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Bear Pit Japan in America
By Zach Arnold | March 9, 2006
[photopress:sano_and_josh_small.jpg,full,centered]
Wednesday night was a very interesting night. Mr. Tetsuya Sano, who is an amateur Shoot Boxer (with a very good record), made the trip from Japan to Seattle to train at AMC Pankration. Mr. Sano is a representative of the Bear Pit Japan team, and I made sure that he took the opportunity to train in Seattle while he was there. If you recognize Sano’s name, it is because he is a writer for Fight Opinion and I encouraged him for a long time to come to America.
Sano has a three-part series (in Japanese) about his meeting with Josh Barnett and his experiences at AMC Pankration. Use the following links to read his reports:
First Part | Second Part | Third Part
A brief summary of the first part involves Sano’s unfortunate financial experience (try $55 USD) with a Seattle taxi driver to arrive at AMC. Mr. Sano watched Matt Hume give instruction to students during a sparring session (for ground techniques). Afterwards, Sano had the chance to shadow box and watch Josh Barnett go over sleeper techniques. After the submission wrestling class, some of the students decided to take the “Josh Challenge.” Somehow, I don’t think our friend was able to pass. Josh showed some technical moves and ankle holds.
Mr. Sano presented gifts to Josh on behalf of the members of the Bear Pit Japan team, and Josh was nice enough to take Sano back to his hotel (rather than deal with taxi drivers).
In the three-part interview series, Sano asks Josh a lot of questions about the MMA & pro-wrestling scene in Japan. I may translate some of the questions, but it would take me a long time to do so. Use a translator (Excite Japan or Yahoo Japan) if you want to read some parts of the interview series.
In the future, I expect to hear good (and big) things from Mr. Sano and the Bear Pit Japan team in the fight game. Pay close attention!
Topics: All Topics, Tetsuya Sano, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Ganbate Sanosan!
On a side note…its nice to see Barnett finally getting into shape (losingthat “baby fat”).
Sano San, Ganbatte Kudasai!
＞dgluv-san&Green Hornet-san
Zach-san is little crazy”laugh”
I come to Seattle to trip,not to train”laugh”
(because of right knee broken by heelhold)
I enjoy Seattle trip thank you ww
[…] Tetsuya Sano, special training partner/visitor of Mr. Josh Barnett last week, has returned home to Japan after a successful trip in Seattle. Welcome back home, Sano-san. […]