMyrtle [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: mma, japanese, japan, comequot time, japanese article

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Posted in: ufc, time, japanese

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When Quinton Jackson steps into the Octagon at UFC 144 he’ll do so in front of a Japanese audience almost six years to the day since he last entertained a crowd in the fight-friendly nation. While that bout may have involved a forgettable outpointing of Dong Sik Yoon, this time around “Rampage” has designs on a highlight reel knockout win to leave a favorable impression on the fans who cheered him on during his formative years in the sport. Jackson, who understands it will also likely be the final time he competes in Japan, shared his expectations with the world in a recent online enty where he discussed opponent Ryan Bader as well as why the fight is so personal to him. “Nothin’ is promised to no one. I should beat Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan next Saturday – and I plan on knocking his ass out in front of my Japanese fans – but I’ve put in the work in the gym to make sure I do that,” explained Jackson on his Yahoo Sports blog. “Some haters have said now that I didn’t get my belt back after three years of waiting for my shot, I’m not going to be motivated in my fighting career,” Jackson continued. “That is what my English friends call “bollocks”. I am very motivated to kick Bader’s ass. I was a little pissed off and disappointed that I didn’t get my belt back and I was upset with my performance. I’m going to take that out on Ryan Bader and – in front of the Japanese fight fans – put on a great fight.” “Rampage” Thinks Japanese Fans are Light Years Ahead of American Fans Jackson and Bader will serve as co-headliners on a card featuring lightweight champion Frankie Edgar putting his title on the line against Benson Henderson in the main event. Seven fights are scheduled for the PPV portion of the card. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Before most of the world's greatest fighters called the UFC home, there was Pride—a Japanese promotion that mixed the best of pro wrestling glitz with some of the most brutal fighting the world had ever seen.

Posted in: fighter, japanese, mma history, japanese fighters, ufc home

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The Japanese promotion which launched the careers of such luminaries as Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ricardo Arona has revealed the first details of its March comeback.

Posted in: japanese, japanese promotion, ricardo arona, march, rings returns

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My recent articles have covered the migration of Judo to Brazil, its transformation to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and its evolution in the face of challenges in Vale Tudo. But we are going to return to Europe to the discipline of catch wrestling, the grappling system that developed in the middle ages. Catch Wrestling existed not as one art but as a collect of very regionally segmented arts. The most famous and predominant is Lancashire Catch-as-Catch-Can from England, but there is also Irish Collar-And-Elbow, versions of Greco-Roman that retained some of the Pankration holds, even Indian Pelhlwani and Iranian styles of wrestling all fall under the umbrella of catch wrestling. The growth of the Olympics and sport wrestling pushed Catch Wrestling more and more to the side. This was for a verity of reasons, safety chief among them. Submission holds increase the chance of injury, so for amateur wrestlers the risk was just great. Also the need for time limits for matches also made catch style wrestling less practical for amateurs. So Catch Wrestling became strictly for professional matches, where there was a cash prize and thus professional wrestling was born. Karl Istaz was a wrestler born in Antwerp, Belgium. A natural talent, Karl stated wrestling at the age of eight. His family moved to Germany and he excelled in competition but his story was almost cut short by the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s. Karl was sent to a labor camp, where he spent the duration war. When his camp was liberated Karl was severely malnourished and likely would have starved to death if the war had lasted any longer. As a testament to his amazing skill, just a few years later Karl qualified for the 1948 Olympics in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling at the age of 23. He won one match in Greco, and while not a medal it was impressive feat none the less considering his physical condition just a few years before the games. At the summer games, Karl was approached by the uncle of celebrated catch wrestler Billy Robinson. Referred to as Alf, he recruited Karl to come train at Billy Riley's famous gym. Karl trained there for several years and started appearing in Pro Wrestling matches in Europe in 1951. Pro Wrestling matches already at this time were often predetermined in outcome, called "works". Live matches or "shoots" would occur for private betting but those were not often recorded. Karl spent a decade at Riley's gym training and doing European matches. He then moved to the United States to train with Frank Wolfe. In 1961 Karl took the name 'Gotch' as a tribute to Frank Gotch, perhaps American history's most legendary Catch Wrestler. Karl Gotch became a staple in American Pro Wrestling, but his competitive nature remained strong. Gotch had no respect for Pro Wrestlers that just did worked matches and didn't have real wrestling backgrounds. As a result, Gotch was a threat to promoters to go against the decided script. These fears of many promoters were made real in a famous backstage clash with NWA Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers. Gotch and Rogers fought backstage and while the cause is unknown, Roger's hand was broken in the scuffle. This incident got Gotch black listed in the United States, so he moved on to the quickly growing Japanese Pro Wrestling scene. more after the jump... (A young Karl Gotch via 1.bp.blogspot.com) In 1972, Gotch appeared in the first event of the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion against Japanese star Antonio Inoki. The Japanese wrestling fans responded strongly to Gotch's athletic and competitive wrestling. Gotch appeared in matches up and down the isles of Japan and won several major titles. As more and more wrestlers flocked to learn from Gotch, his style influenced a whole generation of Japanese Pro Wrestlers. His influence was so strong it earned him the nickname "God of Pro Wrestling" from Japanese fans. His style incorporated much of his sport wrestling background and the "German Suplex" is named in honor of Gotch. He called it the Atomic Suplex and said he learned it from Finnish Greco-Roman wrestlers. When Gotch retired he devoted himself to training pro wrestlers. And he would pass on to his students his love of competition and real action over works. One of those students was Gotch's first opponent in Japan, Antonio Inoki. Inoki was a natural athlete competing at karate and track and field from a young age. He started pro wrestling at the age of seventeen and worked hard developing his grappling. Inoki took to Gotch's wrestling style and combined it with his own personal style of karate, Kansuiryu. Inoki called his wrestling "strong style". Inoki enjoyed matching his style against others in martial arts and while many of these were works, they were forerunners to Japanese MMA. In 1976 Inoki promoted a even in which he invited several martial artists to come compete in hook and shoot matches. This event included an Olympic Judo gold medalist, a Karate champion, and a boxer. This event is often pointed to as the start of "shootfighting" in Japan. While hardly the first shoot ever, but it was the first event in Japan were that the shoot was intended to be sport. It was another Gotch student however that would take things one step further. That same year as Inoki's shoot tournament a young man named Satoru Sayama debuted as a professional wrestler. Sayama was destine to become known as The Tiger Mask and be launched into the pantheon of Japanese Wrestling greats. (Antonio Inoki and Satoru Sayama "Tiger Mask" via www.oocities.org) Sayama had a strong personality but despite being his teacher, Gotch later didn't care for the man much, as Sayama developed a reputation as a gym bully. This abrasive nature lead Sayama to clash with many of his contemporaries. These clashes resulted in excellent fan reaction for grudge matches but left Sayama frustrated. He hated the back stage politics of picking starts and winners of worked matches. In 1985 Sayama retired from Pro Wrestling, but his frustration hadn't killed his love for competition. In 1986, Sayama took matters into his own hands and decided to follow Inoki's lead and form a sport out of shoot wrestling matches. He wanted to create a professional wrestling circuit with no works. The first event he held was an amateur event and he called the organization Shooto. Originally there were no gloves, so only punches to the body were allowed but open had strikes could be directed to the head, and no strikes were allowed on the ground. Kicks and knees were allowed to any part of the body and all submission holds were legal. Fighters who were knocked down were given an eight count to recover. In 1989, Shooto held its first professional event, and the sport began to grow quickly in Japan. Gloves were added and punches to the head became legal. A developmental system was put in place, where fighters could work their way up from being amateurs to top level professionals. Today, Class D and Class C level fighters fight with special point systems and with head gear in amateur matches for two, two minute rounds. Fighters who show the proper ability can advance to C+ Level fights were the headgear and special point system is removed and they fight two, three minute rounds amateur fights. Then there is Class B professional who fight full contact for for two, five minute rounds and Class A professionals fight for three rounds. By the early 1990s, Shooto was a thriving league that was beginning to strongly resemble modern MMA. (Shooting - vintage footage from Japan in the early 1990's via fenrismaelstrom) Other Karl Gotch students would go on to have major impacts in the development of Japanese MMA. Akira Maeda would go on to found a Pro Wrestling promotion based on Inoki's "strong style" wrestling that in the early 1990's would transform into the Mixed Martial Arts promotion RINGS, which would be a very successful promotion. They would go on to feature fights that included names like Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Fedor Emeliankenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Alistar Overeem and many more great fighters starting their careers. And it was Yoshiaki Fujiwara, widely considered Gotch's best student, who would introduce his own students Masaktsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki to Gotch. These two were looking to combine the spectacle of pro wrestling with the excitement of sport. When they were at a loss for a name, Gotch suggested calling the new promotion Pancrase as a way of honoring the orginal combat sport of the Greeks, Pankration. And Pancrase would go on to be the best and most successful of these early Japanese MMA promotions and create stars known throughout the MMA world, but that is a story for another article. Special Thanks to K.J. Gould and Nate Wilcox, without their help this Pro Westling illiterate would have been well and throughly lost. For More Reading On Karl Gotch, Japanese Pro Wrestling, Shooto Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Karl Gotch International Shoot Fighting Association Kid Nate's History of MMA: Proto MMA Evloves Out of Worked Pro Wrestling in Japan MMA Origins: Exploring Fight Sport's Ancient Roots Getting Medieval Vale Tudo and the Original MMA Rivalry Carlson Gracie Changes Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo

Posted in: japanese, wrestler, inoki, gotch, karl

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Photo by Taro Irei, Sherdog Name: Levan Razmadze Nickname: -- Age: 26 Height: 6'2" Location: Georgia This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy) In June 2008, the now-dead Japanese fight series Sengoku Raiden Championship was still alive and looking to developing new mixed martial arts talent. To that end, the promotion announced that they had signed four highly credentialed athletes in amateur wrestling and Judo, most notably 2004 Olympic Judo gold medalist Zurab Zviadauri. None of the fighters saw MMA action before Sengoku's demise, but in 2011 another member of the Georgian Olympic Judo team, Levan Razmadze (4-0) emerged as a result of the experiment and can currently be seen wreaking havoc on any Japanese heavyweights unlucky enough to cross his path. Listed ambiguously as a "freelance" athlete, little background information on Razmadze is publicly available. Since making his January professional debut in Tokyo, Japanese fans have dubbed him "Zangief" for his passing resemblance to the hulking Soviet Street Fighter character. Given his Judo lineage, Levan predictably depends on taking his opponents to the mat to win fights with submissions and controlled ground and pound assaults. Despite his unremarkable physique, he can close the distance on opponents fast and ground them with relative ease once clinched up. Razmadze's kickboxing is rudimentary at best, but his right cross and left hook are competent enough to close the gap and get him inside grappling range. So far Levan's foray into Japanese MMA has been nothing short of a massacre. With the heydey of Enson Inoue and Tsuyoshi Kosaka long gone, the current national heavyweight ranks could charitably be described as "barren". Radmadze capitalized on this state of affairs in 2011, debuting in the little-known Gladiator event before quickly ascending to the main series of Deep in June. He steamrolled promotional veterans Seigo Mizuguchi (9-10) and Kazuhisa Tazawa (7-2-1) in short order to assert his top status, collecting the Deep Megaton championship in the process. At this point, it's unclear what the future holds for Levan Razmadze. Far from a complete mixed martial artist, he needs to improve his striking skills and physical condition to become a credible heavyweight on the world stage. For now, he's all but cleared out Japan; a promotion to leading series Dream wouldn't address the issue either. Levan will likely have to go west to find the additional training and depth of competition needed to make his next step toward the world stage. Footage of Levan Razmadze after the jump... FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz #1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins #1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight #1 - Andrey Koreshkov#2 - Dhiego Lima#3 - Brandon Thatch#4 - Nordine Taleb#5 - Hernani Perpetuo#6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson #1 - Antonio Braga Neto#2 - Marcelo Guimaraes#3 - Claudio Silva #4 - Bojan Velickovic#5 - Ildemar Alcantara#6 - Michal Materla#7 - Elvis Mutapcic#8 - Tor Troeng#9 - Jack Hermansson#10 - Tim Ruberg #1 - Wagner Prado#2 - Phelipe Lins#3 - Tom DeBlass#4 - Misha Cirkunov#5 - Kyle Cerminara#6 - Robert Drysdale#7 - Artur Alibulatov#8 - Thiago Perpetuo#9 - Steve Bosse #10 - Juha Saarinen #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - Levan Razmadze#5 - Chris Birchler#6 - Ruslan Magomedov#7 - Adam Parkes#8 - Richardson Moreira #9 - Jan Jorgensen 10 - David Oliva Levan Razmadze vs. Kazuhisa Tazawa Levan Razmadze vs Seigo Mizuguchi Levan Razmadze vs. Ryota

Posted in: heavyweight, japanese, levan, razmadze, levan razmadze

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On the first day of May, in the year 1909, a large crowd filed into the International Pavilion Paschoal Segreton in Rio de Janeiro to witness another demonstration given by the "Professor of Jiu-Jitsu" Sada Miyako. Miyako was one of two Japanese nationals recruited by the Brazilian Navy to instruct their sailors in the art of hand-to-hand defense, and, as so many of his countrymen had done before him in North America and Europe, had taken to giving jujutsu exhibitions before a paying audience. [EN1] "For some days a terrible player has haunted the amusement hall audience with his indescribable agility, a jumping Machiavellian. Every night the Japanese champion challenges the audience to test themselves against him...""JIU-JITZU" A Pacotilha, June 14, 1909 And every night the outcome had been the same for any man that dared climb onto the stage to accept the challenge: a quick and embarrassing defeat. But the large crowd that filled the theater that night had not come to see the usual line of local strongmen trying their hand against the invincible "Jiu-Jitsu champion". Intermixed amongst the usual spectators were contingencies of Japanese nationals, Navy officers, government officials, journalists, members of high society, and students from the Faculdade de Medicina. And with that last group sat Cyriac Francisco da Silva, a 38-year-old former street fighter from the Municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes who now worked carrying sacks of coffee from the docks to downtown Rio. He was better known as "Macaco" ("Old Monkey"), one of the best, if not the best, capoeirista of the era. He had been brought here by his pupils, the medical students, to challenge Miyako and defend Brazil's national honor from the foreign import. And his presence was responsible for the night's considerable attendance, as both fight aficionados and the merely curious crowded in to the theater to witness this confrontation between two masters of jujutsu and capoeira. The fact that the match was even taking place was itself a surprise to many, for at the time capoeira was illegal, outlawed by the republican Criminal Code of 1890. Insistent requests were sent out for the law to be relaxed by Cyriac's supporters, while the capoerista himself argued that he be given the chance to defend the nation's honor : "I am quit confident in my skills, if I have a shot, I will not disappoint". Eventually the Federal authorities, military officials and the owner of the International Pavilion, Segreto Pachoal, all conceded to permit the match take place, And so, as soon as the nightly challenge was made on Miyako's behalf, Cyriac climbed on to the stage to accept. He then proceeded to remove his jacket, vest, cuffs, collar, and boots revealing the gi he was required to wear for the bout before taking his place opposite Miyako. Cyriac later described the match in the pages of the magazine "O Mahlo": "I went up there, saluted the Japanese and began my ginga. I sized him up, faked a slap and applied a leg sweep that had him off balance. But he stood. The crowd yelled: ‘Go for it Cyríaco!' I resumed my ginga leaning my body left and unleashed a rabo de arraia (stingray tail) that made him eat dust. I saluted the audience, gazed towards the man holding the clock, but the gringo refused to continue." [EN2] And with his victory, Cyríac was hailed a hero, carried in triumph by the students along the newly built Concerto Avenida, as they sang "a Ásia curvou-se ante o Brasil" ("Asia bowed to Brazil"), a quadra that was repeated all through the streets of Rio de Janiero. [EN3] For Jujutsu, the loss was a setback. In embarrassment the Navy removed Miyako and his countrymen as instructors. The interest and excitement the Japanese discipline had generated amongst the public now waned. Where the Fabril Athetic Club boasted in 1908 the large following jujutsu had at its club, by 1912 the sport had been eliminated. Jujutsu would need another attempt to plant its seed and see it take root in Brazil. On October of 1915 the Folha do Norte announced the coming of a new attraction to Belém, the capital of the Amazonion state of Pará: "The troupe will perform jiu-jitsu, wresting, boxing and Japanese fencing matches and is directed by the undefeated world champion Count Koma. He will offer 5,000 francs for anyone able to defeat one of the troupe's members formed by Okura, champion of Chile, Shimizi, champion of Peru, Satake, champion of New York and Luku a former military instructor in Peru. The troupe is currently in the state of Pará on its way to North America. Its performances were met with great success in other countries. The troupe will be dressing proper and decent attire, and its performance is rigorously family oriented. The troupe will parade through the streets in their traditional outfits." Conde Koma's real name was Matsuyo Maeda while Satake's full name was Soishiro Satake, two men who had a decade of experience each in the world of prizefighting. The two of them had been sent by the Kano Jigoro in 1904 to the United States to assist Tsunejiro Tomita in his efforts to spread Kodokan Judo. After almost a year of giving demonstrations at Princeton, Columbia, and West Point, offering private instructions, and running a dojo in New York City, the two young Judokas parted ways with Tomita and entered the world of professional wrestling and prizefighting. For the next decade they traveled throughout the United States, Europe, the Carribean, Central America, and South America, gathering the other members of their troupe along the way in Peru, Chile, and Argentina. They now found themselves in Brazil, having arrived in Porto Allegre from Uruguay on November 14, 1914. They spent the next year crossing the nation and performing, from São Paulo to Rio to Recife to São Luis, until finally reaching the northern frontier city of Belém. Their show included jujutsu demonstrations, self-defense advice, contests between the Japanese members, and, most famously, an offer of 5,000 francs to anyone who could beat them. This last challenge drew long lines of day laborers, local tough guys, vagrants, and other professional wrestlers looking to take home a small fortune in these tough economic times. The ease with which they defeated these challengers led to them being described as a troupe of "Nippon Hercules". One opponent attracted particular attention: the infamous capoerista Pé de Bol. The headline for the November 7th, 1915 edition of Folha do Norte blared: "Today: capoeira against jiu-jitsu! Everyone to Bar Paraense!" Recalling the previous match between Cyriac and Miyako, nationalism took hold as the people of Bélem rallied around their native son. They would be disappointed as Satake easily defeated him. [EN4] Finishing their stay in Belem they moved on to Manuas marching through the streets to announce their arrival: "A troupe Japanese jiu-jitsu fighters have comes to Pará to delight of patrons of the popular Theatre Politheama. This troupe is led by Conde Koma, world champion of "Jiu-jitsu," and will arrive, parading down the streets in their Eastern costumes. ""This renowned troupe is made up of: New York Champion Satake, Chile champion Okura , Argentina champion Shimitsu, and Laku, a former professor for Peru's military." "The celebrated Japanese troupe of fighters is led by Conde Koma, world champion of jiu-jitsu. - Jornal O Tempo, December 12th, 1915 At the Theater Politheama, where they had been booked by Octavian Pires Junior, they offered a familiar show of jujutsu techniques,a demonstration in Japanese arms, an exhibition contest between Shimitsu and Luku or Maeda and Satake, and the familiar challenge to the audience. On December 23rd it was announced that the following evening there would be a "Great fight between Koma and the Barbados boxer Adolpho Corbinian." That Christmas Eve, "Conde Koma defeated the boxer in seconds, showing his Nippon talents." Following his defeat Adolpho elected to become a disciple of Maeda. [EN5] A week later, on January 3rd 1916, Maeda faced the Turk Nagib Asse, a Greco-Roman wrestler who was billed as the Australian champion. Maeda would win the contest by armbar. A few weeks after this the troupe (with the exception of Satake who would settle in Manaus) would depart Brazil. For Maeda it would be but a short separation. Sailing to Liverpool, he travelled through England, France, Spain, and Portugal before returning to settle in Belém with his new bride D. May Iris sometime in 1916. Shortly thereafter Maeda would be introduced to a name that would have historic repurcusions for jujutsu and martal arts. In December of 1916 a member of Maeda's troupe, Uenish Sadakazu, faced the Italian-Agentine wrestler Alfredo Leconte in Manaus. Sadakazu would lose, in part thanks to Leconte's manager, one Gastâo Gracie. For the match Gastâo refused to allow Leconte to don the previously agreed upon gi. The Japanese relented but Leconte's behavior grew worse during the match. He entered the ring with his body greased, and took to the cowardly tactic of fleeing through the ropes whenever he found himself in any danger. The final insult was when Gracie arranged for his wrestler to be declared the winner after holding his opponent down for only a few seconds instead of the previous agreed thirty-second hold-down. [EN6] The resulting riot that followed Leconte's victory led to wrestling being banned in Manuas, so the follow up match between Leconte and Shimizu Kusaka was moved to Belém. Shimizu fared no better, as Leconte repeated the same tactics. The wrester's victory was followed by another riot and a ban on professional wrestling in Belém. This would not be the end of Maeda's relationship with Gracie. Beginning in late 1915, , Maeda began to offer jujutsu lessons at the Teatro Moderno in Belém advertising in the Folha do Norte: Good news in the realm of sports. We will have lessons in the favorite branch of Japanese sport: jiu-jitsu. Count Koma, currently performing on the stage of Bar Paraense, will stay with us to teach jiu-jitsu. Appropriate attire (gis) will be provided for children and adults. Count Koma also wants to teach jiu-jitsu in our private schools. We recommend for youngsters interested in physical fitness to enroll in jiu-jitsu lessons taught by the Japanese at Teatro Moderno. The Japanese martial art proved impressive enough for Gaståo that he saw fit to enroll his son, Carlos, in classes with Maeda beginning sometime in 1916. For the next two to three years, young Gracie studied under Maeda before moving with his family to Rio where he would share what he learned with his younger brothers, writing the next chapter in Brazillian martial arts.[EN7] Maeda would settle in Belém, his last public match there was on July 8th of 1920 against the Italian wrestler Victorio Segato at the Palace Theatre, who he defeated in "spectacular fashion" via an armbar. [EN8] He briefly departed for wrestling tournaments in Cuba and New York City in 1921, but returned in 1922, welcomed home by his pupil, Jacynth Ferro, who met Maeda's ship in a rowboat off the harbor. [EN 9] Upon his return Maeda focused on teaching Judo, establishing a permanent academy in Belém. Studying alongside Carlos Gracie were Donato Pires and the aforementioned Jacyntho Ferro. Maeda would also later serve as instructor to the Ono brothers. As for his fellow troupe members, Shimitsu and Okura served as instructors alongside Maeda until they returned to Japan in 1920. Laku would open a Judo dojo in Rio de Janiero, which he ran until the outbreak of the second World War and relocated to Peru. Maeda's old companion Satake settled in Manuas where he ran his own dojo, which Maeda would occasionally serve as an instructor at when visiting. Amongst their students were Luís França and Vinícius Ruas. Jiu-Jitsu had found a home in Brazil. SOURCES AND RESEARCH MODERNIZAÇÃO, NACIONALISMO E A ELITE: a origem do jiu-jitsu brasileiro, 1905-1920 by José Cairus Jornal do Capoeira bibliotecno END NOTES EN 1: Miyake also offered his services as a private instructor. Inqueries were to be addressed to "Rua Goncaalves Dias No. 78 or to Willegaignon Fortress" according to an advertisement published in the the May 2, 1909 Jornal do Comércio. EN 2: Other sources tell of Cyriac attained victory through methods "malicia". In one versions he wins by striking when his opponent extends his hand before the match officially starts. Another versions tell how Cyriac blinded Miyake at the beginning of their contest, by either throwing sand in his face, or, after biting hard on his own tongue to build up a large volume of saliva, spitting in his face. EN 3: May 2, 1909 Jornal do Comércio. Cyriac's victory was viewed as a victory for Brazil by many nationalists. He was invited to give a demonstration before a group of academics at the College of Medicine, and his face gifted the pages of Careta. In the wake of his triumph there was a large push towards instituting capoeira into the military (much to the Navy's embarrassment having hired Miyako), but it all came to naught. Ciriac died three years later with Capoeira still outlawed, and it would remain officially so until 1941. EN 4: As one Journalist explained afterwards "He admitted that he, like most Brazilians of his rank, had naively fallen under the spell of street capoeira. But he concluded in relief: fortunately not all Brazilians believe in it." EN 5: Jornal O Tempo December 23rd 1915 and December 25th 1915 EN 6: The event screams of a 'worked" professional wrestling match. That Gastâo was partners in the American Circus with the Queirolo brothers of Argentina, promoting wrestling matches throughout the Amazon, does little to dissuade that view. The only thing that would suggest it wasn't is the fact that there seems to have been some serious disagreements between the two camps over the outcome (large amounts of money appear to have been involved) and the resulting riots ruined their business for almost a year. It is also worth noting that the reports that Gastao's connection with Maeda was in helping with political and Japanese immigration problems is false and that they met as part of their mutual business interests in professional wrestling. EN 7: There may be some truth the Gracie's stories that Maeda taught Carlos something different from Judo. At the time Maeda seems to have made a conscious decision to refer to his art as jujutsu rather than Judo or Kano Jujutsu, perhaps to save the Kodokan any embarrassment, for at the time prizefighting was frowned upon. Maeda also seems to have made a pedagogical change to the usual instructions and offered no belts. Considering where he was and who he was instructing it is possible that at the time he was teaching a combination of Kano Jujutsu and no-holds-barred wrestling. After retiring from the professional wrestling circuit he would begin calling his martial art Judo, following the Kodokan curriculum with his students. EN 7: Folha do Norte, July 9th 1920 EN 8: According to José Cairus in MODERNIZAÇÃO, NACIONALISMO E A ELITE: a origem do jiu-jitsu brasileiro, 1905-1920 Ferro was a Greco-Roman wrestler who became Maeda's first student in Belém. As his senior pupil he often assisted in instructions and would have done so for Carlos during his time as a student of Maeda. Capoeira "Versus" Jiu-Jitsu from Caretas Magazine image via Jornal do Capoeira Conde Koma Wrestling image Troupe Japoneza image via wikipedia.com

Posted in: japanese, jiujitsu, maeda, jujutsu, troupe

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Japanese fans love Fedor Emelianenko, as the Russian fighter bounces back from a three-fight losing streak in Strikeforce.  In doing so, Fedor can also help give JMMA a desperate spark needed to help rejuvenate a nation with a faltering MMA scene. Hans Thompson, HDNet commentator, noted that the most recent DREAM fight on New Year’s Eve didn’t have the same flare as past events. I would say that it didn’t have quite the luster that even last year’s event – which was a relatively small event – because although there were a lot of good fighters, a lot of them had been fighting on Dream events all year long. I didn’t have big expectations for the card, but it turned out to be an entertaining – if not long – night of fights. In terms in size of the live audience, it looks the same as it did last year, but the absence of a major TV deal is a big obstacle for them. I think if they can get that sorted out, it will change the scale of the NYE shows and they might approach the scale of the shows in the past. But it’s a big if.” JMMA is said to be dying — and it’s honestly very hard to argue against that — but DREAM has continued to do its best to keep things going. However, as MMA begins to explode in China, Singapore, and other parts of Asia in 2012, there is a good chance some of that will trickle back to Japan. In addition to keeping its current stars active and successful, the next generation of Japanese fighters must begin to take the reigns.  We’ll see if changes can be made in 2012, as Japanese MMA fighters and promoters seek methods to

Posted in: mma, fighter, japanese, event, year

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Bellator's Season 6 bantamweight tournament has added Japanese fighters Masakatsu Ueda and Hiroshi "Iron" Nakamura.

Posted in: bellator, japanese, bantamweight, vet, japanese vets

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Ben Henderson is awesome. He hits with brick-smashing hardness, he moves with catlike speed and agility, he chokes people as if he were a snake, and he was a two-time All-American in wrestling while completing a double major in college. I used to wonder how Benson Henderson could be so good at life, but it now turns out that this combination of superhuman traits makes sense because he is actually part model minority. Henderson has a Korean mother and an African-American father. The fact that Ben Henderson is from the same breeding stock as Tiger Woods and Hines Ward means that he was destined from birth to have, in the immortal words of Robin Williams, both black athleticism and Asian concentration. Rumor has it that he is also able to barbecue and fry a chicken at the same time, garnishing it with both rotten cabbage and watermelon. The UFC recently paraded Henderson around Asia to promote his upcoming fight in Japan, and he had a chance to snap the above photo when he met his Korean family for the first time. Henderson raved about the experience on Yahoo’s Cagewriter blog, but the question remains, will the Korean public (and, more saliently, the Japanese public) embrace him as one of their own? Not to Zach Arnold out, but the Japanese hate Koreans. However, they love African-Americans. In this case, the Japanese may come to love both Henderson’s Asianness and the stories we tell the Japanese about him living in a broken down school bus by the river. Some videos of Henderson being Asian are available here. (talkin' lots about moms here aren't we?)

Posted in: korean, japanese, henderson, asian, korean mother

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We shit on the Japanese for everything that they do wrong, so it seems only fair to mention when they do something right as well. Word is DREAM has added P4P #1 female fighter Megumi Fujii to their DREAM: Genki Desu Ka New Year's Eve event. This marks the first time DREAM has included women on any of their cards, and I'd like to applaud them for not ignoring WMMA.Of course, this is Japan we're talking about so Fujii's opponent is 6-1 Karla Benitez, aka a can for Fujii to crush. Sorry Karla! I only consider you scum compared to Fujii! See how you scum! But that's how the Japanese tend to roll on NYE ... half the fights end up being showhorse performances against less than stellar opposition. Look at Fedor, who's supposed to face fizzled judo prospect Satoshi Ishii. If that even happens at all. And I'm sure once Sergei Kharitonov gets an opponent it'll be underwhelming as well.There's also been rumblings that freshly jailed wife beater Brett Rogers will be fighting on the card - his lawyers tried to have his sentence deferred until after December 31st and now MMA websites are reporting that he may face Tim Sylvia. The only positive part of that is that someone I hate will lose, but knowing Timmy he'll probably turn the fight into 15 minutes of top positioning or something. Which should be really fun to watch at 6AM in the morning. Will Sylvia actually make it to Japan or are they just dicking around with him again? I'm sure we'll find out a few days before NYE.Okay, enough bitching. For fans of pure Japanese fisticuffs, there's still enough good stuff to go around. Check out these fights: Shinya Aoki vs. Satoru Kitaoka (DREAM Lightweight Championship)Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Takeshi Inoue (DREAM Featherweight Championship)Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazuyuki MiyataHayato Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan And the latest bantamweight tournament semis and finals: Masakazu Imanari vs. Antonio BanuelosBibiano Fernandes vs. Rodolfo MarquesHideo Tokoro vs. Yusup Saadulaev (Reserve bout) As much as I'm looking forward to the bantamweight tournament fights, I'm also looking forward to being done with bantamweight tournaments in general. This is the second 135 pound tournament run by DREAM this year. Because the first one was the 'Japanese' tournament and this one is the 'World' one. Also because the people running DREAM ran out of more interesting gimmicks long ago.

Posted in: fight, vs, japanese, dream, tournament

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The UFC continued their quest to pay homage to PRIDE and Japanese MMA as a whole late Sunday night with the addition of Takanori Gomi to the organization’s upcoming return to the Land of the Rising Sun after a decade-long absence from one of the sport’s birthplaces. According to an official announcement, Gomi will face 14-4 Aussie George Sotiropoulos on a card already featuring fellow Japanese stars Hatsu Hioki, Yushin Okami, and Yoshihiro Akiyama. UFC 144 Shaping Up to be Something Special “The Fireball Kid” fought under the PRIDE banner fifteen times where he emerged as one of the top lightweights in the world, and became champion, due to wins over the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hayato Sakurai, and Mitsuhiro Ishida. He has since struggled to find his footing, being submitted in three of his last four fights with the lone victory involving a highlight reel knockout of Tyson Griffin. The 32-8 Gomi’s past struggles against grapplers should be music to Sotiropoulos’ ears with more than half of his overall in-ring success coming by way of submission. The 34-year old had won seven straight, including triumphs over Kurt Pellegrino, Joe Stevenson, and Joe Lauzon, and was on the cusp of a title-shot before falling in his last two bouts. UFC 144 is headlined by Frankie Edgar putting his lightweight championship on the line against Ben Henderson with other match-ups including Akiyama vs. Jake Shields, Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis, and Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader. PHOTO CREDIT – FEG Tweet

Posted in: ufc, japanese, takanori gomi, gomi, pride banner

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Filed under: UFCSeveral UFC fighters met the media in Japan over the weekend to promote the Feb. 26 UFC 144 show at the Saitama Super Arena, and one of the big questions facing the promotion is whether it can engage Japanese fans who have largely turned away from combat sports in recent years. One of the Japanese fighters on the show, Yushin Okami, thinks there is no question that the UFC will deliver just the kind of product that Japanese fans want. "It's been a while since I've fought in Japan, so I'm excited. I would love to bring the heat and atmosphere of the real UFC over to Japan," Okami said at the UFC's press conference (audio via DanielHerbertson.com). Okami has been the most successful Japanese fighter in the UFC, going 10-3 inside the Octagon and losing only to Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen and Rich Franklin. But his long-term success in the UFC may actually make him less known to fans in his home country because he hasn't fought back home in almost six years. While other successful Japanese MMA fighters have been fighting in front of Japanese fans, Okami has been fighting in the United States, with occasional stops in Ireland, Germany and Brazil. And Okami was never a big star in Japan, fighting only a couple of low-profile bouts in Pride. So Okami's name won't move the needle in Japan, but his fight with Tim Boesch is a good middleweight matchup, and the card -- headlined by Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson -- is very impressive from top to bottom. What the UFC is bringing to Japan is just a very good fight card, the best that Japanese fans have seen in a long time. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japan, okami, japanese fans

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 The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced the full fight card today of the organization’s return to the birthplace of mixed martial arts.  This highly anticipated event, the first in Asia under Zuffa ownership, features an epic lightweight title fight pitting champion Frankie Edgar against former WEC Champion Benson Henderson.  UFC® JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will take place at the Saitama Super Arena, in suburban Tokyo, on Sunday, February 26. UFC Japan – or UFC 144 – will also feature the return to Land of the Rising Sun of  Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, one of the biggest stars in the sport, in a bout which will mark the 6th anniversary to the day of his last fight in Japan.  Jackson faces rising star Ryan Bader, whose most recent win came just two weeks ago at UFC 139 in San Jose.  Other key matchups feature Mark Hunt, a veteran of Japanese kickboxing, versus French heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo; and Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama dropping a weight division to meet the always dangerous Jake Shields at welterweight.  Rounding out the main card will be a lightweight bout pitting the underrated Joe Lauzon, coming off a stunning 67-second submission over Melvin Guillard, against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis. The above-mentioned fighters Edgar, Jackson, Akiyama, Henderson, Bader and Shields, as well as Japan’s own top middleweight Yushin Okami, all appeared in the press conference at the Ritz Carlton Roppongi in Tokyo today along with other top Japanese fighters Hatsu Hioki, Takanori Gomi, “Kid” Yamamoto, Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki.  UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC International Managing Director Marshall Zelaznik, and Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer unveiled the complete card and discussed the upcoming event to be held at the Saitama Super Arena.  Full fight card:Main event - five roundsFrankie Edgar vs. Benson HendersonMain card -Rampage Jackson vs Ryan BaderMark Hunt vs Cheick KongoYoshihiro Akiyama vs Jake ShieldsAnthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzonprelims -Yushin Okami vs Tim BoetschTakanori Gomi vs George SotiropoulosHatsu Hioki vs Bart PalaszewskiKid Yamamoto vs Vaughan LeeRiki Fukuda vs Steve CantwellTakeya Mizugaki vs Chris CariasoLeonard Garcia vs Tiequan Zhang“Japan is the spiritual home of martial arts – the world has learned from the Japanese many aspects of how to compete in hand-to-hand combat with respect and honor,” said Fertitta.  “But Japan also has a proud history of modern mixed martial arts and I am excited to bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship back here, and to begin the build-up today to one of the most highly anticipated events of the year -- not just for Japanese UFC fans, but for sports fans all over the world.” “To mark this historic occasion of UFC’s return to Japan and Zuffa’s first event in Asia, we are bringing a truly stacked card, topped with a World Championship title bout,” noted UFC Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer.  “Frankie Edgar is one of the top pound-for-pound and toughest guys in the sport, and Benson Henderson is a former WEC champion who earned his title shot with three consecutive wins including most recently over Clay Guida in one of the best fights of 2011” Tickets for UFC® JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will be made available via pre-sale channels in Japan on November 28 and are priced at Japanese Yen (JPY) 100,000, 34000, 19000 9800, and 5800.  General availability begins December 10 in numerous outlets including Kyodo Promotion, E-Plus and Lawson Tickets.    UFC® fans in Japan will have the opportunity to purchase pre-sale tickets to this event starting today through UFC Mobile, and tomorrow through WOWOW and Nikkan Sports.  UFC® JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will be available live in the United States on Pay-Per-View at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US for Standard Definition and $54.99 US for High Definition.

Posted in: ufc, vs, japanese, japan, edgar

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Frankie Edgar says he's excited to fight in the Land of the Rising Sun and believes the Japanese fans will embrace his style.

Posted in: japanese, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie, japanese fans

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Earning legendary status is virtually every fighter’s fantasy. Yet few ever prove worthy of immortality among the ages. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the short list of timeless MMA stars is headed by names such as Sakuraba, Gomi, Sudo, Aoki and Akiyama. Another widely revered and dynamic figure in Japan, near the very top of the list, is the bundle of fast-twitch ferocity that is Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. The Japanese superstar who just happens to be Darren Uyenoyama’s next opponent. They say that when you beat another fighter, you steal a part of his achievements, a part of his power transfers to you. This potential inheritance is part of what drives Uyenoyama.“Ten years from now people will talk about Kid Yamamoto and what he did in his career,” Uyenoyama said in the days leading up to his UFC debut. “Other people would kill for these opportunities. I’ve been really fortunate, so I want to make the most out of it.” The UFC on FOX undercard matchup, which will be broadcast live and free on Facebook, strikes at the heart of Uyenoyama’s identity and therefore carries even greater consequence to him. He is a third-generation Japanese-American whose ancestry can be traced to Buddhist Church officials who relocated to Hawaii to serve Japanese migrants who worked in the cane fields. Though he was born in San Francisco, 32-year-old Uyenoyama had long romanticized Japan and its celebrated MMA scene. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner went from spectator to participant back in 2002, when he needed $3,000 to cover expenses for his wedding. A Japanese MMA organization offered him a fight – for exactly $3,000. Uyenoyama accepted, and notched his first pro win via decision before walking down the aisle and tying the knot. A veteran of Strikeforce, Uyenoyama has fought on several other occasions in the land of his ancestors. In his most recent fight, last year, the heavy underdog upset then-Shooto champion Shuichiro Katsumura in a non-title affair. Despite notching the biggest win of his career, Uyenoyama feels unfulfilled and disappointed regarding his time in Japan. He had expected more, wishing the Japanese would embrace him as one of their own. “Me being a Japanese-American, I wanted to be accepted by them, to show that I was worthy,” he said. “I was a big fan of the Japanese MMA scene so I had this view that it was so great. Then I went over there and saw how things really were and I was kind of jaded by it. It was really hard because when I was fighting there they wanted me to behave like a Japanese fighter but they treated me like a foreigner. They didn’t treat me too well. Every situation that they brought me in for was on like two weeks’ notice against one of their best guys. And they would always want me to bring like one cornerman, or no cornermen, you know. I felt like I was being set up to fail.” After a lengthy contract dispute, Uyenoyama signed with the UFC. The Ralph Gracie black belt was surprised to learn that the opponent for his UFC debut would be a Japanese legend. “This was supposed to happen a long time ago (in Japan),” Uyenoyama said. “Even though this is in the UFC it’s really a Japanese MMA fight. You have two guys who are known in the Japanese MMA scene so I think it will be super-exciting. I don’t see myself holding back and playing it safe and I don’t think he will play it safe, either. “I see him coming across the ring. He’s going to judge if I’m intimidated; I’m going to show him that I’m not. I will close the distance with him and display how good my grappling and top position ground and pound is. If I end up on bottom I will show some transitions and submissions that have never been seen before.” With a Pan American championship and World Grappling Games title on his resume, Uyenoyama’s world-class ground skills are beyond reproach. Yet the nine-year veteran has never been able to shake the one-dimensional label of being “a jiu-jitsu guy” in MMA. Because of that reputation, Uyenoyama suspects that Yamamoto is salivating at the matchup. “Honestly, I think he thinks this is an ideal matchup for him,” Uyenoyama said. “He knows that I’m a smaller 135-pounder because I plan on going down to 125. So he won’t be fighting one of the bigger guys like Michael McDonald or something. I think they see me as a smaller, less physically strong guy in the 135-pound division. And he’s got a good record against (so-called) ‘Jiu-jitsu fighters.’ He’s beaten Bibiano Fernandes, Rani Yahya and Royler Gracie. So I think they see me as fitting into a mold of fighters that he’s beaten already.”Uyenoyama took the fight precisely because he believes the scouting report on him is a bunch of hooey. “People go, ‘Ah, he’s just a grappler or a jiu-jitsu guy that tries to take everybody down. But I’ve sparred with a lot of guys like Chris Cariaso and Joachim Hansen … these guys have all been huge influences on me,” Uyenoyama said. “So people who think I’m just a grappler are in for a big surprise. This is the first time I’ve had a full camp to prepare for a fight and my striking is a lot better than what I’ve shown in fights before. My grappling for MMA is better than ever. There’s also a huge stylistic difference between me and most jiu-jitsu guys. What they’re underestimating is that when I fight high-level competition, I tend to meet that high level of competition. I’ve been fighting guys with 30 plus fights since I had my fifth fight. Every time I step up. So I think they’re anticipating what I’m going to do – but I don’t even know what I’m going to do.”Uyenoyama (6-3) and Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) are not strangers. The paths of the grappling ace and explosive knockout artist have crossed numerous times before, with each encounter marked by cordiality and respect. “I wouldn’t say we’re friends but we’re pretty friendly,” Uyenoyama said. “We e-mail each other, and when he was here in the states he would call me for directions. We have a lot of mutual friends. He had been at my last three fights and would always come up to me afterwards and say, ‘Ah man, that was a good fight.’ A fighter from his camp came to the states and stayed with us. So I wouldn’t say we’re friends – I’m not going to pull the Tito Ortiz-Chuck Liddell thing – but we’re acquaintances, I guess.” Mindful that the once-dominant Yamamoto has dropped three of his past four fights, Uyenoyama defended his foe, touching on the oft-discussed hard luck that Japanese fighters have experienced inside the Octagon in recent years (with “hard luck” meaning fighters other than Yushin Okami not being very successful). Uyenoyama even floated an interesting theory for the curious trend. “It’s not just Kid specifically, but Japanese fighters in general have had a rough run in the UFC lately,” Uyenoyama said. “I think a lot of it can be attributed to travel. When the Americans flew over to fight in PRIDE sometimes they were losing a lot. Right now we’re seeing it more with the Japanese. I think it’s travelling, being away from home, having to rely on a new diet, the time changes, knowing where to get food and how to eat properly, getting thrown off when you travel to a foreign country. “For him (Kid) as an individual, he’s got a lot of responsibilities; he’s got a huge gym and a lot of fighters that he’s training now. And in Japan he’s a huge star, as big, if not bigger, than (Japanese TV star and UFC fighter Yoshihiro “Sexyama”) Akiyama. So I’m sure he has other obligations.”Uyenoyama also has a lot on his plate, juggling training, instructing at his academy and family life. The time crunch forced him to sacrifice trips to the bay. “You know, I like surfing. Shoot, if I could be a professional surfer I would drop this fighting thing in a heartbeat!” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m not that good at surfing. Before I was fighting in the UFC I would go all the time. But now, with so much on the line, I haven’t been surfing for months. That’s something I miss out on, especially because the surf is so good this time of the year. So I read the surf reports but I’m locked in the gym. Other than that, I’m just focused on raising my kids.” For Uyenoyama, there is a strong link between fighting and fatherhood. They are not mutually exclusive. He fights for self-revelation, hoping to pass on lessons learned to his children, just as his ancestors did. “My great grandfather was placed in an internment camp during World War II,” he said. “My grandfather served in the U.S. Army and, at the time, even though there was the Vietnam War and the Korean War, people in the U.S. didn’t really differentiate between if you were Vietnamese, Korean or Japanese. If you were Asian you were referred to as a ‘Jap’ or some other derogatory term. So from my mom’s generation down to me we were always taught that we had to stand up for ourselves or work harder so that we weren’t looked down upon. From my family’s experience we always had a chip on our shoulders. I would hear stories from my grandmother all the time about how we needed to work twice as hard to get the same recognition, so that has definitely impacted me.“For me, fighting is a personal test. I have a gift for it and I feel an obligation to that gift to see how far I can go. Fighting has taught me that I’m a lot tougher than I originally thought. It’s taught me to work hard for what I want. It’s allowed me to be a good example for my son … We live in a weird time. We have a lot of people doing this “Occupy Wall Street” stuff and people kind of feel entitled to stuff. Martial arts have given me a way that I can earn every dollar. It’s given me a way to teach my son that you can make it if you work hard. That’s the most important thing it has given me.”

Posted in: fight, i ’m, japanese, ’m, uyenoyama

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There was a certain expectation in the minds of hardcore fans when Japanese featherweight kingpin Hatsu Hioki stepped into the Octagon this past Saturday at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many of us hoped for a definitive answer to a question while others sought to lay more bricks onto the foundation of an argument that has become more prevalent as time has passed. Can Japanese fighters compete with their American counterparts? Over the past few years, the answer has been a resounding no. Nearly every single high-level Japanese mixed martial artist who trains extensively in the Land of the Rising Sun has failed in the UFC, leading to even broader generalizations such as the notion that Japanese MMA is dead. The USAT/MMA Nation consensus #2-ranked featherweight was supposed to, at least for one night, calm those fears. His perceived victim, The Ultimate Fighter season eight contestant George Roop, didn't play the part, however, giving Hioki all he could handle for three rounds and nearly pulling off his second consecutive upset. Fortunately for Hioki, two judges awarded him the win. During the post-fight interview, Hioki touched upon the generalization that many of us have made about Japanese MMA: "I want to say something to the world, even though we are in a tough situation, Japanese MMA is not dead," Hioki stated. "It's time to change." Hioki is right. Japanese MMA isn't dead by any stretch of the imagination, nor will it ever actually cease to exist. Most fans understand that the exaggerated message is a less verbose way of saying it's at a low point. Among most fans, however, the verbal jabs and arguments are specific to the lack of evolution. We've talked in great lengths about this subject in the past. Japan doesn't have the infrastructure to consistently create quality mixed martial arts fighters. A lacking amateur circuit, inadequate training facilities, lessened knowledge, and the absence of top-flight coaches in vital fighting arts like wrestling make it almost impossible for Japanese fighters to compete against the best fighters in the world. It's time to change. Luckily for those of us hoping to see the underdog one day prevail, the wheels are already in motion for a momentous comeback. More Japanese fighters are traveling overseas and away from homes to improve. Hatsu Hioki trained under Firas Zahabi at Tristar Gym in the lead-up to Saturday's contest. Former Sengoku featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara has sought out the help of Greg Jackson in New Mexico after losing three of his last four fights. Akiyo Nishiura traveled to the U.S. to train with Matt Hume in the lead-up to his fight with Hideo Tokoro at DREAM 14.  Things aren't going to change for the better overnight, but breaking the stubborn practices that Japanese fighters have made in the past is a good sign. Times are changing and other Japanese fighters need to follow suit, not just for the betterment of their own careers, but for the good of the sport in Japan. In the long-term, these fighters are instrumental in helping the next generation of Japanese MMA fighters succeed. Why not instill the idea that it takes knowledge to succeed in the country's youth interested in combat sports? Obviously, this doesn't solve every problem. The stubborn mentality, however, is the outer wall of the castle. With time and proof that Japanese fighters are improving by leaps and bounds by utilizing facilities outside of the country, a shift will eventually happen. Is Japanese MMA dead? No, just behind the times. Hopefully Japanese fighters will take the path less traveled and continue evolving. Perhaps one day, in our lifetime, Japan will rise again.

Posted in: time, fighter, japanese, hioki, japanese fighters

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LAS VEGAS - Japanese submission ace Hatsu Hioki admits his UFC 137 win over fellow featherweight George Roop wasn't the most convincing victory in MMA history. There were octagon jitters during his first UFC win. There were tactical mistakes during the 15-minute contest. And perhaps most importantly, Roop was was just one tough S.O.B. But the important thing for Hioki is that he did walk away with the victory. And since he's currently the de facto flag-bearer for Japanese MMA, Hioki believes his performance proves his countrymen can also be successful in the octagon.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, hioki, octagon jitters, ufc success

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Hatsu Hioki was viewed as maybe the last hope of a great Japanese fighter to come to the UFC and compete among the best in the world in his weight class.

Posted in: ufc, japanese, japanese fighter, hioki, hatsu

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Japanese fighters have hardly thrived in the UFC. Will Hatsu Hioki take a different path?

Posted in: ufc, japanese, hioki, hatsu hioki, curse

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Hatsu Hioki knows what it means to the world of Japanese mixed martial arts for him to be successful in a UFC career that begins this Saturday night in Las Vegas against George Roop. He is well aware of what has happened to his countrymen Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Takanori Gomi, “Kid” Yamamoto, and Caol Uno, in recent times, and he is determined not just to become the first Japanese fighter to win a UFC title, but to make a statement to the world.That statement is a simple, yet profound, one, and when asked how important a victory for him this weekend would be, not just for himself, but for the Japanese people, he answered, “It is very important since I would like to prove that the Japanese still can fight.” It’s a message of national pride from a fighter who has competed at a high level in several major organizations in his homeland like PRIDE, Sengoku, and Shooto, winning titles in the latter two promotions. Hence the high level of anticipation for his arrival in the Octagon, one which he knows comes attached with an equally high amount of pressure.“Yes, I feel some pressure,” he admitted through translator / manager Kei Maeda. “I will try to beat the pressure and Mr. Roop.”So why is Hioki’s debut such a big deal? Well, start with the fact that he is a groundfighting expert who has finished half of his 24 wins via submission, including victories over Mark Hominick and Chris Manuel, but he can also handle himself on the feet, making him dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He also owns victories over Jeff Curran, Baret Yoshida, Marlon Sandro, and Takeshi Inoue, but his biggest win may have been a 2008 TKO of Japanese legend Rumina Sato.“That was a huge boost to my confidence as a fighter,” said Hioki, who defeated Sato in the middle of a current 12-1-1 stretch where the only blemishes have been a 2008 draw with Hiroshi Nakamura and a controversial split decision loss to current UFC featherweight Michihiro Omigawa in 2009. Winner of four in a row, an April submission win over Donald Sanchez was also a key one, not just because it propelled him into the UFC, but because it was the first major event in Japan since the tragic earthquake and tsunami that rocked the nation in March of this year.“I feel really sorry for those who have been affected by the disaster,” he said. “It's my job to do my best in the fight as always, but I hoped that my fight had some positive and encouraging effects for them.” After the bout, the word started getting out that the Nagoya native was ready to seek out bigger game, and in June, Hioki made the move to the UFC.“The UFC looked to give me the best and the hardest challenge now with the current roster,” he said. “The UFC featherweight division is stacked, and at the top of the division Mr. (Jose) Aldo has no holes in his game, it seems. He’s very explosive.”The 28-year old Hioki is no slouch either, and he promises that new fans will see a bout to remember at UFC 137.“My style is to utilize all MMA skills and control the pace of fights,” he said. “Please expect to see the toughness of the Japanese fighting spirit.”It’s something that has never been lacking in the Japanese fighters competing in the Octagon, but for some reason, most have never been able to match their success at home with that in the UFC. When asked for his thoughts on the topic, Hioki said “there are so many reasons, like rules and cultures. However, just like Mr. (Takeya) Mizugaki, who just had a big win (over Cole Escovedo), winning streaks from Japanese fighters will emerge more from now on.”And Hatsu Hioki is more than willing to lead the charge. Working on “practicing elbows and imagining using the cage in sparring,” he will get a stern test in Roop, who has scored upsets over Chan Sung Jung and Josh Grispi in a little over a year’s time, but he’s ready for him and ready to take his first steps as a UFC fighter. “I always try to grow as a fighter and enjoy all aspects of this fighting game,” he said.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, hioki, japanese fighters

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Hatsu Hioki is regarded by many as the last Japanese representative that could potentially make waves in the United States mixed martial arts scene. In Japan, he found success in every organization that he fought in, from his victory over Jeff Curran in Pride to his TKO win over Rumina Sato in Shooto. He even crossed the Pacific to defeat Mark Hominick twice in TKO. His rise to fame began in World Victory Road in 2009 as entrant in the Featherweight tournament. Other names included UFC featherweights Nam Phan, Chan Sung Jung, and Michihiro Omigawa as well as Marlon Sandro and Masanori Kanehara. Hioki is currently the number two featherweight in the world according to the USA Today / MMA Nation consensus rankings and is viewed by many as one of the few men at the weight class that could truly test Jose Aldo. He fights George Roop on Saturday and is possibly one win away from a title shot. The question however is can Hioki find success in the United States when his fellow countrymen have failed miserably? Michihiro Omigawa's signing was met with much excitement. Omigawa had finally found himself at the featherweight division after years as the fodder at lightweight. He was no longer outsized by bigger fighters after adopting weight cutting practices and developed his boxing to compliment his judo. Unfortunately, his return to the UFC was unsuccessful and he was soundly defeated by Chad Mendes. He dropped his next fight against Darren Elkins, despite the fact that many felt he did enough to win. He's now 0-4 in the UFC. Norifumi Yamamoto was at one time viewed as the top lighter weight fighter in the world. A dream match was often discussed between matching him up with Urijah Faber. He made his UFC debut at UFC 126 against Demetrious Johnson. Yamamoto has always been known for his wrestling, even attempting to make the Japanese Olympic team. Johnson not only beat him on the feet, but was able to take him down at will and keep him on the ground. For Yamamoto it may just be a case of too many outside distractions that have caused his decline and could be the reason that he's gone 1-3 in his last four fights. Injuries have kept him sidelined and he's expected to fight a virtually unknown Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on Fox.  Takanori Gomi was once considered the very best lightweight fighter in Japan. He ruled Pride with his knockout power and his incredibly underrated wrestling. Like Yamamoto he had a decline before making his stateside debut, but since joining the UFC ranks, he's going 1-3. He's lost all three times by submission and has shown up in incredibly bad shape. His sole loss was against Tyson Griffin who has recreated himself at 145. Fans and media are wondering why the UFC is keeping Gomi around and it is quite possible that he's only being used to legitimize the rumored UFC Japan card. He doesn't add anything to the division and isn't much of a challenger for anyone else at 155.  And then there is Yoshihiro Akiyama. Before his signing, Dana White was tweeting about how he signed the man to challenge Anderson Silva. Fans bought into his hype and believed that Akiyama would return to save us from the Spider's reign of dominance. Instead he fought a totally uninspired fight against Alan Belcher, one that I still believe the Talent won. After that win, he's gone on a three fight losing streak. First he was triangle choked and forced to tap by Chris Leben, then he was jabbed for 15 minutes by Michael Bisping, and most recently he was knocked out for the second time in his career by Vitor Belfort. Akiyama, like Gomi is most likely being kept around for the Japanese card, but he hasn't given fans and media any reason to believe that he can hang with the best of the division.  Ignoring the limited success non Japanese fighters were competed overseas have had in the UFC, it is a fair question to ask with regards to Hatsu Hioki. Japanese MMA Fans are counting on him to prove that the country is still relevant in some capacity to the overall MMA scene. Fans are overlooking his first test in George Roop, possibly because he still carries the The Ultimate Fighter tagline with him. Roop has made vast improvements since his time on the reality show and is one of the few contestants from his season still under UFC contract. Roop became the very first man to knockout Chan Sung Jung as well as stopping Josh Grispi with a body punch.  It is safe to assume that Hioki is unlike his peers and isn't vastly overrated by fans and media. He possesses legitimate skills and is a real test for anyone that is matched up against him. The fear is that he'll become just another Japanese MMA fighter who washed out of the UFC. He was impressive in Sengoku but how good was his competition. Kanehara was extremely overrated and Marlon Sandro was just knocked out by Pat Curran in Bellator. Hioki has the opportunity to do what only Yushin Okami has done before him. He has the chance to be the man to prove that Japanese Mixed Martial Arts is still relevant. He just needs to adopt American practices.  SBN coverage of UFC 137: St. Pierre vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, japanese, fan, he, hioki

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Welcome to this edition of MMAterial Facts, where we feature articles from around the MMA community. *** This week’s MMAterial Facts: - Fedor vs. Henderson Caricature (LowKick) “The arena will be open for 22,000 people. Right now we have certain difficulties with tickets, simply because our partners at Kassir.ru are unable to cope with such a high demand for tickets. But I want to assure everyone that the issue will be solved and everyone will have an opportunity to purchase a ticket.” - Jon Jones Explains Why He Is Fighting Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 (MMA Fighting) “To [Rashad's] surprise, I took the fight, and after I took the fight, he decides that his hand isn’t ready, and he’s going to need more time. So, with me already agreeing with Dana that I would take a fight at UFC 140, Dana called me back and said, ‘Hey, listen, Rashad decided that he can’t compete at UFC 140, what would think about fighting Lyoto Machida?’ And I said ‘absolutely’.” - All kinds of messages sent by UFC with second show on same day as Japan event (Fight Opinion) “By UFC running a show in Las Vegas on the same day as their Japanese event, it will allow them to give the media a cue to bury the importance of the Japanese event and to hype the Vegas show as the A-show. The flip-side of this, of course, is that the Japanese fans are smart customers. Already telling them to show up for a main card at 10 AM at Saitama Super Arena is a joke and now telling them that the Japanese show is essentially a B-level show is basically waving the white flag at this point. Sure, UFC could conceivably book Rampage Jackson vs. Shogun if Shogun loses to Dan Henderson, but that’s not a main event that’s going to draw a huge crowd in Japan. However, it would allow UFC to split the difference and give their American fans a reason to downplay the struggles of the Japanese show. You run Shogun/Rampage in Japan as the Japanese main event but have it air on American PPV as the semi-main event fight for a big Vegas PPV card.”… Matt Hume, on Mauro Ranallo’s radio show yesterday, claims that Softbank is supporting UFC’s Saitama event.” - UFC 136: Brian Stann only needs five seconds to knockout Chael Sonnen (MMA Mania) “I think people are underestimating me. I’m a difficult guy to wrestle to the ground. I’m also a difficult guy to hold on the ground. Chael’s the best at doing those things so we’re gonna find out quickly. People forget that I train with the best guys in the world. Obviously, I wouldn’t be confident if I was losing every single second of every day at the gym.” - Jon Jones Buys First New Car, A $190,000 2012 Bentley (MMA Convert) “Today was a good day for Jon Jones. Actually, “one of the best days of [his] life,” as he put it. Jones bought himself his first new car — a very expensive first new car in the form of a 2012 Bentley Continental GT. Jones didn’t say how much he paid for it, but the sticker price for that particular model comes in at a whopping $190,000. It’s good to be the champ.” - Rejoice, The UFC will soon be on your Xbox dashboard (MiddleEasy) “Wow, the promises made at E3 are coming to fruition: The UFC is coming to your Xbox dashboard in a big way on December 1st. Finally you will be able to order UFC Pay Per Views through the Xbox in HD (UFC 140 is the first available live show), you will be able to view what I assume to be an extended back catalog of Zuffa owned fights, and even predict live UFC matches and compare your fight prediction record with your friends. “ - Can Fedor right the ship? (NBC Sports MMA) “The UFC’s breakneck stretch of four events in four weeks ends this Saturday in Houston, with arguably the promotion’s best card since it invaded Toronto’s Rogers Centre in March, wowing a record 55,000 fans. Instead of limping to the finish line, the UFC boasts a show that features two title fights, a true No. 1 contender fight, and a possible No. 1 lightweight contender in the making.” - MFC 31 Results: Jimmo Wins 16th Straight, Judges Test Half Point Scoring (Cage Potato) “If last night’s MFC 31 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada , which utilized the half-point scoring system that Doc Hamilton proposed would improve MMA judging, taught us anything it was that half-point scoring is just as flawed as whole point scoring.” - Frankie Edgar is looking for an answer against Gray Maynard tomorrow night (Five Ounces of Pain) “That (trash talk) always get the people going and it sells fights, but for myself, and being the kind of person I am, I’d rather do my work in the cage,” Edgar explained in a conversation with the UFC’s website. “Gray’s a pretty reserved dude, and so am I, and I think our fight will speak for itself.” - Third Time’s the FINAL Charm for Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard (5thRound) “If posting a 2-1-1 record against Maynard is Edgar’s lifelong goal, which it likely isn’t, UFC president Dana White (Pictured) professed there will not be a fourth tango between the two – regardless of what goes down during their trilogy this Saturday.” - Culinary Workers Union creates anti-UFC website (TheFightNerd) “Maintained by the Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, the website uses the acronym of UFC to stand for “Unfit For Children” instead of the “Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Dana White’s many rants are listed in detail on this page across a series of sub-categories, including “Obscenities”, “Slurs” which features many of the comments DFW directed at Loretta Hunt among others, “Cheap Shots” which focuses on remarks about random people involved in entertainment and sports, and “Other $#@%!!!” which documents rude comments that UFC fighters have said about others, including Chael Sonnen’s negative thoughts on Brazil. On the sidebar of the page, the Union also lists companies that promote and support the UFC, including TapouT, Xyience, Bud Light, and Harley Davidson. “ - UFC 136: The 5 Most Pivotal Rematches in UFC History (BleacherReport.com/MMA) “But, with such a meaningful rematch approaching that will change the look of the division for the foreseeable future, I find myself reflecting on previous rematches that had a similar effect. Fights that represented a fork in the road and created a new era.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, show, japanese, event

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submitted by Hesperus [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: japanese, daniel herbertson, japanese mma, decline, herbertson

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There's an ongoing pattern with how MMA writers respond to Japanese MMA. When Takanori Gomi lost to Nate Diaz, pieces went up exclaiming the "end of Japanese MMA's relevance". The same thing happened to Maximo Blanco, and it's been the story everytime a fighter cutting his teeth in Japan comes to the US, and loses. So what's the real narrative here? Are their North American counterparts just better? Or are other factors at play? Obviously, you can't talk about the decline in Japanese MMA without first looking at how the major shows burst into political flames. For Pride, it all started with rumors filed against Pride's then parent company, Dream Stage Entertainment, of being connected with the Yakuza. The pressure that came from these allegations in print forced FujiTV to drop DSE-related programming, and the rest was history. Japanese MMA isn't what it once was, but what has happened to all the ranked fighters? To Kid Yamamoto? Michihiro Omigawa? Takanori Gomi? Etc. In two of these cases, it should be pointed out that they were given title contenders right out the gate. Which is a bit much. On top of that neither Gomi nor Kid entered the UFC in their primes. Omigawa's stuck plummeted after losing to Darren Elkins (despite receiving a win bonus for a bogus decision). Already there's clearly more beneath the surface. And If Hatsu Hioki loses to George Roop, you can guarantee writers will be at it again proclaiming the death of Japanese MMA. "JMMA" may not be worthwhile to many writers, but their tone suggests it is worthless. However, there clearly is a gap between the type of MMA offered in Japan, and the type of MMA offered in North America. When it comes to knowledge of the Japanese MMA scene, it doesn't get much better than MMAFighting's Daniel Herbertson, and Sherdog's Tony Loiseleur. With the former doing brilliant work covering the unique journey of Enson Inoue, and the latter doing work on Shooto's tax scandal like an actual journalist, it doesn't get much better than these two. So why is Japanese MMA lacking? It turns out there's more to the equation than arbitrarily pointing fingers. When you think about what makes American MMA different, you have to also think about its wide, intimately linked network. The Greg Jackson's of the world aren't a dime a dozen, but there are enough facsimiles to emphasize how well MMA is understood, and how seriously it's taken in North America when it comes to understanding what makes for effective fighting. Many trainers understand concepts like "phase-shifting", and the ability to transition between disciplines. "A typical Japanese MMA training session would be an exhausting "warmup" that can sometimes take up to an hour, followed by one or two techniques repeated only a few times, then hours of sparring", Daniel Herbertson notes. "There are specialty coaches (striking, wrestling, and sub wrestling coaches at most good places) at gyms but they really aren't utilized to their full potential as the focus is so much on sparring and less on acquiring new skills" Tony Loiseleur expands on this, citing the anomaly that is Yushin Okami. "I've lost track of how many times I've interviewed a fighter off the record about  their gameplan for an upcoming opponent, only to receive the answer 'I'm just training really hard and am prepared to react to what my opponent does....only within the last year or so have fighters realized that YouTube exists for more than just killing time...In the last interview I did with Okami, he brought up another important point in how training in the US differs from Japan: In Japan, we tend to be more more regimented between disciplines when we train; we do have MMA training, but boxing is boxing, wrestling is wrestling, and grappling is grappling. It's all separated and doesn't always flow into each other", explains Okami. Okami continues, "When you learn from an American MMA sensei, you learn MMA...Disciplines aren't so separated, everything flows into each other and you're able to understand what exactly MMA is. The role of geography is also something else Loiseleur highlights. This may seem like an irrelevant point on the surface, but geography ultimately speaks to the phenomenon that there are simply less resources available in Japan. "As Japan is a country that piles its best, brightest, and most commerically viable into its capital city of Tokyo, Japan's MMA industry is wholly located in this one city where space is naturally at a premium. It may sound strange, but having the space in which to train freely without bumping into the next guy, as well as the space to place the proper equipment is impossible to find here. Missing are the enormous warehouse-style all-in-one training centers that populate North America, where you can find a cage and a ring, workout equipment, mat space, and a large staff of specialized instructors working together to perfect their unique style of MMA" In addition, "Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, (making it) harder for fighters to maintain the kind of lifestyles that North American's top fighters might take for granted...Further, the monthly cost of training, a diet appropriate for sports, supplements, equipment, even clothing is fairly expensive here. One pound of whey protein, for example, goes for about $60 to $70 depending on the current rate of exchange, and it's not rare to see fighters being awarded a bag for winning a bout on the grassroots level...naturally, some things get left out and stay left out in a fighter's career" As observers of sports, we've never more critical of athletes then when they fail mentally. I would never argue that some sort of emerging pattern exists in the way Japanese fighters falter mentally. Quite the opposite: when you consider that their debut fights were against the reigning champion across the Pacific, Yoshihiro Maeda and Takeya Mizugaki put in gutsy, respectable performances against Miguel Torres (Torres may be forgotten, but it's not hard to imagine Torres fighting Cruz this weekend if the decision goes his way against Johnson). But an element of "culture shock" is worth reflecting on. Loiseleur continues, "In traveling to a country where everyone looks physically different from yourself, speaks a different language, and acts and reacts in different ways (it) can provide for a very jarring experience. The culture shock alone is enough to put one's mind off of training, let alone performing one's best in a fight. Case in point: when I had my first sit-down interview with Tatsuya Kawajiri, one thing he made abundantly clear was that while he liked the idea of fighting in a cage and using elbows, he absolutely dreaded fighting in the US and disliked Western fight culture. He was unsettled by the rudeness of the fans, particularly their readiness to boo" When you look at the UK, you might say they've picked on quick given the lack of MMA history. And yet Japan, with its very rich history, continues to lag. What explains that? Might the role of language be a factor? "Go "Shiroobi" Yamamoto wrote a short blog piece that touches upon this idea of exchange at his Skill MMA Blog. He notes in one segment how UK-based mixed martial artists have improved a lot in the past few years owning to the simple fact that they speak English, and thus have access to vast resources of MMA information, most of which is arguably in English. It took grappling nerds like Shinya Aoki to introduce the rubber guard to Japan a few years after Eddie Bravo was marketing it and witing books about it, mostly because Japanese fighters besides Aoki (at the time) had zero interest in what was going on across the Pacific", notes Loiseleur. Loiseleur and and Herbertson help illuminate what makes Japanese MMA so different, and more importantly, help explain how those differences affect performance. These are not meant to be excuses. Instead they're explanations for why where once Japan was a veritable Mecca for mixed martial arts, it has now become a punchline among MMA writers and observers. However, Japan has a nice amateur infrastructure: an infrastructure far removed from the types that have plagued North America. This was a big, but largely ignored story highlighted by Jake Rossen in the West Virginia scene a couple of years ago (Virginia being the place involving what is MMA's most heinous decision ever in awarding Mike Easton a split decision win over Chase Beebe). According to Herbertson, "The amatuer and rookie pro systems are easily the best in the world. The amateur Shooto, Pancrase, and ZST tournaments consistently turn out the best fighters in Japan....Nothing in Western countries can compare to the structure and support system in amateur Shooto. Once a fighter goes through the amateur system, the rookie pro tournaments in these promotions are also outstanding." Despite the state of Japanese MMA, it can't get any worse. And in some ways, it feels like it's beginning to grow again. Perhaps there's no hope for JMMA on a scale comparable to Pride in its heyday, but with real interest from fighters to travel abroad, and the UFC providing a nice payoff, it'll be interesting to see how this affects fighters coming from Japan long term. I can't imagine why MMA fans wouldn't be excited. If you don't like the prospect of fighters like Kyoji Horiguchi getting proper support with real training from real trainers, then you're watching the wrong sport.

Posted in: mma, fighter, japanese, japanese mma, japan

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It became clear, very fast, that Takanori Gomi didn't resemble the Gomi of yesteryear. Gomi has always been flawed. Even during his prime, he was prone to bizarre performances. But he hid those flaws with the type of punching power that could put fingerprints on Wolverine's bones. This weekend we saw a caricature of that man: recognizing his only option was to land a wild punch in an exchange, he resorted to the type of aimless swinging not even a poolhall junkie in a Steven Seagal movie could envy. In other words, Gomi fought like a moron hanging with the wrong crowd.  And yet, I'm not interested in celebrating this fact. Sergio Hernandez over at MMA Mania has an article up entitled "The boys from 209 and their beatings of Takanori Gomi highlight the end of Japanese MMA's relevance". I understand what makes people critical of Japanese MMA. For the diligent followers, you may be disenchanted by their business practices: practices illuminated by Zach Arnold over at Fight Opinion. Maybe you're a casual fan and simply don't care. Or maybe you're an MMA writer, and just enjoy dancing on JMMA's grave with all the cool kids. Those are all valuable reasons, but MMA not Zuffa owned doesn't mean it can't deliver.  There's a strange, dismissive tone in the way MMA writers talk about Japanese MMA. It's as if the sport in that region is a waste of time if prospects over there aren't having success coming stateside. Yet what's so different about what DREAM, and Shooto produce versus, say, Bellator? MMA doesn't need to be owned by Zuffa in order to be wortwhile.  I sometimes wonder if this attitude doesn't contain a self-fulfilling prophecy element. When Hiroyuki Takaya made his WEC debut following his fantastic back and forth war with Antonio Carvalho, his first fight was against Leonard Garcia before he became a punchline (Garcia was making his first drop in weight, and was still fresh off his big fight with Roger Huerta at UFC 69). However, that was child's play compared to Gomi's debut, which came against a two time LW contender in Kenny Florian. Kid Yamamoto debuted against Demetrious Johnson, who is fighting for the title this weekend. And Takeya Mizugaki fought for the title in his first fight stateside against Miguel Torres. While I do think there are real identifiable factors to point to and say "yea, Japanese MMA is inferior here", I don't think it's fair to simply dismiss the entire region simply because some fighters have failed amidst lofty (and sometimes unfair) expectations. To me, this weekend was about the success of MMA on the whole (at least in the ring/cage). UFC 135 may have been a little lackluster despite a few brilliant performances (Mizugaki among them), but Bellator and DREAM picked up whatever slack was left from Zuffa in a big way. I'd add to that, combat sports in general, as boxing delivered with Jorge Arce's 4 round bout with Simphiwe Nogqayi. After the jump I've posted random videos of fights that highlight what's great about combat sports even when celebrity, and spectacle are stripped away, from Alexis Vila's brilliant KO over Joe Warren, to Yasuhiro Urushitani's fantastic head kick knockout of Yuki Shojo at Shooto's Legacy 3 show (and Jorge Arce's fantastic performance). Yasuhiro Urushitani vs Yuki Shojo (via HipHopPhilosopher) Masakatsu Ueda vs Rumina Sato (via HipHopPhilosopher) Takeshi Inoue vs Caol Uno (via fightnext) Jorge Arce vs. Simphiwe Nongqayi - Rounds 1-3 (via SuperBoxingVideos) BELLATOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS (via Shanetisdale)      

Posted in: fight, mma, japanese, gomi, japanese mma

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We are gathered here today to pay our respects to a dear friend. In his prime, he was healthy and thriving with seemingly nothing to cap his potential. The sky was truly the limit. I am talking, of course, about the state of Japanese mixed martial arts (JMMA). In recent years, the situation has turned grim for the once booming business. Pride Fighting Championships (Pride) went belly up and was cannibalized by the UFC and its successors -- DREAM and Sengoku -- failed to reach the same heights. Sengoku closed up shop earlier this year and DREAM has been running fewer shows with each passing year.  The point was made even more clear last night (Sept. 24) at UFC 135 when Nate Diaz thoroughly dominated the former number one lightweight in the world, Takanori Gomi. The beating was reminiscent of the one elder brother Nick Diaz handed Gomi four years ago in Las Vegas. Since "The Fireball Kid's" bout at Pride 33, he has gone a paltry 5-5 including losing all but one of his UFC bouts.  And his fellow countrymen from across the Pacific aren't faring any better either. Shinya Aoki is one of the best 155-pounders that Japan has ever produced and has nearly 30 wins to his name that serve as evidence. But when he traveled to the United States for the first time to challenge Gilbert Melendez for his Strikeforce lightweight title, "El Nino" shrugged off each and every submission attempt the Japanese fighter threw at him, easily securing a decision victory after 25 minutes. Melendez's next fight was against the perennial Japanese contender Tatsuya Kawajiri. When they fought the first time five years ago, "El Nino" was lucky to get the nod from the judges. The second time around, Melendez ran through "Crusher" like a knife through butter. That same night, the current DREAM featherweight champion, Hiroyuki Takaya, lost to unheralded fighter Roberto Peralta and the Japanese promotion went 0-2 against its American counterpart. JMMA doesn't only have its native sons to blame for its woes. The success rate for non-Japanese fighters coming over to the UFC is shockingly low. Championships and accolades received in the Land of the Rising Sun don't seem to translate well to America at all. Take Maximo Blanco for example. The Venezuelan terrorized Sengoku's 155-pound roster with his deadly and frenzied stand-up, earning six stoppages during his time there. A living ball of violence personified, Blanco seemed poised to take Strikeforce by storm but instead, his stateside debut was spoiled by Pat Healy and a well-placed rear naked choke. Jorge Santiago became Sengoku's middleweight champion after a five-round war with Kazuo Misaki and he went on to replicate the performance with an equally thrilling bout in his rematch against the Japanese veteran. The second tilt was heralded as a Fight of the Year by many fans and pundits. But when he made his way back inside the Octagon at UFC 130, he was put to sleep within two rounds by Brian Stann. Claiming that the "sky is falling" whenever a fighter who found a lot of success overseas falters in the US isn't anything new. It happened when KID Yamamoto lost his UFC debut and it will likely happen again should he lose his next bout.  Lately, it just has been getting harder and harder to ignore that a huge talent gap exists between the top fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce and those who ply their wares in Japan. It's a declaration I don't make lightly as I have been a long-time proponent of JMMA. Whereas in the past it was hard to compare fighters and their contemporaries, the world of MMA is getting smaller as the sport grows. If a fighter wants to fight top talent and prove himself one of the best, there aren't a whole lot options to consider. We are starting to see more fighters than ever competing under the Zuffa umbrella and with that, the ambiguity that comes when ranking fighters is dwindling.  We are finally seeing the best fight the best with more frequency. Because of that, we are also realizing that the champions and top-level fighters from halfway across the globe aren't all they're made out to be. When the former number one lightweight gets shellacked by a middling 155-pounder, the suspicion that JMMA was almost all smoke and mirrors starts to become more and more apparent.

Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, year, el nino

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The few fans who showed up at Dream 17 at least saw their favorite fighters win.

Posted in: fighter, japanese, dream, sport, nightmare

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With only four days left until Dream 17, a bout between Japanese fan-favorite Ikuhisa Minowa and Mongolian wrestler Baru Harn has been added to the event’s bill.

Posted in: japanese, dream, saturday, harn, baru

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Japanese MMA sort of collapses when practiced on the American continent. Something gets lost in translation, and it ultimately ends up with a myriad of Japanese fighters losing on this side of the hemisphere. When I was in Tokyo a few weeks ago, I went on a refrigerator magnet shopping spree, an activity that I could only pull off with reasonably success in Japan. It's clear that my refrigerator magnet shopping game noticeably improves when I'm in Asia. Perhaps that is what actually gets lost in translation -- novelty magnet ambitions. Now that I'm back in the US, I have bags of Japanese magnets sitting on my table -- and I don't even care. I hope they all ignite and burn in a cloud of stupid little dust. My aspirations for purchasing refrigerator magnets outweighs my need to place them on my fridge. Those magnets mean nothing to me. However, this DREAM 17 'Fight Order' video does, so you should check it out. [Source]

Posted in: japanese, magnet, i hope, . [source, japanese magnets

Read the full article at Middle Easy