Sakuraba vs Takada (Dojo Spar) from 1990's

Sakuraba might have a learning disability. Takada clearly shows him how to finish kimura from side mount but he didn't learn it. Royler should feel he was lucky to not fight Takada.
 
Sakuraba might have a learning disability. Takada clearly shows him how to finish kimura from side mount but he didn't learn it. Royler should feel he was lucky to not fight Takada.

There's a video somewhere online with Saku and Takada grappling in what looks like a photography studio with these big fluoroscent lights.

IIRC Takada was kicking his ass hahaha
 
After retiring from MMA, Minoru Suzuki recently confessed in an interview that no founding members of PANCRASE stood a chance against prime Takada, then a teammate of theirs. "Takada-san would submit every one of us at the dojo."

They got tired of their asses getting kicked by Takada and it was one of the main reasons why they had to start a new organization. And Pancrase never messed with UWFI a single time.
 
After retiring from MMA, Minoru Suzuki recently confessed in an interview that no founding members of PANCRASE stood a chance against prime Takada, then a teammate of theirs. "Takada-san would submit every one of us at the dojo."

They got tired of their asses getting kicked by Takada and it was one of the main reasons why they had to start a new organization. And Pancrase never messed with UWFI a single time.

Probably respect but I think funaki suzuki ken take takada

But he was legit
 
Many students of Takada are world class: Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Hiromitsu Kanehara, Kiyoshi Tamura, Daijiro Matsui, Yoshihiro Takayama, and Sanae Kikuta.

Whereas....Funaki/Suzuki only had Kondo, Takahashi and Kunioku. Everybody else sucked and that's the reason why Pancrase went down the hill as soon as Lion's den left.

Whereas.....Maeda was not able to succeed in raising a single world level fighter out of his dojo.
 
Many students of Takada are world class: Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Hiromitsu Kanehara, Kiyoshi Tamura, Daijiro Matsui, Yoshihiro Takayama, and Sanae Kikuta.

Whereas....Funaki/Suzuki only had Kondo, Takahashi and Kunioku. Everybody else sucked and that's the reason why Pancrase went down the hill as soon as Lion's den left.

Whereas.....Maeda was not able to succeed in raising a single world level fighter out of his dojo.

Funaki suzuki had ken probably best student

Also bas rutten

Frank Shamrock too
 
I know Funaki wanted to believe he was an official coach for Shamrocks and Rutten, but there's a youtube video where Rutten says he didn't really appreciate Funaki as a coach and Ken Shamrock was told by Funak to "forget about ground fight" when both of them got their ass kicked by Machado brothers.

Everything they knew came from Fujiwara who learned about Pro-Wrestling from Inoki and Karl Gotch who never had a real fight in their career. (In 1976, Inoki didn't obey predetermined plot for one of the fights and it ended up in a shoot match. But it wasn't anything like real MMA. So I count this out from history and I still call Inoki, "a man who never fought a real fight in his life".) Some of the PANCRASE techniques that actually worked in MMA are the ones not taught by Fujiwara, but implemented to shooto by Sayama.

I wonder if anyone remembers UFC3. Ken fought in the tournament and PANCRASE guys were in his corner. Announcer/commentator said "MONKEY'S OFFICE came with Lion's Den". I'm not making the shit up.
 
In 1997, Takahashi made a public challenge to RINGS' Maeda and Maeda didn't respond.
Funaki got in the ring with Takahashi at the next PANCRASE event in Tokyo and Funaki said to the audience,
"If Maeda-san defeated Takahashi, I was going to step up to fight him next"

Takahashi while shaking his head, had a huge smile on his face that could be interpreted
"If Maeda is good enough to kick my ass, he will beat you quicker, Funaki-san. I think you're being delusional, haha"
 
this made me laugh really hard


kenny-florian-zoolander-o.gif
 
No footage of Takada will allow me to believe he can or ever has schooled Saku.

Admittedly, Saku has said that Takada is not his “Teacher” or instructor, and only serves as his “Senior” in Japanese culture, meaning, Saku will behave with the utmost respect and deference based on age and relative accomplishment, particularly at the work place.

As head of Takada dojo, Saku HAD to work under Takada’s wing.
 
No footage of Takada will allow me to believe he can or ever has schooled Saku.

Admittedly, Saku has said that Takada is not his “Teacher” or instructor, and only serves as his “Senior” in Japanese culture, meaning, Saku will behave with the utmost respect and deference based on age and relative accomplishment, particularly at the work place.

As head of Takada dojo, Saku HAD to work under Takada’s wing.

Actually, why not? Takada was always too old to fight - 35 at the time of Pride 1 and that was his pro debut. Years of pro wrestling couldn't have been good for his health either.

His pride fights were all rubbish but if you look at some of the old school pancrase training footage, those guys were training seriously way before MMA training was a thing in the west.

Suzuki was particularly a mean bastard

I would give him the benefit of the doubt and say he wasnt always baloney haha

 
Many students of Takada are world class: Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Hiromitsu Kanehara, Kiyoshi Tamura, Daijiro Matsui, Yoshihiro Takayama, and Sanae Kikuta.

Whereas....Funaki/Suzuki only had Kondo, Takahashi and Kunioku. Everybody else sucked and that's the reason why Pancrase went down the hill as soon as Lion's den left.

Whereas.....Maeda was not able to succeed in raising a single world level fighter out of his dojo.

Saku, Kanehara and Tamura weren't really Takada students they were Billy Robinson students. Takada trained under Gotch who never really mentioned him when talking about his best students although he did say Suzuki was the toughest guy he trained. The vids are just Saku being kind like a younger brother who is much better then his older bro but lets him win not to hurt his ego. Takada was a popular pro wrestler but a sub bar fighter and not a great coach just took credit.
 
Actually, why not? Takada was always too old to fight - 35 at the time of Pride 1 and that was his pro debut. Years of pro wrestling couldn't have been good for his health either.

His pride fights were all rubbish but if you look at some of the old school pancrase training footage, those guys were training seriously way before MMA training was a thing in the west.

Suzuki was particularly a mean bastard

I would give him the benefit of the doubt and say he wasnt always baloney haha



Takada has knowledge and can hold his own against normal people. But against actual fighters, he was always spotty. No doubt pro-wrestling wasn't good for his body and yes he was old against Rickson, but still, he is a showman first and foremost. His matches versus Albright were very entertaining.
 
No footage of Takada will allow me to believe he can or ever has schooled Saku.

Admittedly, Saku has said that Takada is not his “Teacher” or instructor, and only serves as his “Senior” in Japanese culture, meaning, Saku will behave with the utmost respect and deference based on age and relative accomplishment, particularly at the work place.

As head of Takada dojo, Saku HAD to work under Takada’s wing.



Exhibition spar that Takada did when he was 34. What can I say, almost 100% of Sakuraba's techniques directly comes from Takada. There's no doubt about it.
 
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