What exactly do you teach at your dojo?
At Kaminari Dojo we teach Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Submission Wrestling, and Wrestling. Each one of our coaches specializes in one of those areas. I worked alongside them to give our students the best MMA training available in West Michigan.
How long has it been in business?
We've been in business for almost 6 years now. I originally opened Kaminari Dojo in Tokyo, Japan with the help of my long time friend and training partner Toida Katsuya of WK Network's Toikatsu Dojo. Back then Toida and I were both teaching out of Gold's Gym. I later moved the program over to another gym by the name of CORE, before finally deciding to relocate to my hometown, Grand Raids, MI. It's been almost 2 years since I returned to Grand Rapids and we just expanded to a new facility in the heart of the city.
Are you running it mainly to give people a good workout or would you like to produce pro fighters like yourself?
We pride ourselves on offering quality instruction to both those who have aspirations of fighting one day and those that are looking to get into better shape and have fun doing it. The evening classes are meant for the general public. The coaches and I spend extra time training those that have tried out and made the fight team.
What exactly is the difference between MMA and shooto?
Shooto and MMA are the same. However, In my opinion, Shooto was first to truly embrace MMA as a sport and not purely as entertainment. From the beginning they pit the best vs the best based on actual results rather than entertainment value like some of the bigger organizations did early on.
Even as other organizations in Japan struggle to stay afloat financially, many say when it is all set in done, Shooto will be the only organization to continue if and when the money dries up.
How long did you train in Japan?
I lived and trained in Japan for 12 years; from ages 17 to 29. I fought amateur for my first 2 years before turning pro at 19.
How is your Japanese?
Although there is always room for improvement, I like to think that I have a strong grasp on the language. I lived my entire adult life in Japan. And, being heavily involved in the sport of MMA at a time when there were not many foreigners training full-time, I was pretty well immersed into the culture.
What was your best experience in your fight career? Your worst?
That's a hard one. There have been lots of ups and downs over the years. I will say one thing though: America is growing on me one day at a time. I wake up every day and teach the sport that I love. I'm just happy to be living the America Dream.
Are you still fighting yourself or are you mainly just teaching?
I have put fighting on hold for the time being. I think I have a few fights left in me but, right now, it would be hard to take 8 weeks completely away from my gym to prepare. That said, given the right offer, I would definitely consider fighting for one of the bigger organizations if the opportunity arose.
What do you hope to see from your dojo in the future?
It's a pipe dream but, I would like to continue to grow the Kaminari brand and one day open a gym in Tokyo. Once the students improve and are able to teach our system, I would love to be able to send the senior students to teach at the Tokyo branch.
I'd like to give the students that work hard the chance to travel and see other places. It's not everyday someone from MI goes to Japan for an extended period of time...
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