(Chambers)
OKINAWA, JAPAN. AN ISLAND CROSSROADS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, IT'S THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR
AND BRUTAL MARTIAL ART: KARATE. (Duff)
WE'RE GOING TO IMMERSE OURSELVES
IN THIS ANCIENT ART AND FOLLOW ITS ROOTS
BACK TO THE TIME OF THE SAMURAI. (Chambers)
WE'LL EXPERIENCE
ITS TOUGHEST TRAINING... (Duff)
LEARN ITS DEADLIEST SECRETS... (Chambers)
AND GO TOE-TO-TOE
WITH A BLACK BELT. (male announcer)
THERE ARE HUNDREDS
OF DISTINCT FIGHTING STYLES IN THE WORLD. THEY ARE PRACTICED
IN EVERY NATION AND BY EVERY PEOPLE. NOW JASON CHAMBERS,
A MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST AND PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER... AND BILL DUFF,
A FORMER PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER AND WRESTLER... ARE EMBARKED ON A MISSION TO EXPLORE
THE HISTORY AND TECHNIQUES OF THESE INCREDIBLE
MARTIAL ARTS. AND AT THE END OF EACH JOURNEY, ONE OF THESE TWO WARRIORS
WILL FACE THE ULTIMATE TEST: THEY'LL TRY
TO SURVIVE A REAL FIGHT WITH A TRUE<i> HUMAN WEAPON.</i> OOH. (Duff)
THIS IS THE 14th ANNUAL
ALL OKINAWA KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE BUDOKAN MARTIAL ARTS
FACILITY IN NAHA CITY, OKINAWA. (Chambers)
HE'S REALLY GOING AT IT. OH, MY GOD. HE'S MAKING MINCEMEAT
OUT OF HIS CHEST. LOOK AT HOW INTENSE
HE LOOKS TOO. THERE'S NO WRAPS.
THERE'S NO PROTECTIVE GEAR. THESE GUYS ARE BEATING THE
LIVING HELL OUT OF EACH OTHER. THERE ARE SEVERAL
DIFFERENT STYLES OF KARATE WITH HISTORIES DATING BACK
MORE THAN 500 YEARS. THAT COULD BE YOU
IN THERE PRETTY SOON. WE'RE WATCHING ONE
CALLED<i> KYOKUSHIN.</i> KYOKUSHIN IS A MODERN STYLE
FAMOUS FOR<i> KUMITE,</i> A KIND OF FULL-CONTACT SPARRING. AND DON'T LET
THE WHITE ROBES FOOL YOU. WITH NO PADS OR PROTECTIVE GEAR, THIS KIND OF FIGHTING
IS AS BRUTAL AS A BAR FIGHT. AND THE GOAL IS SIMILAR TOO:
BEAT YOUR OPPONENT TO THE MAT. (Chambers)
MOS KUMITE FIGHTS ARE BUILT
AROUND JUST A FEW KEY MOVES: LOW KICKS, STRAIGHT PUNCHES,
HIGH KICKS, KNEE STRIKES, AND FOREARM BLOCKS AND STRIKES. THESE ARE THE MAIN WEAPONS
OF A KYOKUSHIN FIGHTER. (Duff)
PUNCHES OR CHOPS TO THE HEAD
ARE NOT ALLOWED IN A KUMITE... BUT BONE-CRUNCHING KICKS ARE. OOH. OH, THAT WAS AWESOME. (Chambers)
FIVE MORE SECONDS. HE DID ABOUT FOUR KICKS
TO THE FACE. (Chambers)
AFTER THE FIGHT, WE MET UP
WITH SHICHINOHE SENSEI, A SEVENTH-DEGREE
KYOKUSHIN KARATE BLACK BELT AND FOUR-TIME HEAVYWEIGHT
NATIONAL CHAMPION. HE HAD A CHALLENGE FOR US. [speaking Japanese] SENSEI JUST SAYS, GO AND VISIT SEVERAL DOJOS
ON THE ISLAND. GAIN SOME MORE PRACTICE. YOU'RE WELCOME TO HAVE A FIGHT
WITH ONE OF HIS STUDENTS. <i> (Chambers)
A KUMITE FIGHT?</i> YEAH, A KUMITE FIGHT. SO IF WE PROVE TO HIM
THAT WE'RE GOOD ENOUGH, WE'RE GONNA GET TO HAVE
AN ACTUAL KUMITE FIGHT WITH ONE OF HIS STUDENTS. FIRST YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT
IN YOUR TRAINING. (Duff)
OUR KUMITE WILL BE
WITH MASAAKI SHIMAJIRI, A SECOND DEGREE
KYOKUSHIN BLACK BELT AND THE REIGNING CHAMPION OF THE KYOKUSHIN UNION
WORLD TOURNAMENT. HE'S KICKED BUTT
ALL OVER THESE ISLANDS, AND HE'S GOING AFTER
ONE OF US NEXT. THE KYOKUSHIN
SEEMS REALLY BRUTAL TO ME: A LOT OF PUNCHES TO THE CHEST,
A LOT OF KICKS TO THE LEGS. I JUST HAVE TO REALLY
CONDITION MY BODY AND COME UP WITH A WAY TO BLOCK
THESE LITTLE FAST GUYS AND, UH, FIGURE OUT
HOW TO WIN A FIGHT. (Chambers)
THOUGH MOST PEOPLE
THINK OF KARATE AS A JAPANESE MARTIAL ART,
IT REALLY ISN'T. IT'S OKINAWAN. AND BECAUSE OKINAWA SITS MIDWAY
BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA, KARATE OWES A DEBT TO BOTH CHINESE KUNG FU
AND JAPANESE JIUJITSU. (Duff)
IN THE 15th CENTURY,
THE ISLAND NOW KNOWN AS OKINAWA WAS CALLED THE RYUKYU KINGDOM. ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST KINGDOMS
IN ASIA, RYUKYU CARRIED ON TRADE
WITH PLACES AS FAR AWAY AS JAVA. BUT IT DID MOST OF ITS BUSINESS
WITH CHINA, TRADING TEXTILES, SILVER,
AND HERBS. (Chambers)
BUT THEY DIDN'T JUST
TRADE GOODS. THEY ALSO TRADED KNOWLEDGE
OF MARTIAL ARTS, INCLUDING SEVERAL VARIETIES
OF KUNG FU. AND IT WAS THE COMBINATION
OF CHINESE KUNG FU AND THE NATIVE MARTIAL ART
CALLED<i> TE</i> THAT LED
TO THE CREATION OF KARATE. (Duff)
BUT JAPAN DID PLAY A ROLE
IN KARATE'S HISTORY. IN 1609, THE SATSUMA CLAN
OF SAMURAI CONQUERED THE RYUKYUAN KINGDOM. UNDER THEIR
SOMETIMES OPPRESSIVE RULE, KARATE BECAME THE
COMMON PEOPLE'S ONLY DEFENSE. THOUGH OKINAWA KEPT
ITS OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, IT WAS ESSENTIALLY A COLONY
FOR ALMOST 300 YEARS. (Chambers)
THEN, IN 1872, THE JAPANESE
GOVERNMENT MADE OKINAWA OFFICIALLY A PART OF JAPAN. TO INTEGRATE THEMSELVES, THE OKINAWANS
ADOPTED THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND TRIED TO MAKE THEIR NATIVE
MARTIAL ART MORE JAPANESE. THEY EVEN CHANGED ITS NAME. BEFORE THE 19th CENTURY, KARATE WAS OFTEN CALLED<i> KODETE,</i>
MEANING "CHINESE HAND." BUT AROUND
THE TURN OF THE 19th CENTURY, ITS NAME WAS MODIFIED TO THE
MORE JAPANESE-SOUNDING KARATE, MEANING "EMPTY HAND." THEY MADE A FEW OTHER CHANGES TO MAKE KARATE
MORE JAPANESE TOO, AS WE FOUND OUT WHEN WE GOT
OUR TRAINING UNIFORMS. THE KARATE<i> GI</i> ISN'T ORIGINAL
TO KARATE. IT'S ACTUALLY DERIVED FROM
THE JAPANESE UNIFORM OF JUDO, BUT IT IS VERY FUNCTIONAL: LOOSE, TOUGH,
AND FLEXIBLE FOR FIGHTING. OKAY? OKAY. (Duff)
IN KARATE, THE BELT
DESIGNATES RANK BY COLOR, A SYSTEM ADOPTED FROM JUDO
IN THE 1920s IN ANOTHER EFFORT
TO ENCOURAGE THE JAPANESE TO ACCEPT KARATE. THE DARKENING COLORS
FROM WHITE TO BLACK ARE BELIEVED BY SOME
TO SYMBOLIZE THE DARKENING OF THE BELT
WITH AGE AND EXPERIENCE. EVEN THOUGH WE'VE TRAINED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
FIGHTING STYLES, WHEN IT COMES TO KARATE,
WE'RE STILL BEGINNERS, WHICH MEANS OUR BELTS
WOULD BE WHITE. I'M GONNA TRY MY GI ON.
MINE? YEAH, YOUR TURN. THESE TIE OVER HERE, RIGHT? IS THIS HAVING
A GOOD SNAP TO IT? [fabric whooshes] OOH, YOU HEAR THAT? [fabric whooshes] NICE. HOW DOES THE BACK LOOK?
DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT HANGS WELL? LOOKS GOOD. (Chambers)
WITH OUR NEW GIS, WE WERE READY
TO BEGIN THE TRAINING THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY LEAD US TO FIGHT A BLACK BELT
OKINAWAN CHAMPION. REALLY LOOSE. AND WE HAD COME
TO THE RIGHT PLACE. NAHA CITY IS NOT ONLY
THE CAPITAL OF OKINAWA; IT'S THE WORLD CAPITAL
OF KARATE. THERE ARE OVER 400
WORLD-RENOWNED KARATE DOJOS SPREAD ACROSS THIS TINY ISLAND, 122 OF WHICH ARE BASED
RIGHT HERE IN NAHA CITY. (Duff)
AND IT WAS FROM NAHA THAT KARATE
SPREAD ACROSS THE GLOBE. [cannons firing] IN 1945, NAHA WAS THE SITE OF
THE LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT IN THE PACIFIC THEATER
OF WORLD WAR II. ALMOST 1/2 MILLION U.S. SOLDIERS
STORMED THE BEACHES HERE, BUT MOST OF THE SOLDIERS
THEY FACED WERE JAPANESE. THE OKINAWAN CIVILIANS
WERE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. AFTER FIGHTING THAT CAUSED
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEATHS, THE MARINES
DEFEATED THE JAPANESE, AND U.S. FORCES OCCUPIED OKINAWA
UNTIL 1972. [bugle playing] AND IT WAS THOSE U.S. SOLDIERS WHO BEGAN TRAINING
IN OKINAWAN KARATE AND EVENTUALLY CARRIED IT
BACK HOME TO THE STATES. TODAY IT'S PRACTICED
BY MORE THAN 50 MILLION PEOPLE, MAKING IT THE MOST POPULAR
MARTIAL ART IN WORLD. (Chambers)
NOW MANY FOREIGNERS
COME BACK TO OKINAWA TO GET CLOSER
TO THE SOURCE OF KARATE, PLACES LIKE
SHICHINOHE SENSEI'S DOJO. I AM THE MOPED CHAMPION. YOU WIN. SAVOR YOUR VICTORIES. THEY COME FEW
AND FAR BETWEEN. [grunting] [all grunting] HELLO.
HOW ARE YOU? [speaking Japanese] COME GET CHANGED. CHANGE? YES. ACROSS AND, LIKE,
DOWNWARDS LIKE THAT? (Duff)
THE<i> GERI,</i> OR KICK,
IS A KEY KARATE STRIKE. BECAUSE THE LEGS
ARE ROUGHLY FOUR TIMES MORE MASSIVE THAN THE ARMS, THEY CAN DELIVER
A LOT MORE POWER WHEN THEY LAND. AIMED HIGH,
THEY CAN DELIVER ENOUGH FORCE TO CAUSE A CONCUSSION. AIMED LOW, THEY CAN
BRING AN OPPONENT TO HIS KNEES. (Chambers)
WHICH IS WHY WE STARTED
WITH<i> GEDAN MAWASHI GERI.</i> YOU USE YOUR SHIN BONE. YES, YES. (Chambers)
A QUICK SNAP STRIKE: IT'S A LOW KICK
AIMED AT THE OPPONENT'S THIGH. SO WHAT DOES HE MEAN
BY, "UP, DOWN?" THAT YOU START FROM UP
AND YOU GO DOWN. IT COMES OUT
MORE POWERFUL. <i> THAT'S IT, YES.</i> OH, OKAY. BECAUSE OF MY MMA TRAINING, I'VE USED SIMILAR KICKS
TO DESTROY LEGS IN THE RING. IT'S A GREAT MOVE
FOR A STAND-UP FIGHT. SO THE OUTER ONE
IS A ROUND MOVEMENT, BUT THE INNER ONE
IS A STRAIGHT MOVEMENT. <i> YOU JUST GO
JUST STRAIGHT DIRECTLY</i> TO THE INNER THIGH. (Duff)
BECAUSE THE BONE OF THE THIGH
IS THE STRONGEST IN THE BODY, YOU PROBABLY WON'T BREAK
A GUY'S LEG WITH THIS KICK. SHOULD I TRANSFER MY FOOT
HERE TO KICK? OR AM I JUST LIFTING THE LEG? (Duff)
BUT A GOOD LOW KICK
CAN HIT THE FEMORAL NERVE, CAUSING INTENSE PAIN. OKAY, OKAY. (Duff)
THE KICK'S POWER
COMES FROM THE SNAP OF THE KNEE. THE SNAP IS CREATED
WHEN THE QUADRICEPS, THE LARGEST MUSCLE IN THE BODY,
CONTRACTS AND PULLS THE TENDON CONNECTING TO THE FOOT
OVER THE KNEE. USING THE KNEE AS A PULLEY,
THE STRENGTH OF THE QUAD IS ENOUGH TO ACCELERATE
YOUR FOOT TO SPEEDS CLOSE
TO 30 MILES PER HOUR. A SOLID LOW KICK CAN DELIVER
ABOUT AS MUCH FORCE AS BEING STOMPED BY A BULL. [speaking Japanese] I THINK THE LOW KICK
IS GONNA BE WHERE I'M AT. I'LL BE ABLE
TO TAKE THEIR LEGS OUT QUICK. I CAN THROW A LOT OF POWER
BEHIND IT WITH MY WEIGHT, AND I'M SURE NO ONE HERE
IS AS STRONG AS ME, BUT THEY'RE ALL FASTER THAN ME,
WHICH SUCKS. BUT WHAT AM I GONNA DO? (Chambers)
WHILE WE WERE STILL GETTING
THE HANG OF THE LOW KICK, SHICHINOHE SENSEI TAUGHT US
ANOTHER GREAT MOVE: HIS SIGNATURE STRIKE,
THE<i> JODAN MAWASHI GERI.</i> [speaking Japanese] YOU MAKE A TURNING MOVEMENT,
KNEE UP. (Chambers)
LIKE SNAPS HIS LEG OUT? <i>(Vera)
YES, YOU SNAP YOUR LEG OUT</i> AND BRING IT BACK
THE SAME WAY. (Chambers)
IN THIS POWERFUL HIGH KICK, THE ATTACKER SWINGS HIS FOOT
IN A WIDE UPWARD ARCH TOWARDS THE SIDE
OF THE OPPONENT'S HEAD. AT THE GREATEST
POINT OF EXTENSION, THE INSTEP IS SLAMMED INTO
THE TEMPLE AT 40 MILES PER HOUR. BECAUSE THE AREA OF IMPACT
IS FOCUSED ON A SMALL PART OF THE FOOT, IT MAGNIFIES THE FORCE
OF THE BLOW, MAKING IT CAPABLE OF DROPPING 1,000 POUNDS
OF FORCE ON YOUR HEAD. IT'S LIKE GETTING WHACKED
IN THE HEAD WITH A LOUISVILLE SLUGGER. I THINK I'M GETTING
USED TO THE HIGH KICKS. JODAN MAWASHI GERI IS STARTING
TO BECOME MY KICK, SO I LIKE IT. BILL'S PRETTY GOOD
AT THE LOW KICKS, BUT THESE, I THINK, 'CAUSE
I'M A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE, A LITTLE MORE LIMBER-- AND I THINK THEY'RE A MONEY KICK
RIGHT TO THE HEAD, SO THESE ARE SOMETHING
THAT I THINK I'M GONNA BE ABLE
TO REALLY UTILIZE A LOT WHEN WE HAVE OUR KUMITE FIGHT. (Duff)
THESE KICKS ARE SO TECHNICAL, AND EVERYTHING THEY DO,
THEY CHANGE IT AROUND. A TOP-HEAVY GUY LIKE MYSELF,
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ALL THE TECHNIQUE DOWN,
ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGH KICKS. IT'S VERY STRANGE FOR ME,
FROM MY BACKGROUND, TO BE THROWING KICKS AND SNAPPING YOUR FOOT
AT SOMEONE'S HEAD. IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. (Chambers)
OUR KICKS WERE STARTING TO WORK. BUT TO MAKE A STAND
IN A REAL FIGHT, WE'LL NEED SOMETHING MORE, (Chambers)
NO PLACE ON EARTH
PLAYED A MORE PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE HISTORY OF KARATE
THAN SHURI CASTLE. IT WAS FROM THIS CASTLE
THAT IN 1477, THE RYUKYUAN KING SHO SHIN
ORDERED A SWORD HUNT, WHICH MEANT ALL WEAPONS
IN THE KINGDOM HAD TO BE ROUNDED UP
AND BROUGHT TO THE CASTLE. HIS GOAL WAS
TO PREVENT REBELLIOUS NOBLES FROM CHALLENGING HIM. INCREDIBLE. OUR TRAINING WOULD BEGIN IN
THE GARDENS NEAR SHURI CASTLE. HERE WE MET HIGA SENSEI,
AN EIGHTH DEGREE BLACK BELT. [speaking Japanese] HIS STUDENTS WERE ALREADY
PERFORMING A KIND OF TRAINING KNOWN AS A KATA. (Duff)
SO IT'S BASICALLY
LIKE A FAKE FIGHT? (Chambers)
IT TURNS OUT
THAT DOING HUNDREDS OF REPS OF A KATA BUILDS MUSCLE MEMORY. IT LITERALLY CHANGES THE WAY
YOUR NEURONS IN YOUR BRAIN GROW. EVENTUALLY, YOU CAN DO THESE
MOVES WITHOUT THINKING AT ALL. AND AS WE BOTH KNOW
FROM OTHER FIGHTS, THINKING IS THE ENEMY. IN A FIGHT,
YOU JUST HAVE TO REACT, AND KATA GETS YOU READY. (Duff)
AFTER ABSORBING
THE BASIC FLOW OF THE KATA, IT WAS TIME TO START TRAINING. CAN YOU TEACH US
SOME BLOCKS? [speaking Japanese] (Duff)
WE BEGAN BY LEARNING
THE PRIMARY BLOCK OF THIS STYLE OF KARATE,
CALLED<i> SHURI-TE.</i> (Chambers)
NAMED FOR SHURI,
THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF RYUKYU, SHURI-TE IS THOUGHT BY SOME
TO BE THE ART CLOSEST TO THE ORIGINAL
OKINAWAN MARTIAL ART OF TE, BEFORE IT WAS INFLUENCED
BY CHINESE KUNG FU. A FORM OF IT MAY EVEN
HAVE BEEN USED BY THE WARRIORS
OF THE RYUKYUAN KING SHO HASHI WHEN HE BATTLED
TO UNIFY THE KINGDOM IN 1429. THOUGH BATTLES WERE FOUGHT
WITH SWORDS, SPEARS, AND BOWS, A WEAPONLESS WARRIOR
STILL NEEDED SOME WAY TO BATTLE HIS ENEMIES. SHO HASHI'S MEN MAY HAVE USED
A PREDECESSOR TO SHURI-TE. (Duff)
SHURI-TE'S EMPHASIS
IS ON SIMPLICITY: STRAIGHT PUNCHES
AND HARD BLOCKS; EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE,
JUST WHAT WE NEEDED. SO HE'S CLUBBING DOWN
ON MY--ON MY BONE. YEAH, I CAN FEEL THAT
IN MY NERVES. (Chambers)
THIS BLOCK IS THE<i> UCHI UKE,
OR FOREARM BLOCK.</i> USING THE ELBOW
AS A FULCRUM POINT, THE DEFENDING FOREARM
IS SLASHED IN A DOWNWARDS ARC, BASICALLY ATTACKING
THE SOFT MUSCLES ON TOP OF YOUR
OPPONENT'S FOREARM WITH THE HARD BONE
OF YOUR OWN. (Duff)
THE BLOCK WORKS BY TAKING
THE OPPONENTS BLOW AT AN ANGLE, WHICH DEFLECTS
THE ENERGY OF THE BLOW AWAY FROM THE VULNERABLE TORSO. THE HARDER YOU BLOCK, THE FURTHER HIS BLOW
WILL BE DEFLECTED AND THE MORE OPEN HE'LL BE
TO A COUNTERSTRIKE. NOT--NOT A PUSH. STRIKE. IT'S A STRIKE.
THAT'S RIGHT. AH. SO HE'S KIND OF USING
HIS DEFENSIVE MOVE AS AN OFFENSIVE MOVE. IT'S NOT LIKE
HE'S TAKING HIM AND-- LET ME SNEAK IN HERE
FOR A SECOND. HE'S NOT PUSHING. IT'S STRIKING THE ARM,
RIGHT? OH, OKAY. SO IT'S MORE OF AN--
IT'S AN OFFENSIVE MOVE TOO. BELIEVE ME,
THAT'S A STRIKE IN THE ARM. MY FOREARMS ARE-- IS IT NORMAL
TO HAVE SORE FOREARMS, <i> OR ARE WE JUST
REALLY BAD?</i> [speaking Japanese] <i> (Chambers)
BIG WELTS?</i> OH, YEAH.
THAT'S MUCH BETTER. THAT--THAT HELPS--
THAT HELPS A LOT. YES, THAT'S--
THAT'S GREAT. HERE, SHOW HIM. NO, NO. [laughter] <i> (Chambers)
THANKS.</i> HOURS OF RIGOROUS TRAINING
LEFT OUR FOREARMS BATTERED BUT FEELING LIKE WE'VE
LEARNED SOMETHING WE COULD USE. (Duff)
OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T WIN A FIGHT
WITH A BLOCK. NOW WE NEEDED A COUNTERSTRIKE,
AND SENSEI HAD THE PERFECT ONE: THE<i> SEIKEN CHOKU ZUKI,</i>
OR STRAIGHT PUNCH. THIS IS THE CORNERSTONE PUNCH
OF ALL ANCIENT OKINAWAN KARATE. AH. STRONG, SHARP. (Chambers)
IT STARTS WITH THE FIST
IN A READY POSITION. FROM THERE,
THE PUNCH IS THROWN DIRECTLY TO THE MIDSECTION
OF AN OPPONENT. BUT THE KEY IS ROTATING
YOUR FIST 180 DEGREES RIGHT BEFORE IT STRIKES
THE INTENDED TARGET. THE TWISTING SNAP OF THE ARM
MAXIMIZES THE SPEED OF THE PUNCH AND MAGNIFIES THE FORCE
OF THE BLOW BY CONCENTRATING THE IMPACT ON THE FIRST TWO KNUCKLES
OF YOUR HAND. DONE CORRECTLY, IT CAN DELIVER
AS MUCH ENERGY AS A BOWLING BALL DROPPED FROM THE TOP
OF A HOUSE, MORE THAN ENOUGH
TO CAUSE SOFT TISSUE DAMAGE OR BREAK A RIB. (Chambers)
IS HE ROTATING STARTING FROM THE HIP TO ROTATE,
OR IS HE COMING OUT STRAIGHT AND THEN ROTATING
THE LAST COUPLE OF INCHES? WHIP. OH, SO IT'S NOT--
IT'S MORE OF A WHIP. NO. [speaking Japanese] MM-HMM, RIGHT. TWIST IT. OH, SO IT'S MORE LIKE
THE END OF THE PUNCH IS WHAT WHIPS
MORE LIKE A WHIP. HE SAID, IF YOU'RE GOING HERE,
YOU'RE MORE PUSHING IT. HERE'S IT'S WHIPPING. GOTCHA. OKAY. (Duff)
PRACTICE TIME. NO PUNCHING BAGS FOR US. TO BUILD OUR SKILLS,
THE TRAINING TOOL OF CHOICE WAS THIS, A<i> MAKIWARA</i> BOARD. (Chambers)
A SIMPLE WOODEN STRIKE BOARD WRAPPED WITH RICE STRAW
AND ROPE, THE MAKIWARA
HAS OFFERED KARATEKAS A WAY TO PRACTICE THEIR ART
FOR HALF A MILLENNIA. GIVE IT A HIT. THERE YOU GO. (Chambers)
THE POWER WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE
BY SIMPLY ROLLING OUR FIST, IT'S REALLY
A GOOD COUNTERSTRIKE, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
REALLY PRACTICAL. AND IT COMPLEMENTS
THE KYOKUSHIN KICKS THAT WE LEARNED EARLIER. THAT REALLY BEATS THE HECK
OUT OF YOUR KNUCKLES, HITTING THAT BOARD. BUT OUR CONDITIONING
IS JUST BEGINNING. (Duff)
FULL-CONTACT KARATE
IS ALL ABOUT PUNISHMENT. WE'VE BEEN LEARNING
HOW TO DISH IT OUT. NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET SMACKED,
BEATEN, AND PUSHED TO OUR LIMITS TO LEARN HOW TO TAKE IT. (Chambers)
WE HEAD NORTH TO ZAKIMI GUSUKU, A 600-YEAR-OLD
MOUNTAINTOP FORTRESS IN THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND. BUILT BY RIVALS
TO THE RYUKYUAN KINGS IN SHURI, CASTLES LIKE THESE WERE THE SITES OF BATTLES
OF TE-TRAINED OKINAWAN WARRIORS. ARE YOU SEEING
WHAT I'M SEEING, BILL? (Duff)
I SEE IT. WHAT WE WERE SEEING
WAS SHINJO SENSEI IN ACTION. A NINE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION
AND UECHI RYU MASTER, SHINJO SENSEI IS KNOWN
AS "OKINAWA'S SUPERMAN." (Chambers)
IT WAS EASY TO SEE WHY. SHINJO SENSEI
WAS PUTTING HIS STUDENTS THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED
IRON BODY TRAINING. (Duff)
HE'S REALLY POUNDING HIM. (Chambers)
YEAH. TO TOUGHEN THEIR BODIES,
HE REPEATEDLY STRIKES THEM: OPEN HANDED BLOWS TO THE BACK,
SHOULDERS, THIGHS, AND FOREARMS, AND EVEN FULL FORCE,
CLOSED-FIST PUNCHES TO THE GUT. BUT THAT WAS JUST A WARM-UP. (Duff)
THAT'S A<i> HUMAN WEAPON</i>
RIGHT THERE. FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T THINK
THIS IS REAL, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. SOLID WOOD. THIS IS THE ONE THAT WAS BROKEN
ACROSS THE ABDOMEN MUSCLES OF A MAN WHO'S HALF MY SIZE. YEAH, THESE ARE--
THESE ARE THICK BOARDS TOO. THESE AREN'T FAKE WOOD
OR LIGHT WOOD. YOU CAN TELL WHERE THE SCREWS
HAVE BEEN IN THESE THINGS, AND THESE THINGS
WERE SUPPORTING SOMETHING. THAT'S INTENSE. NOW IT WAS OUR TURN
TO TAKE A BEATING. EVER SINCE UNARMED KARATEKAS
FACED ARMED SAMURAI WARRIORS, PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS HAS BEEN
CONSIDERED A KEY TO VICTORY. SENSEI BELIEVED,
IN ORDER TO SURVIVE OUR FIGHT, WE'D NEED TO LEARN
HOW TO TAKE A PUNCH-- OR A LOT OF THEM. (Duff)
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
TO STAND THERE AND LET A MAN HIT YOU
AND NOT HIT BACK. BELIEVE ME,
THERE'S NOTHING PULLED. EVERY PUNCH COMES HARD,
AND IT COMES QUICK. YOU'RE JUST GONNA
TAKE A BEATING. I GUESS IT'S OUR TURN
ON THE JARS. OH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD
TO THIS. (Duff)
STRONG HANDS HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN VITAL IN KARATE, SO TO STRENGTHEN OUR FINGERS,
SENSEI HAD US TRAIN THE WAY PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND
HAVE FOR CENTURIES: LIFTING AND HOLDING
50-POUND STONE URNS ONCE USED TO CARRY RICE WINE. [speaking Japanese] (Duff)
WE WONDERED WHY HE FOCUSED
SO MUCH ON FINGERTIP STRENGTH UNTIL HE SHOWED US. HE JUST BROKE THREE BOARDS
WITH HIS THUMB. (Chambers)
THE POWER OF THE STRIKE
WAS INCREDIBLE. TWO BOARDS SHATTERED WITH
JUST THE TIP OF HIS FINGERS. BECAUSE THE STRIKING SURFACE
OF THE TIPS OF THE FINGERS IS SO SMALL, IT GREATLY MAGNIFIES
THE PRESSURE OF THE BLOW. AT THE VERY POINT OF IMPACT,
THE AMOUNT OF FORCE COULD BE UP TO 12 TIMES
THE FORCE OF A FULL-ON PUNCH. (Duff)
IF YOU WERE TO HIT SOMEBODY
WITH THAT IN THE THROAT OR BETWEEN THE RIBS
AT A PRESSURE POINT, YOU COULD ABSOLUTELY KILL HIM. IT'S A DEATH-TOUCH MOVE. (Chambers)
BUT THIS WASN'T
JUST A DEMONSTRATION. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LESSON
DESIGNED TO SHOW US THE IMPORTANCE
OF STRENGTHENING THE HAND. ALL OF HIS STUDENTS
ARE LAUGHING AT US, LIKE, "GEEZ, THIS IS A PRANK
HE ALWAYS DOES." I THINK I NEED
TO CONCENTRATE HERE, BUDDY. OH, CRAP! LET ME SEE THAT BOARD. THAT'S MUCH BETTER. OH, YES.
THAT HURT MY FINGERS. THIS WAY. YES. <i> (Duff)
JUST THINK, IF YOU DO IT,
I COULDN'T.</i> YEAH, IF MY FINGER POINTS
THIS WAY AND THAT WAY, YOU'RE FIGHTING
IN ALL THE SHOWS. YA! AH! THAT REALLY HURT
TOO, THOUGH. HOW'S YOUR
FINGERS FEEL? OH, IT FEELS GREAT. IF YOU WATCH THAT
IN SLOW-MO, MY FINGER WENT... (Duff)
AND OUR PUNISHMENT WASN'T OVER. TIME TO TOUGHEN UP
OUR WRISTS AND FOREARMS FOR THE KIND OF BLOWS
WE'LL BE TAKING IN THE FIGHT. MY FOREARMS
ARE TOTALLY BLASTED NOW. YEAH, IT REALLY
MESSES YOU UP: THE BONES,
THE TENDONS. YOU CAN FEEL
IT ALL CRUNCHING. (Chambers)
YOU CAN REALLY SEE
HOW TOUGH THEY ARE FROM DOING THIS, LIKE,
REPEATEDLY BACK AND FORTH. AH, I KEEP STEPPING IN. YEARS OF TRAINING ARE REQUIRED
TO FORGE A TRUE IRON BODY, ON THE NECK? BUT OUR TIME WITH SENSEI
PREPARED US FOR THE NEXT TECHNIQUE... I CAN FEEL IT. ONE THAT COULD BE A BIG HELP
IN OUR UPCOMING MATCH. IT'S CALLED THE<i> KOTE UCHI,</i>
OR "WRIST BASH." THAT'S VERY DEADLY,
RIGHT THERE. IT WORKS BY FIRST GRABBING
AN OPPONENT'S WRIST OR FOREARM WITH YOUR DEFENDING HAND. THE ATTACKING ARM
IS THEN SWUNG IN A WIDE ARC TOWARD THE INTENDED TARGET. FINALLY, THE HARD BONE
OF THE RADIUS IS SLAMMED INTO THE OPPONENT'S CHEST,
NECK OR SHOULDER. BECAUSE IT SWINGS
THROUGH SUCH A WIDE ARC, THE WRIST IS MOVING AT SPEEDS
AT UP TO 43 MILES PER HOUR. AND SINCE THE RADIUS
DOESN'T DEFLECT OR COMPRESS NEARLY AS MUCH AS A FIST, IT CAN DELIVER
A STAGGERING BLOW, LIKE BEING HIT WITH AN AX HANDLE OR A BASEBALL BAT. (Chambers)
TO DEMONSTRATE THE POWER
OF THE KOTE UCHI, SHINJO SENSEI
DID SOMETHING INCREDIBLE. I'M GONNA GO
OVER THERE. DON'T DO THAT
TO ME, PLEASE. LOOK AT THAT.
THAT'S CRAZY. (Duff)
YOU SHOULD HAVE FELT THE POWER
ON HIS HIT JUST HOLDING IT. I MEAN, I'VE HELD
ONTO 350-POUND MEN IN FOOTBALL, AND I COULD BARELY
HOLD THE BAT WHEN HIS WRIST
CAME THROUGH THERE. IT CAME THROUGH
WITH SUCH POWER AND FORCE, IT JUST SHATTERED THIS THING
LIKE A TOOTHPICK. UNBELIEVABLE. (Chambers)
IN A FIGHT, THIS MOVE COULD
EASILY GENERATE ENOUGH FORCE TO CRUSH THE SOFT TISSUE
OF AN OPPONENT'S THROAT OR EVEN FRACTURE VERTEBRAE. (Duff)
THE WRIST BASH
WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR KARATE ARSENAL, AN EXCELLENT COMPLEMENT
TO OUR LOW KICKS, HIGH KICKS, BLOCKS, AND PUNCHES. (Chambers)
BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO LEARN
BEFORE THE FINAL FIGHT AGAINST THE BLACK BELT... [bell dings] (Duff)
WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
TO PREPARE. SOON ONE OF US
WAS GOING TO HAVE TO FACE OFF AGAINST A KARATE CHAMPION
IN A REAL KUMITE. NOW WE'RE HEADED BACK
TO NAHA CITY TO IMMERSE OURSELVES
IN THE SPORT'S WARRIOR ORIGINS. (Chambers)
THE MAN WHO WILL TRAIN US IS A NINTH DEGREE GOJU RYU
BLACK BELT, HIGAONNA SENSEI. HE WOULD TAKE US
BEYOND THE SPORT OF KARATE AND REVEAL
ITS DEADLIEST TECHNIQUES. SENSEI, MAY WE
JOIN YOUR DOJO? [speaking Japanese] <i> (woman)
He said, "Come in."</i> (Chambers)
THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLE HONOR
AND OUR LAST CHANCE TO PUT EVERYTHING
WE HAD LEARNED TOGETHER INTO OUR FINAL FIGHT PLAN. (Duff)
SENSEI BEGAN OUR TRAINING
BY WORKING ON OUR INSIDE, A BREATHING EXERCISE
CALLED<i> MOKSO.</i> THE GOAL IS TO FOCUS THE MIND
BEFORE TRAINING. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE BALANCE
OF THE HARD EXTERNAL AND THE SOFT INTERNAL
IS ESSENTIAL TO THE PRACTICE OF KARATE. <i> [speaking Japanese]</i> <i> (woman)
BREATHING IS FOR YOUR INSIDE
BODY CONDITIONING,</i> <i>AND THEN YOUR BODY HAS BALANCE.</i> [speaking Japanese] <i> (woman)
IF YOU HAVE
TOO MUCH POWER OUTSIDE</i> <i> AND YOU FORGET ABOUT
THE INSIDE, YOU'RE STILL WEAK.</i> [both exhale sharply] (Chambers)
BUT IT WASN'T JUST
BREATHING EXERCISES. <i> (woman)
SO THIS IS THE TRAINING
WITH THE ROCK.</i> (Chambers)
WHEN IT CAME
TO PHYSICAL TRAINING, SENSEI LIKED
TO KICK IT OLD SCHOOL, AND WE MEAN<i> OLD</i> SCHOOL. (Duff)
THEY ARE BRINGING A BOULDER OUT INTO THE MIDDLE
OF THE FLOOR. (Chambers)
WHEN AMERICA WAS STILL
JUST A BRITISH COLONY, KARATE FIGHTERS WERE HERE, TOUGHENING THEIR HANDS
ON ROCKS JUST LIKE THESE. IN EVERY VILLAGE, THERE
WAS A ROCK FOR TRAINING WITH. <i>AND THEN
BACK OF THE HAND.</i> (Chambers)
FROM THE LOOK OF IT,
IT MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN THIS ROCK. [athletic shouting] HIS HANDS ARE ABOUT
AS HARD AS THE ROCK. IT'S STRONG. [speaking Japanese] VERY IMPRESSIVE. WELL, HE SAYS
HE PRACTICES EVERY DAY. I CAN SEE THAT. (Duff)
YOU KNOW, FOR A GUY WHO'S ALMOST 70 YEARS OLD
TO BE THAT STRONG, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. THE WAY HE TRAINS HIS HANDS,
POUNDING STONE, THE WAY HE TRAINS
IN A NO-FLOW GYM, THIS GUY IS LIKE
THE ROCKY OF OKINAWA. [speaking Japanese] THIS IS A TRADITION. (Chambers)
WE EXERCISED OUR SHOULDERS
AND BACK MUSCLES WITH A 15-POUND WEIGHTED LEVER
DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE CRITICAL MUSCLES
AROUND OUR JOINTS. NEXT, WE TOSSED AROUND
STONE WEIGHTS TO DEVELOP OUR GRIP
AND COORDINATION. (Duff)
TO STRENGTHEN THEIR FINGERS, KARETEKAS WORKED OUT
WITH BAMBOO STALKS. OUR GOAL WAS TO STAB OUR HANDS ALL THE WAY THROUGH
A BUNDLE OF BAMBOO REEDS. IT REALLY HURTS
THE FINGERS. BILL, GIVE IT A SHOT. (Duff)
IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. BASICALLY, IT'S LIKE RUNNING
FULL SPEED THROUGH A FOREST. YOU'RE BOUND TO HIT SOMETHING,
AND WHEN YOU DO, IT HURTS. AH! YOU GOT TO KEEP YOUR HANDS
REALLY TIGHT. BUT LIKE THE IRON BODY TRAINING, EVERY PART
OF HIGAONNA SENSEI'S TRAINING WAS DESIGNED
TO MAKE US TOUGHER, HARDER-- READY TO FACE OUR OPPONENT. <i> OH, VERY GOOD.</i> THE EXERCISE PUSHED US
TO OUR PHYSICAL LIMITS, WHICH IS JUST WHAT SENSEI
SAID IT SHOULD DO. [speaking Japanese] <i> (woman)
SO LOOK, LISTEN, SWEAT.</i> (Chambers)
AS WE WALKED TO A NEARBY TEMPLE, SENSEI EXPLAINED THE HISTORY
OF THIS KIND OF TRAINING. IN 1609, AN ARMY OF JAPANESE
SAMURAI FROM THE SATSUMA CLAN INVADED THE RYUKYUAN KINGDOM. DESPITE A FEW FIERCE BATTLES AGAINST THE KARATE-TRAINED
OKINAWANS, THE SAMURAI WERE VICTORIOUS. AFTER THEIR VICTORY,
THEY MADE IT ILLEGAL FOR OKINAWANS TO OWN WEAPONS. THEN THEY WENT ONE STEP FURTHER
AND OUTLAWED KARATE. SO KARATE WENT UNDERGROUND,
AND STUDENTS BEGAN TO PRACTICE THEIR MARTIAL ART IN SECRET
AT TEMPLES LIKE THESE. AND IT WAS IN A VILLAGE
NEAR HERE THAT ONE OF KARATE'S
LEGENDARY FIGURES FIRST MADE HIS STAND. IN A SMALL VILLAGE NEAR SHURI, A SAMURAI TRIED
TO ABDUCT A YOUNG GIRL. A LOCAL WARRIOR
NAMED KOSAKU MATSUMORA SAW THE TROUBLE
AND CAME TO HER RESCUE. UNARMED BUT USING
THE TECHNIQUES OF KARATE, MATSUMORA STRIPPED THE SAMURAI
OF HIS WEAPON, LEAVING HIM IN DISGRACE. FOR HIS SKILL AND BRAVERY, MATSUMORA BECAME
THE PATRON SAINT OF KARATE. (Duff)
THE SENSEI'S TECHNIQUES
WERE CLOSELY RELATED TO THOSE OF THE RYUKYUANS. BACK THEN, THEY HAD TO KILL, AND THAT'S WHAT HE WAS GOING
TO TEACH US. THIS WASN'T KARATE AS A SPORT. THIS WAS KARATE AS WARFARE
AND SELF-DEFENSE. THE MOVES WERE DIRTY, BRUTAL,
AND VIOLENT, DESIGNED TO KILL OR MAIM. THAT'S NOT NICE. SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS,
I'M BLOCKING THE KICK AND BRINGING UP A KNEE. AT THE SAME TIME, HE DOESN'T WANT ME
TO PUT IT BACK DOWN. HE WANTS ME TO COME BACK
AND TRIP BEHIND THE KNEE. RIGHT HERE. BAM. AND PLACE MY KNEES INSIDE OF HIS
AND PUNCH HIM IN THE CROTCH. (Chambers)
THIS HAS REALLY BEEN ABLE TO PUT
THE ROOF ON OUR KARATE HOUSE AND GIVE US A FULL INTERIOR
AND EXTERIOR. 'CAUSE WE HAVE OUR BREATHING
IN OUR INTERIOR-- IN OUR, YOU KNOW,
THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE. THEN WE HAVE ALL
OF THE EXTERIOR FEATURES TOO: THE HARD STRIKES,
THE CONDITIONING OF THE BODY. GIVES US THE FULL PACKAGE
GOING INTO A KUMITE FIGHT. OUR DAY OF TRAINING COMPLETE, WE FINISHED
WITH MORE MEDITATION. WE HOPED TO CLEAR OUR MINDS
AND HEAL OUR BODIES SO WE'D BE READY TO EXPERIENCE
THE PAIN ALL OVER AGAIN. (Duff)
THE MASTER'S CONDITIONING
WAS THE TOUGHEST WE'D EVER EXPERIENCED,
BUT IT WAS WORKING. OKAY? AT THE END OF IT,
SENSEI HONORED US BY DEMONSTRATING ONE OF KARATE'S
DEADLIEST SECRETS. INSIDE A PRIVATE TEMPLE,
HE SHOWED US<i> KYOUSHO,</i> THE ANCIENT ART
OF VITAL POINT STRIKING. [speaking Japanese] <i> (woman)
FROM HERE, AN EXPLANATION
ABOUT THE VITAL POINTS.</i> [speaking Japanese] THEY'RE A VERY
IMPORTANT PART <i> OF MARTIAL TECHNIQUES,
VERY DANGEROUS.</i> (Chambers)
DEVELOPED FROM A SACRED
380-YEAR-OLD KARATE SCROLL CALLED THE<i> BUBISHI,</i> KYOUSHO
WAS KEPT A SECRET FOR CENTURIES AND ONLY TAUGHT TO STUDENTS
A MASTER DEEMED THE MOST WORTHY. ACCORDING TO SENSEI,
KYUSHO IS BASED ON EXPLOITING THE SAME MERIDIANS
USED IN ACUPUNCTURE, ATTACKING SPECIFIC
NERVE CLUSTERS ON THE BODY TO BRING INTENSE PAIN... OR EVEN DEATH. SENSEI SHOWED US
HOW TO STOP A HEART WITH A PRECISELY AIMED
PALM STRIKE. <i> (woman)
WHEN YOU HIT,
PUT POWER IN YOUR THUMB.</i> <i> SO IN TRAINING,
YOU WOULD NEVER HIT THE HEART</i> <i> BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS.</i> IT SHOCKS THE HEART. (Chambers)
THOUGH KYOUSHO IS BASED
ON THE EASTERN IDEA OF ENERGY FIELDS IN THE BODY,
THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT A SINGLE STRIKE
TO THE HEART COULD BE DEADLY. IN 2005, AN 18-YEAR-OLD
HOCKEY PLAYER DIED AFTER BEING STRUCK IN THE CHEST
WITH A PUCK, ABOUT THE SAME FORCE AS ONE
OF THE MASTER'S PALM STRIKES. <i> (Higaonna)
SAME HAND, SAME HAND.</i> SAME HAND. <i> YES, SAME HAND.</i> (Duff)
IF YOU ACTUALLY HIT SOMEBODY WITH THIS MOVE REPEATEDLY,
THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THEY'RE NEVER GOING
TO GET UP AGAIN, SO TAKING IT INTO A KUMITE
ISN'T A GREAT IDEA, BUT LEARNING IT,
I FEEL KIND OF HONORED. WE HAD COME
TO THE HEART OF KARATE, NOT AS A SPORT
BUT AS A TRUE MARTIAL ART. SENSEI HAD REVEALED THAT KARATE
WAS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE WARRIOR SPIRIT
OF THE OKINAWAN PEOPLE. IT WAS TIME FOR ONE OF US TO PUT
THAT SPIRIT TO THE FINAL TEST. [speaking Japanese] (Duff)
BUT BEFORE WE LEFT,
HIGAONNA SENSEI HONORED US WITH SOME FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM. [speaking Japanese] <i> (woman)
IF YOU WIN, IF YOU LOSE,
IT'S ALL PART OF YOUR TRAINING.</i> <i>IT'S ALL LEARNING EXPERIENCE.</i> [speaking Japanese] <i> (woman)
BE CAREFUL AND DO YOUR BEST.</i> (both)
THANK YOU, SENSEI. (Chambers)
IT WAS SOLID ADVICE. (Chambers)
BILL AND I HAVE BEEN KICKED,
PUNCHED, AND THROWN AROUND BY SOME OF OKINAWA'S
GREATEST KARATE MASTERS. NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED INTO THE RING
FOR THE ULTIMATE TEST. WE GRABBED OUR GEAR,
AND HEADED BACK TO THE BUDOKAN IN DOWNTOWN NAHA
TO FACE OUR KUMITE. AS WE ENTERED,
OUR OPPONENT, MASAAKI SHIMAJIRI,
WAS SPARRING WITH A PARTNER. THE SENSEI WAS WAITING
TO SEE WHICH ONE OF US WAS GOING TO STEP UP
TO THE PLATE. I TELL YOU, I FEEL LIKE,
THROUGH ALL MY TRAINING, I REALLY PICKED
THIS STUFF UP QUICK. I FELT LIKE THE SENSEIS
WERE RIGHT THERE WITH ME, AND THEY THOUGHT
I PICKED IT UP. WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU'RE FEELING IT, HUH? I'M FEELING IT.
I'M FEELING IT. I FEEL LIKE I GOT EVERYTHING
I NEEDED THROUGH THE TRAINING. I FEEL LIKE I'M STRONG. I FEEL LIKE I'M READY. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND-- HEY, IF YOU'RE FEELING IT,
I'M ALL DOWN, MAN. DO IT.
MAKE US PROUD. (Duff)
IT'S NICE TO SEE
THE SENSEIS HERE. I COULD SEE IN THEIR EYES
THAT THEY WERE PROUD THAT WE WOULD STEP THIS FAR INTO
THEIR CULTURE AND THEIR HISTORY AND GO AHEAD
AND TAKE A CHALLENGE LIKE THIS, TAKE A CHALLENGE AGAINST
ONE OF THEIR BLACK BELTS. I WAS READY. THIS IS WHAT
WE'D BEEN TRAINING FOR. THE OFFICIAL
EXPLAINED THE RULES. THE FIGHT WOULD BE FULL CONTACT. IT WOULD GO
FOR ONE THREE-MINUTE ROUND FOLLOWED BY A ONE-MINUTE
OVERTIME. THERE WOULD BE NO PUNCHES
TO THE HEAD. IF ONE OF US WERE KNOCKED OUT,
THE FIGHT WOULD STOP. IF WE WERE BOTH STANDING
AT THE END, IT WOULD BE A DRAW. I WANTED TO WIN, BUT MY GOAL
WAS JUST TO STAY ON MY FEET. [speaking Japanese] LET'S GO, BILL.
ELBOWS IN. [shouts in Japanese] (Duff)
THIS THING WAS ON. HE HIT ME HARD WITH A FULL-FORCE
STRAIGHT PUNCH TO THE CHEST, NO GLOVES TO PAD
HIS KNUCKLES. I COULD FEEL
MY RIBS COMPRESS. <i>(Chambers)
KEEP PRESSURE FORWARD, BILL.</i> <i>PUNCH. HANDS UP.
PUNCH.</i> <i>PUNCH, PUNCH, KICK.</i> BILL WAS TAKING
INCREDIBLE PUNISHMENT. SHIMAJIRI WEIGHS
ALMOST 230 POUNDS. EACH OF HIS PUNCHES WERE LANDING
WITH THE FORCE OF A BOWLING BALL BEING DROPPED
FROM A TABLETOP. THIS WAS BRUTAL. [shouting in Japanese] <i>(Chambers)
THERE YOU GO, BILL.
THERE YOU GO.</i> (Duff)
MAN, THIS GUY COULD
TAKE A PUNCH. <i>(Chambers)
THERE YOU GO.</i> (Duff)
FINALLY, HE GOT OFF BALANCE,
AND I SENT HIM TO THE MAT. HE BOUNCED BACK UP
AND CAME RIGHT BACK AT ME. LET'S GO! [shouting in Japanese] (Duff)
HIS LOW KICKS
WERE PUNISHING MY LEGS, LANDING RIGHT
ON THE FEMORAL NERVE. I WAS GETTING TIRED
AND A LITTLE SLOPPY. I NAILED HIM IN THE JAW
AND GOT TALKING-TO BY THE REF. MAN, I HAD JUST TICKED OFF
A BLACK BELT, AND HE PLANNED
TO MAKE ME PAY. <i>(Chambers)
FOLLOW IT UP
WITH KICKS, BILL.</i> <i>YOU'VE GOT GOOD KICKS.</i> (Duff)
SHIMAJIRI CAME BACK AND STARTED
WORKING ON MY LEFT LEG, LAYING LIGHTNING-QUICK LOW KICKS
TO MY INNER AND OUTER THIGH. I WAS STARTING
TO LOSE MY FOOTING, BUT THE CLOCK SAVED ME. [clapping] [speaking Japanese] (Duff)
BUT THEN THE REF SIGNALLED
FOR A ONE-MINUTE OVERTIME. ONE MINUTE.
LAST ONE, OKAY? (Duff)
THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY A THREE-MINUTE FULL-CONTACT
FIGHT TAKES IS INCREDIBLE. IMAGINE A SINGLE PLAY
IN FOOTBALL THAT WENT THREE MINUTES. I DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT LEFT,
BUT I LEANED IN AND TRIED TO LAND AS MANY
SHURI-TE PUNCHES... <i>(Chambers)
YES, AGAIN.
PUSH AWAY. KICK.</i> (Duff)
AND U-STRIKES AS I COULD
BEFORE I DROPPED. <i>(Chambers)
COME ON, MIX IT UP.</i> <i>KNEE, RIGHT NOW.
KNEE, KNEE. YES.</i> (Duff)
THIS WASN'T ABOUT STYLE ANYMORE.
IT WAS ABOUT SURVIVAL. <i>(Chambers)
YES, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE.
GO BACK IN AGAIN.</i> <i>PUNCH, PUNCH, KICK.</i> <i>MIX UP YOUR RANGES
AND YOUR LEVELS, BILL.</i> (Duff)
NO WAY I WAS GOING TO STOP NOW. <i>(Chambers)
FINISH IT UP, BILL.
FINISH STRONG. FINISH STRONG.</i> <i>RIGHT NOW.
LET'S GO.</i> <i>COME ON.
GET BACK IN THERE.</i> <i>FINISH, FINISH.
KNEE, KICK.</i> <i>LET'S GO.
WE'RE ALMOST THERE, BILL.</i> (Duff)
SHIMAJIRI CAME BACK
WITH A VENGEANCE. I DIDN'T THINK
I COULD TAKE ANY MORE. GO, FIVE SECONDS.
JUST GET IN THERE, BILL. <i> COME ON.
LET'S GO.</i> <i> LET'S GO.</i> (Duff)
BUT I MADE IT TO THE END. BATTERED AND BRUISED
BUT STILL ON MY FEET, I HAD JUST FOUGHT A BLACK BELT
TO A DRAW. [applause] OH, MAN.
HE HITS HARD. MAN, AM I TIRED. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A HIGH KICKER.
HE KNEW IT. BUT I LAID SOME LOW KICKS IN,
SOME NICE PUNCHES. HE'S GONNA BE HURTING TONIGHT. A LITTLE BIT OF BLOOD
NEVER HURT NOBODY. COME ON, PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT. Captioning by<font color="#00FF00"> CaptionMax
www.captionmax.com</font>
What a fantastic show. Still got my DVDs.
This was a fun time for sure. Iād love to be able to rewatch more.
Their episode on Muay Thai was my first introduction to real Muay Thai back when it first aired. It wasn't overly flashy like a Panna Rittikrai production but it sure was more of a force to be reckoned with compared to how weak 70s/80s HK movies made it appear.
It's been so long but I thought some episodes featured martial arts movie info but this one does not.