LOL! Thanks Enson!
Hello Enson! I just wanted to thank you for taking time and answering all questions.
I also have a couple of questions for you
1. What was your first contact with the marital arts?
2. How did you get involved in shooto?
3. Did you have any amateur fights before you fought in shooto?
4. Have you trained with Sakuraba?
5. Are you still training? Who do you train with ?
6. If you could go back in time, to the beginning of your career, would you have done anything differently?
7. Have you fought in BJJ matches?
8. How do you consider the best pound for pound in mma?
Take care and good luck with everything in the future!
1: When I was about 8 years old I started Karate. In the first week my sensei (Darrell Lee) sweeped me on my ass because my stance was bad. I got up crying and quit the next day. What a pussy huh? But I still remember his name!!!
2: I got involved with Shooto by calling them and asking the man himself (Sayama Satoru) that I want to fight.
3: Sayama Sensei made me go directly to the pros. I was really unsure at first but I guess everything turned out well.
4: I used to train with Sakuraba a lot about 5 years ago.
5: I began training again about a week ago. I'm training with whomever is in the gym. Mostly my students.
6: Nothing really...... Oh...one thing....I would have hit Frank before he hit me. Also I wouldn't have blown my nose after my fight at UFC 13.
7: Never. Only training.
8: You mean WHO, right? BJ Penn, Antonio Norgeria, and Royler Gracie.
Oh Rene Roze. That was my second fight and it was in Japan. I think it was Vale Tudo Japan 1996.
The heel kicks that isn't really visible in the video did more damage than I thought. I had contutions(sp?) in both my calves. Call it quits? The thought didn't cross my mind not even for a second. However, "Holy shit, I'm in for a long night", did cross my mind.
Hey Enson, I got an old tape of you in Holland I think. (I could be WAY off, but for some reason I think the fight was in Holland...probably not though; probably Japan) You fought that very tall kickboxer and ended up climbing up the ropes to choke him out.
He was doing a lot of heel kicks to your calf/back of your legs. Were you thinking of calling it quits then? From watching the tape it just seemed pretty hopeless because the guy wouldn't let go of the ropes, the ref wouldn't pull him off the ropes, and you couldn't get him off his feet because of all that. It just looked like you were pretty frustrated at one point. Was there a point in the fight where you thought you were stalemated?
Samoa.