Sogo Kakutougi

Date: Weds, 18 January 2006

Sorry about the delay since my last newsletter – I’ve been on vacation in Japan.

It was great – hot springs, Shinto Shrines, sushi, sashimi, Tokyo nightlife, visits with friends and family.

One of the things we did was spend a night in an Onsen (hot springs hotel) in Chiba Prefecture.  Our room had a view directly overlooking Tokyo Bay, with mount Fuji in the background.  I went out with my son the night we arrived and soaked in an outside hot springs pool with a  giant green tea bag floating in it!  I also got a Japanese foot massage that hurt so good my forehead was sweating.

My wife and I left the children with their Grandparents so we could get away for New Years Eve.  We spent it in Tokyo, mainly in the Shinjuku District.  If you’ve never seen Shinjuku at night, try to work it in some time.  It’s like Times Square on steroids, with some Bladerunner thrown in.

While we were in our hotel room and I was waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for my wife to get dressed, etc so we could go to a party I turned on the TV and there was one of my all time favorite fighters, Sakuraba.  The fights were live from Osaka.  If I remember right, Sakuraba won with a Kimura.  Royce Gracie also fought.  The Japanese guy he fought was ferocious and gave Royce a bloody nose. Royce spent most of the time working the guard.  He did manage to take the guy’s back, but didn’t tap him.  The judges called it a draw.

I’ve rolled on the mat with Royce twice - at a camp and in his old school in Torrence.  It was a nice surprise to see him fighting on New Years Eve.

A few nights later a friend of ours drove us down to Yokohama for dinner in Chinatown.  He’s an old grad school friend and is now a politician.  This guy always has good stories.

Anyway, since he’s studied Judo, I asked him what’s big in martial arts in Japan these days and he said it’s Sogo Kakutougi – “total martial arts.” Basically mixed martial arts like you see in Pride and K1 on pay per view.

I remember when ground fighting first got big in the mid-nineties a lot of people said stand up fighting was a thing of the past, and that ground fighting would replace everything.

What actually ended up happening is that martial arts, like water, seems to have found its own level.  Stand up fighters like me have taken time to learn ground technique, and ground fighters are working their kick boxing game a lot more.

I guess that teaches us to take some predictions with a  grain of salt.

One More Announcement!

For those of you interested in studying form – especially Tien Shan Pai (Heaven Mountain Style), I’ve put together a DVD with – count ‘em – 8 forms on it.

That includes 4 empty hand forms, 2 of which are two person sets, and 4 weapons forms – Short Staff, Fan, Broadsword, Quan Dao.

Check it out at http://www.kungfufightingtips.com/products/8tsp.htm

Next time I’ll get back to talking about Internal Energy.

Take care, train like you mean it and Akemashita Omedeto Gozaimas!  (Happy New Year)

Rob LaPointe