Читать книгу Ali vs. Inoki. The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment онлайн

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I competed in Japan for the Pancrase organization from 1993 until 1998, and that organization was founded by Suzuki and Funaki. There were different rules than the ones we have in modern MMA. Open-hand strikes to the head, closed fist to the body; you wore shoes and shin protection— it looked like pro wrestling, only it’s real. Unfortunately, we didn’t use foreign objects like chairs to hit each other.

I was a striker. Growing up I studied karate, taekwondo, and Thai boxing. I always thought that “strikers” were the baddest dudes on the planet until I had my first submission class. For people who don’t know how submissions work, let’s just say that it’s about manipulating pretty much any limb in the direction it’s not supposed to go.

I was a good “striker,” but that submission class showed me that I wasn’t a badass in “fighting.” They tore me up and I had no chance whatsoever. I got choked. Leg locked, armbarred. Neck cranked. You name it. I realized I needed to learn this art because if I were to miss a strike to an opponent and he was able take me to the ground, I would be in major trouble.