Supplement to the Shooto Article "Inside Shooto's Scandal, Legacy and Future"

"Inside Shooto's Scandal, Legacy and Future"

I helped Tony Loiseleur put this article together. It was praised by one of its sources, Noboru Asahi himself, on his blog.

I believe it is the best Japanese MMA article by a non-Japanese writer so far. It was detailed, timely, and had multi-dimensional perspective on Shooto's current situation and the Shooto community's fight for transparency.

Personally, I support transparency in organizations like Shooto, but before explaining why, I would first like to share the perspective of people on Taro Wakabayashi's side of the situation as a supplement to the article.

His brother, jiu-jitsu competitor Jiro Wakabayashi, said, "At least my brother has no cause to receive blame, but rather only suspicion. He worked so hard [for Shooto] and got a stroke because of it, but he doesn't seem any richer for it. 'What are the Shooto Association people doing?' I thought.

"Given [Taro's] personality, I think that he is someone who cannot work less, even if there's a chance it will make him ill. In a way, it's nice to have this type of problem.

"But I say to those who speak critically of him that you must acknowledge how strong my brother's work ethic is."

I read what many of Wakayabayashi's relatives thought on the Web, but this much aggression only seems to come from his brother Jiro. There is also support for him within the Paraestra group, of course, where Wakabayashi has a long history with the gyms and his gym mates.

Returning to the Shooto situation, however, it isn't good when one person receives absolute responsibility and power, according to Asahi. Asahi wants a more systematic approach to Shooto as well as an even distribution of responsibility and work amongst its community.

I personally believe this is the right step, but now is the time where he must back up his critiques. For example, amateur Shooto in Kyushu has recently received a bad reputation when it comes to organizing and running events. Given Asahi's proposals, however, even if the work is redistributed amongst the community there, poorly managed events can still happen. With Wakabayashi now removed, though, the structure of the system itself can be changed. An example of a viable plan would be to widen the lines of communication between the Shooto Association and local Shooto communities in regions like Kyushu; allowing the Association the ability to observe and offer suggestions and assistance in executing events. Since amateur Shooto in Kyushu has already failed when only one person controlled things, the Shooto community needs to think of new ways to manage regional operations beyond just redistributing the work amongst separate people.

On a related note, the media cannot run a promotion, so they sometimes feel unfairly ridiculed when they receive blame from promotions for reporting bad news. Sometimes, the media is responsible for unreasonable hysteria, however. Take the sensationalized international coverage of the Fukushima Nuclear reactors, for example. However, this does not mean that promoters and fighters can or should refuse to talk to the media.

Being transparent has more value than just doing publicity with the MMA media. I don't think every single figure and organization needs to be 100-percent open, but answering questions from relatives and the general public is critical.

For the sake of fairness, the media needs to improve their approach to covering and reporting, too; particularly in the MMA media. Rather than simply focusing on the reporting of bad news, the media should be active in covering events and people in MMA that elevate the sport and its community, as well as proposing and promoting ideas to that same end. In the past, the focus of the media on reporting "the sky is falling"-type news has generated tension between them and many MMA organizations. In Japan, it is difficult to maintain steady and open relationships with this kind of tension between parties, but openness is absolutely necessary if our society is to be elevated to a new level of understanding and cooperation.

Articles on SKILL MMA use a lot of book research, many of which you can see via my LibraryThing link. This kind of research is integral when you can't draw conclusions or make a sound judgment in a particular situation. In these instances, you need to examine and judge the sources of information behind the situation. There is no need to feel shame by having no knowledge. Nobody can come up with competent conclusions if they are not adequately informed first. After forming a conclusion or judgment, you will be tested and evaluated based on what source of information you have chosen. The most important determining factor in what you believe should depend on science or fact. You know that water will boil at 100-degrees centigrade. That's something that cannot be changed by emotion, blind faith, or superstition.

I believe that you can get the same kind of information from what official organizations can provide as information as well, but only if they believe in ideals such as cooperation and transparency.

Full disclosure of information along with transparency will elevate all of us, and bring us to a point where we can have a fresh start.

Big thanks to Robert Sargent (editor of MMARising.com) and Tony Loiseleur (Sherdog) for English editing.

Let's get physical

Top Japanese talent continues to struggle fighting in the United States, except one.

Yushin Okami: why has he succeeded where others have not?

I think there are several reasons that Okami has had this kind of success, but I want to focus on one thing: quite simply, too many Japanese fighters overlook the physical aspect of the game.

I think there's a cultural difference between Japanese and western athletes, but there's also genetic differences. Take for example, Jon Entine's "Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We're Afraid to Talk About It" as just one work that explains the difference across race when it comes to sports and potential success.



Okami is known for his power. When you watch his fights, you can hear his opponents tell their corners between rounds that he's too strong to handle. It's not surprising that Okami has focused on his physical strength, employing strength coach Yuya Igarashi since he was 26. It's rare for a young Japanese fighter to start emphasizing physical training so early on.

Okami doesn't believe Japanese are genetically weak, saying that the Japanese can compete in sports like powerlifting at the world level. However, there are many fighters who feel that way. I don't want to say that Okami is winning only because of strength and conditioning -- that's not it -- but I want to get rid of Japanese fighters making excuses about not being able to physically excel.

"Japanese fighters should try to evolve their skills; we don't have the genetics to get better physically." These thoughts are rampant in Japanese MMA. Many fighters try to compensate by overtraining. For example, former Deep champion and Pride veteran Nobuhiro Obiya took a year off after losing to Kazunori Yokota. He'd essentially overtraining and hurt his back. He needed the time off to heal his cervical vertebrae.

There are physical trainers for MMA purposes in Japan, but compared to the U.S., they're still far behind in terms of knowledge. MMA fighters need to physically experiment with their bodies and learn what works best, but they lack the knowledge. For example, many fighters still feel it's a risk to try to cut weight, fearing adverse effects or injury. As a result, there are still tons of Japanese fighters fighting in the wrong weight class even at the highest level.

This is the severe truth. If Japanese MMA doesn't correct it, fighters will face the savage results. However, there is hope. If somehow, Yushin Okami could earn a major title, it would be a huge statement about what's possible for Japanese fighters and how to achieve it.


Big thanks to Jordan Breen (write for Sherdog) for English and editing.