Much respect for Brandon Vera who has been supporting us sinceeversince. Real stoked to see how friends and family from Guam have confided in Alliance MMA’s proven program. Hope and trust that the island vibe and martial arts experience may yield mutual benefits
for those and theirs. Thanks Brandon and Mabuhay Lahat!
Last Updated on Friday, 10 May 2013 12:02
Written by Charles Jewett
Friday, 10 May 2013 12:02
With today’s breed of fighters, it is not often that you see a fighter with over 50 professional fights. Toby Imada (30-18) is one of those rare MMA fighters. He has been fighting professionally since 1998 and has fought some of the best the world has to offer. To many Toby came into the spotlight in 2009, as part of the inaugural Bellator tournament. To others Toby came into the spotlight in 2010 when he defeated Andy Souwer (147-14) at the S-Cup in Japan. Toby has excited the Japanese and American fans with his unique grappling and aggressive style. So it is with great pleasure that we got to interview him and we hope you enjoy!
CJ: You have been involved in Martial Arts for a long time, can you talk about how you started? What was it like being involved with the sport of MMA before it was mainstream? How has the sport changed the most, in your opinion?
TI: It all started with Judo training. That’s where I had encountered wrestlers and jujitsu practitioners. Given my competitive nature, I felt like I needed to cross train and learn their techniques to eliminate whatever advantages they had. My training and success in competition caught the attention of promoters. So when I was invited to compete in NHB matches, I was tentative, but tried it anyway. I never entered MMA to be a fighter. I was always a martial artist with a competitive spirit. Training was a way of life, or a hobby if you prefer. i would attend school, work, and train regularly. and when the opportunity came around I would compete, then go right back to my routine. It was a life style. The sport has evolved to become more than martial arts. It has become something where people prepare otherwise known as “camp”. Money, glamour, fame, even politics have become such a part of it all.
CJ: You have fought for a variety of organizations. What is it like being a journeyman/ronin? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Are there any organizations that you have been involved with that stick out in your memory?
TI: It feels like everyone hopes for me to lose and the the other guy to win. I kind of feel like I’m not wanted by anyone…hahaha but so what. I dont do this for acceptance. I do it for the previous reason. One advantage to that, which may be the only one, is that I get to go where ever I like. The down side to all that. I must always search for matches. Usually on my own. Bellator will always be memorable. However, to this date, I feel ShootBoxing has been the best to me. Every time I have been scheduled a fight, they have come through with everything they have promised, without having to remind them or fight over anything, and gone beyond.
CJ: While you have fought a lot of fights, you are probably most famous for your involvement in 2 tournaments. The Bellator Season 1 tournament and the Shoot Boxing S-cup in 2010. Do you prefer fighting in tournaments or doing individual fights? Can you talk about what it is like fighting in a tournament?
TI:I like both. Individual fights take pressure away from having to worry about the next match. You also know exactly who you will be facing, given nothing happens and the is a last minute substitution.. I also like the seriousness of tournaments. Having to display a skill level where you can go into and leave a fight taking least amount of damage as possible. There is a greater reward winning several fights as opposed to just one.
CJ: Speaking of your participation in the 2010 S-Cup, can you talk about how you got on Shoot Boxing’s radar? Did you pursue them or did they pursue you? What was your initial reaction?
TI: Getting into Scup was unintentional, if you can believe that. I had just come off of a fight and before i could get home I had been contacted by a friend asking if i would like to participate. I knew nothing of the organization. They thought I would be perfect for the rules. Apparently SB lost a fighter. Pressed for time and desperately needed to get the slot filled, somehow my name was brought up. I can imagine someone saying, “I bet Toby would take the fight..” I did. Im pleased with my wild decision.
CJ: Going into that tournament, you knew that some of the world’s best kick boxers and muay thai fighters were also entering the tournament. Names like Andy Souwer and Buakaw carry a lot of weight. How did it feel going into that tournament? Did you feel like you were representing MMA?
TI: Honestly, I hadn’t any idea who these people were or knew hardly anything about hem. Mind you I wasn’t completely sure what the ShootBoxing rules were either. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My main focus was to not let anyone walk right through me.
Souwer, Bovy, Umeno, Imada, Shishido, Buakaw, Saraiva, van Opstal
CJ: Can you talk about what it was like beating Andy Souwer, the multiple S-Cup Champion, in your first S-cup? What was your strategy? Is it one of the biggest wins of your career?
TI: My strategy was to be in his face and take every opportunity possible. Initially I tried to hit him from as any different angles as possible. I was very unorthodox, which may really have played a part in throwing him off. Inside fighting, causing a tie up then reacting with throws. What can I say, but smile.
CJ: You stated in a previous interview that your fight with Buakaw was the worst fight you’ve ever been in. Do you think the damage you took from earlier fights affected the fight? Would you be open to a re-match?
TI: Previous damage totally played a part in that. I was tired and feeling sore! I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I was already tired in round 3 versus Andy. Buakaw? Oh hell yes I would rematch.
CJ: How was the experience as a whole? Is there anything you would like to say about it? Any good stories?
TI: The entire experience was great. I cant imagine how it could have been any better. Every detail was memorable enough. Hanging out with Enson and being shown around. Not very many people at all know what that is like. blush…
CJ: Your tendency to go for throws and submissions mixed with your toughness have made you a fan favorite in Japan. What is that like? How are Japanese fans different from fans in the States?
TI: Really?! I didn’t know all. I thought it was my last name hahaha. Ok, well, I feel more of their compliments are genuine. I didn’t feel like they were saying what they thought i wanted to hear. I am very honored an pleased to be appreciated by such a reserved culture
CJ: Going into your fight with Satoru Suzuki, you were coming off of consecutive losses. How did you feel going into that fight, did you feel like you were fighting for your future in Shoot Boxing? During that fight, it seems like Suzuki escaped submissions and throws by collapsing to the canvas. Is this a problem in Shoot Boxing? What was your strategy going into the fight and how did it feel when you won?
TI: I was displeased with my previous performances. I got hit with a stomach infection for my fight with Andy which prevented me to recover from the weigh cut adequately. Also, I hadn’t as much time i had hoped for to prepare for such an opponent. It was all a learning process for me. I had to learn how to handle the travel, timing for training, and recovery. I had gathered my previous knowledge to prepare the best I could. Also, stepping up my training regimen. Opponents falling to the ground and grabbing on to the ropes made it a lot more difficult as well as frustrating. So I started working on counters for when they would, and was kind of hoping that they would. Falling to the ground is a problem in SB, but I now have a better understanding of the sport and the rules. SB has modified the rules slightly, to where they have become less tolerant and faster to penalize rope grabbing and falling to the ground in attempt to escape submissions, as seen when Suzuki attempted to fall to the ground when I had applied a standing guillotine.
Imada sinks in the choke
CJ: Can you talk about some of the friendships you have developed over there? Have you ever trained with any of the fighters over there?
TI: Seems I have developed a a friendship with several individuals at Caesar Gym as well as a few others. Enough to encourage me further study Japanese language. They’ve been very welcoming. Their mannerism and character has left me spellbound. Unfortunately, I have not yet had the honor to train with any. I hope to someday very soon. I would hold a seminar as a gesture of my gratitude for allowing me to train with them.
CJ: Because of your fights with Shoot Boxing, you are known amongst Japanese fighting fans. Have you received any offers to fight for an MMA organization in Japan? Would you like to fight for Pancrase, Shooto, DEEP or even One FC someday?
TI: Regrettably, I have not had any offers lately. I would be more than honored to compete in any of those organizations. As any who have witnessed, my style is anything other than boring.
CJ: I previously mentioned your participation in Bellator’s 1st season. Can you talk about that? It was during that season that your name became well known, due to your submission of the year over Jorge Masvidal. How did that effect your career? Have you and Bellator gone your separate ways now?
TI: At the time, I didn’t think the submission is would cause such a stir. I was excited to have come out victorious. Not sure if the submission is what brought me back or if it were my performances. I am no longer signed with Bellator. Don’t really know what happened there. My management at that time did something and just left me like that.
CJ: Can you talk about your future? Do you have any fights lined up?
TI: My future, well i am definitely not staying young. Just like anyone else, my time in the sport is very limited. I have relocated and have a new gym. Taking a little time to train and take complete control of myself and training. Not to sound bitter, but things got very unstable for me at my previous location. Now I would be starting from scratch, but this time Ive brought all my knowledge and experience somewhere it can be put to really really good use.
CJ: Shoot Boxing has had a couple of events this year, have they contacted you? Would you like to participate in this years S-Cup?
TI:I would absolutely participate in every possible SB match. I feel with SB I can act, speak, and display who i am most openly without someone telling me how, when, or what it is they want me to do. The Scup tournament is bi-yearly, so there would be one until next year. My answer, then, would still be ABSOLUTELY, if/when they contact me.
CJ: In your opinion, what makes a fighter?
TI: In my opinion a fighter is someone with a particular spirit. Someone that can dig deep within them-self despite failure, anguish and struggle, will not give up. Call us stubborn. Determined.
CJ: Is there anything that you want to say? To your Japanese fans? To your American Fans?
TI: Toby is still in good condition. training, healing, ever improving. Thank you for all the support, cant wait to return and put on a great show for the fans.
We at asianmma would like to thank Toby for his time and to wish him the best
Grapplers Planet Exclusive Interview with JT Torres
Interview by (GP King), questions and editing by Josh Sequeira (GP Bodmon)
Jonathan Torres, also known as JT, or ‘The Spiderman,’ is a first degree black belt part of team Atos, who trains and teaches in San Diego, California. Despite only being 24 years of age, JT has built a name for himself as a world class competitor, and one of the most exciting BJJ practitioners in the game today. 2013 was a major year for JT as he won a bronze medal in both the IBJJF Pan Ams, and the very prestigious ADCC Championships. However, JT’s greatest accomplishment this past year, was conquering the title of Black Belt World Champion, as he took home the gold medal in his division at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds. We got a chance to chat with JT and ask him a variety of questions about competing, his plans, and about his striking resemblance to a Dutch celebrity. Enjoy!
GP: JT, you’re an avid competitor. What is your routine like, the day of a tournament?
JT: My routine the day of a tournament is pretty simple. First I wake up, and I weigh myself to make sure I am on weight. I follow this up with a super-hot shower, because I feel it wakes up all my muscles! Then, depending on where my weight is at, I will eat a small breakfast, which usually consists of oatmeal and fruits. After breakfast, I head over to the venue, check my weight again and then I start to warmup by going for a light run and then stretching. After a good warm-up, I put my music on, get in the zone and wait for my name to be called.
GP: Lately you have been competing at middleweight, despite having some incredible success at lightweight. Is there any particular reason for the change in weight class on occasion, and is this something you plan to do more often?
JT: I have been fighting middleweight here and there just because I am at a point where my body weight is naturally a middle weight and I wanted to test it out. To be honest, I am not sure if my move to middle weight is permanent or temporary. Over the years I have just put on more muscle and weight naturally. I actually started competing at light-featherweight as a blue belt. My body is at point where I can follow a strict diet and make light weight, or I can eat clean but just more and fight middle weight and still feel great. I think in the future I will be a middle weight permanently.
GP: This past year, you accomplished a major milestone in your career winning your first Black Belt World Title! How did it feel to accomplish such a feat at the 2013 No-Gi Worlds?
JT: Winning my first Black Belt World Title at the No-Gi Worlds this past year felt amazing! I felt like all my hard work finally paid off!! It was one of my greatest moments in life!
GP: Do you currently teach BJJ at all JT? What is your idea of an ideal class breakdown?
JT: Yes, I actually teach the Kids class at Atos San Diego. The way I break down a class is like this: 15 mins of warmups and 30-45 mins of drilling and technique and then my favorite 30-60 mins of sparring.
GP: You eat, sleep, and live BJJ, what kind of questions do lower belts typically ask you about the art, and what do you tell them?
JT: Lower Belts typically ask me, “What can I do to improve my game?” and I always answer, “You have got to have an open mind to whatever technique you come across, and I recommend you compete at least once.”
GP: Any comments on the possibility of you being related to world famous DJ and Dutch music producer Afrojack? Are you aware of the striking resemblance?
JT: Haha, I am not related to him, but no, I wasn’t aware till now! We do look like!
GP: To wrap things up JT, what are your immediate plans for this year?
JT: My immediate plans for this year are to fight in the Pan Ams and Worlds, and then after the Worlds, get some more tattoos!
We would like to thank JT Torres for his time, and wish him the best in his competitive career and future endeavors!
When two islanders spotted a small fibreglass boat washed up on a remote Pacific atoll, they decided to take a closer look. What they found inside was a tale of adventure and unlikely survival to rival the blockbuster book and film Life of Pi: an emaciated man with long hair and a beard, who claimed to have been drifting for 16 months after setting out from Mexico, more than 8,000 miles (12,500km) away.
The man, dressed only in a ragged pair of underpants, told his rescuers on Thursday that he had been adrift in the 7.3-metre (24ft) fibreglass boat, whose engines were missing their propellers, since he left Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012. A companion had died at sea several months ago, he said.
“His condition isn’t good, but he’s getting better,” said Ola Fjeldstad, a Norwegian anthropology student doing research on the isolated Ebon atoll, part of the Marshall Islands archipelago.
The man had said his name was José Ivan and he had indicated that he survived by catching turtles and birds with his bare hands, but because he spoke only Spanish, further details were sketchy. There was no fishing equipment on the boat, but a turtle was inside when it washed up.
“The boat is really scratched up and looks like it has been in the water for a long time,” Fjeldstad told reporters for Agence France-Presse by telephone.
According to the researcher, the islanders who found the man took him to the main island in the atoll – which is so remote it has only one phone line and no internet – to meet the mayor, Ione de Brum, who contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Majuro, the Marshall Islands capital.
Officials at the ministry said on Friday that they were awaiting more details and expected the man to be taken to the capital.
The government airline’s only plane that can land at Ebon is currently undergoing maintenance and is not expected to return to service until Tuesday at the earliest. Officials are considering sending a boat to pick up the castaway.
“He’s staying at the local council house and a family is feeding him,” said Fjeldstad, who added that the man had a basic health check and was found to have low blood pressure, but did not appear to have any life-threatening conditions and was able to walk with the aid of men on the island. “We’ve been giving him a lot of water, and he’s gaining strength.”
Fraser Christian, who teaches maritime survival courses at his Coastal Survival school in Dorset, said the man’s story, if true, would be remarkable but far from unique. It was entirely possible to catch turtles or small fish by hand, he said, since “they are inquisitive, and they will approach a small boat to shelter underneath it”.
Christian advises clients who find themselves forced to eat turtles to start with their eyes – “lots of fluid” – then move on to the blood.
The major problems the man would have faced were exposure and dehydration. “The basic rule is, no water, no food. You need water to digest protein. If you have no fresh water and it doesn’t rain for a few days, so you can’t collect rainwater, you have basically had it.”
Individual physiology also played a part, he said, with some people better suited to survival than others, but “the mental thing is key, and that’s often down to people’s situation in life and how used they are to dealing mentally with hardship”.
But Cliff Downing, who teaches sea survival to sailors, said he was sceptical about the latest tale. “It just doesn’t sound right to me. There are 1,001 hazards that would make his survival for so long very unlikely. One would want to know a lot more.”
Cast of castaways
• Poon Lim, a Chinese sailor from a British ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1942, survived 133 days on a wooden raft floating in the South Atlantic before being rescued by Brazilian fishermen.
• In 1971, experienced Scottish sailor Dougal Robertson and his family were sailing to the Galápagos Islands from Panama when their boat was sunk by a pod of killer whales. They survived 38 days on a lifeboat before being rescued by a passing fishing trawler.
• In 2006, three Mexican fishermen were discovered drifting in a small fibreglass boat near the Marshall Islands, nine months after setting out on a shark-fishing expedition. They apparently survived on a diet of rainwater, raw fish and seabirds.
• In 2011, two fishermen, aged 26 and 53, from the Republic of Kiribati drifted for 33 days before being rescued by the US coast guard. The men stayed alive by eating tuna.
• A Panamanian fisherman sued Princess Cruises in 2012 after one of their ships ignored cries for help from him and two companions who were stranded in their broken boat. He survived 28 days adrift, but his friends both died of thirst.
Its been over 15 years for fokai in the clothing industry and we we decided to try and take count the others who decided to trek in the same path…Let it be said that Props goes to Chelu and Tribz who have been around before we have. Though we tread ona different path–we have alot of respect for them in going out to create not just a product, but aname and path behind a product.
Its real uplifitng to see how our people have recognized that we have a voice worth speaking, a flavor worth sharing, and an effort worth pursuing. Apparently our island, its visitors, and friends&family have decided that we have a message worth hearing, an offering worth receiving, and an attempt worth supporting.
Our estimated account was initially 3o or so but, even though we might have missed some–we were surprised to see that the count has gone way above that.
As we have remembered and in no particular order–here is a list of Guam clothing brands we can remember–no offense to those we may have missed. there definitely must be some.
1.Chelu 2.Tisu. 3.Masmai 4. Tomba 5. Bad Habit. 6.TheHigherCulture 7.Shoyoroll 8.Guahan Soldier 9. Rasta&Company 10. LongLive 11.Sensi. 12. Affiliated Lifestyles. 13. Oba Skoba 14. MostHated. 15.GuahanInternational. 16. Competidor. 17. CultureShok 18.Tribz 19.TymelessBrand. 20.MoyaBrand. 21.Crowns 22.Tunu. 23.FreedomSurf. 24. DudusGirl. 25. BRO. 26. ForReals 27.DoubleDuece. 28.Spike22 29.Ruckus 30.Kakanu 31.Fa’nui 32.Nova 33.MoyaBrand 34.ENE Wear 35.TaoTaoTasi 36.Yamak 37.BebeJuice 38.BabbaDaggan 39. GuamHottie 40.Fakai 41. Project Positive 42. Disatentu 43. Kuxika. 44. GuamStyle 45.Calibis 46. RadFad 47.Familian Guahan 48. Lines of Contact. 49. Soma&Sagamore 50.Herban Society 51.HafAloha 52. SoKelIndustries 53.Taffo Ke’ya Hafa 54. DefendGU 55.APPAratus Brand 56.ChamoruStrength 57. RedBelt 58.Shocker 59.MixedBreed 60.Rush Gear 61. Hyper Aggresive 62. Guam Love. 63. I Love Guam 64.Pikaru 65. Pedro 66. UX 67. FokaiFemme 68.Localize 69. JuiceBrand 70. Blackneck 71. Roots&Development 72. SixSevenOne 73. G671 74. JoeLocal 75.BadSport 76. Sheep
77. PokSquid 78. Bukshun 79. Empyre 80. NFC Brand
81. Swell 82. Dead Rat Cartel 83.Solid 84. Black Neck 85.Subdue
86. Songi 87.TheNative 88.
Wow. With many out there to make their mark–that’s over 70 brands that have sprouted in the island within the last 15years. Saipan & Rota have about had a shot at 10 or possibly more local brand ventures to add to the count..again in nor particular order
Although several have been inactive for some time npw…More than happy to see many of these brands still alive and fluorishing.
There really is a lot to learn from everybody. From many– as much as it is a business venture its an artistic adventure. Thankfully–our island has been very receptive to the rise of local tshirt brands that have accumulated impressively over the years.in the end with the consumer as the winner—pressure builds for those still in motion to improve not just in teh quality of their prodcut but now more than ever–into the experience of the labe. We look forward to the count going higher. It definitely helps to keep us all on our toes
Props and Respect to connecting with those on the path.
Yahoo PH Sports – Will Pacquiao – Mayweather Jr. fight ever happen?
To prove he doesn’t want a fight against Floyd Mayweather for the money, Manny Pacquiao has offered a fight with proceeds going to charity. In an interview with Aquiles Zonio of inquirer.net, Pacquiao opened up about the verbal jabs being thrown his way.
“I’m not desperate to fight him just for the sake of money or material things. I’m not the one seeking this fight; rather it’s the boxing fans all over the world,” Pacquiao said in the interview.
“I am ready to submit myself to any kind of stringent drug testing. Above all, I challenge him to include in our fight contract that both of us will not receive anything out of this fight,” Pacquiao challenged. “We will donate all the proceeds from the fight—guaranteed prize, should there be any, gate receipts, pay-per-view and endorsements—to charities around the world.”
Pacquiao added that he is not desperate for a fight as what Mayweather is suggesting. He said he is comfortable about how his career holds up in boxing history. “There’s no reason why I should be desperate to fight him. But since boxing fans worldwide are seeking and demanding a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, I don’t want to disappoint them,” he added.
“As to my tax problem, my lawyers are fixing it already,” Pacquiao told Zonio. “I’m paying my taxes religiously. It is just a matter of reconciling our records with the tax agencies both here and abroad. Should there be any discrepancy, rest assured, I will settle it. I’m a lawmaker and I’m a law-abiding citizen.”
Reacting to Mayweather’s announcement that he will be retiring from boxing in September next year, Pacquiao shot back at Mayweather. “The public clamor for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout is getting stronger. The only way he can avoid facing me in the ring is to retire from boxing,” Pacquiao said.
“Floyd, if you’re a real man, fight me,” Pacquiao closed. “Let’s do it for the love of boxing and for the fans. Let’s do it not for the sake of money. Let’s make the boxing fans happy.”
Our first attempt to launch the token of appreciation was as a 50 dollar gift certificate. Universal currency for Fokai INternational, this token was to be redeemable for full fokai merchandise value of 50dollars.Even in these adverse financial times, we have been receiving a lot of much appreciated support from our long lasting customer/extended family base. As a result of this support, we have been in effort to try and sophisticate and diversify the fokai experience.
An investment of 50dollars sure is a good gift and we wanted to do our best to package such good intention with dignity. In creating the token of appreciation program–we want to extend a message of good vibration, as well as share our guardian angels with its giver and receiver. However, after thinking things through-we came tot he conclusion that things were best materialized as an exclusive /non-purchasable program— after all how do you price a medal of achievement, honor, and appreciation?
We are honored to be connected with the 20th Guam Fire Cycle, a remarkable group of servicemen of great and diverse character that have worked incredibly hard to become 24hour watch standby heroes on our island. MAD RESPEK for its 26+1graduates endured mental suffering, physical pain, and spiritual vamping to graduate successfully and move onto their goals finally on January 9th.
Loyalty.Honor.Respect. Strength to Protect the Weak. Water. It’s a Family Thing. Exhaust the Body. Proceed the Mind. Cultivate the Spirit.JustAddWater…
we have stood with these pillars sinceeversince and overhwelmed by such support of aCycle of Class and Camaraderie placing 26+1 faces to the path.
Fokai&the20thGuamFirePsycho
–En masse they manifest these key attributes that we have been trying to bridge the gap to through all things fokai. Not necessarily for just ourselves but mainly through everyone–fokai is an attempt to motivate the pillars of sound and positive purpose.
Enson Inoue and Roman Dela Cruz walk more than 1,300 miles to raise awareness for the continuing plight of those hit by the Fukushima disaster
MMA champion Enson Inoue wanted to raise awareness of the people in the north of Japan who are still suffering since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that reportedly left more than 15,000 people dead. So he decided to walk a long trek from the north to the south of the country.
Enson Inoue and Roman Dela Cruz on the first day of their journey
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Along with friend Roman Dela Cruz, he started his epic journey Sept. 11 in Hokkaido and finished Nov. 16 in Kyushu, passing through some of the hardest-hit areas from the earthquake and tsunami, including Sendai and Fukushima. Another friend, Mike Fowler of North Shore Jiu Jitsu/Purebred Hawaii, joined them about halfway, in Tokyo, and walked with them to the end.
“If we didn’t get lost and went straight, it was 1,360 miles,” says Inoue, who was born and raised in Manoa and lives in Japan. “On the walk we had conditions: We had to do everything by foot, we only could eat or drink what we could carry and we couldn’t spend our own money on anything.
“I put those restrictions because we were walking for the people in the north, and they wouldn’t be surviving if it wasn’t for the people who gave them assistance and aid. So we were in a similar situation, where this journey could not be completed without help.”
Inoue also dedicated each day to a person, group or cause, such as on Day 9 to his dad Errol and mom Evangeline, with whom he would regularly check in.
“People would take us to restaurants and feed us full meals, or take us into their homes and put us up at night,” he recalls. “But there also were times we went without food. We also couldn’t spend money for sleeping quarters, so we were ready to bunk up anywhere – at bus stops, in stations, outside of bathrooms.
“We took showers where we could – in yards, parks, and there were a lot of times we couldn’t have any access, so we used body wipes. We really roughed it. There were times we slept on the street, straight on the sidewalk (in sleeping bags). I had three shirts and I would wash it every day with a bar of soap.”
Along the way, they were reminded of their purpose. Strangers would stop and talk, including one man who broke down in tears thanking them “for not forgetting.” Inoue has been up north 26 times since the tsunami, and says the area still needs help. It’s about a four-hour drive from where he lives in Saitama, and he plans to continue his mission trips at least once or twice a month, delivering rice and other supplies to families in temporary houses.
“It’s been forgotten because it’s not in the news anymore, even some people in Tokyo don’t know that people in the north are still not back on their feet and are still hurting,” he says. “The towns that were destroyed are still as is. People are still living in temporary houses, struggling to pay bills and put food on tables.
“They lost everything. Their whole lives they worked for – gone and disappeared into the air. And they feel like they’ve been forgotten.”
The walk also became an inspiration to the people there, motivating them to keep going despite any daily challenges they may face.
“I’d get goosebumps and it would warm my heart whenever there’d be a truck driving by, honking at us and telling us, ‘gambatte,’ which means ‘don’t give up,’” says Inoue. “The most inspiring thing about the trip was the people who came out to help us. It was incredible.”
Inoue, who lost 35 pounds by the end of the walk, adds that the experience also gave him a greater appreciation for things. “In life, there are three circles – things that irritate you, things that don’t matter and things that make you happy,” he explains. “What this trip helped do was it transferrered a lot of things in my circles into different areas. For example, things that irritate me, like traffic and people who cut in line, those things don’t irritate me anymore. And things that didn’t matter to me before, like having a roof to sleep under every night because I would drive home and go to sleep and not think nothing of it; now every time I lay in bed, there’s happiness. It’s something that makes me happy because I appreciate that I have somewhere to sleep. I appreciate that if it rains tonight, I’m not going to have to pack my things and move.”
Inoue also twice walked the famous 88-temple Shikoku pilgrimage, plus the 20 bangai temples around it, which totals about 880 miles. It took him about a month each time, and he did it for the challenge and to strengthen his heart.
“Thousands of people do (the Shikoku pilgrimage) every day, but few by foot,” he says. “You stop at every temple and make an offering and a prayer for health. I’m planning to do one every year.”
Inoue, 46, has been living in Japan since he was 23. He initially went there to play in a two-week racquetball tournament in place of his brother Egan. At the time, he had no plans to move to Japan, or even for the successful MMA career he would end up having there.
After the tournament, he was asked to run racquetball clinics throughout Japan, and during that time decided to extend his stay to learn to speak Japanese, so that he could find a better job in Hawaii. He also became the Japan representative for Egan’s racquetball company E-Force. One year turned into two, then three and after the fourth year, he was finally ready to return home to Hawaii.
That is, until one night when he went to watch MMA fighter Rickson Gracie fight. “I’m usually a real calm person. When I watch people play, I don’t scream out their name, I cheer inside and if anything, clap at the end of the match,” says Inoue, who was a student of Rickson’s brother Relson Gracie in Hawaii. “But what I found real interesting was when Rickson won his fight, I was out of control. I stood up screaming, and what intrigued me was that I wasn’t even the one in the ring. So this idea popped into my head that, if I can’t control my emotions watching my friend fight, it’s going to be a hell of a lot harder to control my emotions if I’m the one in the ring.
“So my whole idea to get into the ring wasn’t because I thought I could be a successful fighter. It was because I thought it was a good way to channel and practice the control of my emotions.”
That led Inoue to want to experience stepping into that ring once. He called around to different fighting organizations and found the Shooto association, which welcomed him to train and helped him get a fight in the ring. He won, and was quickly persuaded to enter one more fight, then two and three, and after the fourth one, the lightbulb lit and he realized, “I’m pretty good at this.”
That’s when he decided to stay in Japan to pursue fighting seriously. He became known as Yamato Damashii (or Samurai Spirit), and went on to have a fight record of 12 wins and eight losses, including fights in UFC and Pride FC.
He’s now retired from fighting but has gyms in Japan, Guam, Saipan, Thailand and affiliate gyms in Washington, San Diego and Canada under the name Purebred, that are operated by his students.
“I’ve realized fighting was a stepping stone to get to where I wanted to be in life, which is helping people,” says Inoue. “When I was fighting, it was my life, it was my career, I was willing to die for it. And over the years of maturity and experience, I’ve come to realize fighting was just a stepping stone to where I am today.
“I don’t feel any desire to fight anymore. I only do seminars because I believe MMA has given me what I have become, and I’d like to give back to MMA any chance I get. Now, I have more free time to do what my passion is, one that started as a hobby and has become a job: making bracelets with power stones.”
You read right: These days this tough champion fighter is busy making bracelets. His business is called Destiny Forever, and in Hawaii you can find him at Shirokiya making special appearances throughout the year. His next one is scheduled Jan. 16 through Feb. 2.
“In Japan, they believe if you wear one of these and it breaks, then it took something in place of you that was supposed to come to you,” he explains. “These bracelets will absorb that negativity and it will break. For me, it was a present from a friend, and what got me hooked on that idea of protection was that I totaled my S500 Mercedes Benz. I got a little bit of a swollen lip from the air bag, but no injuries. I walked away from it. I didn’t realize my bracelet broke until two days later, when I was sitting at home. I went back to the car dealer that towed my car, and we found the bracelet on the floor of the front seat.”
He asked his friend to teach him to make the bracelets, and he started making them for himself, then for friends and, as destiny would have it, people saw the bracelets on Facebook and wanted to buy them. “I told them it was just my hobby, but they kept insisting,” he says. “It came to a point where I had to open a homepage because my Face-book became a bracelet page, but it was supposed to be for my fans to follow me.
“I believe what you create in your life is going to be in your destiny, and your destiny is something that will stay with you forever.”
Just dropping a vibe to wish you all a great new year. Every January 1st it seems like we get a bigger chance to press reset in our lives and either correct the things we did wrong or improve on the things we did right and everything in between. Connect ourselves to positive things ,recognize sustainance from positive things, and spearhead our efforts with positive intentions. A Great martial artist once said
“By acting in accordance with the truth, we emerge victorious.”
Strong and arguably it can be said that the universe is naturally good…prominently in the path of creation. Stay rooted in positive motion and patiently align yourself with the undefeatable energy of God. keep the machine moving forward in 2014.
POSITIVITY MASSIVE.Exhaustthebody.Proceedthemind.Cultivatethespirit. Happy New Year
Hafa Adai, Johnny H of 66Degrees has started his adventure with us witht he FokaiSocal Project. fron sniper antic photoshoots at MMA events to family gatherings@Und1sputed…he has sharpened his perspective and drive to executively produce two full seasons of 66degrees, a Guam Modern Lifestyle depiction.
A bit risky and definitely out of the box…Props and Respect goes to one of our Guam film makers for going above and beyond for theatre and enetertainment.
Raw Meat is a comedy film that tells the story of entertainer “J HO” and his quest to prove himself worth of a group of party entertainers called”RAW MEAT”, headed by the character “G FO”; another addition to the film is rogue entertainer “D BABY” . In the film, G FO runs Guam’s party scene and people pay him “good money for a good show”.
The film’s tagline reads ”Yu’re Not Ready Till Yu’re Raw!” This means that in order to get into RAW MEAT you need to have the “raw” attitude, described by filmmaker Cory Caso (aka ‘Johnny H’) as an attitude that says ”I’m showtime, right here! Im gonna own this moment, do my own thing, and you all enjoy!”
