VALE TUDO: this word describes, in Brazil, a very particular form of fighting. It is a no holds barred competition that takes place in a regular boxing ring. The outcome of the fight is decided by knock out or submission.
rickson.com
Vale Tudo Japan 1995
by Charles Cozart and Dialy N'Diaye
VALE TUDO: this word describes, in Brazil, a very particular form of fighting. It is a no holds barred competition that takes place in a regular boxing ring. The outcome of the fight is decided by knock out or submission.
The Vale Tudo, also called luta livre, became very popular in the sixties and enabled the Gracie Family to establish its domination on hand to hand combat.
Today, the concept has been adopted by Japan. On April 20, 1995, in the legendary Nippon Budokan Hall, the second Vale Tudo Japan Open takes place.
Over 12,000 fighting fans and members of the Japanese martial arts community are gathered to witness the return of a fighting legend: Rickson Gracie.
Since his appearance last year in the first Vale Tudo Japan Open and his outrageous domination over an event featuring the elite of Japan's fighters, he has become an idol for thousands of Japanese aficionados.
Taking an incredible fighting record of 470 straight wins into the ring, the undisputed king of jiu-jitsu and Gracie family champion is back to write a new chapter to his family's fighting odyssey.
The tournament's promotion has been entirely based on his image of a super champion with a movie star physique and Rickson, one more time, is going to live up to his reputation. As he enters the arena, each of his body's muscles is telling how hard and acute his preparation has been. One more time, the competition is going to be tough.
In the eyes of many Japanese fans, Rickson Gracie and his family, with their long history of challenges and epic fights, are some of the last representatives of the Samurai spirit.
Last summer, one incident added to the mystique of Rickson in Japan. Yoji Anjo, a Japanese pro-wrestling star, after attacking the legitimacy of Rickson Gracie through the Japanese press over a 3 month period, made the mistake of traveling to the states to surprisingly challenge Rickson in his Los Angeles dojo.
Without any preparation time, Rickson once again proves his abilities and shows that he is always ready for a good fight. The victory over Yogi Anjo, left the Japanese press no alternative but to admit Rickson Gracie's position as champion.
Tonight, as Rickson jumps into the ring for his first fight, the crowd shivers with excitement. This match up, against the well known Japanese shootfighter Yoshihisa Yamamoto, trained in Thai boxing and submission wrestling, has been heavily hyped by the press and is highly anticipated.
In the very beginning of the fight, it becomes clear that Yamamoto's objective is to "last" against Gracie. At the first clinch, he wraps his arms around the ropes in order to avoid being taken down to the ground. Far from saving him, this tactic makes him pay a heavy price in blood and pain.
Rickson, as comfortable standing up as he is on the ground, inflicts a merciless punishment on the wrestler. Using numerous punches to the head and body, powerful knees and low kicks, Rickson literally destroys his opponent, kicking him out of the ring at one point.
In the beginning of the third round he takes the Japanese fighter down. Within seconds, the jiu-jitsu man is in the back of the shootwrestler and chokes him out, putting an end to his suffering. Yamamoto is still sound asleep, his bloody face digging into the canvas, and he does not hear the crowd roaring as the referee raises Rickson's arm, making the victory official.
In the semi-finals, Rickson meets another renowned Japanese shootwrestler: Kouichiro Kimura. In the first round, Kimura tries to pick up Gracie but the Brazilian master anticipates the move and, as he throws himself over the Japanese, he wraps his arm around his opponent's neck, making him lose his balance and landing on top of him. An amazing demonstration of the "go with the flow" principles of jiu-jitsu! Rickson goes immediately to the wrestler's back and chokes him into submission.
Rickson's last opponent is Yuki Nakai. This Japanese champion of shootwrestling (shooto federation) has been impressive so far, taking out of the competition Gerard Gordeau (famous kickboxer, finalist in the first U.F.C. and Savate heavyweight world champion) and Craig "Pitbull" Pitman, a professional wrestler with a one hundred pound weight advantage on him.
Rickson quickly takes Nakai to the ground, showing mercy to the already swollen face of Nakai by not punching it. Then, he shows the skills that make him the best fighter in the world today and catches Nakai in the same rear choke that submitted his two previous opponents. Nakai is still laying flat on the ground when the supporters invade the ring to carry Rickson in triumph. He wins the Vale Tudo Open for the second time in a row.
At the after party, given by Rickson to his team members, friends, and supporters at the Tokyo Hard Rock Cafe, his physical appearance did not indicate that he had been in a fight. When asked, by a casual observer, how he had defeated all of these fighters, he simply stated, "I was the lucky one..."
One more time, the Brazilian master has triumphed with amazing ease. His phenomenal ability is now becoming known outside of his native Brazil where professional no holds barred fights have been common place. Rickson is now getting the world wide recognition that a fighter of his unique caliber deserves. A few days after the tournament, Rickson returned to teach in his Santa Monica school, his beloved art of jiu-jitsu. |
