Upcoming
Events
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2006
November
Aloha State Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
August
Hawaiian Open of
BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/26-27/06
International
Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World
Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
5/20/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
4/15/06
UFC 59: Reality Check
(MMA)
(Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA)
4/7-9/06
2006
Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA)
4/6/06
Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV
(MMA)
(Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)
4/1/06
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage
Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/18/06
Extreme Wars X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/11/06
Hawaiian Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Filipino Cultural Center, Waipahu)
UFC 58: USA vs Canada (MMA)
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV)
2/26/06
Pride
31: Unbreakable
(MMA)
(PPV)
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
*Cancelled
until Summer*
2/25/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
|
|
February 2006 News
Part 2
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 9:30PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Fight
To Defend Mixed Martial Arts In Hawaii!
The Hawaii Government is trying to ban or restrict MMA in Hawaii.
Please
contact your local representative and let them know that you
support MMA in Hawaii. Click the link below to look up your Representative
and his contact info!
HB3223
has been passed with Amendments. Basically the bill has been
rewritten to create a MMA Commission to regulate MMA in Hawaii
and passed on to the Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee
and the Judiciary Committee for further hearings.
Get
all the details concerning the two MMA Bills by clicking here
|
Quote
of the Day
"True
love brings up everything - you're allowing a mirror to be held
up to you daily."
Jennifer Aniston, American Actress
|
MMA
& Kempo Seminar
UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Chuck ‘ICE MAN” Liddel
&
Hawaiian Kempo Black-Belt, Chuck Liddell's Trainner
John Hackleman Sr.
Jesus
Is Lord Gym
94-143 Leokane Street #201
Waipahu, Hawaii 96797
Friday Schedule
Seminar Sold Out!!
By
Popular Demand Sunday is added!!
MMA
& Kempo Seminar
Sunday
12PM April 2,2006
Jesus
Is Lord Gym
94-143
Leokane Street #201
Waipahu,
Hawaii 96797
Learn
from the trainner of Champions and the Champion himself, John
Hackleman and UFC Champion Chuck Liddel will be in Hawaii from
Punishment In Paradise with THE PIT fighters and we convinced
them both to share their Knowledge with the fans and fighters
of Hawaii.
Seminar
is a steal at $25.00 Limited Avalability!!
UFC
Champion Chuck Liddel loves being in Hawaii and around Hawaii
fans, John Hackleman is actually from Hawaii and has a Blackbelt
in Hawaiian Kempo.
More
Details will follow!!!
For
more information email bdkamaka@comcast.net
Source: Brennan Kamaka
|
Shinya
Aoki New Shooto Champ! Rumina Sato Loses.
Shinya Aoki will
be holding a seminar in Hawaii on February 25th at the Shobukan
Judo Club!
Called "The Victory of the Truth", the main fight of
the night was between Tatsuya Kawajiri and Joachim Hansen, but
the audience got frustrated, once the fight was declared No contest
at only eight seconds of fight.
From
the UG:
Kawajiri went to close the distance and caught a kick to the
nuts "that enters completely gold." Kawajiri collapsed.
He sat in the chair while the doctor checked him out. Kawajiri
wanted to continue, but the doctor wouldn't let him.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Shooto:
The Victory of the Truth
Friday, February 17, 2006
Yoyogi No.2 Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
-
Megumi Fujii submitted Misaki Takimoto by Armbar at 4:36 in R2;
-
Kenji Osawa defeated Naoya Uematsu by Majority Decision;
-
Mizuto Hirota defeated Danilo Cherman by Unanimous Decision;
-
Tenkei Fujimiya defeated Hiroyuki Abe by Unanimous Decision;
-
Takeshi Inoue defeated Makoto Ishikawa by Unanimous Decision;
-
Antonio Carvalho defeated Rumina Sato by TKO (Punches) at 0:49
in R2;
-
Mitsuhiro Ishida defeated Kenichiro Togashi by Majority Decision;
-
Shinya Aoki defeated Akira Kikuchi Decision by Unanimous Decision;
-
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Joachim Hansen: No Contest.
Source:
Tatame
|
HERO'S
on March 15th
Hero's announced seven fights for its March 15th show at the
Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Hideo Tokoro will be on
the card.
-
Genki Sudo vs. Ole Laursen
-
Caol Uno vs. Rich Clementi
-
Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Ivan Menjivar
-
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Karim Ibrahim
-
Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs. Kim Min-Soo
-
Shungo Oyama vs. Melvin Manhoef
-
Kiuma Kunioku vs. Antonio McKee
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Pride
Absolute may have special rules
Showing is worried about the physical condition of the lighters
fighters, the Dream Stage Entertainment already though about
the possibility of put special rules for the Pride Open weight,
which will be held in May. During a press conference, the president
of the organization, Nobuyuki Sakakibara talked about his plans
for this GP.
-
We are working in the last details and it has a discussion about
accept or not the kicks and knee blows with the adversary on
the ground, when the athletes be from different categories. Also
has the possibility of take the choice for the athletes, as we
usually do (in fights with more than 10kg of weight difference,
the lightest athlete can ask special rules). The things will
be decided when we get closer from the first stage - said him.
After
that, Sakakibara laugh when he admitted that the weight difference
won't affect when the judge will point as winner. If it will
happen or not, the right thing is that to debut in this event,
isn't enough just win the Pride 31.
-
To get in on the event, it may be what fans want. If we put the
athletes away just because they win the fights, we would have
a complete card, but we would be letting away the fan's desires.
Even if an athlete lose his test-fight, he can win the fans and
pay the attention of the GP - he said.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Yesterday
is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream."
Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931, Lebanese Poet and Novelist
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar
Today!
Sunday,
February 19th
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
HMC
$30.00
|
Academia
Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu
Is Closed Today!
February 19, 2006
Rainbow Gymnastics Academy is hosting the gymnastics portion
of the event at the Blaisdell and will breakdown the floor mat
and take it down to the Blaisdell so class is cancelled.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
See everyone next week!
|
Fans
want Babalu vs. Liddell
UFC 58 to bring lightweights back
Light-heavyweight
UFC champion, Chuck Liddell, wasn’t even discharged by doctors
for his right foot injury, nor had he time to spend the US$250
thousand he earned by beating Randy Couture, and the UFC already
wants to put him face to face with another beast. All the better
for fans, since the organization’s website recently posted
a poll on whether it is time for Brazil’s Renato “Babalu”
Sobral to challenge the champion. The answer was a resounding
yes.
Riding
on the success of reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,”
UFC 58 will bring back the lightweight category, that vanished
right after Yves Edwards’ tremendous KO over Josh “Punk”
Thompson in UFC 49, in August, 2004. Along with Yves himself,
the card features Nathan Marquardt, France’s Kristof Midoux
and Rich Franklin, as well as the main course, BJ Penn vs. Canada’s Georges St. Pierre.
UFC
58 – USA vs Canada
Mandala Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
March 4th, 2006
1- Rich Franklin vs David Loiseau
2- Georges St-Pierre vs BJ Penn
3- John Alessio vs Diego Sanchez
4- Joe Doerksen vs Nathan Marquardt
5- Steve Vigneault vs Mike Swick
6- Mark Hominick vs Yves Edwards
7- Sam Stout vs Kenny Florian
8- Rob MacDonald vs Jason Lambert
9- Kristof Midoux vs Tom Murphy
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
So
What Happens to Frank Mir?
By Jeremy Wall
You've gotta love the matchmaking for Frank Mir. The guy, a former
Heavyweight champion who never lost his belt in the octagon,
ends up spending nearly two years away from the ring due to a
destructive motorcycle accident, and comes back in line for a
shot at his heavyweight title.
Thought
I might catch you sleeping. Of course Mir didn't come back with
a shot at the heavyweight title. He came back in what many purpoted
to be a "warm up" fight. Hey, people said, this guy
has been out of the ring forever. He needs to get back into ring
shape. Sure, he's a former champ and provides one of the few
interesting challengers for Andrei Arlovski at heavyweight, but
this is a real sport, and we try not to make things too interesting
in real sports.
Not
booking Mir in a title shot didn't make any sense then, and it
makes less sense now that he has lost to Marcio "Pe de Pano"
Cruz, who, by the way, was never a pushover opponent.
UFC
is about money. Money is about marketing. Marketing is about
superstars. Superstars are about fights. Fights are about booking
two personalities that people care about, in a fight that peopel
care about. People care about Mir. He's a former champ. It's
that easy. People care about Arlovski because he's the current
champ, but is not the linear champ since Mir never lost the title.
People
didn't care about Cruz. They might now, but I don't think the
potential idea of a Cruz-Arlovski fight is as interesting as
the idea of a Mir-Arlovski fight. Plus Cruz would seem to be
at least one or two or three or however many fights away from
a title shot at this point anyway.
On
paper, this was a tough fight for Mir, because, at one-hundred
percent health, there was realistically only a fifty-fifty chance
that he would defeat Cruz. After nearly two years of ring rust,
that number dipped below fifty percent, dipping low enough to
add something negative to Mir's won-less record.
Why
book the fight? If the point was to shake off Mir's ring rust,
then book him against a weak opponent who he can tool in a couple
of minutes. If the point was to create a new draw out of whomever
defeated Mir, wait until after the Arlovski-Mir fight, and book
Mir against that opponent should he lose to Arlovski (and the
odds say he probably would, although that is certainly never
guaranteed).
The
result of Cruz-Mir means that UFC loses the potential Mir-Arlovski
fight, and only gains a Cruz-Arlovski fight should Cruz defeat
one or two more high-level opponents. And even then the interest
in seeing Mir, who is still the (or at least one of the) linear
champ despite how befuddled that is now, is likely more than
the interest in seeing Arlovski-Cruz.
But
this is a real sport, and there is nothing interesting about
that.
Wall
can be contacted at mmachronicle@hotmail.com
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"To
me old age is always fifteen years older than I am."
Bernard M. Baruch, 1870-1965, American Businessman and Politician
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar
Tomorrow!
Sunday, February
19th
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
HMC
$30.00
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 3 Tickets Now On Sale!
Garden Island Cage
Match 3
Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
March 25, 2006
Hi All,
Tickets are now on sale at the following locations:
Meyvn
skate and Surf- Lihue
Tropical Tantrum- Kapaa
Dynamic Tinting- Puhi
Tutu's Cafe - Kalaheo
Sweet and Sassy - Eleele
Wong's Restaurant- Hanapepe
M&H Service- Waimea
Westside sporting goods- Waimea
Thanks
to our sponsors!
Kuhio Motors
Aloha Beach Resort
Garden Isle Disposal
Aloha Rainbow Screening
Tire Warehouse
M&H Service
Triple T Plumbing
AH Marshall Construction
Dr Coy Rebmann DDS
Knockout Hawaii
Island Radio 98.9
Source: Event Promoter
|
Academia
Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu
Is Closed This Sunday!
February 19, 2006
Rainbow Gymnastics Academy is hosting the gymnastics portion
of the event at the Blaisdell and will breakdown the floor mat
and take it down to the Blaisdell so class is cancelled.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
See everyone next week!
|
David
Terrell vs. Scott Smith
Terrell, Smith to Square Off at UFC
Two
talented rising stars, David Terrell and Scott Smith, will test
their skills against each other in a local California grudge
match at UFC 59 – Reality Check, which will be held on April
15th at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim.
The
UFC 59 show, which features the light heavyweight bout between
Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, will air live on pay-per-view,
beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.
Terrell,
known to fight fans as ‘The Soul Assassin’, returns
to the UFC for the first time in over a year on April 15th. Best
remembered for his debut performance in the Octagon, when he
knocked out Matt Lindland in 24 seconds in August of 2004, the
Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu ace was stopped by Evan Tanner in a battle
for the vacant UFC middleweight crown in 2005, but he’s
looking to get back into the win column with a victory over Smith.
Smith,
who will be making his UFC debut on April 15th, has made quite
a name for himself with successful runs in WEC, Gladiator Challenge,
and IFC shows. Most recently, he engaged in a frenetic 1:58 war
with Justin Levens on January 13th, with Smith emerging victorious
via an emphatic knockout.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Who
is Brandon Vera?
By Sean McClure
Brandon “The Truth” Vera has exploded into the UFC
Heavyweight limelight like no other fighter has in the recent
past. His first UFC win was over jiu jitsu specialist, Fabiano
Scherner with TKO via a nasty looking knee to the head. After
that fight Vera told the crowd he wanted to be the first person
to ever hold the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles at
the same time but noone was laughing. Vera’s talent in the
Octagon speaks volumes about his potential, more than his mouth
ever could. Recently, at UFC 57 he demonstrated how deadly his
stand up really is by knocking Justin Eilers out with a head
kick followed up by a knee to the chin at just one minute and
twenty five seconds of round 1. Eilers was sent face first to
the canvas and Vera was sent into the spotlight once again.
His
MMA record is deceptive at the first glance making him look inexperienced.
He has fought professionally only 6 times but has won all of
them via KO/TKO save for one in 2003 that was won by unanimous
decision in the NLF, Next Level Fighting organization. Vera is
young, fast, dangerous, and looking for a place in UFC history.
Many fans on the internet have all speculated that he would do
well by dropping down in weight to the light heavyweight division
mainly due to his body frame seemingly being naturally more suited
for the 205 class. Vera has stated publicly that he would take
it into consideration if the UFC asked him to and if it was good
for the sport.
What’s
in Vera’s future? Hopefully not current UFC Champion, “The
Pit Bull” Andrei Arlovski. While Vera is very talented and
can make a huge impact onthe sport, but he is not ready for Arlovski,
who would derail his UFC hopes of becoming the next big thing
in 2006. He certainly has the charisma, the natural ability,
and the potential to do just that. Keep an eye on this kid to
help give the UFC some of the depth it needs, and to provide
some very exciting fights for us all to enjoy.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Stressed
spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!"
Source: Unknown
|
Murilo
Bustamante Seminar
Today!
Friday, February
17, 2006
6 - 9 PM
Central
Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
23 S. Kamehameha Hwy. #204
(Wahiawa, next to Jack in the Box)
Please
contact Tammy 228-1711 or centraloahujiujitsu@yahoo.com
for more information, including cost of seminar.
|
Extreme
fighting may face more fees
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
A bill seeking to regulate the extreme-combat industry includes
a revenue collection formula unheard of by state tax officials,
and promoters say higher fees would cripple their ability to
stage fights in Hawai'i.
HB3223,
passed out of the state House Tourism and Culture Committee yesterday,
calls for promoters to pay a license fee of 3 percent of the
first $50,000 in ticket sales and an additional 5 percent of
all sales over $50,000. Additionally, the measure asks for 5
percent of all television and Internet revenue and 5 percent
of all pay-per-view and DVD sales.
The
bill will next be heard by the House Judiciary Committee.
Patrick
Freitas, who along with T. Jay Thompson runs Icon Sport, said
the proposed revenue collection would prevent all but a few international
companies from putting on fights.
"It's
nuts. It's gonna kill us," he said yesterday. "We initially
came out and supported (the bill), but we're changing our stance.
We're looking at $12,000 to $20,000 in fees going back to the
state per fight. That's way too much money. Let's give the current
system more power."
Most
sporting events are subject to the state general excise tax of
4 percent from ticket sales and other event-generated revenue.
The
proposed licensing fees and revenue collection are "unusual,"
said Frank Ruff, a tax specialist with the state Department of
Taxation.
"As
far as different levels of income coming in and being taxed at
different rates is new to me," he said. "Nothing like
that is on the tax books."
The
bill also establishes a five-member, independent body called
the Mixed-Martial-Arts Commission of Hawai'i, to be appointed
by the governor.
"When
you look at an event like this, there are millions of dollars
being made and the state needs to capitalize on that," said
Rep. Jerry Chang, D-2nd (Hilo), the bill's author. "By creating
a commission, the commission will regulate it and make sure everyone
is getting paid and the public is getting its money's worth.
We're crafting the framework and the commission will create the
rules."
Chang's
measure is aimed at regulating extreme combat bouts like "Rumble
on the Rock," "K1" and "Ultimate Fighting
Championships."
States
across the country have been rushing to create regulatory bodies
for the sport over the past four years in order to collect revenue
and rein in unlicensed, backroom cage brawls.
In
December, the California State Athletic Commission officially
sanctioned mixed-martial-arts by setting up a regulatory body,
paving the way for the state to tap into a multi-million dollar
revenue stream. It is one of 20 states now regulating mixed-martial
arts.
The
Mixed-Martial-Arts Commission of Hawai'i would be responsible
for enforcing an expansive list of laws that govern everything
from the number of paramedics and licensed physicians at fights
to the amount of liability a promoter faces if he doesn't provide
adequate punch for consumers' dollars.
Commission
members, one of which must be a former fighter, will carry badges
and attend events.
The
popularity of mixed martial arts started to take off in the 1990s
and has become an international industry worth hundreds of millions
of dollars, selling out 10,000-seat arenas in Las Vegas and Tokyo
in addition to racking up pay-per-view sales. The Ultimate Fighting
Championship, a company run by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, two
brothers who own Station Casinos in Las Vegas, is the largest
U.S. extreme combat company operating.
UFC's
reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter," drew more than
2 million TV viewers during November's season finale, according
to Nielsen Media Research.
Tickets
to fights in Hawai'i range from $30 to $350, and some events
have drawn more than 7,000 people.
Icon
Sport, a subsidiary of international fight promoter Future Fight
Productions, earned more than $4 million in gross revenue in
fiscal 2005 and has held more than 500 bouts in the state since
1996.
Under
the current law, the state receives a $500 fee and an unspecified
amount of revenue generated from facilities rentals for each
fight.
Before
an exemption became law last year, mixed-martial-arts contests
and other forms of extreme combat were technically illegal, but
promoters squeezed bouts through loopholes in the law for more
than a decade. Under the law the governor signed in May, promoters
can get an exemption if they:
-
Supply a referee and a licensed ringside physician;
-
Guarantee safety for the fighters; and
-
Pay a $500 fee to hold the contests.
Extreme-combat
bouts are currently monitored by investigators with the Regulated
Industries Complaints Office, and any violation of the exemptions
in the law subjects the promoter to the possibility of a $10,000
fine per offense.
Rep.
Tommy Waters, D-51st (Waimanalo, Lanikai), had introduced a bill
that would have banned the sport in Hawai'i after parents in
Waimanalo complained their children were re-creating the bouts
and getting injured. That bill died.
Waters
also takes issue with children emulating mixed-martial artists,
especially those recently in the news for high-profile arrests.
Last
year Rumble World Entertainment's B.J. Penn was charged with
assaulting a police officer, and Icon Sport's Jason "Mayhem"
Miller was charged with burglary.
Penn
will stand trial this summer for punching a uniformed Honolulu
police officer at a post-fight party and Miller will go to trial
after he was arrested for breaking into his ex-girlfriend's apartment
in December.
"I
would certainly be concerned if children were looking up to these
guys as role models," Waters said. "Rather than aspiring
to become a professional mixed martial artist I would hope that
young people would aspire to bigger and better things and that's
aside from the fact that some of these guys are getting into
trouble (with the law).
"Sure,
you got your bad eggs in the NFL, but for the most part these
people went to college and are good role models. I think (HB
3223) is better than nothing and at least it puts some parameters
in place. I'm a little disappointed, but I believe in the process.
Nobody came out and testified in favor of my bill and it died."
Reach
Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
Aoki
Ready for SHOOTO Middleweight Title Shot
Days
before he hopes to add his name to the impressive list of SHOOTO
167-pound titleholders, Japan’s Shinya Aoki spoke with Sherdog.com
about Friday’s challenge against middleweight champion Akira
Kikuchi.
The
jiu-jitsu ace comments on his controversial decision loss to
Hayato Sakurai, his thoughts on PRIDE and K-1, and his plans
for the future.
Sherdog.com:
What’s your background? How did you start training?
Shinya
Aoki: I’m originally from Shizuoka prefecture, and I came
here to attend university. I used to do judo before, and when
I shifted from judo to MMA I met Nakai-sensei, so I joined this
gym (Paraestra Tokyo) and that’s why I’m here.
Sherdog.com:
Why did you make the shift from judo to MMA?
Aoki:
Because I have more fighting opportunities with MMA.
Sherdog.com:
Which do you like more, judo or jiu-jitsu?
Aoki:
I like techniques, so I like jiu-jitsu better.
Sherdog.com:
If you had to pick between concentrating on jiu-jitsu or being
a fighter in SHOOTO, what would you pick and why?
Aoki:
I’d like to mainly concentrate on jiu-jitsu in the future.
With jiu-jitsu I can fight for a longer time, and also I love
technique.
Sherdog.com:
You’re fighting at 167 pounds (76 kgs). That’s middleweight
for SHOOTO. Fans outside Japan who follow your career think that
you’re too small for that weight and it would be advantageous
for you to go down to 154 lbs (70kgs). Have you considered going
down in weight or are you comfortable where you are now?
Aoki:
I don’t think that I’m small for 76 kilograms. I feel
comfortable at this weight.
Sherdog.com:
When you went to the Abu-Dhabi grappling championships last year,
you face two of the biggest stars in that event: Marcelo Garcia
and Royler Gracie. What was it like being there and competing
with the best grapplers in the world?
Aoki:
Well, the results say that I lost, but for me the answer is simple
— I just have to keep going and going and I will win eventually.
Sherdog.com:
How were Garcia and Gracie technique-wise?
Aoki:
Their basic techniques are down-pat, very good.
Sherdog.com:
In your pro-fighter record you fought Keith Wisniewski last year
and you won by standing armlock, actually breaking Wisniewski’s
elbow. In a jiu-jitsu tournament here in Japan, you fought Kuniyoshi
Hironaka and you broke Hironaka’s arm by armbar. Many MMA
fighters follow the “train to break” mentality when
it comes to submissions. Do you follow this philosophy?
Aoki:
I’m not out to break anyone’s arm, but the thing is
that the guys didn’t tap, so their arms broke.
Sherdog.com:
Your ring entrance music is “Baka Survivor” (“Baka”
means stupid or “simple minded” in Japanese). Why did
you choose this song? Is there any significance behind it?
Aoki:
Daisuke “Amazon” Sugie is a friend of mine, so we decided
to use the same ring entrance music.
Sherdog.com:
So that’s the only reason why you picked it? Is there any
meaning to it?
Aoki:
(laughs) No meaning.
Sherdog.com:
When you walk to the ring, you do a dance with the “Baka
Survivor” song. Do you feel that you can dance better than
Genki Sudo (Pictures)?
Aoki:
(laughs) I don’t think so, no way.
Sherdog.com:
OK, back in SHOOTO of August last year, you were fighting Hayato
Sakurai, in the first round. You caught Sakurai with a front
choke, so basically under SHOOTO rules that’s a catch. So
for that round on the judges’ cards you should have gotten
10-8 in points, but you didn’t. How do you feel about that?
Aoki:
I don’t want to complain about it, but the only thing that
I thought more about after that was: What more do I need to do
in a fight? What’s kind of techniques do I need to use to
get the outcome that I want? That’s more important to me.
I feel that there is no need to complain about the decision.
Sherdog.com:
Did you feel at the moment that the choke you caught Sakurai
with was tight?
Aoki:
Yes, it was tight.
Sherdog.com:
You fought very good in that fight and it was very close. Many
fans think that you should have won by decision. How do you feel
about your performance in that fight?
Aoki:
At the time I did my best.
Sherdog.com:
Is that everything?
Aoki:
That’s everything.
Sherdog.com:
Your second pro fight was in DEEP against Jutaro Nakao, where
you lost by knockout. Would you like to avenge that loss?
Aoki:
The promotions are different, so perhaps I will not have a chance
to fight him again.
Sherdog.com:
So you want to stay strictly with SHOOTO?
Aoki:
I’d like to fight in the UFC as well.
Sherdog.com:
What do you feel about fighting in a cage rather than a ring?
Aoki:
No difference.
Sherdog.com:
For the upcoming SHOOTO show you will be fighting the SHOOTO
middleweight champion, Akira Kikuchi. How do you feel about this
fight?
Aoki:
It’s going to be a grappling war. The person with the best
technique is going to win.
Sherdog.com:
Are you worried about Kikuchi’s stand-up game?
Aoki:
No. (laughs) Both of us are not that good in stand-up, so it
will be alright.
Sherdog.com:
Kikuchi has a very strong judo background and his ground game
is good. Are you looking forward to fighting on the ground with
him?
Aoki:
I’m really looking forward to grappling with him.
Sherdog.com:
Are you more interested in winning the belt or beating Kikuchi?
Aoki:
I’m not fighting for the belt, nor am I fighting for Kikuchi.
I’m fighting for myself. That’s what’s important.
Sherdog.com:
Good answer. If you get the win against Kikuchi, you will become
the SHOOTO middleweight champion, would you like to follow other
SHOOTO champions and go to bigger promotions such as PRIDE or
K-1 HERO’s?
Aoki:
I’m not interested in PRIDE or K-1 HERO’s.
Sherdog.com:
Any particular reason?
Aoki:
Because it’s not martial arts, it’s just an event.
PRIDE and K-1 are just entertainment. That’s not martial
arts for me.
Sherdog.com:
That’s a very strong opinion. I understand that you recently
became a cop, why did you choose that profession?
Aoki:
I know that I could fight in PRIDE or K-1 and make money, but
that would go against my principals, so I figured that I would
take on a normal job, and as a cop I can protect Japan.
Sherdog.com:
Are you a cop now?
Aoki:
The results will come out in April.
Sherdog.com:
If you become a cop and you see someone doing something wrong
on the street, are you going to tell that person to stop or are
you going to choke him out, or apply an armbar or something?
Aoki:
(laughs) Actually, I’m a weakling and I’m really scared
of fighting. (laughs) I’m just going to run away.
Sherdog.com:
But you’re suppose to protect Japan, so how are you going
to run away?
Aoki:
(laughs) OK, I’ll arrest him then, but no choke-out.
Sherdog.com:
That’s good. What’s your schedule like? What’s
a normal day for you?
Aoki:
I’m a sports science student at Waseda University now. After
school, practice, then free time.
Sherdog.com:
How many times a week do you train and for how long? What do
you focus on, gi, no gi, striking?
Aoki:
For striking I do the mitts, bag, shadow [boxing], sparring and
stretching for about an hour and a half. And then at night for
one and a half hours I do ground work, with and without the gi.
When it’s near a fight, I train at least twice a day, afternoon
and night, six days a week.
Sherdog.com:
You only have six fights as a pro-fighter so far, is there anyone
in particular who you would like to face?
Aoki:
Diego Sanchez.
Sherdog.com:
Why?
Aoki:
Because I want the viewer to have a good time and have an exciting
match.
Sherdog.com.
Sanchez is a big star in the UFC now. Besides Sanchez is there
anyone else?
Aoki:
Karo Parisyan, Georges St. Pierre. But the one that I would really
like to face is Nick Diaz.
Sherdog.com:
He fought Joe Riggs in the UFC and Riggs won. They went to the
Las Vegas hospital after the fight. At the hospital they started
to talk smack to each other and Diaz punched him.
Aoki:
Really? (laughs)
Sherdog.com:
The police asked Riggs if he wanted to press charges, but he
declined.
Aoki:
(laughs)
Sherdog.com:
With the UFC, would you like to fight either Matt Hughes or B.J.
Penn?
Aoki:
I’d like to do it but right now I think that Matt Hughes
would be a bit too strong.
Sherdog.com:
What about Penn?
Aoki:
Penn is very strong as well; for 70 kilos they’re the top.
Sherdog.com:
I read before that you were planning on retiring from pro-fighting
and just concentrate on jiu-jitsu and grappling tournaments,
are you still with that idea?
Aoki:
In the future, yes.
Sherdog.com:
What are your plans for the future? Do you want to keep going
with sports science, or be a cop, or open your own school and
teach?
Aoki:
Basically I’ll be a cop, but as a hobby I’d like to
have my own dojo.
Sherdog.com:
Thanks for your time and good luck on Friday.
Aoki:
Thank you.
Source:
Sherdog |
Nakai
talks Vale Tudo, SHOOTO and Rickson
TOKYO
— Sherdog.com recently headed down to Paraestra Tokyo to
talk with Vale Tudo legend Yuki Nakai (Pictures), who laid the
groundwork for events like Friday’s SHOOTO welterweight
championship between Tatsuya Kawajiri and his challenger Joachim
Hansen.
We
asked Nakai about his history, the old days of SHOOTO and his
legendary performance in the Japan Vale Tudo tournament, which
included his infamous bout versus Gerard Gordeau and an appearance
in the finals against Rickson Gracie.
Sherdog.com:
Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us.
Yuki
Nakai: No problem.
Sherdog:
How did you start in SHOOTO? What was your background before
you started competing?
Nakai:
I was born in Hokaido and then came to Tokyo. I used to do judo
and wrestling before, and I always wanted to do MMA, and because
SHOOTO was the first total fighting style in Japan I really wanted
to do it.
Sherdog:
When did you come to Tokyo?
Nakai:
It was Yokohama actually (city next to Tokyo). I came in 1992.
Sherdog:
Did you come there for training?
Nakai:
Yes I did.
Sherdog:
What made you become a pro-fighter in the first place? I know
that you trained with Tiger Mask (Japanese pro-wrestling legend,
Satoru Sayama).
Nakai:
It was always my childhood dream. I always wanted to be a pro-fighter.
Sherdog:
At the moment before the Japan Vale Tudo, you were the SHOOTO
welterweight champion, and then you were picked by the SHOOTO
Commission to represent SHOOTO. Can you tell us your experience
when you were in the Japan Vale Tudo?
Nakai:
What I thought about it?
Sherdog:
How were you feeling when you were going to the tournament? Rickson
Gracie was in the same tournament. What were you thinking?
Nakai:
I was 70 kilograms (154 pounds) and everyone else was bigger
than me. In Vale Tudo at that time, there were not many technicians
apart from the Gracie family, and SHOOTO was as popular at that
time. I had confidence in my abilities and I was quite confident
that I could win.
Sherdog:
How do you think fighting in SHOOTO back at that time compares
to fighting in SHOOTO today?
Nakai:
I fought first in 1994, then in ‘95, and even the rules
have changed to Vale Tudo, so I had time to prepare for Vale
Tudo. Before that time there was no punching or kicking on the
ground. And Sayama changed; they wanted Vale Tudo to be more
sporting, so that’s why they slowly changed the rules to
make it more like a sport.
Sherdog:
I apologize for the question, but I know that in your first fight
in the Japan Vale Tudo tournament you fought Gerard Gordeau,
and you had an accident when fighting. Gerard was gouging your
eyes. I want to know how you were feeling at the moment when
that happened and what injuries you sustained.
Nakai:
I was prepared that Gordeau would be using some kind of dirty
techniques, and according to the rules, if you used dirty techniques
two or three times you would lose, so I was expecting Gordeau
to lose because of his tactics. I was expecting to win because
of all the rule infringements.
Sherdog:
Did you receive any damage from Gordeau’s tactics?
Nakai:
I can’t see with my right eye, even now. Complete loss of
vision in that eye.
Sherdog:
You had three fights that night in the Japan Vale Tudo tournament.
You won the first two fights — one by heel hook and the
other by armbar — then you met in the finals with Rickson
Gracie. You were very badly damaged from the previous two fights,
how did you feel at the moment when you faced Rickson?
Nakai:
He had good technique, and I did a lot of judo and ground work
as well and I thought that I’d use my ground work to fight
with Gracie. I was really confident that I would make it to the
finals and I was very confident that I could beat Rickson.
Sherdog:
After your loss in the fight with Rickson, how did it change
you? What did you realize that you would have to change in your
game?
Nakai:
Rickson had superior techniques and I was a bit surprised because
he was much better than I thought. But it was a good experience
for me to understand the top-level fighter at that time.
Sherdog:
I understand that after the fight with Rickson you decided to
start training jiu-jitsu, basically bringing this style back
to Japan with you when you returned. So what was the process?
Who did you start training with? Who did you get your black belt
from?
Nakai:
For the first two years I kept it a secret that I was blind in
my right eye because at that time many people were against Vale
Tudo. I didn’t want people to think that Vale Tudo was a
dangerous sport. I got my injury from illegal techniques; I didn’t
want Vale Tudo to have a bad reputation. I had to give up my
fighting career because I couldn’t see the punches coming
at me. After that, for one year I didn’t compete. At that
time a lot of Japanese fighters were not top class and they were
losing a lot of fights, and then I thought what’s needed
to win? At that time I was doing a lot of judo, but then I started
to think OK, let me try jiu-jitsu, and then I started with a
white belt.
Sherdog:
So whom did you get your Black Belt from?
Nakai:
I got it from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
Sherdog:
I heard once that when you went to the Mundials and you were
in the Brown Belt division, I think you won your division or
placed among the top. After that Carlos Gracie Jr. told you that,
“you should not fight at Brown Belt anymore, you should
fight at Black Belt.” So did you get your Black Belt from
Carlos Gracie Jr.? Is that story true?
Nakai:
Every time I fought with a brown belt I would ask the organizers
“Can I fight in this competition with so-and-so belt?”
and at the Pan-Americans they said that I needed the black belt,
but I didn’t have a main teacher — I had a lot of different
instructors but not one set teacher. For me, I got it from the
Federation.
Sherdog:
After that you came back to Japan and founded the Japanese Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Pareastra gyms, what do you feel
is the impact of your work?
Nakai:
I thought Brazilian jiu-jitsu fit the Japanese.
Sherdog:
Why?
Nakai:
Japan is judo. Brazilian jiu-jitsu basics are judo. People who
did judo were the people who were teaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Of course, it’s not only judo but [also] a lot of ground
work. But the basics of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the same as judo,
and for Vale Tudo it’s very important, lots of groundwork.
And I felt that Brazilian Ju-jitsu would be popular in Japan.
So, when I started my dojo, of course, we had Vale Tudo class.
But I felt we should have a lot of jiu-jitsu classes as well.
Sherdog:
Was opening a dojo something that you wanted to do for a long
time?
Nakai:
I thought about it since the time I moved to Yokohama. Then I
had this idea that I’m going to have my own dojo.
Sherdog:
When you opened your first gym, did you realize that it was going
to be such a success? There are many gyms that represent your
name, and out of that jiu-jitsu has spread all over Japan. Did
you realize at the moment how big it was going to become?
Nakai:
I was 100 percent sure that it was going to get big.
Sherdog:
After all these years, are you satisfied with your success?
Nakai:
Sure it’s all over Japan, but I feel that more and more
people are going to pick up on this sport.
Sherdog:
You’re basically a legend and champion for many SHOOTO fans
and fighters, both inside and outside of Japan, especially because
of the courage you showed in the Japan Vale Tudo. So a bit of
a silly question: but do you really feel like a legend?
Nakai:
I’m not a legend — it’s too early. I’m a
jiu-jitsu practitioner.
Sherdog:
Do you realize that you have a lot of fans outside of Japan,
foreigners that follow SHOOTO in Europe and America?
Nakai:
I’m thankful that people know about me. Ten years have past
and still people know about me and I’m very grateful about
that.
Sherdog:
So what’s next, what do you want to accomplish?
Nakai:
I want to be the world champion of jiu-jitsu.
Sherdog:
What about your work in Japan with jiu-jitsu, your school, what
do you want to accomplish?
Nakai:
I want students of my gym to get stronger and go to the next
level. Also normal people who come to the jiu-jitsu school, if
they’re satisfied and they’re happy about what they’re
doing, that’s good enough for me.
Source: Sherdog
|
The
Savage Truth: Setting the record straight
by Greg Savage (greg@sherdog.com)
I
love it when a little satire erupts into a heavy flow of hate
e-mail, flooding my inbox. If nothing else it lets me know people
are reading my rants. The only problem is the people who end
up firing off their threats and tirades usually don’t get
the big picture.
Maybe
I should explain myself a little better. I think most people
get my point of view but its more and more apparent by the tone
of many of the e-mails I have received as of late that there
is a huge contingent who are willing to give the UFC, Zuffa LLC
and Dana White a free pass on anything and everything because
of the fact that the sport is growing by leaps and bounds at
this very moment.
While
I agree that the Zuffa era as a whole has been good for the sport
of MMA, I am not willing to turn a blind eye and just accept
whatever Zuffa decides as the best we can do for our sport. That
would be the worst thing for the sport in the long run, so save
your “support the sport” e-mails (pull your finger
off the send button right now).
I
guess the reason I have been so hard on Big D over the past few
years is the belief, as I have stated before, that the UFC is
the best chance for the continued success of the sport of MMA
— not just the UFC — in North America. I don’t
always agree with the things the company does and, as you know,
I have no problems raising those issues. That does not mean I
do not admire the job they have done since taking over a promotion
struggling to tread water only five short years ago.
To
be honest, I never thought I would see the day the sport of MMA
would reach the heights it has already ascended over the past
year or so. Much of that success can be directly attributed to
the hard work and dedication of a group of people who were severely
shorthanded for the longest time and continue to log long hours
in their quest to make the UFC as big as it can be. The leader
of that movement is unquestionably Dana White and no matter how
many times I question his motives or direction let the record
show I respect his efforts and appreciate the colossal strides
North American MMA has taken under his stewardship.
It
is his vision and his company’s strategy that I have taken
umbrage with at times and I think it would be a disservice to
the sport if those, like myself, who have a pulpit of sorts keep
our questions and criticisms to ourselves and just toed the company
line. Their monopolistic tactics and heavy handed treatment of
those who refuse to kowtow to them are serious and deserve critical
discussion.
I
kind of liken this to the situation Major League Baseball went
through last spring as the steroid issue exploded into a media
crisis for the National Pastime. The media free-for-all and fan
outrage were surely less than palatable for MLB but the patrons
of the sport deserved to know the truth about the integrity of
the game.
On
the flipside, I am sure there were some fans that mumbled about
that those unappreciative journalists that drudged up this dirt
about their favorite sport and just wished it would go away.
Hell, why not? Everyone likes seeing more scoring, especially
home runs, and records that stood for decades come crashing down
like Justin Eilers seems to every time he gets in the cage.
These
are actual email I received after last week’s column:
“Dana
White has given me MMA on free TV, what the f*** have sites like
Sherdog and MMAWeekly done for the sport? Please STFU and enjoy
the fights.” – Louis M.
“The
UFC has gotten huger than ever before and it’s all because
of Dana White. As long as I keep seeing fights for free I will
be happy with the UFC.” – Rob F.
I
can picture people like this writing to ESPN.com writers last
spring:
“Why
| |