Kakutogi Road: The Complete History of MMA *Mega-Thread*

[Mbetz1981]

Vol.34 Continued...

Now for a further demonstration of mind-numbingly inane booking, we have a repeat of Tatsuo Nakano vs. Tom Burton. At least Kakihara/Silver is forgivable, as despite its flaws, they were still somewhat entertaining matches thanks to the power of Kakihara. This, on the other hand, was a rematch that absolutely no one was asking for. Thankfully, this was 9 minutes instead of 30, so it was quick enough to not be an issue. This was a typical late-80s UWF style match, which is fine for what it was, but when compared to the modern technology that we’ve been witnessing lately, feels more and more out of place. **

ML: Wow, at this point I'm convinced that Gedo secretly booked this card, doing his best to figure out how a once mighty promotion could start drawing less than 400 fans at Korakuen Hall and get outdrawn at Budokan by Stardom, despite Stardom's illustrious track record of never drawing beyond the Korakuen level (thankfully Miyato didn't lose or devalue all his good workers and just do endless silly entertainment wrestling shenanigans until they reached this point). Nakano actually seemed a little better here, as he decided to give footwork a try, but Burton still just stood around and just wanted to grab him. This match was on par with the previous match, probably a little worse but at the same time less painful because it was so much shorter. There was one truly hilarious spot just before the finish where Burton fell missing an elbow, yet Nakano skill stumbled backwards across the ring and went flying through the ropes.

Now for another singles match featuring newcomer, Mark Fleming, and Yuko Miyato. I’m thankful that we get to see Fleming in another singles match, as when we last witnessed him, he was in a tag alongside Yoji Anjo, whereas this should be a better format to showcase his skills. Miyato has been totally on fire so far this year, so we may be in for a sleeper of a great match. Things start with Miyato going straight for the kill, firing off some heavy palms, and while Fleming is clearly not in his standard element, he does a good job of cutting off Miyato’s offense with a quick clinch, before tossing him away like a frisbee. Miyato shows some strong judo in response, with a nice kata-guruma (fireman’s carry) into a hammerlock.

The rest of the match was a treat, as these two had good chemistry with one another, with Miyato having the edge in speed, striking, and submissions, and Fleming with wrestling and strength. What’s refreshing is unlike other wrestlers similar to Fleming, who would simply get a takedown and smother the opponent for 10 minutes, we saw some nice variety from Mark, who was using his wrestling skill to slow Miyato down, but would also generate plenty of attacks with his own submission entries and throws. Also, unlike other big men like Tom Burton/Mack Roesch, Fleming seems to be taking the submission game seriously, and we’ve already seen a huge skill jump between now and when he debuted against Takada. They are still not his forte obviously, but unlike his first outing where you could tell that he had no idea how to execute any submissions outside of the STF, here he put forth admirable attempts at the heel hook, and other leg attacks, showing that he is working hard on learning outside of his matches. This was fun and exciting, with the only major drawback that it could have gone on for a couple more minutes. *** ¾

ML: As with the previous match, this was more about the American who is learning getting ring time than something designed to feature the good native worker. The obvious difference being that Fleming actually has skill. Fleming is far from a finished product, but he appears to have a genuine desire to learn. His submissions aren't great yet, but he is always trying to think about finishing the match, rather than just controlling on the mat, and he showed some skill, for instance a nice roll into a kneebar. Similarly, his standup block is a bit robotic, but at least he has his hands up in is trying to protect himself, which puts him above the majority of the promotion, even though they certainly should know better. This match actually had a lot of interesting countering back and forth, and was much less predictable and repetitive than Kakihara vs. Silver. Fleming was ahead on points the whole way, but Miyato was always competitive, and was finding ways to put Fleming on the defensive enough that you believed he could come back. Miyato rolled through the wakigatame, but was a bit lackadaisical in the ensuing scramble, which could have resulted in him securing a guillotine, but instead wound up with Fleming taking his back and dropping down into a chickenwing facelock for the finish because apparently people still didn't realize how inferior this was to the rear naked choke. Not quite recommendable, partially because it was rather short (though that probably helped the quality overall by not extending Fleming), but definitely a fun match, probably **3/4 or so.

Next is the 2nd match from what may be the best pure wrestler that we’ve seen so far, in Steve Day, facing Yoji Anjo. While he lacked charisma and any sign of striking skills in his debut, Day more than made up for it in great wrestling, and a surprising understanding of submissions, especially for a debuting westerner at this stage. Day had a commendable debut against Takada, so it should be interesting to see what Anjo can pull out of him.

Before it became all the rage for BJJ guys with no striking skills in the late 90s circuit, here Steve Day pulls the tactic of covering one side of his face with his elbow, while he tries to carefully close the distance on Anjo. As you would expect, he eats some shots from his very quick opponent, but is able to secure the clinch and toss Anjo with some lovely Greco-Roman skills. This pattern repeats itself, only Anjo is showing surprising amounts of balance in the clinch, probably due to his judo background. Still, no amount of judo is likely to prevent you from being taken down by Steve Day, so it only served to make him work for it.

Still, despite his submission game being better than your average American newb, he is no match for Anjo and lacks the firepower to ever give him a serious threat. This regulates him to being a mostly one-trick pony, as he has 0% stats in his striking column. This was fast-paced, but never really felt like a contest as Day just didn’t have the tools to threaten Anjo. This was somewhat frustrating, as I like seeing someone with the legit skills of Day in this kind of format, but he is going to have to improve on areas outside of his wheelhouse if he wants to get above mid-card status. Tough to rate, but my final verdict is *** due to the fast pace and some excellent wrestling technique from Day.

ML: Though it is embarrassing seeing someone whose only standup tactic is to plod in while covering up like a vampire, this match had by far the most intensity and urgency we have seen since the opener. Both men were very explosive when they did something, adding to the sense of realism, and the general importance of succeeding in their tactics. Day may not have all around skills, but he fakes the things he's good at a lot less than any of the other wrestlers we have seen, really not dampening the power and drive necessary to to legitimately jerk the opponent around. Anjo had big advantages both in striking and submission, but there wasn't much you can do to keep Day from depositing him on the mat. To his credit, Day wasn't simply trying to control Anjo. On the contrary, he was taking too many chances (if this weren't a work), leaving his solid base to chase after ankles. This wasn't on par with Anjo's best work obviously, but was certainly one of his most realistic matches, and I really liked the aggression that both men displayed. ***

 

[Mbetz1981]

Vol.34 Continued...

Now for something that I wish we got to see more of over the years, an exhibition between two legends, in this case, Nick Bockwinkel and Billy Robinson. Things start with Lou Thesz (who at this point was fully committed to seeing the UWF-I thrive) talk about how the WWF and WCW were a joke, and just considered by Americans to be show business, which is a shame. He then mentions that although Nick and Billy aren’t in peak physical shape, that he was confident that they will put on a great show of “pure international wrestling.” These two had faced each other several times within the 70s and 80s, with their encounter on a 12-11-80 AJPW event being particularly noteworthy. We then get two quick, but heartfelt interviews from both men, and Robinson was emphatic that he would be happy to do whatever he could to put real wrestling back on the map. Things are underway and Nick Bockwinkel still appears to be in great shape, which isn’t surprising as he was an active competitor up until his retirement in 1987. Robinson, on the other hand, looked flabby even back in the 70s, but that didn’t stop him from always being a game performer. Things slowly build-up, until the first great moment where Robinson gets his underhooks in and it seems like he is going to suplex Bockwinkel, who knows what’s coming, and instantly backs up into the ropes to escape it. A nice subtle exchange that got a great response from the audience.

The next memorable moment was when Bockwinkel kneed Robinson, which seemed to legit piss him off. Robinson yelled and curled his fist, to which Nick responded by saying, “It’s just a knee Robinson!” to which Robinson threatens to punch him in the chin. The exhibition ends at 10min with Robinson finally getting his underhook suplex. While this was obviously hampered by Robinson’s physical shape (Bockwinkel looked like he could still go full speed if he had to) it was still obvious that these were two masters of their craft, and it was a treat to see them, even at this stage.

ML: We should first look at their great 30 minute draw from All Japan 12/11/80 Tokyo Kuramae Kokugikan. This match more or less encompasses the best of what serious 1970s style wrestling has to offer. They did a great job of working for the holds with desperation, wasting no time or motion, and building the match up in the most logical and dramatic manner. A lot of these techniques may be outdated, for instance, all the lock ups were upper body based, but the struggle was real, and that pulled you into the contest and allowed you to believe in what they were doing, regardless. The first half was more towards Bockwinkel's match, trying to get the absolute maximum out of what little they did than a Robinson match where they spice things up a lot more with tumbling and roughhousing, though obviously there were some aspects of both styles, with the former shifting to the later as the match progressed. The first portion of the match was Robinson trying to find some way out of the elbow lock, but no matter what sort of leverage he applied, how he twisted or turned or tossed Bockwinkel, Nick still refused to relinquish the hold. A great example of the styles melding was when Billy finally made a move to hip toss Bockwinkel to break the lock, but Bockwinkel continued to hold onto the right elbow and remained in control after both took the bump. Finally, Robinson managed to slowly increate the pressure on Bockwinkel's left shoulder to the point that Nick had to finally release Robinson's elbow to save his own shoulder. This match had so many great, organic transitions. Robinson progressed into an octopus, but when he tried to roll to the mat, Bockwinkel beat him in the scramble and momentarily regained the elbow lock. Robinson finally seemed poised to get his more active offense going, but made the mistake of trying the hip toss again, only to have Bockwinkel essentially pull the same trick again to come out of it with the elbow lock. The second portion was more of a Robinson segment, built around him controlling with headlock, broken up more frequently by rope running and tumbling. The third segment was another shorter segment where the rope running led to Bockwinkel hitting a leg-trip, and working on the knee. The match shifted more towards Robinson's style after this, with Billy increasingly trying to make something happen, but his overaggression would just send him flying to the floor. Though plunging to the concrete isn't exactly advisable, the more chances Robinson took, the more he got Bockwinkel to open up, and was thus able to make it more of a bombs away brawl. Though he took some big offense in the process, given Robinson was losing the slower paced technical battle, this was a worthwhile strategy that got him back into the match, as he was at least able to get his suplexes in a lot more readily now. Robinson finally hit his signature backbreaker, but it reinjured the knee Bockwinkel had worked over earlier, so he wasn't able to capitalize. Bockwinkel worked his way into a figure 4 to make the knee worse, and it wound up giving out again when Robinson tried a body slam on his comeback. Both made a big push for the finish during the final minute, but the only downside of the match is the 30 minute time limit really just cut things short. Though obviously a draw, it felt like a win for Bockwinkel. ****1/2

ML: Lou Thesz gave the classic this horrible fake American crap doesn't represent me speech, which is one that can never be stated enough as far as I'm concerned. Though it's still dubious to bill serious fake wrestling as real by virtue of being less nonsensical, at least they have presented us with two of the absolute legends that any wrestling fan should be proud to say they admire. Unfortunately, this wasn't anything Robinson or Bockwinkel were planning or training for, from what I gather Robinson said they basically just informed them that they were wrestling. The match was basically the condensed, greatest hits version of their classic match minus most of the big bumps. It obviously wasn't done quite as well because they are more broken down and less athletic by this point, as well as simply out of practice. Their match is also one that gains a lot from the length, as they really understand how it to you mileage out of working the body parts. That being said, this was still a lot of fun, and for anyone who had a little while to forget, much less several years, this is an excellent display of a now mostly lost style. In my case, while I possibly saw Robinson in AWA when I was seven or eight years old, this is the first match of his I can say for sure that I saw, and it definitely put him on the map for me. These are the most difficult matches to rate because while it is not good by the great standard they set in their primes, it was still entirely compelling, and better than anything on last weekend's AEW DUDExplosion PPV. It held my interest throughout and didn't have me rolling my eyes at all. ***

 

[Mbetz1981]

Vol.34 Continued...

Yamazaki During His GQ Era

As if Kazuo Yamazaki’s career couldn’t get any worse, now he must face Koji Kitao in what will surely be a dreadful exercise in putting the former sumo star over. Kitao, despite no one in the western hemisphere ever taking him seriously, was still a star in Japan, and reportedly the UWF-I just signed him on for a $75,000 per match (!) contract. This was even after he embarrassed both himself and his former employer, the Japanese SWS wrestling promotion. That move may have been in the UWF-I’s interest here, as they could easily spin this as Kitao being sick of WWF/SWS style fake wrestling and now wanting to test his skills in the “real” UWF-I. Regardless of the logic, $75,000 is a lot of cash to throw away per match, so hopefully, this isn’t the start of some really poor business decisions.

Even armed with a blowtorch & sledgehammer, it’s doubtful that Kitao could ever hurt Yamazaki, but here we are. Kitao starts out taking a karate stance, and the crowd is eating this up. Yamazaki must be given great credit, as he is taking this seriously, and right away starts crafting a David vs Goliath narrative, going right after Kitao’s legs with numerous thigh kicks. Yamazaki skillfully weaves in and out, attacking Kitao’s legs from different angles, until he opts to try and take him down, in which we see Kitao respond with one of the laziest sprawls in history. The rest of this farce saw Yamazaki do everything he could to make Kitao look like a million bucks, instead of just slapping him in the face for a 40-second victory, a la Mark Hall at UFC IX. Yamazaki proved to be worth every penny and then some by eventually allowing Kitao to pummel him with several ultra-slow leg kicks for a KO victory. From a pro wrestling 101 standpoint, this was a great example of how to put over a lesser opponent, but it’s a crime that it had to be Kitao, who would end up diminishing Yamazaki’s reputation even further

ML: From the opening intense stare to putting over the KO, Yamazaki used his acting ability as much as his wrestling ability to craft an urgent and intense match where each of his actions was important because of the potential repercussions, and get bad boy Kitao over that much more than he already was. This was truly a brilliant performance by Yamazaki, who has always been great at these sort of mixed matches against specialists from other combat sports, devising a logical and reasonable match that was intense and a highly compelling, while at the same time doing his best to keep Kitao from embarrassing himself by doing any more than he absolutely had to. Yamazaki saw a huge slow opponent, so he tried to use his speed to kick his legs out before Kitao could fire back. The problem was that Kitao was so much bigger and stronger that he could take a lot more of Yamazaki's blows than Yamazaki could take of his. Kitao is so awful, he even almost fell landing on his own ill advised jumping spinning kick, but Yamazaki is so smart & talented that he got a good match out of him because he knew how to play things. Kitao's offense was horrible at times, even a low kicks he won with could best be described as labored, but Yamazaki mostly had him standing in the center threatening, and sold what little Kitao did so well that it didn't kill the match like it should have. Yamazaki used every trick in the book to solve the puzzle, but 200 pounds is an awful lot of sheer mass to overcome. In the end, Kitao came off as being really impressive (in a real behemouth of a fighter sense, not as a worker) because of his imposing presence and the things Yamazaki did to make his offense somehow look deadly despite Kitao's lack of grace and coordination. Of course, all the fans desperately wanted Yamazaki to win, and had UWF-I been willing to shell out the cash to help anyone but Takada, Yamazaki's career could have been salvaged here with a precursor to Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarborough, as Yamazaki was still massively over, even if largely because the crowd hated Kitao. Though this wasn't a total one man show that somehow managed to be a great match like Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada by any means, even with the great atmosphere and all the smoke & mirrors Yamazaki employed to make it come off way closer to a shoot than I would have possibly believed it could, it's just barely good, but you have to realize just how are truly terrible Kitao is, really a 0 out of 10, to understand just how amazing it was that Yamazaki somehow managed to come up with almost eight minutes of heated and compelling action involving him, especially in a style Kitao is completely unfamiliar with. ***

Now for another early pre-UFC shoot, this time between Kiyoshi Tamura and Mathew Saad Mohammed. Mohammed was a legit boxer with considerable skills and even held the WBC Light-Heavyweight Championship for 2 ½ years. This event was another big push from the UWF-I to make some waves, so it makes sense that they again tried to gain traction through a boxer vs. wrestler shoot. This may have also been partly done as a response to the PWFG’s recent humiliation of Roberto Duran.

In any event, it’s hard to say how this was pitched to Mohammed, and how seriously he trained for this fight because it was over almost as soon as it started. Tamura instantly forced him to the canvas with a couple of brutal leg kicks, before instantly acquiring a rear-naked choke for the win. A historically important shoot, and a nice feather in Tamura’s cap, but its “blink-and-you-miss-it” nature has forced it to be a mere footnote in time. This was probably not the outcome that the UWF-I had in mind, based on the war that was Warring vs Scott. You could see Warring’s skill and versatility as a martial artist, as he was every bit a kickboxer that happened to make a living boxing, as opposed to the other way around. Still, Tamura was so quick and well-rounded that it probably wouldn’t have mattered what boxer they put in front of him, the result was likely to be similar. Also, it’s great to see the UWF-I give us a serious shoot, instead of the Fuanki/Duran farce that we just had to witness.

ML: Tamura was really impressive here. He used the smart strategy of staying on the outside, but man he really had a ton of zip on his kicks, which he rarely even throws in a work, and then the speed in transitioning to taking the back for the choke was just amazing. Granted, his opponent didn't really have a clue beyond punching, but a slower fighter or one who wasn't immediately ready to pounce on the 1st opportunity probably would have had to spend a lot more time chopping down the tree to get the victory. Other than that, let's just say it certainly should have been no secret to the Gracie family just how unprepared for real fighting One Glove Jimmerson was going to be.

The spectacle can’t end now, as we must now endure the culmination of the major push that the Albright monster has been given for the last 9 months. Yes, it is now time for the gaijin Godzilla to face our intrepid hero in Nobuhiko Takada, and while there is no doubt about the conclusion, the question of how entertaining this will be, remains.

Right away I’m impressed that Takada seems to have shown up ready to put in work, as he is moving with much more urgency than usual. He comes out the gate swinging, but is quickly smothered by the gargantuan Albright-monster. Takada quickly reverses his dilemma and winds up in the side-mount but seems unsure of what to actually do with his foe from here. After contemplating his situation for a while, he goes into action mode and starts hitting the suplexes and submission attempts. This wisely keeps the Albright-monster at a close distance, thereby stifling his offense. The rest of this bout was a back-and-forth seesaw battle until Takada eventually succumbed to the human suplex machine. I won’t lie, this was a fun and entertaining match, from a pro wrestling standpoint, and easily the best match from either man in the UWF-I, so far. I may not like the direction that they are taking their main-event scene, but they can hardly be blamed, as Japan loves their monsters and freak shows. After all, this is the same country that has given Bob Sapp an eternal home, in addition to an everlasting wellspring of cash, so I’m clearly not the target audience here. Still, this kind of direction will be a boon in the short-term but is surely doomed to fail once the novelty of Albright wears off, and they don’t have any other reasonable challengers for Takada to vanquish.

ML: This was nowhere near a classic, or even good, but both fighters brought their A game, such as it was. Albright got the battle off to a great start, rushing Takada like a sumo and using a flurry of body punches to set up the big belly to belly suplex. This was clearly designed to make it look like another shoot, perhaps under the false pretext that no one would lay down for the other when the unofficial title of "Best in the World" was on the line. Problems quickly set in when Takada managed both to escape from the bottom, and to get a sweep without any technique whatsoever, and literally nothing else in the match was remotely realistic. On the bright side, Takada wasn't in the mood to just lay around contemplating, as usual. Takada was much too showy with each standup barrage, getting a quick knockdown to set up a big backdrop with the first one, and quickly descending this into the realm of sort of entertaining in the goofy pro-wrestling sense. Unfortunately, this same cannot be said for their corny arm manipulations on the mat, which were not useful in any sense. This was mostly fireworks though, for better or worse. It should have blown away Yamazaki vs. Kitao, but while it was essentially a longer version of the same match, it had none of the strategy, craft, guile, selling, or storytelling. It just felt rushed. I mean, they blew through the high spots basically without even setting them up because they had nothing else to offer. Albright showed some ability to step up his game in a realistic way, even though he was constantly pulled in the other direction. I'd say this was his best performance so far in UWF-I and he was clearly the more useful of the two here. I don't feel I'm exaggerating in the least when I say that Takada has learned absolutely nothing since the UWF closed. He has just been so surpassed by everyone that all we can do is look forward to the fun silliness his matches contain, such as Albright catching a kick & powerslamming him, but most of it feels so unearned and out of place that the charm is minimal. I'm not sure if Shinya Hashimoto's matches are more realistic overall than Takada's given his opponents aren't trying to do anything beyond the usual pro wrestling, but at least he brings an air of credibility, and a certain hard (bloody) nosed toughness. Takada, at this point, is so cartoonish in his big offense ways that he barely even seems to care about the illusion. They burned through the points until Takada just needed one more knockdown, but Albright came back with a couple more huge suplexes to hand Takada his first loss in the promotion. This may have been better than Nakano vs. Burton, but at least that felt like the match that fit into the U-style during the 20th century.

Conclusion: This was probably the 2nd or 3rd best event we’ve seen from the UWF-I so far, and only the lack of a standing bout, and their one shoot ending as quickly as it did, stopped it from going into legendary status. While this was a fun and entertaining event, it is also a further example of some of the bad decisions that did them in. During our recent interview with Mark Fleming, he talked about how Lou Thesz felt that their major problem was the wasteful spending of money on people like Vader, and numerous sports cars for their stars, and that’s easy to see when they are willing to drop almost a hundred grand on 8 minutes of Kitao. Still, they are the most entertaining outfit around, and still have a lot going for them. We also got to see the farewell match of other Maeda, who will be forever canonized as one of the best rookies in this sports history. It’s mind-boggling when put into perspective… this was in early 1992. The same year that Papa Shango, IRS, and Tatanka were running amok in the WWF, and Kanehara and Maeda have been putting on matches that have been ahead of the curve, even by today’s standards of pro wrestling. Recommended event.

ML: This was that definitely one of the best UWF-I shows so far. Although we didn't always agree on which matches were good, out of the 8 worked matches, there were only 2 that neither of us enjoyed. Unfortunately, Albright is now firmly cemented as the other main eventer in the promotion, and Yoshihiro Takayama is about to rear his crooked nose.

*If you wish to see this final and fitting swan-song in all of its glory, then head on over to www.patreon.com/KakutogiRoad Also, you can witness rare footage of Billy Robinson vs Nick Bockwinkel from their 1980 conflict! *

 

[Mbetz1981]

Attention! The hits just keep on coming over at www.patreon.com/KakutogiRoad. Our 2nd installment of The Footfighting Chronicles continues, this time with a rare event from March of 1992. We will see Peter Aerts continue his reign of terror, as he faces Darius Alibec, Frank Lobman wind his legendary career down with another win, and two great matches featuring Pethe Wattaya vs. Bolem Belaini & Habib Bensalah vs. Antoine Druif, respectively.

Snapshot circa 1986 of the Maeng Ho Gym at the Speelhuislaan, Breda, The Netherlands. Notice a young Bas Rutten, Orlando Weit, and Ramon Dekkers in this photo. This Gym is one of several that will have fighters competing for this event. (Photo Credit to Bas Boon)

 

[Mbetz1981]

Recently, we at Kakutogi HQ were able to get a mother-lode of rare materials, some of which include several of the book/magazines that Satoru Sayama put forth in the 80s where he introduced his new sport of “Shooting” to the world at large. The first was a publication put forth in 1986 (!) where he introduces his new sport, in addition to covering his fighting system and philosophies in great detail. It’s fair to say that this was a comprehensive manual about MMA, 7 years before the UFC was even invented. No, it didn’t have the position-over-submission approach of BJJ, but it did cover fighting in all of its ranges, from what could be arguably the first modern/complete perspective that we now take for granted. Sayama studied whatever he could, I.E. sambo, judo, kickboxing, wrestling, karate, etc. and put everything he knew into a comprehensive curriculum and made a sport around it.

Up till this point, this has never been professionally translated (that we are aware of) so I hope to include the pages of these tomes, translated into English, which should prove once and for all that MMA was not invented by Zuffa, and had a well-rounded comprehensive approach taken to it, far before the current American narrative of taking place somewhere in the mid-'00s.

I was orginally planning on including all of this to the general public, but since we don’t half-ass things over at the Kakutogi Road, we not only hired a professional Japanese translator, but one that is well versed in early MMA history, which I can assure all of you, is not an easy task. Because of the cost of doing this, I will likely include the first couple of chapters for free here, but then keep the rest over at www.patreon.com/KakutogiRoad where those that wish to be part of an unprecedented undertaking in locating and preserving MMA history, can show their support.

So without further ado, here is but a few pages, and if all goes according to plan I’ll be able to keep adding to this every week or so.

Special thanks to Hebisasori for his efforts in translating this great piece of history.

Satoru Sayama’s Introduction to Shooting {Publisher: Kodansha)


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The 1st Shooting tournament opening ceremony.

Reversing a neck throw with a back throw.

Leading figure in sambo [in Japan], Victor Koga gives a speech of encouragement.

Exciting fighting continued one match after another!

 

[Mbetz1981]

Sayama’s Corner “The Story of Shooto Vol.1” (Continued…)

The chance for KO! Circle around him.


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It’s only been a few months of training in joint submissions. They end up relying necessarily on the sleeper hold. But they are not slack in their method of striking.


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Previous Page Translated

Preface

The time has finally come to bring to the world an introductory text of this comprehensive martial art, shooting, that had been my longtime dream, and which involves “striking,” “throwing,” and “submitting.”

I organized this book to take the form of a “technical manual” on the basis of my theory that “Winning or losing in martial arts is based on technique! One cannot become strong without learning the technique.”

One observes with the eyes, learns with the mind, and practices with the body the theory of techniques. In order to learn techniques with the body, one must be endowed with the physical strength that can endure it.

In shooting, we compare technique, that is the technical knowhow, to the software; and we compare the body that embodies that, that is, the physical strength, to the hardware; and we follow a training method that mixes both the soft and the hard with balance.

(soft {technique}  hard {physical strength} = shooting

I established the martial art [combat sport] of shooting as a sport in which win, or loss is clear. This is because I think of martial arts [combat sports] as something that essentially should be refreshing. Shooting is a sport in which one competes the results of training to one’s heart’s content within the bounds of set rules, order, and courtesy.

But shooting is something born out of my own martial art experience and does not have a history or tradition like other martial arts [combat sports]. But I think if you read this book you will sufficiently understand that the techniques of shooting contain the essence of every martial art.

Those who are about to start training in shooting will thus bear the role the top runner who simultaneously builds the history and the future of shooting that had just been born.

I intend to endeavor, from here on, to spread shooting and improve its techniques, so that the beauty of combat sports can be understood not only through Japan but throughout the world.

Mid-summer 1986, Satoru Sayama




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Previous Page Translated

What’s the shooting?

[photo captions]

Boxing

Karate

Kickboxing

Shooting

American-style full contact karate

Aikido

Judo

Wrestling

Sambo




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Previous Page Translated

Birth of the unknown martial art [combat sport] shooting:

Shooting…. a word many are unfamiliar with.

Satoru Sayama… a name some may have heard of before.

Prowrestling fans would know of these two. And yet surprisingly most are unfamiliar with “the true meaning of shooting” and “what Satoru Sayama is aiming for.”

After all, Sayama, way back when, was a young man who had become the superhero Tiger Mask. During his period as Tiger Mask, much of his freedom was under bondage.

He was forbidden to assert himself and to show his real face. This was the tragedy caused by him becoming a popular hero.

But the young man nevertheless sought his freedom. He had suddenly of his own will taken off his mask. This was the start of Satoru Sayama’s long and persevering struggle.

This was his parting from prowrestling and his aspiration for shooting that is to replace it. The fans who were shown his real face as he took his mask off were disappointed.

For their dream of Tiger Mask was destroyed. But they did not try to understand why Sayama had thrown away the golden mask.

But that was not unreasonable since Tiger Mask had provided them with such amazing dreams and excitement. They could not afford to pay attention to shooting.

In other words, there was a huge difference between what the young man, who had sought freedom within the mask, really wanted to do, and the dream the fans staked on that mask.

Sayama’s toughness is in the fact that he had thrown away his framework while conscious of this discrepancy. He proclaimed this unknown martial art [combat sport] shooting while desperately erasing the popularity and glory of the mask.

For Sayama himself his “existence became a self-contradiction.” Malicious people gossiped, “how can he do that when it was due to Tiger Mask that he achieved his current status?…”

The only way to get rid of this heavy cross would be to make the world understand that shooting is more excellent than Tiger Mask. In this way shooting sent out a challenge to the popularity of the false image of Tiger Mask.

Shooting was born of this struggle to erase his past self. In any case, who could easily throw away such a “money-making tree” like Tiger Mask?

Without comprehending this point we will not be able to understand the man who is Satoru Sayama. In Sayama’s heart, shooting was something many times heavier than Tiger Mask.

 

[Mbetz1981]

This is just the beginning. There is 195 pages in this volume. As I've gone through more of the book, it would appear that he envisioned Shooto to be a bit different then what it wound up becoming. It was supposed to have a giant octagon ring, way before the first UFC (although it wasn't a cage) and everyone had to wear masks straight out of an Italian post-apocalyptic film. Also, it would seem that he originally wanted only palm strikes to the face, but this all changed quickly. By 1989 he regulated the masks to "Armature Shooto" and even back in 88' normal punches to the face were allowed. So, from 86-88 it went through some changes, the masks were dropped in 89 (AFAIK) and punches to the face of a grounded opponent started in 94. (Before 94 kicks, knees, and punches were allowed to a grounded opponent's body, but not the face.)

 

[pankrat]

How is this in the Lightweights??

One of the highest quality threads on this site by far and gets removed to the "wasteland". Sad.

 

[Mbetz1981]

How is this in the Lightweights??

One of the highest quality threads on this site by far and gets removed to the "wasteland". Sad.

Yes. It had a few hours in the main forum before being banished like a leper. Forever to be sent to live out the rest of its life with the others, in the "wasteland."

Seriously though, I'm happy they didn't delete it.

 

[pankrat]

Yes. It had a few hours in the main forum before being banished like a leper. Forever to be sent to live out the rest of its life with the others, in the "wasteland."

Seriously though, I'm happy they didn't delete it.

Didnt you ask the mods for the reason?

 

[Mbetz1981]

Didnt you ask the mods for the reason?

I had originally posted the mega-thread in the main forum, and after a few hours, I was given a message from a mod saying that they were concerned about copyright violations. I'm not sure, but I think that maybe they thought I was pulling from someone else's research, instead of my own. I responded to the mod saying that this was all my own research/project and if there was a way to have it put back into the main forum, but I never got a response back. It's ok though. I figure once I get to UFC 1 in my regular columns then I'll try posting there again, and we'll see what happens.

 

[Mbetz1981]

Kakutogi Road Presents: Sayama’s Corner "The Story of Shooto Vol.2"

Note: This is a continuation of where we left of last week, as we continue to rappel the depths of all shoot-mysteries. In this case, as we forge ahead with our translation of “Shooting: The Technical Shooting Fight” from 1986. If you appreciate what we are doing, then please consider becoming a member of our Patreon, over at www.patreon.com/KakutogiRoad




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Previous page translated (continued)

A Pure martial art [combat sport]: That is what shooting is:

Sayama aimed for a “complete martial art” during the period when he was a prowrestler.

There was the claim in prowrestling that “it is the culmination of every combat sport [martial art] of the world,” and Satoru Sayama the prowrestler agreed with this idea.

The one who had aspired to be a wrestler with the idea of “becoming strong,” became obsessed with martial arts.

Sayama, who above all intended a pure martial art, began using the word “shoot” from this period.

Shoot in English spelling is SHOOT . Translated into Japanese it means to “shoot [an arrow],” “shoot [a gun],” “fire.”

Eventually he began calling this technical shooting fight or shooting .

SHOOTING … in a dictionary of English, it is defined as “discharge,” “firing,” “hunting rifle.”

At the gym, young women and boys also train alongside strong bodied youth


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Previous page translated:

The elements of every martial art [combat sport] is here

During the period when Sayama joined the New Japan Prowrestling dojo, he placed on the wall of his dorm room in the training camp a note paper on which he wrote, “Combat begins with striking and kicking, then throwing, and ends by submitting the enemy,” and he would read it every day, when waking up in the morning and before going to sleep.

Even while spending every day wrestling after diving into the world of prowrestling, he already felt the necessity of striking.

The content of this note paper was something that indeed expresses in an easy to understand manner the world of “striking, throwing, submitting” that became the genuine motto of shooting.

Striking means kicks and punches, throwing means throwing techniques, and submitting means joint locks. Strictly speaking “striking, throwing, submitting” can be “striking, kicking, throwing, submitting.”

When comparing shooting with other combat sports [martial arts], we can see its characteristic in a glance. Boxing involves striking but no kicking, throwing, or submitting.

Kickboxing has striking and kicking but no throwing or submitting. Judo and sambo, as jacket combat sports, in turn have throwing and submitting but no striking or kicking.

And karate, which is also a gi -wearing combat sport, in contrast to judo and sambo, have striking and kicking but no throwing or submitting. In other words, shooting is a mixed martial art that includes all the elements of various martial arts [combat sports].

It involves the two worlds of stand-up techniques and ground techniques. Stand-up techniques involve fighting from a distance and ground techniques involve fighting in close contact with the opponent.

In boxing or kickboxing, the match cannot proceed when the fighters remain stuck to each other [as in a clinch]. These are sports in which the fighting must proceed strictly from a distance.

In the same way that learning, even within the same field, became finely specialized, combat sports [martial arts] also became specialized, for example, fighting with only punches.

In such times, shooting, without any delay, is striving to establish its aim in the direction of being comprehensive [synthesis] and to plump a new potential for combat sports [marial arts].

Furthermore its techniques involve fighting by aiming to replicate the best techniques of boxing, kickboxing, judo, sambo, and wrestling and mixing them.

And that’s the entirety of the new combat sport born in the last half of the 20th century, or more precisely the mid-1980s, called shooting. If you think about it, shooting is the most natural combat sport.

Previous page translated:

Martial arts [combat sport] is anthropology [study of man]

Every part of the human body can be weapon. In turn weak points are scattered throughout the body. Martial arts [combat sport] involves their offense and defense.

In boxing, the only weapon is punching. Certainly the punch of a heavy weight boxer may be able to easily kill a man. We can regard it a deadly weapon. But in boxing only punches are allowed.

Should not combat be freer? That was how Sayama thought. In response to the opponent’s punches, why not respond with kicks? That would be more natural for a martial art [combat sport].

Will it be a punch? A kick? Or a tackle? One must read the opponent’s moves in an instant.


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A rolling savate kick [spinning back kick] that saved the day showers the face. It would be perfect if he hit him a little more deeply.


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Previous page (s) translated:

Mixed [comprehensive] combat can involve the world of offense and defense in stand-up techniques and settling the fight from a distance. On the other hand it can also involve the offense and defense of ground techniques and settling the fight in close bodily contact.

Compared to boxing or judo, matches in shooting are not simple. The matches become more complex as the technical level improves.

For the spectator it would have to be a sport that’s difficult to understand. Shooting is a combat sport that Satoru Sayama, the founder, was fascinated with even to the extent of throwing away the glory of Tiger Mask.

Only through experiencing it by practicing it, rather than as something to look at, can it have meaning. Only by experiencing it can one understand its value.

In any case, mastering kicks, punches, throws, and submissions require immense time and effort. Any combat sport [martial art] requires the time for repeated practice and research. But because shooting is a combat that synthesizes them, it requires many times more of the energy.

For those who train in shooting, the joy of investigation is its greatest attraction.

Martial arts [combat sports] is essentially something that appeals to the instincts of man. Fighting has been one of the most intimate passions for the human race. No matter how far the human race develops its civilization, the will and passion for fighting remains in the genes of man.

As long as it remains, man is tempted to fight. No one can control this passion. If it goes in the wrong direction it can lead to violence or murder.

To manage this instinct for fighting in different ways, man has repeatedly struggled with his genes. Up to now many martial arts [combat sports] have been born on this earth.

They were born in the form of sublimating the fighting instinct into a sport or in the form of a martial art itself. But no one has skillfully controlled the genes of this fighting instinct. Shooting, as conceived by Sayama, is a martial art that holds the potential for this.

This is because it includes many aspects freer than any combat sport and win or loss depends on their application. As the fighting changes successively from stand-up to ground, kicking to submission, its freedom is closest to the instinct of combat sports.

Moreover its safety measures, such as the shooting shoes, shin protectors, head and face protectors, and so on, are unsurpassed. It checks in advance the potential dangers.

At a glance it may look as if these protectors are denying the whole point of fighting, but that is not the case. To the extent that human beings are fighting, there are vital points in the body as parts that must not be attacked. Shooting is a fighting competition founded on this acknowledgment.

Seeking the possibility of fighting without limit and to the utmost point: Shooting, as conceived by Satoru Sayama, was born of the consumption of the passion and talent taken as far as possible in those two directions.

“In fighting we come to know our humanity. Or rather, combat sport is anthropology [the study of man]. But if it was only about beating up someone, I probably wouldn’t have felt like staking my whole life on shooting” (Satoru Sayama).

By hooking his opponent’s right wrist with his right hand, he tries a cross arm hold. By learning to squeeze the knees, this technique can be mastered.

 

[Mbetz1981]

Here is something that will be getting more attention as we get further into this book, but here is a blueprint of what Sayama intended Shooto' s fighting arena to be: An octagon (minus the cage) envisioned some 8 years before UFC 1.

It was huge, and AFAIK was rarely used past 1988, likely due to cost/logistical issues. Both the cage and a traditional ring have their pros&cons for mma, but this is an elegant solution to most of those problems. Too large to likely have issues with wall n stall, plenty of visibility, and no problems with falling out of the ring, this is the best idea I've seen for an mma surface.
Here is something that will be getting more attention as we get further into this book, but here is a blueprint of what Sayama intended Shooto' s fighting arena to be: An octagon (minus the cage) envisioned some 8 years before UFC 1.

 

[Mbetz1981]

For you sherdoggers that are in anguish right now, distressed while you await the next exciting chapter, here is something to hold you all over. A Satoru Sayama training video, which also features some Shooto highlights. From 1990!

 

[Mbetz1981]

Kakutogi Road Presents: Sayama’s Corner "The Story of Shooto Vol.3"

Note: This is a continuation of where we left of last week, as we continue to rappel the depths of all shoot-mysteries. In this case, as we forge ahead with our translation of “Shooting: The Technical Shooting Fight” from 1986. If you appreciate what we are doing, then please consider becoming a member of our Patreon, over at www.patreon.com/KakutogiRoad

Satoru Sayama: Human Story


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Previous Page Translated

Prologue

Sayama was born on November 27th, 1957, in the city of Seki in Yamaguchi prefecture. In October of this year the Soviet Union had succeeded in launching the first artificial satellite in the history of humankind, Sputnik 1.

Sayama made his first cry of a newborn at the same time as the opening of the space age. The success of the launching of Sputnik 1 greatly changed the wordview accumulated by the human race.

For the first time man was able to take as common sense the existence of the universe through something other than religion. What is the relation between Sputnik 1 and Sayama’s birth?

If asked this question, unfortunately we can only answer, “there is no relation.” But perhaps we can say the following.

When new values or a new common sense emerges, man has the ability to receive them equally. When Sayama was born into this world, an artificial satellite was orbiting the earth.

With the foundation of this common sense, Sayama got off to a good start in his life. So then what about the world of prowrestling into which Sayama entered after growing up?

On October 2nd, 1957, “Iron man” Lous Thesz, who was called the greatest wrestler of the 20thcentury made his first visit to Japan. On October 7th he competed in the NWA world heavy weight title match on a specially built ring at the Korakuen Baseball Stadium and defeated his challenger, Rikidozan, with a backdrop [suplex].

Six days later on the 13th, he defended his title again against Rikidozan on a specially built ring at the Ogimachi Swimming Pool arena in Osaka, and this time the match ended in a draw due to double count-out after each scoring a fall [in a 2 out of 3 falls match].

Lou Thesz at this time was 41 years old and Rikidozan was 33 years old. If Rikidozan was still alive he would now be 61 years old. If we consider Sayama and Rikidozan side by side, one cannot help but be surprised by the immense passing of time beyond imagination.

The successful launching of the artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, and the first NWA world heavy weight title match in the history of prowrestling in Japan, Rikidozan vs. Lou Thesz:

These two events that happened a month before Sayama’s birth provides some kind of premonition to Sayama.

On the basis of what others have already accomplished, Sayama is a man who seeks his own path.

He is a person with an extremely intense personal curiosity and interest. Or perhaps we can see that he is the type in whom curiosity is concentrated in a single point. In other words, shooting is what is about to be completed through this concentration of his personal curiosity.

Shooting as the product of his personal curiosity is presently gradually beginning [p. 13] to spread among people. But like Sputnik 1, it is not easy.

After all, public interest is low since what Sayama is aiming at is not a challenge towards outer space but the challenge of a new combat sport.

The only way is to appeal his personal curiosity to the masses with perseverance. Speaking of which, Sayama is someone with clear awareness of purpose.




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The lad embraces ambition

During his juvenile days, he had already decided to become a prowrestler. He had the dream of prowrestling similar to the longing common in boyhood. But he wasn’t satisfied with mere longing and actively chose the path of becoming a proewrestler.

Like his classmates, he was a lad drunk on Rikidozan’s karate chops and Lou Thesz’ back drop [suplexes] and who detested [Freddie] Blassie’s biting.

What distinguished him was that he could learn the prowrestling moves more quickly than any of his classmates and he was unsurpassed in sumo or fighting.

When he came home, Sayama’s personal curiosity would cause him to roll up the thick winter futon and tie it with a rope so that he could practice back drops [suplexes] with it.

Thanks to this, he became good at bridging, but on the other hand he was severely scolded by his father for loosening a floor board. But he was not someone who would bend his convictions just for being scolded by his father.

Sayama, who had decided in his heart to become a prowrestler, would secretly get up in the middle of the night to continue his basic training by running or doing pushups and so on.

This attitude of immediately putting it into action once he set his purpose became even more intense as he grew older.

That is not all. Once he decided to become a prowrestler, Sayama even started enjoying carrots that he used to hate eating up to that point, and he gained the ability to concentrate.

At the same time that he was amazed at “how strange this is,” this also confirmed his belief that “becoming a prowrestler is the right path.”

For Sayama this experience was a confirmation that “for man, it is good to do what he believes in.” Since he became able to eat what he couldn’t previously and he gained the power to concentrate, we can say that this conclusion is natural.

The dream of becoming a prowrestler: its difficulty

On April 1st, 1970, he entered the Ricchōfu Junior High School. In school he joined the Judo club. Of course, this was for the purpose of becoming a prowrestler in the future.

Here as well Sayama, keeping his concrete goal, went about his business systematically. He was by far strong among the freshmen, was not lacking even in practice with the senior students.

Interestingly in his matches he often used prowrestling moves. His decisive move were all ippon [full point] wins by back drops [suplexes].

As one can see in this Sayama was thorough in that his longing for prowrestling made him use back drops [suplexes] in judo matches.

Nonetheless up until junior high school, Sayama’s stubborn personality never caused any collision with his surrounding. Only when graduating junior high school did he come into conflict head-on with his parents.

Concluding that three years of high school life would be a detour, he intended, as soon as he graduated, to head on to Tokyo to knock on the door of New Japan Prowrestling.

In order to achieve his goal as soon as possible, Sayama decided to accelerate his start. His parents were fiercely opposed. Sayama was a child born after his parents were already old and they did not want to allow their loving son to have nothing but a junior high school degree.

His father was born into what had been for generations a family of doctors in Tokyo, and his mother grew up in a family lineage that had once served the Choshu domain.

His proud parents were opposed to Sayama’s plan and tried to persuade him to enter high school. His parents asserted that although they “don’t mind him becoming a prowrestler, it wouldn’t be too late to pursue that after graduating high school.”

In this way the 15 year old youth and his parents, who were passed 50, collided head-on concerning the crossroads of life. Sayama possessed no vision for high school.

He also held no vision for university above high school. Generally ordinary people decide their course in accordance with the route that a great majority in the world follows. At age 15 Sayama held his own individual goal.

He had judged that “in order to become a professional as quickly as possible, he would need to build up his body while increasing his weight.”

But for this even his parents had no intent at all to make an easy compromise. He could have put his parents—who were worried, thinking about their son’s future—at ease had he uttered the simple phrase that “I’ll go to high school.” Instead he didn’t budge.

This was Sayama’s strong personality but on the other hand he also had a weak side. When his junior high school teacher Mr. Uryū acted as an intermediary, he [finally] said, “OK, I’ll go to high school.”

 

[Mbetz1981]

Kakutogi Road Presents: Sayama's Corner "The Story of Shooto Vol.4"

Previous Page Translated

{Page 13 Continued...}

This was Sayama’s strong personality but on the other hand he also had a weak side. When his junior high school [p. 14 begins] teacher Mr. Uryū acted as an intermediary, he [finally] said, “OK, I’ll go to high school.”

Mr. Uryū suggested entering a high school that has an amateur wrestling team as an elective. Sayama budged in the face of Mr. Uryū’s enthusiasm, who had taken the time to hear him out.

His conviction may have been broken but his conclusion made sense. For, thinking that “it won’t hurt to learn the techniques of amateur wrestling,” he also understood that “he can train to become a pro in his free time.”

And so Sayama’s words that he’ll “go to high school and do amateur wrestling” came out naturally and docilely even to the degree that he himself found it unbelievable.

This experience followed Sayama repeatedly after that. For every time there was something important he had to decide on, he ended up necessarily confronting the same circumstance.

In many cases, Sayama would support others over his own convictions. But Sayama’s type would in the end follow his own beliefs no matter what someone else may say.

For the time being he would make a concession because it was a decision necessary in order to live as a human being, but because he could not throw away his convictions in the end, the consequence invited trouble and misunderstanding.

This was the reason behind the fact that shooting took a lot of detours. On the other hand, many say that it was remarkable that Sayama, without being defeated by so many troubles, kept adhering to [his vision of] shooting.

Thus in April 1973 he officially entered the Yamaguchi Prefecture Suisan High School. He entered the high school dormitory and registered his name with the amateur wrestling team.

After entering, Sayam came to know for the first time the gap between ideal and reality. The dorm meals were lacking in volume and he was completely disappointed in his attempt to gain weight.

As a 15 year old he was in his eating prime. To begin with Sayama had a voracious appetite and the lack in meals took a toll on his body. Building his body, for Sayama, lacking height, was the most important for becoming a prowrestler.

His worries accumulated as he was unable to fulfill [his desire to build up his body]. He couldn’t say that the amateur wrestling he started with inflated dreams adequately fulfilled the conditions for becoming a prowrestler.

In the 75 kg division, he won all of his matches in the first round to win the prefecture tournament of Yamaguchi prefecture in the Fall of his first year [freshman year]. This meant that there was no more reason for him to stay another three years in high school.

He decided to “go to Tokyo.”


Arriving in Tokyo. Knocking on the door of New Japan Prowrestling:

His teacher Mr. Uryū’s advice lasted for only eleven months. As long as he has his convictions and goal, Sayama will always be sucked into them.

Even his parents or his teacher were powerless before this suction power. This is an episode that is unforgettable if one is to know the man Sayama. This time even his parents gave up.

With the condition that he would work at an aluminum factory in Chiba prefecture where an acquaintance of his father is an executive, they accepted his decision to drop out of high school. Dropping out of school didn’t mean anything for Sayama.

After arriving in Tokyo, while working, he set out to enter New Japan Prowrestling. At first he was easily rejected for “being too small.”

To him this didn’t seem reasonable. He must have been pissed. Why could he not be a prowrestler, being barely 170cm?

What about Kotetsu Yamamoto [he’s a short wrestler]? He tried again after focusing on building his body. This time, he was told, “we currently don’t have any small ones so you can join us.” So the conditions were alterable depending on the circumstances of who was in charge at the time.

The fact was that Sayama was allowed to join for the reason that at the time due to there being no new recruits, there was no one to take care of the chores [cleaning, cooking, etc.]. So on July 1st, 1974, he entered the New Japan Prowrestling dojo in Kaminoge.

His obsession of wanting to become a prowrestler led to a miracle. Since his goal was to join [New Japan Prowrestling], he could ignore any interference. Once he joined, it was Sayama’s victory.

New Japan Prowrestling was more amazing than Sayama had ever imagined. The youth who had never lost in amateur wrestling had no means to deal with the joint techniques (submission) that he encountered for his first time.

In sparring, he was treated like a child as his joints would easily get hooked. Every day, day after day, his joints would get hooked and he would desperately endure it while screaming in pain. He was able to endure.

That was because his heart/mind was filled with the sense of fulfillment that he had become a prowrestler, which he had been longing to be. Many of the newcomers at this point would either drop out or run away.

Sayama, by contrast, was fascinated by the depths of joint submissions and excited with anticipation for it. In that case one might say that he was born to become a prowrestler.

At times after going to bed, rubbing his muscles tightened and stretched from the daytime training, he would suddenly open his eyes, surprised, waking up as he got hooked by an achilles tendon lock or an arm lock in a dream.

This episode clearly illustrates [p. 15] how strong an impression submissions had for Sayama as a prowrestling newbie.

Previous Page (partially) Translated

What he thought of during his baptism as a pro, the submissions hell:

Ordinarily, when being hooked, left and right, in the submissions hell that is a wrestler’s baptism as a professional, the faculty of thinking stops and one no longer has the time to think. But the case of Sayama was different.

The more he got repeatedly hooked and locked during the submissions hell, the more he realized instinctively that “striking techniques are necessary and indispensable for combat sports.” If he hadn’t realized this, Sayama would have never been able to form shooting.

Sayama was a child of the martial arts [combat sports] and may have been its genius. For to realize the necessity of strikes would mean a rejection of submissions as something absolute.

“When one faces an opponent in a real fight, one cannot immediately go into a submission hold. Before that there would have to be punching and kicking.”

To Be Continued....

 

[Mbetz1981]

Kakutogi Road Presents: Sayama's Corner "The Story of Shooto Vol.5"

Previous Page Translated

What he thought of during his baptism as a pro, the submissions hell:

Ordinarily, when being hooked, left and right, in the submissions hell that is a wrestler’s baptism as a professional, the faculty of thinking stops and one no longer has the time to think. But the case of Sayama was different.

The more he got repeatedly hooked and locked during the submissions hell, the more he realized instinctively that “striking techniques are necessary and indispensable for combat sports.” If he hadn’t realized this, Sayama would have never been able to form shooting.

Sayama was a child of the martial arts [combat sports] and may have been its genius. For to realize the necessity of strikes would mean a rejection of submissions as something absolute.

“When one faces an opponent in a real fight, one cannot immediately go into a submission hold. Before that there would have to be punching and kicking.”

Sayama’s idea arose from assuming a real fighting situation. At this point Sayama had already gone beyond prowrestling. Or rather, it may be more accurate to say that he had begun treading a different path than that of prowrestling.

Shooting itself is a combat sport that assumes real fighting. Indeed Sayama was born not to become a prowrestler but born to create shooting.

Once it became clear to Sayama that the techniques of joint submissions are the techniques he needs master, and soon after he had started training [at New Japan], he started going to the Mejiro Gym for kickboxing training, in secret from his seniors and co-wrestlers.

The purpose was to learn techniques from professionals in striking. But the kickboxing training didn’t go as he wanted it to go. The prowrestling tours would run nationwide circuits and when returning to Tokyo, wrestling practice was required.

It was a good week if he could go to Mejiro Gym twice during the week. Nevertheless it was significant that he could meet the kickboxers Toshio Fujiwara and Mitsuo Shima.

Sayama learned the essence of striking techniques from these two. Later he made full use of what he learned here in shooting. As a prowrestler, Sayama was the first to become interested in punching and kicking.

Entering the “Martial Arts Wars” as a representative of Japan:

His association with kickboxing clearly deviated from the world of prowrestlers. By that point Sayama was already deviating from prowrestling.

On November 15th 1977, through his connection with kickboxing, Sayama was to fight against an American full-contact karate [American kickboxing] fighter at the Nippon Budokan.

Calling this event the “Martial Arts Wars,” a team competition was planned between [Japanese] kickboxing and American full-contact karate, but there were no heavy weight fighters among the Japanese. And so Sayama was singled out [as the heavy weight].

Sayama specially trained for this event at Mejiro Gym for three months. He was encouraged by the fact that he could train in kickboxing to the fullest extent. The training was tremendous.

On the day before the match Sayama wrote in his diary, “This will be the striking match that I had longed for. I’ve gained some confidence, so all I need to do is to just go for it!”

He lowered his weight that was 92kg down to 77.5kg to enter the match, but the result was an easy loss to Mark Costello. He was knocked down seven times. The only salvation was that he did not lose by knock out, but otherwise he had nothing but regret.

For Sayama, this experience in every sense was a learning experience. Although the result was a loss, what he had grasped from this experience was incredibly huge.

“Man comes to know the truth only through defeat.” Sayama would probably have said so if he had opened his mouth. But Sayama has avoided any official comment about this match. Sayama had begun reflecting on this match alone without relying on anyone else.

Broadly divided, there were four lessons he had gained from this real fight in striking.

1) Practice is utterly meaningless unless one always keeps in mind real combat.

2) Even if one intellectually understands this, if one lowers the guard even for a moment, one would be effectively hit.

3) The allocation of stamina [endurance] is completely different between striking and grappling.

4) During the match, there were many chances for throwing. If he had just thrown the opponent and then submitted him, he would have won.

Of these four, 3) and 4) were also epoch making discoveries that would fundamentally change Sayama’s life in the martial arts [combat sports].

In other words, what was required was to analyze more distinctly the arrangement of striking techniques and to provide some rational meaning to grappling techniques. Even amongst the same throwing techniques, it makes a big difference in their character whether the throw is to damage the opponent or is to pull him into a joint submission technique.

In order to ease the shock of his defeat, Sayama camped out alone in the Akigawa Valley in the outskirts of Tokyo. Punching the falling autumn leaves while running through the mountain paths in late autumn, he thought about the sliding and impact of kicks while diverting his mood. When he returned to the dojo, he bought for the first time a punching bag.

It was the end of the year with a scattering of light snow and thus the year of 1977 that gave him a nightmare as well as a mighty lesson had come to an end.

Previous Page Partially Translated...

The sudden trip to Mexico:

With the start of 1978, he was met with a different kind of trial. Suddenly talk of a trip to Mexico came up.

He had just bought a punching bag and [p. 16] held his wish to progress in his pursuit of a real combat sport. But for a prowrestler, orders from above were to be obeyed absolutely.

Even the man who lives by his convictions could do nothing about this. He had to put aside his ideal for the time being. The trajectory he had in mind was significantly off.

The Mexican mat world was a world infinitely far from his ideal. The shows were for the entertainment of the poor citizens. The matches were primarily filled with aerial techniques centered on leaping and jumping.

Luch libre (what prowrestling is called in Mexico) that without hesitation does what is the most utterly distinct from his own ideal was the worst situation for Sayama.

Nevertheless Sayama travelled to Mexico in June 1978. He never imagined, even in his dreams, that in only three years he would step on Japanese soil again as Tiger Mask. In fact, no one had imagined this [at the time].

Sayama was clever enough to clearly distinguish his Mexico trip as for the sake of making a living. So in regard to prowrestling itself, he didn't care so much.

For the rest he focused on finding his own time so he could gain more striking skills. In the afternoons when he was free he would visit an acquaintance who manages a karate dojo or go watch boxing matches in order to control himself to direct his consciousness towards striking techniques.

There is an aspect among Mexican citizens that takes as its creed that one should live by taking it easy without working. When a Japanese person enters into this milieu, he takes one of the two paths of either becoming thoroughly lazy or rejecting Mexico.

Sayama took the latter path. Sayama did not want to lose to Mexican society that would shred to pieces any ambition. He bought a punching bag and kicked it as much as he could. As a result he tore it into two.

During the second year of his stay in Mexico, he defeated Ringo Mendoza, the local hero from Indio, to become the NWA world middle weight champion.

This was a great achievement for Satoru Sayama as a prowrestler, but he didn’t feel any deep impression or joy over it. For Sayama was instead earnestly immersed in his study of striking techniques.

Objectively viewed, to become a champion in another country shows that Sayama had the gift of satisfying his audience. Needless to say, significantly, this had to be supported by techniques, but Sayama possessed both talents.

To Be Continued...

 

[Mbetz1981]

Don't miss any of the exciting action! Volumes 6&7 are both up, over at www.patreon.com/KakutogiRoad

In Volume 6. Sayama's life is turned around by a fateful meeting with wrestling legend, Karl Gotch, and New Japan wants him to become Tiger Mask. Sayama intially resists, as he wants to continue with developing "Shooting" (MMA), but Inoki and the NJPW brass have other ideas.

 

[Mbetz1981]

*Editors Note: Mike Lorefice (of MMA/Puroresu supercenter quebrada.net) will have comments be preceded by his initials.

Reflection: An innately human ability to observe his/herself, and possibly change their environment or behavior, thus leading to potentially better outcomes. This could include forming new positive habits, discarding harmful ones, and introducing new people or influences that could alter their current trajectory, both positively and substantially.

This wonderful gift is one of several things that separates us from the animal kingdom, but unfortunately, Fujiwara and Co. insist on operating under their baser and more primal instincts, by insisting on forging ahead without the benefit of thoughtful self-analysis. Instead, they opt to live up to their lion king monikers by fighting on via routine and the ever-deceitful quest to find the path of least resistance. They have the talent to be lords of the jungle, but in warfare, a strong mind is the greatest weapon of all….

The date is 5-15-92, and we have returned to the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. We begin this sordid affair with a glimpse into Fujiwara's training, as he prepares to later face kickboxing legend Don “Nakaya” Neilsen, for the 2nd time. Neilsen was an excellent kickboxer whose career was winding down just as Seidokaikan was morphing into K1. He was a fixture on the Japanese circuit in the late 80s/early 90s, appearing and competing in a variety of events, both real and worked. Their first meeting took place on 7-29-88 on an NJPW show, and was one of the better mixed-matches that I have seen from that period, however, if they just do a rehash of what they did then it is sure to come across as dated.

Our first match will be Dieuseul Berto vs. Yuki Ishikawa and is the 2nd match for both men. We last saw Dieuseul a couple of months ago during the PWFG's Florida invasion, where he showed a lot of spunk and intensity, despite being very green, and when we last saw Ishikawa he was in a shoot against Kazuo Takahashi. In the sense of real fighting, it may not be fair to categorize Ishikawa as a rookie, as he now has several years of experience having started with Satoru Sayama in the early days of Shooto, but he has yet to work a pro wrestling styled match, so it will be interesting to see how he fares with a newcomer like Berto.

Things start with Ishikawa throwing some very genteel kicks towards his opponent, signaling right away that we are not going to get the intense assault that we were all hoping for. Thankfully, it quickly goes down to the mat, where we get a more legitimate grappling contest, but this entire affair went on way too long eventually going to a 30min draw. During the stand-up portions, Ishikawa patterned himself like Kakihara, that is if Kakihara took a couple bottles of Benadryl before performing. Since this is his first non-shoot match, it's hard to determine if he was holding back solely for the benefit of Berto or not. Berto didn't move as well as Ishikawa but had the right amount of stiffness to his strikes. This would have been a perfectly fine way to open things up, had it been in the 8-10 min range, but to have this go the distance tells me that whoever is booking this, is probably just throwing darts at a board with index cards. **

ML: 30 minute draws are meant for matches with greats such as Kawada vs. Misawa, to keep Kawada from ridiculously putting Misawa over yet again. Bad and/or inexperienced workers should not be doing 30 minute matches, particularly in shoot style, where we have seen even the absolute best fighters struggle with lengths above 20 or 25 minutes. This match was somewhat passable, I suppose, but never really caught fire and obviously had greatly diminishing returns. The ground was much better than standup, as while Berto was clearly the better striker, with some nifty footwork, both seemed to have trouble figuring out the proper spacing, especially early on. Ishikawa's strategy of attacking the foot to avoid Berto's strikes was decently done, and I liked Berto trying his best to kick his way out of an ankle hold to avoid burning a rope escape, but eventually having to give in.

Hopefully, this next outing will be the jolt of caffeine that we need, as we have two great strikers in Jerry Flynn vs. Ryushi Yanagisawa. Thanks to the recent arrival of Yanagisawa, we get to have what should be a great match, as this is a good pairing on paper. Ryushi doesn't disappoint, as he charges Flynn with some great kicks, and Flynn obliges him back with plenty of his own firepower. This is probably the most intense we have yet seen Flynn, and we are off to having a nice striking orientated match, which was a rarity for the PWFG. Yanagisawa is kicking way above his weight class, however, and it's not long before he gets smitten down to the ground like a gnat by the giant Flynn. Surprisingly, after knocking down Yanagisawa twice, Flynn shoots in with a nice single-leg takedown, which he quickly converted into a Kimura attack, which didn't work, but later he was able to secure an ankle lock. The rest of this match continued its winning ways, eventually ending just shy of the 11min mark, via an arm-triangle choke by Flynn. This was a great example of a mostly striking-based worked shoot that was intense, entertaining, and just the right length. Some of the grappling sequences felt unnecessary, but that is a minor quibble. *** ¾

ML: Yanagisawa is paying dividends already. Not only was his second match a good one, but it was one we really haven't seen yet. It's amazing that a mostly standing bout where they still tried to finish on the ground at every opportunity feels new more than a year into the shooting experience, but that just goes to show how incredibly hard it is to make that style look decent. I mean, pro wrestling fans apparently will except any sort of tough man nonsense where the match is two braindead jerks just standing there urging the opponent to clobber them while making no attempt to defend themselves at all, but even with two trained kickboxers making a real effort to move and defend, it is difficult to make hitting just hard enough work. Flynn was the better of the two here because he is more experienced, and it was fun to finally really see him in his element, but Yanagisawa clearly has more potential, and the ready really wasn't far behind. ***

 

[Mbetz1981]

Vol. 35 Continued....

Next up is Minoru Suzuki (who is sporting a seriously awesome PWFG tracksuit) and Kazuo Takahashi. I'm excited about this as both men have been shooting a lot recently, and this could easily become a tinder block if they choose to let their passions get the best of them.

Things started in a way that took me by surprise, as both men spent the first couple of mins constantly jockeying for position within the clinch, the struggle only being broken by the occasional strike from Suzuki or volatile throw from Takahashi. Eventually, first blood is drawn in the form of a beautifully explosive guillotine choke from Suzuki, which prompted the first rope escape. Afterward, Takahashi continued to forge ahead with his only formidable weapon, his lighting quick single-leg takedown, but Suzuki was able to stall out on the mat with a full guard, neutralizing Kazuo before being able to pivot into a rear-naked choke entry.

The rest of this match had a different tone and feel than most of the worked shoots that we have experienced so far, but in a totally welcome way. There wasn't a lot of striking here, but everything they did exuded credibility and intensity. Even the moderate amount of striking felt like it had less to do with some kind of contrived pro wrestling logic and instead felt like a situation where you had two wrestlers whose forte clearly wasn't attacking on their feet, and simply used just enough to try and open up logical entries for their grappling attacks. Both of these fighters always carry around a lot of intensity, and here that was the key ingredient that really caused them to complement each other. That said, while Takahashi has the heart and passion to face Minoru, his toolbox simply isn't big enough to find any way to put Suzuki in danger. Eventually, he succumbs to a standing rear-naked choke, in which he was too tired to fight off. Different, intense, and exciting. **** ¼

ML: A better performance than we've seen from Suzuki in a while, though still nowhere near the level he was consistently hitting last year. This match wasn't exactly about standup the way the previous one was, but Suzuki was a joy to watch in that regard, as he was so light on his feet and fluid. It felt like he could just palm Takahashi into submission if he really wanted. Takahashi has his moments in standup as well, disengaging and landing the quick right. Takahashi couldn't get his takedown game going here, so in a sense this was more of a standup match in the MMA manner of sort of backing into it because the match starts there, and that's all that really is working. That being said, there was never really a thought that the finish would be anything but a submission. While many of the PWFG matches lately have been way too long, this was really the opposite, as it was a nice start to a match, but once Suzuki hit a trip, he was immediately able to choke Takahashi out. ***

Now it's time for Masakatsu Funaki vs. Yusuke Fuke. Fuke still holds the PWFG's M.V.P. position in my heart, as no matter what kind of inane booking he is straddled with, he has been making the most of it, and always seems to elevate what he's given. This time he has Funaki to work with, so there is no reason why this shouldn't be a great contest. They are off to a great start, by being the first two, so far, to look like well-rounded professional fighters. Funaki is bobbing, weaving, and feinting like a pro, and Fuke does a great job transitioning to an excellent takedown off of some nice striking offense. Of course, just like we will see later in his Pancrase career, Fuke is great at getting the fight to the mat, but doesn't have the grappling skills to do anything to Funaki once it gets there. After getting handled easily on the ground from Funaki, they're back on their feet, only Fuke is now hobbling on one leg. I cannot determine if this is work or shoot, as the bad leg is already taped up, so perhaps he aggravated a pre-existing injury.

Fuke does his best fighting one-legged, exchanging in a slap battle with Funaki, but the problem is that Funaki is just too good, and not only parries away from Fuke's palm strikes but easily takes him down at will, also. Funaki carries him for a couple more mins before putting him away with a slick armbar. This was entertaining, but the main problem was that outside of his takedown skills (which became hampered with his bad leg) Fuke is simply outclassed in every dimension by Funaki. Funaki was toying with Fuke but wasn't just giving him anything either, so this played out like a shoot where one guy was carrying the other one, stretching the match out before the kill. This sort of thing continued into the Pancrase era, as Funaki was simply light years ahead of the rest of the roster and had to carry some of his victims to longer matches than they would have normally had. Entertaining, and an interesting precursor into what was to come in Pancrase, but this style of match didn't allow Fuke to shine. ***

ML: A big disappointment. Fuke finally got an opponent he could potentially have a good match with, but he was broken coming in. A healthy Fuke had little chance of hanging with Funaki, but unfortunately, we never really even got to see that mismatch play out. By the time Fuke got up after his quick takedown, which Funaki immediately seized control after, he was hobbling around to the point he could barely put weight on the taped left knee. This was just a dull squash match. It didn't suck in terms of being technically inept, but I wouldn't even consider rating this 7 minute jobber match more than *.

Now for one of the greatest examples of résumé padding in MMA history, here is the match that, to this day, Bart Vale will claim was completely on the up and up. Yes, it is time for Vale vs Shamrock, and whatever happens, at least this is a new matchup that we haven't seen yet, and Ken is big enough that he will hopefully not make Vale look like molasses, which is usually the case during his fights.

Things start with Vale throwing his usual movie star fluff-kicks, and not much else. Shamrock, to his credit starts, by taking this match seriously, feinting from the side stance, “looking” for an entry to attack, and generally treating Vale like a credible opponent, but the problem was that Vale never bothered to step up the intensity at all, and wound up not only almost putting me to sleep, but half the audience and Shamrock as well. One could almost take a smoke break for each of Vale's kicks or read a chapter of War and Peace as he slowly meanders across the ring with all the intensity of a sloth at mealtime. I don't blame Ken, but this wound up being a 16min snoozefest, where the drama surrounding the outcome wound up being far more entertaining. Vale used his “win” here to his advantage by opening some future opportunities for himself, both with John Perretti's Extreme Fighting promotion, as well as the first and only WCC event in 1995. It was hilarious listening to the WCC commentary team introduce Vale as one of the few men with a victory over Ken Shamrock, clearly showing that they had never actually seen the fight in question. Vale's insistence on this narrative eventually irritated Shamrock to the point where it was rumored that he both threatened him with a lawsuit as well as a challenge to step inside a cage for a real fight.

ML: Yes friends, it is sad but true, in their one and only meeting, Bart Vale defeated The World's Most Dangerous Man Ken Shamrock, in the days when he was merely Wayne. While few outcomes more obviously scream of being worked, it was convenient for the Vale, and more pathetically actual shoot promotions, to give this more credence than Doink defeating Bob Backlund. Shamrock was clearly not pleased with this upcoming result, and did his best to make Vale's life difficult, spending the entire early portion especially just avoiding Vale's cornball kicks. Shamrock refused to throw anything back, perhaps because he wasn't allowed to beat Vale, so the best he could do was show that Vale couldn't beat him either. Vale was already sucking wind by the time they finally locked up for the first of several uneventful amateur wrestling sequences that were controlled by Shamrock. Vale didn't know what to make of Shamrock's tactics, which was perhaps understandable, but also didn't seem to care, which was really frustrating. I kept waiting for Vale to make some type of adjustments, actually try to do something faster or more aggressively, use some diversionary tactics to set or change things up, but he instead seemed more than content to just kept waiting for Shamrock to stop putting up resistance, and do his duty. Vale's level of complacency was so high that when Shamrock avoided one of his spinning kicks and actually finally threw a kick back, which he even tried to stop because Vale was obviously so caught off guard he was out of position, he wound up getting Vale in the eye with his toe, causing an accidental down while Vale recovered. Vale finally gotten a measure of revenge by refusing to cooperate with Shamrock's German suplex despite Ken queing him by ruffling his hair. As the match had to end eventually, Shamrock finally just stood there and let they'll nail him with a palm strike, and follow with a few big high kicks for the finish. This sequence with the most impressive thing we've ever seen from Vale in terms of stiffness and credibility, again because Shamrock finally literally just stood there and ate his best shots. Though I garnered some perverse enjoyment from someone finally refusing to stand around and eat Vale's silly kicks, this match probably actually managed to contain less action than the infamous Detroit Dance between Shamrock and Severn, which was the worst MMA match of all time until The Black Beast somehow became a main eventer by refusing to do anything beyond pray the opponent would just be dumb enough to walk right into his big punch. An awful match, but not without a redeeming factor.