Bushido’s Real Face

For me, the most revealing moment of Pride Bushido Volume 5 was watching Carlos Newton, who is indeed a jet weary Ronin, unfolding and lacking an intelligent reaction while under the jack hammering bombardment of former Kyokushin veteran but MMA rookie Ryo Chonan. This, bad boy working class hero from Osaka ain’t no young pup himself, (UFile Camp - Tamura) but he only made his MMA debut a couple of years ago on the Deep stage (not same level as Pride) and seems seriously driven ever since. He displayed tremendous striking power indeed, taking Newton out of his game completely, disorienting his defenses and unloading more damage on him than I have ever seen him take before.

Was it jet lag or was it wear that cost Carlos the Verrisimo duel? Photography by Nick H. McDonell

But this story is not about Ryo Chonan or, in the new light, a one-man stampede named Mauricio Shogun Rua., a young Hyper Dynamic non-stop nightmare for any worthy opponent; sparking infinite fireworks kicking at the head and body, inflicting irreparable damage. It’s also not about the new Mini Mino, Crosley Gracie, who overcame adversity from a young but ring weathered war dog named Hayato Mach Sakurai. As a matter of fact, this story’s about fighters such as Sakurai and Newton, n Vovchanchn n Kerr n Sakuraba, etc, etc. it’s about something every fighter will experience at one point or another in their careers.

Plot/Protagonist

The premise in many Japanese Samurai films is that of the unemployed warrior “Ronin” looking for a gig or winding up in trouble, because he doesn’t know what to do with himself while not under the service of a Shogun. Akira Kurosawa, himself from a Samurai family, made many fantastic epic films on the subject, such as Seven Samurai, but even he never foresaw this particular Ronin character, or this particular age of the Ronin.
Although this Ronin doesn’t lack employment, (he’s world wide, jet setting between octagon and ropes) he seems to be suffering from the cumulative circumstances, which have befallen him lately in his career, ring age (perhaps too much employment at the top level of competition) and perhaps it’s also mixed with a bit of bad luck. I think it best reflects in his recent fight record, (although his loss and win, to Daiju Takase and Renzo Gracie respectively could be argued either way – call them draws) which is 3-6 counting his last 9 encounters. Compare that with a record of 9-4 in his first 13 pro fights, and you have diminishing returns during Ronin’s recent ventures.
This story also contains other warriors as well, who either back up or contradict the premise of our 21rst Century Samurai Story.

Random Selection

Just as economics and the “market” are artificial, pure bullshit, I realize that one can manipulate statistics to back up any point of view, so I have randomly selected some fighters from this last Bushido Volume 5 as well as others whom I believe to be relevant to MMA history and this issue of “wear n tear” in Mixed Martial Arts. What I am embarking on here is just like psychology, a soft science, and no concrete evidence, just observations, which are random and could of course be studied much more methodically and scientifically. Just as there are casualties in boxing, we will eventually understand the cumulative damage to MMA fighters as the sport matures further. Obviously, the greatest danger is striking or trauma to the head, but that exists in all sports. Research is even now revealing long term head injuries which are attributed to heading the ball in soccer, and are even going as far as relating the death of ex-futboler, Jeff Astle, who died of a degenerative brain condition at age 59, to the nature of his employment. He was famous for his powerful headers. In MMA, I suppose cuts, fractures, sprains and tears , back injuries are the most common or obvious risks to the athletes.

Less than stellar, Carlos took a real beating from sherrif Ryo Chonan. Photography by Yoshinori Ihara

Soft Science

Ring life is about the total time fighters clock into the actual fight ring. Fight time, when the meter is running, and only the fighter's own body and brain can measure the true damage and it’s implications on his future.
My curiosity was set off by the mixed results, between a new and old guard in this last Bushido, which has “A level” fighters. Although this last event included another victorious return by veteran Igor Vovchanchn, (he had to sit out of the GP due to a surgery) it also included the defeat of a Mach Sakurai who is in his prime age wise, but who is getting worn down by a force of the nature of his sport.
So why is it that fighters come and go, just like anything in life, except at a more exceptional rate? It’s called ring life, all great things come to an end, depending on how fast or hard you are wearing them, but then again you never know?

Phenomenology

We must consider many factors that determine a fighter’s ability to compete at the penthouse level of MMA. We could perhaps break this down into three major categories and many more sub categories

Factors To Consider Fight Damage Assesment

Fight Style – Striker/Grappler. How often does the fighter get hit, and to what parts of the
body.

Number of fights in professional MMA - as well as other Martial Arts/grappling records.

Level of competition/intensity – small local show, mid level, or the big stage.

Length of fight and rules- weapons and defenses employed.

Wins vs. Losses - Types of wins or losses – (Submission, stiking -TKO, KO, decision)

Method of finish, Nogueira (slow – methodical – has taken heavy hits due to competition) vs. Cro Cop (fast – lucky – timing – extremely short MMA ring life)

Training tactics employed – Injuries suffered on and off the ring. (Oliver Sperling article - mentions Andy Hug as hardcore in training) Conditioning versus actual fighting.

Carlos took Pete Spratt to his level, ground floor, with a quick arm lock in the first round. Photography by Peter Lockley

Physical Injury

There are many types of injuries, which can occur in an MMA fight:
Head, limbs, joints elbows, knees ankles, wrists, and knuckles, jaw neck, spine.
They can range from tears, cuts, fractures, concussions, internal bleeding, to particulars related to a fighters individual medical history.

The severity of a physical injury will determine a fighter’s ability to perform in the future.
This becomes even more abstract in the interpretation of damage when head injury occurs.
In boxing, especially in its more primitive form, many fighters died as a consequence of severe repetitive striking to the head, and still do. Maybe that’s why professional boxing is illegal in Cuba?

Anyways, the cumulative experiences and damage, which a fighter gathers in the ring, have a great effect in that fighter’s ability to perform in future bouts.
We also have to consider the level of intensity of each particular bout, the tactics employed by fighters (styles – grappling vs. striking) and the level of participants (UFC Pride vs. more grassroots events) A great example of this might be Matt Hughes, whose magnanimous 36-4-0 record includes at least twenty, shall we say, not “A” level bouts, from smaller events.
(Refer to Kuhn Fred Fitzgerald articles)

Not quite a de ja vous for Carlos, but he is yet under another MMA induced state of unconsciousness. Photography by Hideto Ida

Psychological Factors

What goes on in a fighter’s brain in terms of level of determination and motivation?
What factors motivate a fighter? Ego,size of venue or event, fame, exposure, TV, money.

Initially- new, exciting, more dedication, focus, heart, spirit, less particular of opponent or show.

Later on -experience -surviving - loss of motivation (the game has lost it initial appeal) motivational factors change good and bad)

Complacency - Loss of focus or expectation - repetition - its just another gig.

Fighter can become either more or less particular regarding bouts.

Hayato Mach Sakurai/Couture/Horn

A Japanese legend met a legendary family indeed, but obviously factors greater than Mach also played into the battle results. Crosley Gracie like a junior Minotauro, lanky, quick, a great striker, and of course a great grappler and submission artist, is young and ready, and ambitious. He is motivated by his new sense of representing the Gracie myth as well as by displaying his own evolutionary tools for the 21rst century MMA game. Mach Sakurai, even though he is in MMA Purgatory right now, is still a great skillful entertaining fighter, but he began fighting at the top level of professional MMA at a rather young age. Mach debuted on the Shooto stage at age 21 on the 4th of November of 1996, defeating the also legendary Caol Uno for the title belt. Mach’s career has always been in the premier stages of Shooto, Pride and Deep. In his first 17 encounters he was unbeaten at 15-0-2, compared with a 4-5 record in his last 9 fights. He’s already embarked on his ninth year of fighting among the top of the MMA pros. and it’s starting to show. Sakurai was born on the 24th of August of 1975. He is only 29 years old and is already a veteran, unlike Randy Couture, who is 40 but has been fighting pro MMA since March 30th of 1997. But Couture only fought 1 fight per year in 98 and 99 and 2 fights per year in 2002 –03 – 04. In those five years he only fought eight times, so you could argue that he has a short ring life, unlike lets say Gumby, Jeremy Horn. Couture’s record is 13 – 6 – 0, 19 fights total.( 2 fights per year – 7 year period) In almost the same time period, Sakurai fought 26 times with a 19-5-2 result, quite exceptional. (3- 4 fights per year – 8-year period)

Part 2 >>