TOKYO — In the middle of Japan’s rainy season, my amigo Stephen Martinez and I headed to GRABAKA gym to have a chat with Kazuo Misaki, who is scheduled to fight in PRIDE Bushido 8 on July 17.
In this interview, I asked him about his past, his present and how he prepared for his fight against Daniel Acacio. Oh don’t forget, I’m not the guy who just asks about a fighter’s career. I also talked a bit about his lifestyle in Tokyo, as well as his hobby, surfing.
I know this interview is lengthy, but you guys really don’t have a chance to see how Japanese fighters train or find out what they think about their career. So let’s just sneak a peak at one of the top Japanese fighters.
Sherdog.com: First of all, I want to go back to your own history a little bit starting from your childhood. Now you’re a veteran of Pancrase and PRIDE Bushido. Also you’re one of the biggest-name fighters in Japan, I guess. Now, you’re about to step in Bushido ring again. Is this where you wanted to be when you were kid? Did you wanted to be fighter when you were kid? Or did you have any dream to be when you were kid?
Misaki: Hmm, let me think … what I wanted to be?
Sherdog.com: I’m expecting some weird answer now. (laughs)
Misaki: (laughs) I really didn’t have an exact image of what I really wanted to be. But I always felt something like running business by my own.
Sherdog.com: How about now? Are you satisfied by what you’re doing?
Misaki: Yes. You know there are several stages in the life. First stage, second stage, third stage. And if people make 100 percent effort in each stage, I think they’ll be satisfied. And I do. I’m putting all my energy to this business right now. So I’m feeling good with what I’m doing.
Sherdog.com: That’s cool. So what made you want to be a professional MMA fighter?
Misaki: Well, I was looking for something “Kyukyoku” (extreme). …
Sherdog.com: That’s very abstractive and hard to translate in English (laugh). Does that mean, you found something attractive in fighting?
Misaki: (laughs) O.K., I wanted to be an extremely strong guy. How about that? I was driven to be a strong guy as a man.
Sherdog.com: I see. O.K., then do you have any background as a fighter?
Misaki: Yes, I trained judo for a long time.
Sherdog.com: How Long?
Misaki: I trained in judo in junior high school, high school, and also I practiced judo on the team of Jitsugyou-dan (semi-professional level). But after high school, I put my energy in playing around more than judo training. (laughs)
Sherdog.com: So what did you enjoy?
Misaki: I put lots of energy in surfing at that time.
Sherdog.com: I expected something girls related … but you chose sports.
Misaki: Yeah, I started surfing just to have fun. But later on, I found out that surfing is a deep activity. Very deep. It’s not just a fun activity you know, but not just sports either … and every time I go surfing, I got more into it.
Sherdog.com: So at that point of your life, you went to surf everyday?
Misaki: Yes, I almost went to the beach everyday. I think I went to the beach more than 350 days a year that time for few years. And one day, I found out there’s a Surfing-do. Just like Karate-do (path of karate), Ju-do (path of Ju), Ken-do (path of sword) or Bushi-do (path of Samurai). I found surfing has a “do” (path). Surfing is deep. And I was really drugged into this activity very deep.
Sherdog.com: Hmm.
Misaki: Then when I was about 22, 23 I thought maybe this is not the thing I want for my life. Then I was a bit lost. So I sat and thought about what I really wanted for my life. Then I hit this idea: be a strong guy.
Sherdog.com: Hmm. So how long did you seek the depth of surfing? I mean what age did you start surfing? And do you still go surf?
Misaki: Yes, I still go surfing. I started surfing when I was 18. So I was kind of being in the Surfing-Do for like four to five years.
Sherdog.com: I see. I heard there are some fighters who surf. Do you go surfing with any of those fighters? Like I heard Yuki Kondo surfs too.
Misaki: No, not at all. I go there all alone usually. And I just enjoy the waves. Yea, sometimes people ask me if I want to compete in some competition. But I don’t see surfing as a competitive sport. I just enjoy surfing.
Sherdog.com: So you’re like pro-level good?
Misaki: No I don’t think I’m that good. Oh about Yuki Kondo, we say let’s go surfing together. But they are just words. We’ve never gone surfing together. You know, even if I go there with somebody, you’re all alone while you’re in the water. You enjoy this activity against nature. So to go surf with somebody means nothing except you’re with somebody on the way to go and to come back. Oh, this one time, Ricardo Almeida asked me to go surfing together. But we didn’t have chance to go together. I think Almeida is a really good surfer because his father is a pro. And I heard he’s been surfing since he was a little child. Yeah, he gave me surf pants with “Pit Bull” printed on, and I still use those surf shorts.
Sherdog.com: Oh, that’s a great story. But this interview is not for Almeida. This is for you. So you gotta promote yourself.
Misaki: (laughs)
Sherdog.com: O.K. So now in PRIDE and K-1 MMA there are a bunch of judo background fighters fighting. And some do good, some don’t. Do you have any thought about this situation, as one who trained in judo for a long time?
Misaki: I have a lot of thoughts about judo. Talking about those fighters in PRIDE or K-1, they’re extremely good athletes. If you look at the judo community in the world, it’s huge. Even if you look at Japanese judo community, it’s a huge pyramid we have. And those judo fighters in K-1 or PRIDE are the top of this pyramid. And those fighters who are on the top of this pyramid has got everything like, strength of body, very high-level technique, and super-tough spirit. But in MMA, they can’t win only by judo technique. They have to learn a lot of other techniques, too. And I don’t say everybody can learn those techniques easy. But as a raw material, they have huge potential to be a good fighter.
Sherdog.com: So you mean they’re like a diamond that is shaped as a judo fighter. But once they’re reshaped as an MMA fighter they’ll be shining brighter than any other diamonds?
Misaki: Yes.
Sherdog.com: I agree, I think that Pawel Natsula’s fight was awesome (as his debut against former champion). I think he did great.
Misaki: Yes, I agree. He did very good against Nogueira. He swept Minotauro didn’t he? I’ve never seen Minotauro swept that easy before.
Sherdog.com: So, you’ve fought in Pancrase for a long time. And on July 17 you’ll be stepping in the PRIDE Bushido ring for your second time. Does your motivation for this fight increase? Are you getting excited?
Misaki: Yes, my motivation is up. That is not because I’m stepping in Bushido but because, we, GRABAKA, are independent from Pancrase 100 percent. You know we’re in a different stage now, so I want to start off with good record under this new stage. Also, I’ve started a new training a while ago. So I want to perform better than before. And there are a lot of new fans of MMA out of there. So I think a lot of people will know me from this Bushido. I’m motivated more because I want to show “new Misaki and how powerful Misaki is.”
Sherdog.com: O.K., please tell me what part of your fight skill has got better since you fought Jorge Patino in Bushido 3?
Misaki: Hmm. I think I got flexibility.
Sherdog.com: What do you mean? Did you get flexibility in your body?
Misaki: Man you suck! That’s lame. No I meant, not specifically skill, but just my idea, my brain got a lot better for fight. My brain got a flexibility for the fight in any situation.
Sherdog.com: No really, I thought you got your body flexibility. But what do you mean, you got flexibility in your brain?
Misaki: I used to training like bit old fashion style. But recently I train with new style, which I’ve never done before and started using my brain more. I became smart about this business, meaning I’m more relaxed than before even before the fight. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not being lazy. I push myself real hard when I need to. But when I need to relax, I can relax very well. It wasn’t like this before. So I think this whole thing will change my fight in positive way.