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French Tourist Who Gave Food to ‘Hobo’ Richard Gere: ‘I Don’t Believe This’ By ABC News | ABC News Blogs – Mon, Apr 28, 2014 5:34 PM EDT
One French tourist’s kind-hearted gesture captured the world’s attention for a very unique reason.
“I gave my doggy bag to a homeless [man], and the homeless is Richard Gere,” Karine Gombeau, the woman whose action made headlines, told ABC News.
Gombeau, a Paris native, says she was visiting New York’s famous Little Italy neighborhood last week when she saw a man sifting through the garbage. Assuming he was homeless, she gave him her leftover pizza, having no idea that he’s actually Hollywood mega-star Richard Gere.
“He was going through a bin, I had food with me,” she explained. “I thought, ‘He should have my pizza instead of going through that bin.”
It turns out Gombeau had stumbled onto the set of Gere’s new movie, “Time Out of Mind,” in which Gere, 64, plays a homeless man.
“He was dressed in a way, with a cap, not shaved,” she said of the actor’s unbecoming appearance. “He looked like a man going through a rough time.”
In French, Gombeau told ABC News that Gere asked her what she was offering. When she replied it was barbeque chicken pizza, she says he thanked her and told her, “God bless you,” never revealing his A-list identity. In fact, she says she had no idea until she saw the picture of her encounter in the media the following morning while eating breakfast.
“Suddenly, I look up to see the news and there I see myself, a picture of myself on the news,” she recalled. “I was taking my breakfast with my family in the morning, and I see myself on the TV and think, ‘What did I do? I don’t believe this.’”
Gombeau, who says she is a fan of Gere’s 2002 movie, “Chicago,” believes her encounter with the undercover leading man proves he’s obviously in the right business.
“He is a good actor,” she said. “It’s an amazing experience. It’s crazy.”
And as for her first trip to New York City, “It is a great story,” Gombreau explained. “A memory of New York I will keep for a very long time. For a first time in New York, I could not have wished for better.”
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RebeccaC
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RebeccaC • 50 minutes ago Report Abuse
One day I made a nice homemade coffee cake. I took a big piece across the hall to my new apartment neighbor. She refused it. I consoled myself by telling myself…”she doesn’t know you have been a prize winning cook and baker”. Later I was out walking my dog in a small neighborhood park. A… More
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LaughandASmile
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LaughandASmile 22 minutes ago Report Abuse
Hope those “punk kids” went to the juvenile detention center for a long while. You, on the other hand, were very kind and compassionate. Good job!
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nunya
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nunya • 21 minutes ago Report Abuse
Last year, just a few weeks before Christmas, I was taking my children shopping, on the way to the local mall we saw an elderly man sitting on a bridge holding a sign (we live in a very small town, and had never seen him before); he looked rough, dirty, and tired. He was holding a cardboard sign… More
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AL
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AL • 24 minutes ago Report Abuse
all of these comments are nice and apparently from good kind hearted people but at a intersection 192 and ellis road in Melbourne fl . there are a group of professional freeloaders who claim to be disabled vets (and may be) who on a daily basic switch between leg braces and casts on the same guys… More
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24Kt
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24Kt • 6 hours ago Report Abuse
Two weeks ago a man was holding up a sign that said, “Homeless, Need Dog Food”. He had 2 dogs with him. I stopped at the store and got him a sack of dog food, a few cans of wet dog food, bottles of water, then to Lil Caesars for a 1 ltr. soda and a large pepperoni pizza. He was still on the corner… More
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All
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All • 4 minutes 10 seconds ago Report Abuse
we as a nation should not have homeless with all we are blessed with. All homeless are not drug users drunks or crazy people. we as a nation should help them. I see it as the cost of living has gotten so out of hand and so high cost that a average person can not afford to feed and shelter… More
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Lois
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Lois • 5 minutes ago Report Abuse
I read each of these stories and it makes me feel good about everybody.. we all love to give and it is a humbling trait. I read no indignation here just heart warming stories. I remember knowing a family that had to live in a tent because they were evicted… I told some co-workers that I was… More
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Barb
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Barb • 3 minutes 56 seconds ago Report Abuse
I can’t believe Gere after the fact, didn’t invite her to lunch, or give her a photo autograph, something, just for her good deed towards him. You never know who might end up on the street even movie stars without jobs. Personally? I can’t stand the guy.
If it were Dansel Washington,… More
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Jenna Carmichael
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Jenna Carmichael • 1 hour 20 minutes ago Report Abuse
What a beautiful story. It hit close to home. I grew up a neglected child on welfare. My mother was always high and spent whatever she ‘earned’ from her boyfriends on heroin. I remember searching for food in garbage cans. Halloween was my favorite. My little brother and I dressed as hobos (our… More
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Dayra
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Dayra • 2 hours 27 minutes ago Report Abuse
This past February in South Texas, the temperatures were expected to reach below 0 for a few consecutive nights, and as I was driving late back home from the university after studying the whole day, I saw a homeless man with his dog walking on the edge of the street, and knowing the alarming… More
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Hawk
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Hawk • 4 hours ago Report Abuse
+++ According to the U.S. Dept of Housing, there are over 670,000 homeless people in America on any given night, and 200,000 of them are veterans who have fought in foreign wars.
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ne French tourist’s kind-hearted gesture captured the world’s attention for a very unique reason.
“I gave my doggy bag to a homeless [man], and the homeless is Richard Gere,” Karine Gombeau, the woman whose action made headlines, told ABC News.
Gombeau, a Paris native, says she was visiting New York’s famous Little Italy neighborhood last week when she saw a man sifting through the garbage. Assuming he was homeless, she gave him her leftover pizza, having no idea that he’s actually Hollywood mega-star Richard Gere.
“He was going through a bin, I had food with me,” she explained. “I thought, ‘He should have my pizza instead of going through that bin.”
It turns out Gombeau had stumbled onto the set of Gere’s new movie, “Time Out of Mind,” in which Gere, 64, plays a homeless man.
“He was dressed in a way, with a cap, not shaved,” she said of the actor’s unbecoming appearance. “He looked like a man going through a rough time.”
In French, Gombeau told ABC News that Gere asked her what she was offering. When she replied it was barbeque chicken pizza, she says he thanked her and told her, “God bless you,” never revealing his A-list identity. In fact, she says she had no idea until she saw the picture of her encounter in the media the following morning while eating breakfast.
“Suddenly, I look up to see the news and there I see myself, a picture of myself on the news,” she recalled. “I was taking my breakfast with my family in the morning, and I see myself on the TV and think, ‘What did I do? I don’t believe this.’”
Gombeau, who says she is a fan of Gere’s 2002 movie, “Chicago,” believes her encounter with the undercover leading man proves he’s obviously in the right business.
“He is a good actor,” she said. “It’s an amazing experience. It’s crazy.”
And as for her first trip to New York City, “It is a great story,” Gombreau explained. “A memory of New York I will keep for a very long time. For a first time in New York, I could not have wished for better.”
On belhalf of Fokai Industries, alocal effort for slef0emprovement and perseverance,
Just bidding a sincere welcome and welcome back to our visitors from abroad. Thanks for taking the measures to come through our island for this event. Just dropping a good vibe and some respect to let you guys know that our island can appreciate the physical endurance, stamina, and mental strength and tenacity for an all terrain performance on our island.
Outside, inside, and in betweeen the lines of what you might have heard of Guam–our island pushes a big individual and collective effort into all forms of athletics and recreation. From Basketball to Surfing throughout alternative fitness training, and MixedMartial Arts, throughetc… our representatives continue to make a positive impact much larger than our tiny dot int he Pacific.
We hope you get a chance to connect with this positive energy on a land blessed geographically and spiritually.and hope you leave sincerely with a trip you’d be stoked to remember.
Exhaustthebody.proceedthemind.cultivatethespirit.
Respect and GoodVibrations
XTERRA Guam 2014
March 29, 2014 Location: Port Authority Beach, Piti Times: Starting: 7:00 AM Visit Website
2014 XTERRA Guam Championship – An exciting ‘endurance’ race on the beautiful island of Guam. 2014 marks our tenth anniversary of the event and third year as a full-fledged ‘championship’ race, complete with $15,000 pro prize purse and much sought after amateur slots to the World Championships held in Maui in late October.
The XTERRA Guam Championshp combines a 1.5km swim in the waters of Piti, followed by an 34km mountain bike up Nimitz Hill, into the technical terrain atop Mt. Alutom and then down to Mannengon Hills before returning to the transition point at Port Authority Beach. The race finishes with a memorable 8.2k trail run that has athletes navigating through jungle rivers and down slippery waterfalls. XTERRA Guam was also voted one of the “Top 5 O-Road Triathlons in the World” in the March 2010 issue of Triathlete Magazine.
Pashtunwali (Pashto: ??????????) or Pakhtunwali is a non-written ethical code and traditionallifestyle which the indigenousPashtun people follow.[1][2] It could be said that it is simply a system of law and governance from the prehistoric times when humanity was completely illiterate or unable to use written instruments such as books, and is preserved and used up until modern times but mostly in the rural tribal areas. Some in the Indian subcontinent refer to it as “Pathanwali“.[3] Its meaning may also be interpreted as “the way of the Pashtuns” or “the code of life”.[4] Pashtunwali dates back to ancientpre-Islamic times and is widely practiced among Pashtuns,[5] especially among the non-urbanized Pashtuns in the countryside. In addition to being practiced by members of the Pashtun diaspora, it has been adopted by some non-Pashtun Afghans and Pakistanis that live in the Pashtun regions or close to the Pashtuns, who have gradually become Pashtunized over time.[4]
The nativePashtun tribes, often described as fiercely independent people,[6] have inhabited the Pashtunistanregion (Afghanistan) since at least the 1st millennium BC.[7][8][9] During that period, much of their mountainous territory has remained outside government rule or control. This is perhaps the main reason why indigenous Pashtuns still follow Pashtunwali, which is a basic common law of the land or “code of life”.
Pashtunwali rules are accepted in Afghanistan and Pakistan (mainly in and around the Pashtunistan region), and also in some Pashtun communities around the world. Some non-Pashtun Afghans and others have also adopted its ideology or practices for their own benefit. Conversely, many urbanized Pashtuns tend to ignore the rules of Pashtunwali. Passed on from generation to generation, Pashtunwali guides both individual and communal conduct. It is practiced by the majority of Pashtuns and helps to promote Pashtunization.[4]
Ideal Pukhtun behaviour approximates the features Pukhtunwali, the code of the Pukhtuns, which includes the following traditional features: courage (tora), revenge (badal), hospitality (melmestia), generosity to a defeated…[10]
—Maliha Zulfacar, 1999
Pashtuns embrace an ancient traditional, spiritual, and communal identity tied to a set of moral codes and rules of behaviour, as well as to a record of history spanning some seventeen hundred years.[11]
It is the way of the Pathans. We have melmestia, being a good host, nanawatai, giving asylum, and badal, vengeance. Pashtuns live by these things.[13]
—Abdur, A character in Morgen’s War
The Pathan tribes are always engaged in private or public war. Every man is a warrior, a politician and a theologian. Every large house is a real feudal fortress….Every family cultivates its vendetta; every clan, its feud…. Nothing is ever forgotten and very few debts are left unpaid.
Winston Churchill (My Early Life – Chapter 11: The Mahmund Valley)
Although not exclusive, the following ten principles form the major components of Pashtunwali. They are headed with the words of the Pashto language that signify individual or collective Pashtun tribal functions.
Melmastia (hospitality) – Showing hospitality and profound respect to all visitors, regardless of race, religion, national affiliation or economic status and doing so without any hope of remuneration or favour. Pashtuns will go to great lengths to show their hospitality.[4][14][15]
Nanawatai (asylum) – Derived from the verb meaning to go in, this refers to the protection given to a person against his or her enemies. People are protected at all costs; even those running from the law must be given refuge until the situation can be clarified.[4] Nanawatai can also be used when the vanquished party in a dispute is prepared to go in to the house of the victors and ask for their forgiveness. (It is a peculiar form of “chivalrous” surrender, in which an enemy seeks “sanctuary” at his enemy’s house). A notable example is that of Navy Petty Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of a US Navy SEAL team ambushed by Taliban fighters. Wounded, he evaded the enemy and was aided by members of the Sabray tribe who took him to their village. The tribal chief protected him, fending off attacking tribes until word was sent to nearby US forces.
Badal (justice) – To seek justice or take revenge against the wrongdoer. There is considered to be no time limit to the period in which revenge can be taken. Justice in Pashtun lore needs elaborating: even a mere taunt (or “Paighor”) is regarded as an insult which usually can only be redressed by shedding the taunter’s blood. If he is out of reach, his closest male relation must suffer the penalty instead. Badal may lead to a blood feud that can last generations and involve whole tribes with the loss of hundreds of lives. Normally blood feuds in this male-dominated society are settled in a number of ways.[4]
Turah (bravery) – A Pashtun must defend his land, property, family and women from incursions. He should always stand bravely against tyranny and be able to defend the honour of his name. Death can follow if anyone offends this principle.[4]
Sabat (loyalty) – Loyalty must be paid to one’s family, friends and tribe members. Pashtuns can never become disloyal as this would be a matter of shame for their families and themselves.
Imandari (righteousness) – A Pashtun must always strive for good in thought, word and deed. Pashtuns must behave respectfully to people, animals and the environment around them. Pollution of the environment or its destruction is against the Pashtunwali.[4]
Ghayrat (respect, honour and courage) – Pashtuns must demonstrate courage. Their honour, or pride, has great importance in Pashtun society and must be preserved. They must respect themselves and others in order to be able to do so, especially those they do not know. Respect begins at home, among family members and relatives. If one does not have “Ghayrat” they are not classed as a Pashtun.[4]
Naamus (protection of women) – A Pashtun must defend the honour of women at all costs and must protect them from vocal and physical harm.[4]
Nang (Honour) – a Pashtun must defend the weak around him.
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.
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
? Back
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Picture 1 of 5
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
