KamiKaze Juku

June 2018 Update, Kamikaze Kick Boxing and MMA

Wow, already halfway through June. Time flies when you're having fun as the saying goes. Ryuichi had a successful title defense in Tenkaichi mainland. Also looking at another title defense here very soon. Inamine just had a kyoukushin tournament on May 27th. We always try to keep fighters well rounded. There are some arguments for and against this. Some argue that the more you try to cram into one vessel the less effective you are as a fighter... too much clutter I guess. I am in the other bandcamp. I think you should have all the tools even if you don't use them very often. So I'm always elated when we sign a fighter up for an event that isn't strictly MMA or Kickboxing, Muay Thai, JiuJitsu etc. Good to see Ryan back in the gym and congratulations on his new born son. There was talk of going back to China for an event but nothing came to fruition. Maybe another chance on the horizon. China was such a new experience, wouldn't mind going back. As always train hard, fight hard, and I'll see you at Kamikaze's OSU

Matsuri at Namura Hall... Hikaru gets the Win

So we had an event over at Namura Hall in Naha City over the weekend. Our guy won in the 4th overtime round. Hikaru burst out into flurries in the last 30 second for an impressive victory against an opponent who was favored to win. Krazy Bee had a good night as well winning 3 of their four matches. Leave it all on the mat! OSU!

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Training for a fight

Getting into some training before a match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVVfrPPjVcg

Time to dust this thing

It's been a minute since we've posted on here but we're gonna get back into the swing of things. Gym is revving back up into high gear. Looking forward to seeing everyone back in.

Out with 2014

Well it's been fun for this year. The Sunday before last was Takeshi's wedding and my favorite part of Japanese weddings are all the pictures of the bride and groom growing up. Congratulations!

The last event was on Sunday and Hamamoto came out with a draw. It was a good fight even if it was for only two rounds. Maybe he would have cinched the win had it been three or four rounds. There is always next time though.

Next fight on the horizon is Mononofu. Ryuichi, Jon and Mike will be competing. There are still tickets available so if you need them you better hurry, time is short. The event will be held at Koza Music Town this Sunday (28th)

Also I will not be in to the gym 24th or the 25th. However I am assuming that some of the guys will be in just to get some last minute training in before the fight. If it's open then feel free.

Just a reminder about the New Year, The Futenma Temple goes crazy on on the eve of the 31st. There will be no parking for the gym for about a week so if your planning on going you might need a ride or a bike. I don't plan on being able get in but if you want to train let me know and I can work something out.

OSU!

It's been a while since my last post and things have been busy. Busy is good I like busy. The other side of the coin is that Facebook is so easy to notify everyone that it has become the default. In anycase here is what's on the plate.

Kamikaze Fighters for the upcoming event are: Mr.Kamikaze, Sean Christopher McGill, Ryo Todaka, Ryuichi, and Yukimi. Staff for this event are now officially the following: Jonathan Medhurst, Daniel Lisa Jr., Shelby Hunt,Daniel Bertrand, and Chase Hackford. This is now pretty much etched in stone.

The Event will be held in Ishigaki Island. Here is the official webpage: http://www.buyuden-japan.com/index.html

Bob Sapp is returning for the main event. Which is always great show. Other than that, I just want to say to all the new members coming in, Welcome! and to all the veterans, Keep up the hard work!

Also the Kamikaze Juku appreciates the generous support and contributions this month from Represent Shop, Chase Hackford, and Renell Travis and everyone else who has donated anonymously. Kamikaze Juku greatly appreciates it!

OSU!

Its been a fast month here at Kamikaze Juku. We have to say goodbye to two more members and remember that you're always welcome to come back home. The first is Sayaka, one of the few females able to hang with us at the gym. I give her credit for that alone, its tough to make it in a testosterone driven gym but she did. Sad to see you go and we wish you the best in your endeavors on the mainland.

And lastly Paco. He came in with a group of seven and was the only one to stick with it. He is the epitome of what we strive for at Kamikaze. He is driven and focused even when some of us aren't which in turn brings up the motivation and morale for all of us. Always a smile on his face and some quick wit humor on the side. He was able to pick up the art of fighting faster than anyone we've had in a while. In the short time of being with us he has fought 2 fights and won both of them. Also Paco by nature is a generous guy. He has donated consistently to the gym in the form of gear and a few bones on the side.

On the down side of things, The last Tenkaichi event was a loss for us. Mr Kamikaze has finally relinquished the heavyweight title belt in a match against Fred. While we all knew this was eventually going to happen it doesn't make it easier to swallow. Some legends you just don't want to see fall. I would rather he lose the belt to Fred than anyone else because Fred is a good guy. But it was the final belt to go from us when we originally carried 4 of the 5 weightclasses championships.

Back to training. OSU!

Last Mononofu was a lot of fun even if it was on the other side of the island. All three judges were from Kamikaze Juku since we had no dog in the fight. That was just fine by me. A friend of the gym came down and did some great photography at the event. Sherilyn Lee is pretty good at her craft and the pictures are posted on our facebook page go check them out!
This month Mononofu is back and all tickets are 500 Yen at the door of KOZA Music Town. Which is INSANELY CHEAP! it's like 5 bucks! even less with the exchange rate. Seriously just go, your never going to get to an event this cheap again.

We had 7 fighters volunteer for this fight from Kamikazed Juku, although it was bumped down to six because of an opponent's cancellation. We may be able to get more later on but I doubt it because it's getting down to the line. Less than one week to fight night!

So far the list is Patrick, ~~Sean,~~ Ryuichi, Hamamoto, Paco, Hayami, and SHONUFF.

The event will be held on Saturday Night August 16th. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and fights start at 8:00 p.m. (It is going to be a long but awesome night)

Again, 500 YEN TICKETS!

Mino's Mononofu event in here again and although Kamikaze Juku has no fighters in this event due to an injury I'm still going. There are usually between 20 to 25 fights on the card. The fights are set at breakneck speeds. It's always a lot of fun.

If anyone is interested I will probably do a meet up and get as many as we can into as few cars as possible. Also it will prevent those of us prone to getting lost on okinawa from ending up a Hedo Point.

Doors Open at 15:00 and Fights begin at 16:00. Reach me by phone or email: walkerpb(at)usa(dot)com or just drop by the Dojo.

External Directions to Agarizaki:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/22-3+Agarizaki/@26.2119845,127.7684024,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x34e56dcda812658f:0x8776930812b9670e?hl=en

And their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/agarizaki

Hit the ground running. This week was pretty busy and always a blast. The K-Spirit even went off well. We sent two fighters from our gym. One win and one broken arm. Hayami won a clear victory without any problems, however Inamine lost by decision and a fractured forearm. Fighting when something gets broke just sucks. Finishing out the fight required a lot of mental determination so I give him a lot of credit.

Also in this update I want to mention we have shirt designs finished and should have them for sale sometime in July! Help support the Kamikaze family. Buy a shirt, train hard, fight hard, party hard after victory! Our shirts this time around are done by Represent Shop. Check them out on the web if your like how they come out and shoot Chase Hackford an email.

Speaking of Party. We are also looking at having a gym BBQ ~~July 6th~~, (AUGUST DUE TO AVAILABILITY) however this is not set in stone yet. Planning still has to be made. It is however coming soon.

Next event is the Mononofu on July 13, We may or may not have a fighter in this event depending on how soon recovery goes. Tickets are available NOW. Hit me up by email/phone/facebook... or wherever you find me. OSU

It has been winding down after the last couple of events. A lot of new faces coming by to check the place out. We love to have them all. Not everyone stays for the long haul but that's not always what we're about. We love to teach and even if its just getting someone introduced to the basics, it might come in handy for them someday. We have always been a family here and always will be. Chris, a fighter with Kamikaze Juku about six years ago came back last week for a visit. Good times all around and like Tim who came back last month, the door is always open.

This week is K-Spirit held at the Kadena Marina. We have been so busy that this event kinda sneaked up on me. We have two fighters in this event Inamine and Hayami. There are going to be a lot of matches some amateur and some pro. Go on out and show your support and have a great time. Location: Navel Kadena 3F Kadena Arena. Doors open 15:30 First bell 1600. OSU!

Check out the new youtube video Sean took last night!

Banmikase! We sent fighters down to this event over the weekend on Ishigaki Island. One of them was a debut fight. All of our fighters came back victorious. It's never easy going into someone else's place with the intent to clean house, but that's what we did. It probably helped that Mr. Kamikaze went down there himself. Either way Kamikaze Juku came out on top.

I have yet to see the Debut Fight and when I do I'll post that as well, but until then here is something to chew on!

OSU!

Last night was Mino's Mononofu and it was a blast. Paced at breakneck speeds the night tends to fly right by. With 24 fights on the card it kind of has to be. We sent two fighters and we came out with two wins. And you can't ask for more than that!

Ryuichi who was the main event fought hard as he always does. Even though he took a few chips to the jaw in the first round he continued to press in and dropped his opponent to the ground in the third round. This was followed shortly by the bell leaving the challenger with no opportunity to recover. Win automatically goes to Ryuichi.

The most improvement was shown by Inamine however. Applying continuous pressure on his adversary left little room for the rival to get the upper hand. He controlled the pace and aggression of the bout. This combined with his much improved defense left the judges no choice but to award the decision to Inamine.

Two more matches to go this month. Looking for more victories. Come train with the best! OSU!

Japan Okinawa - Kickboxing / MMA update: Apr/30/2014

Ryuichin and Inamine have been working hard these past two weeks gearing up for Mononofu. Both fight regularly and recently coming back from the Kamikaze Spirits Event in Kumamoto they are jumping right back into the fire. Here are some pictures to wet your appetite. OSU!

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May 4th Mononofu Fight Card

MONONOFU: The Fight Card

Ryuichi is the Main Event. 24 fast paced fights. SEE YOU THERE!

Here are the videos of Ryuichi and Inamine's Kickboxing event in Kyushu. It was a great event with stiff competition. The road to Legend isn't always easy. Mr. Kamikaze is very gracious to the fighters. He took good care of our guys when they were there. I stand by the statement, Kamikaze Juku is the best place in Okinawa to learn.

Everyone is getting geared up for Mononofu, Tenkaichi and Bamnikaze. That being said last Thursday was an awesome sparring day. We all worked hard and I took some still frames off the video.

Don't forget to support the gym and supports our fighters. Come on out to the events and have a good time!

OSU

Come and get them!

Mino Tiger's monthly kickboxing event will be held at Okinawa City "Shimin Kaikan" or (People's Hall) Just outside of Kadena A.F. Base: Gate 2. On Sunday May 4th.

Our fighter Ryuichi is the Main Event among others. Its a great time and the fights are fast and furious, usually with 25 or more fights on the card. Never had a dull moment at these events.

Doors open at 15:00 Fights start at 16:00.

Advanced tickets are available for 3000 yen (a little less than $30 with the current exchange rate) Pickup at the Kamikaze Gym outside of Camp Foster. For more information you can call Patrick directly at 070-6595-0047 or email at walkerpb(at)usa(dot)com

Come on out and support the local fight scene and the fighters!

First up for this update on the Japanese fight scene is the Kamikaze Spirits Event in Kumamoto Japan last Sunday. We sent two fighters from Okinawa to the event. Ryuichi and Inamine. Ryuichi's match ended in a draw and Inamine's match was a loss by decision. In anycase everyone in Kumamoto was very impressed by the performance. I will post the links to the videos when I receive them.

In other news we have three events coming up on the horizon here in short order. Mononofu will be held on May 4th outside of Kadena Air Force Base. Ryuichi will be headlining this event.

Up next we will be sending two fighters to Banmikaze on Ishigaki Island. One of which will be a debut fight. This will be on May 11th.

And lastly Tenkaichi at Koza Music Town. on May 18th, Where "No Cut" Hamamoto (Zombie) will be competing. Come on out and show your support.

Osu!

Homecoming: We got a surprise visit from an old friend. Tim has come back to Okinawa for a short time. Tough as nails and wit to match. He was a member back in the fight club days of Kamikaze Juku. This was a time when pretty much anything went. Since then Tim has moved on to bigger and better things. As a former professional boxer he brings a lot of ring strategy to the table. Its really too bad he won't be staying on the rock for much longer but we're happy to have him here even if it is for a short time.

Todaka's exhibition match went well from what I understand however an exhibition doesn't always have winner's or loser's. And that was what this was, two friends getting together for a friendly sparring in front of a croud. Everybody wins.

Our next event is coming soon. Kamikaze Spirits - Road to Legend, will be held on April 6th 2014. We will be sending Ryuichi and Inamine to mainland Japan for the event. I'm sure it will be a blast. OSU!

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Have a green beer and a corned beef sandwich.

First things first. Just wanted to congratulate Kenny and his wife. They had their first child last February. Glad to see him back from his hiatus.

Also Todaka and Kumazawa are having an Exhabition match soon, ~~I will post the date and locale when I get them~~. [Edit] TOURYUMON on Sunday Mar/16/2014 at Matsuyama Namura Hall. Doors open at 15:30. Show up and show your support.

Two events coming up in the near future. Mononofu will have an event towards the end of April (I think its the 25th but subject to change) and an event in Ishigaki Island on May 11th. It looks like we will have fighters in both events.

We now have our Kamikaze Juku Facebook page up and running. (I know, I know, It's about damn time) Thanks to Paco for helping push this along.

As always we appreciate everyone's support and hard work. See you in the Juku.

Osu!

It's been a fun two weeks and I'm elated to see Todaka back into his grove. He brings a motivation to the gym that I appreciate. His work ethic alone is unmatched and it raises the bar for everyone.

Last night was a fun night as well. We got an invitation to bring over some fighters to spar at Riot gym. Riot is a former featherweight champion who has roots with Kamikaze and also Maki Dojo.

Inamine was evenly matched showing his strong points in the first round with good combinations between strikes and kicks. He found his rhythm early and maintained through the second.

Seems everyone was anxious for Paco with this being his first spar session outside the Juku. However he surprised everyone by knocking his first opponent down with a backfist and Riot had to bring in a more experienced fighter for the next round to even things out.

Lastly was Ryuichi, always a dominant force in the ring. Genuinely a happy go lucky personality, you rarely get to see the aggression that lies just under his skin. When that bell goes off so do the smiles and it's all business. There were no exceptions made last night. Although the tone was lighter because this is a friendly spar session that same animosity boiled to the surface. I admit that my opinion is biased but I feel Ryuichi outworked his opponent all three rounds. No doubt his opponent was skilled and Riot is doing good work with him. I only hope that this spar didn't check his confidence before his event next week.

See you in the Juku! Osu!

Okinawa Kickboxing and MMA Update: Feb/3/2014

Haven't been updating lately because of Todaka's Event in Turin Italy. It was a good fight with Todaka winning the first round. Here is an exerpt from the ISKA website:

" Todaka is a Kyokushin Karate sytlist who reached the last four in the Kyokushin Karate World Championships in 2008 before switching to pro-kickboxing. The last thing Danilencu expected was for Todaka to come out punching, but that’s exactly what he did in the opening round, landing stiff jabs followed by a solid right hands to win the round. Danilencu found Todaka weakness in the second with a long knee sending Todaka to the canvas twice. Todaka tried to fight back in the third round but Danilencu has his measure and use more knee strikes to drop Todaka again, after the second knockdown the referee stepped in waving the fight over, a KO victory for Danilencu "

Considering Todaka was fighting a taller and heavier opponent I personally believe he did very well, and in my professional opinion it takes a lot of heart to go against larger opponents. We tend to be hardwired that way and it's a lot of work to overcome that basic instinct.

In other news I am back from my trip to Hokkaido and full time back at the gym. I understand last week there were some viruses floating around and some of our instructors weren't available resulting in unexpected closures. So if you came by the gym last week and it was closed that's why. The good news is everyone is healthy again so its back to business.

See you in the gym!

OSU!