André "Benkei" Vinícius Aurnheimer interview

I recently interviewed André "Benkei" Vinícius Aurnheimer, who is an MMA coach best known for physical training at American Top Team. He has worked with fighters like Antonio Silva, Thiago Alves, Gesias Cavalcante and many more.

Benkei does not only work on conditioning and physical training. He and Mohamed Ouali develop striking styles fit for MMA at ATT. In interviews with Manabu Takashima at Gong Kakutougi magazine and Fight & Life magazine,Benkei discussed Kyokushin Karate and provided his knowledge on striking,physical training and nutrition. He also talked about ground and pound knowledge that came from Tameshi-Wari.

I was interested in this. I have talked about Japanese fighters who aren't good at physical training and conditioning, but part of advanced American physical training and nutrition comes from Japanese traditional martial arts.

Benkei has left ATT now, but he continues to coach MMA fighters. Normally MMA coaches are asked about training students but are not asked about where their own training and knowledge came from. This interview is about an MMA coach who has a traditional martial arts background.

- Matsuro Megumi was a Kyokushin fighter who was sent to Brazil by Masutatsu Oyama. How did you start in karate and what was your first encounter with your master?

- I was Judo fighter (old style, no Olympic rules); with 18 years old I want some striking style to complete myself as a fighter (almost 30 years ago)... I trained a little be Kung Fu (Hung Gar style), but that not make me happy... I never use it in fight and always use my ground game to submit easy my opponents... I became friend with the kung fu teacher, and he told me he was training different style of karate... I never like Karate, to stiff style, but when I saw Megumi Sensei style I just Love it... He did not accept me as his students easy... he did not even talk to me for one year when I did start training... he started to talk to me after I trained hard against his old studdents, and did not give up after they destroy my legs. I was there, invited to his original uchi deshi, to that special training!!! I did not give up, but the other guy did not resist to the powerful leg kicks, and asked to stop before the end. After that Megumi Sensei started to talked to me, and made me his new uchi deshi. The time passed and he also became part of my family !!!

 - Kyokushin was focused on physical training and you learned how to build strength from Megumi. Also, part of your MMA coaching skill is developed from Megumi's influence. Please tell me about how Kyokushin and Megumi's philosophy affects your coaching for MMA.

- The first thing come to my mind everyday is dojo kun; in special: - "Hitotsu, wareware wa, shinshin o renmashi, kakko fubatsu no shingi o kiwameru koto". - "We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaken spirit". I guide my life under that principles, my Master was not a big guy, and I am strong but also not taller guy also, that made me work strategically my moves all the time. Megumi Sensei, made me open my eyes an see suntimes the best fighter loose by strategy and hard training. Megumi Sensei always said :  Truth stood on one side and Ease on the other; it has often been so!!! 

 - Kyokushin is known for its emphasis on power. Masutatsu Oyama says, "Techniques exist inside of power." That philosophy distinguishes Kyokushin from other styles of karate. Do you feel that is what you learned from Megumi?

- Yeah, I can give you one good exemple. Take a look at the fighters i trained before and now they bt their own. Thiago Alves just fought against martin kampmann, the technique is almost the same, but the power was not there anymore. When you kick the legs and take it, destroy it by power is one thing! when you continous hit without damage is nothing. you can see it in JZ Calvan also with no power, the Striking and ground and pound, Technique can not be apply!!!

- In karate, students are often subjected to unreasonable amounts of training by their mentor or master. It helps to build a mindset for fighting, but it can also hurt the body. What is your opinion of karate's over-the-top type training?

 - That is the question... To feel the limit between push harder, no give up and sport science  is the Ultimate challenge of my work. The Scientist in me always fight against the kyokushin warrior inside me also. lol... But That is the magic... get the right time between rest, protecting the physical integrity of my fighter and "osu no seishin"- to persevere whilst being pushed . 

- Currently, elite fighters like Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo demonstrate the importance of speed in sports. What is your philosophy on speed and reflexes in karate and fighting in general?

- Speed is the key of power... if you can move fast, you can control the distance... if you control the distance you control the fight. I push so hard the training to get more, and more speed. I must to have the faster fighter in battle. All strategy start in the antecipation, and the speed is the key to get it. The backbone of surprise is fusing speed with accurance. 

 - We have seen more karate-based fighters competing in MMA recently. I find it interesting that some karate fighters lose when using tsuki (hand strikes) against boxers or kickboxers at shorter distances. Karate's tsuki have merit at greater distance and for accuracy of  strikes. Is there any suggestions that you can provide for karate fighters who face boxers or kickboxers at a short distance?

- I saw the light when i saw kazakhstan boxing skills! Use the foot work Constantly in angles, can help karate fighters to get the control over shorter distance. Some old Technique can help also as: Hiji Ate and Shita Isuki!!! "I have not permitted myself to be ignorant of any martial art that exists. Why? Such ignorance is a disgrace to someone who follows the path of the martial arts." ~Masutatsu Oyama~ 

- I read a magazine and found that you had been unable to contact your master Megumi since 2006. Did you find him? If not, please provide a message to the world and the people around Megumi. 

- Not yet... and now I must to!!! My wife is pregnant and my son soon will be here to he can training him. I need the information about where he is, I know he is in Japan now! I know he was with his family in Amami Ōshima ! I wanna go where he is right now, take out my hair and eyebrow also, and ask him to forgive my proud... I did everything because him and to him.... please if anyone know something about him, please send me one email to musahibo@hotmail.com ...."If every man would help his neighbour, no man would be without help." ~Bruce Lee~  osu...

Andre Benkei Official Twitter

Big thanks to Robert Sargent  (MMA Rising) for English editing.

Martial Arts exist in Japan

Which martial arts exist in Japan? I research about that question.Link is basically which martial art's most authoritative Commission or Federation or Dojo.I plan to write about different list about kick boxing and Muay Thai lately.

Judo
All Japan Judo Federation


Kodokan's Jigoro Kano's statue

Kosen Judo
It's Judo but focus on grappling.Watch wikipedia for rule.
Wikipedia Kosen Judo

Shichitei Judo (Seven imperial university's Judo)
Yuki Nakai and Shiko Yamashita have this martial arts back ground.
It's only hold at imperial university (Wikipedia (Seven imperial university)).All 7 imperial university in Japan have shichitei judo club.It's focus on grappling like Kosen Judo but difference is no "Mate (Wait)" call so just people can focus on grappling.Shichitei Judo's game hold by each school's team.So there is type of player just beat and next guy to guy,or just aim draw.When Team beat other team's 15 people,game is over.This concept make grow each competitors specialty.One fighter just aim finishes and other just aim defence for draw.


Youtube Shichitei Judo (Japanese)

At Japanese wikipedia Yuki Nakai import "stop don't move" concept to mma from Shichitei Judo.I have no source except wikipedia so I just give reference.Youtube video have "stop don't move" scene.

Karate
Japan Karatedo Federation

Shotokan


Shotokan Headquaters

Goju

Wado

Kyokushin


Kyokushin Kaikan Headquaters

SeidoKaikan


Seido Kaikan Headquarters

Daidojuku (Wajyutsu Keisyukai's roots)


Daidojuku Headquarters

Sambo
Japan Sambo Federation

BJJ
Jiu-Jitsu Federation Of Japan (head Rickson Gracie)


Axis Jiujitsu Academy Chiba (One of Rickson Gracie Jiujitsu affiliate Gym)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Of Japan (head Yuki Nakai)

ADCC Japan

D-Net

Wrestling
Japan Wrestling Federation

Boxing
Japan Boxing Commission

Nippon Kenpo
Isamu Sugiuchi and Yoshifumi Dogaki have this martial arts back ground.
Nippon Kenpokai official

Wikipedia Nippon Kenpo

Sumo
Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Pro)

Japan Sumo Federation (Amateur)

Aikido
Aikiai Foundation

Kendo
All Japan Kendo Federation

 
Kendo Federation Headquarters

Shorinji Kempo
Pancrase's Yuki Kondo and Miki Shida have this martial arts back ground.
Shorinji Kempo Organization



Wikipedia Shorinji Kempo

Japanese Self Defense Army Martial Arts


Combination of Nippon Kenpo and Aikido

Capoeira
Capoeira Angola Center Japao

Kurash
Japan KURASH Federation

Wikipedia Kurash

Silat
Japan Pencak Silat Association

Wikipedia Silat

Taekwondo
Taekwondo world org is separated by political reason.
I have no idea how many org exist in Japan.
International Taekwon-do Federation Japan

Japan Taekwondo Association

Koppo
Masato Fujiwara,Takumi Yano,Takefumi Hanai and Takeharu Murahama have this martial arts back ground.
Nihon Koppo Budo Association Official

My article about Koppo

SKILL MMA's Japanese Martial Arts Gym or Venue photo series

One Shot Kill (a.k.a. Ichigeki)

Kuramoto Juku (Nariharu Kuramoto's Dojo)

You may have never heard of Nariharu Kuramoto, but he's taught his karate skills to MMA fighters like Fanjin Son and Sotaro Yamada. This video shows him punching iron to make his fist stronger.





Big thanks to Chris Nelson (from Bloody Elbow) for English and editing.

Empty hand

Karate is written "empty hand" in kanji. At first, Okinawan people imported Chinese martial arts. It was first called "Tang Dynasty hand," but Okinawans evolved these skills. In the militaristic era of Japan, Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi's group change this martial art's name to today's "empty hand."

Some critics said that Japanese nationalism effected this name change, but the phrase "empty hand" has a philosophy behind it.

Lyoto Machida is nikkei nisei -- a second-generation Japanese immigrant. His father Yoshizo moved to Brazil in 1968, and took it is a challenge. He said he wanted to do something not everyone did. When he left Japan, he got only 100 dollars from his father.

He started his dojo in Belem, but there wasn't enough people for him to teach, so he moved to Salvador. His karate survived against other martial arts like capoeira and jiu-jitsu, and earned him students. At his height, he had 1200 students in Salvador.

Enjoying his success, he met a pretty girl, Ana Claudia, at a party. He asked her for a date the first time he met, a very rare approach for the Japanese. When people asked him about it, he said, "I wanted to try it first. People here don't know how Japanese are, so they just think all Japanese people are like this."

He married her, and together they had four sons and adopted another. While enjoying the success of his dojo in Salvador, an old student asked him to return to Belem. Yoshizo told him, "If you give me a farm, I'll come back," never expecting that it could happen.

His student made enough money to buy him a farm, making Machida come back to Belem. Machida started a cacao farm, but it failed economically, and he as forced to sell it. When he was asked about the farm, Machida said, "Since karate means 'empty hand,' that's not a big deal. Everything is about trying, losing is nothing."

In Lyoto's post-fight interview after the Evans fight, you heard him say, "Go hard, it's possible." I don't think he's talking just about effort.

When Yoshizo was asked about how to teach karate, he answered, "I don't use books often, because there aren't many things being taught except concepts and philosophy. I find out new things every day because I need to teach students, and they're bored if I always teach the same things." Yoshizo still learns from others. He said he still goes to Japan annually to get lessons from the Japanese karate community.

Yoshizo also compared his sons' aptitude for MMA.

"Lyoto is passive compared to Shinzo. Since it's a streetfight-type of sport, it is good to be passive. He also has a soft body compared to Shinzo, which is good for fighting."

Being passive doesn't mean he's weak, it just means he respects his opponent's skill. Karate's elite practitioners have the hardest training. It isn't always logical, but karatekas push themselves to the limit to develop a calm mind. A Japanese Shotokan master evaluated Lyoto and said that he's at the same level of pure karate competition as a Japanese qualifier for the Shotokan international tournament.

If you re watch Machida-Evans after reading this, it's hard not to feel uplifted. I'm not against rationalism, but somewhere in your heart, the world is not just that. Lyoto and his family create a wonderful sense of spiritualism in us for these reasons.



Reference
Internet Radio: 100 Years of Japanese Immigrants from Brazil, with guest Yoshizo Machida

Big thanks to Jordan Breen for English support.

The karate era has begun

Boxing is widely believed to be the best striking discipline to adapt to MMA, but that may be over if fighters don't fix their faults.

Boxing gloves are big enough that one can avoid early KO's, and throw more combinations without worrying as much about clean counters. Nothing is wrong with that, but in MMA, fighters use smaller gloves. Karate fighters are used to using bare hands, so they know the importance of a single shot. In boxing, a single shot may not be as important, so boxers can trade punches, and take risks with an opponent's strikes.

Karate's idea is not just to take away an opponent's attack, but at the same time, to land strikes without risk. I don't think the majority of karate practitioners can adapt this skill to MMA, but there is definitely other karate challengers that will be coming.

I never really thought karate's ideas could have that much effect until recently, but there are many merits to using karate in MMA.

Better visual recognition: a good karate fighter knows how an opponent will move by how he starts a movement, or finishes a movement. For example, at 1:00 of the first round, Lyoto attacked Rashad when he ended his feint.

Distance coordination: Kicks can make for other striking distances than boxing. This works well with visual recognition.

Fist usage: Karatekas use bare fists, so they have more knowledge of what parts of the first are most effective for striking.

There are conditions for a karate fighter to be successful at MMA. The most important one is not losing in the clinch, also, good balance and grappling.

If fighters don't realize what these real merits of karate are, Lyoto's era will be long.

Big thanks to Jordan Breen for English support.

Are traditional martial arts useful in MMA?

Lyoto Machida competing in a UFC title fight proves that karate is useful in MMA. So now there is another question: can other traditional martial arts be useful in MMA?

My answer is: "Sure, why not?"

What are the differences between traditional martial arts and MMA? Traditional martial arts have been about secrecy, empiricism and positivism. There are certain types of skills that they logically explain, but they're not open to the outside public. Why? In the ancient samurai era, people were fighting to kill one another; there's no way to teach those skills to people as "sport."

Of course, not every skill is a secret. Michihiro Omigawa and Hiromitsu Miura have told interviewers how throwing skills depend on experience, training a lot and learning how to feel where an opponent's balance is. So, sometimes, western training partners may think they're keeping secrets, but they're not. Some skills can't be taught in words.

Sengoku champion Satoru Kitaoka is known for his fast submissions, but he's had lessons from Japanese taekwondo pracititioner Kazuo Tachi. Tachi's gym is the home of Yoriko Okamoto, an Olympic bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Taekwondo separated from karate, and entered the Olympics as an official sport in 2000. It's had its own evolution as a sport. Sport taekwondo is like fencing, because when a fighter strikes with a legal attack, he gets a point. Therefore, taekwondo fighters prefer direct methods to reach opponents.

Yu Ueda is a fighter on the rise. He will face Kotetsu Boku, who is known as an elite fighter. I don't think he will win against Boku, but Ueda is definitely an interesting fighter, as he uses taikiken in MMA.

Taikiken was developed by Kenichi Sawai, who was taught by Chinese martial artist Wang Xiangzhai. Ueda hasn't said a lot about his style, but how he beat Jin Kazeta with his stance is easily recognizable and interesting.

"The complete fusion of attack and defense is the beauty of traditional martial arts," said Ueda.

This quote is enough to explain the beauty of traditional martial arts.

Big thanks to Jordan Breen (from Sherdog) for English advice for this post.

Big thanks to Chris Nelson (from Bloody Elbow) for English editing.

Next Karate MMA star?

Katsunori Kikuno is a former Kyokushin karateka who trains at Tsuyoshi Kohsaka's Alliance-Square gym and is also mentored by "TK." Kikuno's trademark skill is a karate kick to the liver, somewhere between a front kick and a roundhouse. It's called the "mikazuki geri," or "crescent kick."

Why has this kick received so much attention? Because it can be used to counter takedown attempts.

Kikuno used a Sanchin (or hourglass) stance against Koichiro Matsumoto in their Deep lightweight title fight, so we're beginning to see the mixture of karate and MMA in his game.

The Sanchin stance basically killed Matsumoto's in-out stepping tactics. When his arms moved forward, it left a perfect opening for a superior kicker like Kikuno.

Wikipedia Sanchin

Big thanks to Chris Nelson (from Bloody Elbow) for English and editing.