“I met a lot of interesting people through that too. There was Mr Yoshiaki Fujiwara (Catch Wrestler), Mr Satoru Sayama (Founder of Shooto), and Mr Akira Maeda (Founder of Rings) In UWF pro wrestling back in that time.”
Toshi: I would like to talk about when Sensei was competing.
I especially remember this one match in the International Sambo championship held in America in 1979.
This one match was so rough, It was supposed to be a Sambo match but ended up like a street fight.
The opponent hurt his leg and couldn’t continue because Sensei’s foot sweep were like kicks!!
Sensei had 8 matches all together in the tournament and beat them all.
Aso: I wasn’t happy about this one guy’s manners and attitudes, so I thought I was going to teach him a good lesson, but it became a little bit too rough.
We were both head butting each other from the beginning and foot sweeps became kicking.
If that was now, we both would probably get disqualified from the match, but I think it’s important to have this kind of mindset all the time.
If you mess with me, I am ready to do something.
Make your opponent understand it is dangerous to mess with you.
It’s same as kids bullying in schools. It might be problem to say this but bullies pick only on kids who never do anything back.
They never pick on kids who they think are dangerous to make them angry.
Toshi: It’s like the topic we were talking about just before.
“Sharpen my sword everyday. I don’t take it out from the scabbard usually, but I’m going to take it out and use it if you mess with me to make peace.”
Aso: That’s right.
It’s important to have that kind of mindset all the time.
Toshi: I remember a few years after that, Sensei was visiting many dojos of other styles of martial arts.
If my memory is correct, including Sambo dojo, traditional jujutsu, ninjutsu, army combat art, and UWF pro wrestling gym, etc.
Aso: Yes, that was a martial arts magazine’s arrangement, but it was good because I just had made S.A.W around that time. I called it “Submission Arts” when I first started around that time, but anyway, I wanted to add all elements of other grappling arts into an S.A.W system.
Also I met a lot of interesting people through that too.
There was Mr Yoshiaki Fujiwara (Catch Wrestler), Mr Satoru Sayama (Founder of Shooto), and Mr Akira Maeda (Founder of Rings) In UWF pro wrestling back in that time.
Talking about training in other gyms, I went to other countries to train too such as Russia and Thailand.
In Russia, I trained at the Sambo national team.
In Thailand, I trained in a gym which there were two great champions.
I forgot their names but one was very tall and he had to retire when he was 24 years old in his prime because he was too strong. No one could fight him (Dieselnoi).
Another one was a smaller fighter and he was called “God of Muay Thai” (Chamuekpet).
I trained in clinch techniques with them for 3 weeks.
Toshi: That must be Dieselnoi and Chamuekpet.
They both are legendary Muay Thai champions.
To be continued Part 4.
