Team Quest. Miletich Fighting Systems. Brazilian Top Team. American Top Team. Those are the fight teams that always send a great fighter to the big shows. And most of them have or had titleholders. Here in Japan, there’s a team that does the same thing: “GRABAKA.”

GRABAKA has a lot of talented fighters, such as Abu Dhabi 2001 champion Sanae Kikuta, Yuki Sasaki, Kazuo Misaki, Akihiro Gono and Kei Yamamiya. I don’t have any hesitation to say GRABAKA is one of the best teams in Japan, as they occupied so many main events of Pancrase shows.

Now, what is the meaning of GRABAKA? That’s a short version of “GRAPPLING-BAKA.” You English speakers already know what “grappling” means. How about “baka?” Basically “baka” means “stupid” in Japanese. But in this case, we use it as “maniac.” So GRABAKA basically means: “grappling maniac.”

But what does GRABAKA really mean?

On March 12 there is a long awaited cage fight show to be held in Tokyo. It’s called “D.O.G.,” as Stephen Martinez reported long time ago. And GRABAKA is sending one fighter, Takeshi Yamazaki, to this show. So I interviewed Yamazaki, asked him about D.O.G., what GRABAKA really is, and about his fight.

Masa Fukui: Thank you for sharing the time with us today.

Takeshi Yamazaki: It’s my pleasure.

Fukui: So first thing first, and I always do this, nobody knows who the heck Takeshi Yamazaki is now. Please introduce yourself. Like start from you name, height, weight, your fighter record, your address, phone number, your favorite Porn Actress, etc, etc.

Yamazaki: Oh, really all of that?

Fukui: Yes.

Yamazaki: OK, my name is Takeshi Yamazaki. My height is 174 cm. I weigh about 73-74kg. I’m from Kamagaya city, Chiba. My favorite technique is armbar. I love this technique since I started training. Well, that’s my favorite, but I also like to go leg submissions as well. My fight record is 4-4-1 in SHOOTO, 2-0 in DEEP. And I’ve been in two pro jiu-jitsu show. And 0-2. Yes, two losses. (Laughs)

Fukui: Two losses, and no win?

Yamazaki: Yes. But, I try to entertain my fans in arena. W, is not important for me. (Giggles) What I do on the mat is more important than just get a win. (Laughs)

Fukui: It sounds nothing but just an excuse, bro.

Yamazaki: Ha ha. Whatever. I also competed in Caol Uno’s show called Contenders.

Fukui: OK, another typical question for the fighter: What made you start learning martial arts?

Yamazaki: I like sports all the time, since I was a little kid. I played baseball. I played soccer. I play some other sports, too. Then in junior high, I was really interested in Judo. But somehow I ended up sign up for the Kendo Club at school.

Fukui: Kendo? Not Judo, but Kendo?

Yamazaki: Yes, I belonged to Kendo, because Kendo Club was more serious. Judo Club people were just playing around.

Fukui: OK.

Yamazaki: Then, finally I got in Judo club when I entered high school. In that club, I found that grappling is so much fun. Yeah, when I was a junior high school student, there was a show called “RINGS” and it was kinda like MMA. Then I was very interested in that show. Therefore, when I finally was able to train Judo in high school, I was very happy. And my whole life is changed.