(NOAH) "As someone who has a dream of Martial Arts, there is a possibility to achieve everything" ~ Naomichi Marufuji.
ABEMA TIMES
"The Golden Eggs that live a life of ups and downs = DREAMERS". Challenging for survival in the fighting audition program, "Fighting DREAMERS" started by ABEMA and LDH to grab a contract with LDH martial arts and change their lives. The theme of the program is "I have a dream that I want to grab with my fist".
However, survival is tough, and after overcoming the many trials that come before you, does that dream I envisioned really exist? Now that more and more young people are coming into the world of Martial Arts to make their dreams come true, we conducted a relay-style interview of "Do you have a dream in martial arts?" to set the theme straight. The twelfth interview is with Naomichi Marufuji, a popular wrestler from Pro Wrestling Noah, who also serves as the Vice President of CyberFight Co.Ltd.
What is the view of martial arts from "pro wrestling", and what is in his heart?
Q: Today we will talk about the theme of "Do you have a dream in martial arts?" to Marufuji, who is currently active at the top of Pro Wrestling Noah, who also had a dream of martial arts?
MARUFUJI: That's right. Originally, I had a passionate desire to become a pro wrestler as soon as I graduated from junior high school, but my parents told me to attend High School. I went to Saitama Sakae High School, which has a wrestling club. When I was immersed in wrestling practice it was a little different from the current MMA, but it was also a time when the martial arts boom was happening. I also watched RINGS a lot on WOWOW, and really enjoyed the matches such as Dick Vrij Hans Nijman and Volk Han. While wrestling, it made my blood tingle. Once I went to the Omiya Skating Centre to see a professional Shooto* game. I also joined a member and started attending the Super Tiger Gym in Omiya.
Q: Satoru Sayama was still in Shooto, wasn't he?
MARUFUJI: However, he didn't come to the gym very often, and Yuki Nakai, Noboru Asahi and Enso Inoue and others were the top of the gym. Also, the person who is the current 4th generation Tiger Mask in New Japan, was there unmasked.
Q: It had great members
MARUFUJI: It was scary for a High School student. I couldn't even talk. There was a strict etiquette before practice, and so I was scared when I went into the gym and bowed to the mat. I usually practiced in the wrestling club, so I only went there after wrestling practice on Saturdays and Sundays, so I can't really say that I have "Experienced mixed martial arts". Kingdom was launched when I was in my second year of High School, and so I thought it would be interesting if I took the introductory test.
Q: Kingdom is one of the pioneers who introduced MMA style matches using open finger gloves, to which Kazushi Sakuraba, Yoshihiro Takayama and Yoji Anjo belonged to.
MARUFUJI: I took the entry test and passed, but as I was still in my second year of High School I was told to come back after graduating. By the time I graduated, there was no promotion (laughs). A story that I have is when Sakuraba was very active in PRIDE, and at that time I was a pro wrestler, and so I watched him as a fan. When he called himself a "pro wrestler", seeing him play an active part in thay way was a stimulus for me.
Q: What made you decide to enter All Japan after Kingdom disappeared?
MARUFUJI: My High School wrestling teacher introduced me to him as he had a connection with Mitsuharu Misawa in relation to Ashikaga University High School. I was told, "Tell Misawa on the telephone that you want to be a pro wrestler" (laughs). It might have been troublesome to Misawa, but I took the introductory test and was accepted.
Q: To an extent, your hard work wrestling in High School helped you.
MARUFUJI: Not only did my teacher introduce me, but the rigor of the practice in High School was unusual, and I think it was because of that practice I was able to pass the introductory tests for Kingdom and All Japan. The practice was really very strict, and I don't have any other memories of High School. My school trip was to the United States, but I don't remember, and I wasn't interested in romance.
Q: Did you have any words to keep you going at the most difficult of times?
MARUFUJI: What my parents said. When I was in Junior High and at career counselling I said "I want to be a pro wrestler", my teacher ridiculed me and said, "You can't be as small as you are." But my mother used to tell her children, "I couldn't do what I wanted to do, so I want you to do what you love. Instead, do your best". That stuck with me the most. Because she sent me off in that way, I wasn't going to give up, and I wasn't going to be discouraged. It made me want to make my parents happy by fulfilling my dreams and goals.
Q: After becoming a pro wrestler, what did you think when Yoshihiro Takayama and Takashi Sugiura, who were also in Noah, appeared in PRIDE?
MARUFUJI: I was interested. When Takayama appeared in PRIDE, he participated without taking a break from Noah, and so he practiced mixed martial arts each day before matches while on tour. At that time, Sugiura and myself acted as his training partners. After that when Sugiura appeared in PRIDE it was only about twice, but we went to practice together at Tsuyoshi Kosaka's gym. Although I didn't go to PRIDE myself, I was interested because I enjoyed the feeling like I was in High School Wrestling again and going to Super Tiger Gym, it had been a long time.
Q: In those days, there was a dream to be in PRIDE
MARUFUJI: Public attention was very high, but as I was a pro wrestler the overall attention was paid to that. I was frustrated because some pro wrestling customers went there, and so I had a sense of rivalry.
Q: Marufuji, do you think you have a dream to be in Martial Arts today?
MARUFUJI: I think there is. Mixed martial arts has matured as a genre, and has become a global one. I think every person has a "dream". Is it a dream to become a professional? A dream to stand center stage and become famous? Is it a dream to make money? I think there are many forms of dreams. As someone who has dreams of martial arts, there is the potential to realize all of them, so I think I have a dream.
Q: If you can become a top wrestler, all those dreams can come true.
MARUFUJI: However, this is a world where there is a huge difference between top athletes and other athletes, and I think it is very hard to get to that. Some of the top athletes in the world in general earn hundreds and millions of yen or billions of yen in one match, but it's a situation that can't be attained in current Japanese pro wrestling, it's an enviable position, but it's not shallow to want to get there. But now that I think you have a chance like "MARTIAL ARTS DREAMERS", I think there is that dream.
Q: So what would be your words for young people who have dreams now?
MARUFUJI: I think the minimum thing you need to have a dream is not to give up once you decide on it. So for that reason, be strong. I was an ordinary boy who started wrestling in High School, and no matter what the people around me said I stayed strong, so the road opened up. People drop out on the way saying "It's hard" or "It's not what I expected". Other than any injuries, "I want to do this", is a matter of feelings for everyone. Therefore, I want you to have strong feelings and do your best without giving up.
*WOWOW is a private satellite broadcasting and premium satellite television station in Japan.
*Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters, similarly to practitioners of shoot wrestling. Shooto rules have evolved such that their events are now true mixed martial arts competitions.
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