Fighter's Brew Transcript: Episode 2 (Patreon)

• Fighter's Brew

If you don't already know what Fighter's Brew is, it's the newest project from Southpaw and is a recap show of the manga All-Rounder Meguru.

Check out our introductory episode for more information about All-Rounder Meguru and this project. But keep in mind this series takes place in 2008 Japan.

If you're part of the Liberation Martial Arts program or a higher tier, you'll also get transcripts of each episode with pictures and more explanations of the techniques and concepts, along with LMA commentary. Fighter's Brew will be a fun and engaging way to learn concepts from our curriculum. Manga has now entered the discourse.

All-Rounder Meguru was created by Hiroki Endo. Fighter's Brew is written and produced by Sam. Narrated by Alexander Buckner.

Fighter's Brew, Episode 2

[Note: Manga is read right to left.]

Seven years later. The outskirts of Tokyo. Inside an MMA gym. Class is in session.

"Hey, Meguru," a coach with a clipboard says. "You've been coming here for about six months, right? Interested in an amateur shooto match?"

This is the first time we've heard him called by his first name. The first name implies familiarity and closeness. It's normal not to know each other's names in a gym because the class can get big, and people come and go. Knowing each other's names, especially first names, means you're a regular.

It's not that people don't want to learn your name. But memory needs reinforcement. You need to be constantly seen for the name to stick. But consistency at the gym is hard. Still, the people you train with most often are the ones who know you. For the fighters to know your name, then, becomes a rite of passage. You're no longer a casual but someone they've invested in.

Subsequently, we're meeting Meguru again as he's being birthed into the world of shooto. And with new birth comes new characters.

"You sure?" Meguru says. "I'm all grappling with no striking."

Meguru is older now but still has the same curious eyes. Next to him is a new training partner with buzzed hair and glasses. 

"You did karate, didn't you?" the coach asks.

"That was in grade school! Besides, I only practiced defense."

The coach takes him to a heavy bag. "Show me a one-two, left kick combo."

Meguru throws out a jab, a right straight, and an awkward left kick. All of which are slow, none of which have power.

[From orthodox stance with the left foot forward, after the 1-2, it's appropriate to throw the left middle kick because if you're opponent is standing parallel to you (in the same stance), the kick will land flush (and even hit the liver). If you throw the right kick, it will land perpendicular, which lacks the same impact, hit less vitals, and will likely land on their hip bone or get caught. This is why in kicking arts, the left middle kick is scored highly.]

"See? You can do it." The coach hands Meguru a form. "Fill this out."

Meguru looks worried.

Meguru means to surround and be well-rounded.

The day of the match.

Meguru and his team, including Glasses, are standing in front of an office building. On the third floor is another MMA gym. It's where the amateur shooto event is being held. Meguru is nervous.

"Quit spacing out," the coach says. "Let's go."

"But do I really have to do this today?" Meguru says.

"We're already here. Quit worrying and get hyped."

Glasses is embarrassed. They're going from casual training partners to something more. What Meguru does now reflects on the team.

"Okay," Meguru says as the rest of his team drags him in.

There's a line for weigh-ins. Many of the fighters are older and have yakuza tattoos.

"Did you pass?" the coach asks.

"Yeah, I weighed in at just under 64kg."

"Gonna have to bulk up," the coach says.

Meguru and Glasses are eating.

"Who are you up against?" a small, bald pro fighter asks Meguru.

"No idea since it's the Class C debut for both of us."

"Kogure Gym?" the big pro with cauliflower ears asks. "Don't hear that name often."

"Start warming up after you're done eating," the coach tells Meguru and Glasses.

Meguru notices a team walking in. Among them is Takashi. Still the same hair. Still sad, mistrustful, and angry. Still bigger and taller than Meguru.

"Takashi?!" Meguru yells.

Takashi sees him.

Meguru runs up. "I knew it! It is you! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to fight," Takashi says.

"What? You do shooto, too, Takashi?" Meguru asks. "It's been forever! How's your grandfather?"

"Sorry. But I don't want to talk to my opponent."

"But my opponent's name is Takashi Yamabuki," Meguru says.

"Segawa is my former last name. I'm Takashi Yamabuki now." Takashi walks away with his team.

"You know that guy?" the small pro asks.

"You're up against an old pal?" the big pro asks.

"Do I really have to fight him?" Meguru asks the coach.

"Yup," the coach nods. "You'll inevitably fight friends if you aim for the top. You can catch up after the match. Get in the zone."

Takashi is already in the zone. Meguru is psyching himself out.

"Don't get all tense just because it's your first fight," the coach tells Meguru. "Just enjoy the match."

Meguru is petrified.

"Well, that might be asking for too much, huh?" the coach says.

The announcer introduces the fight. "Match five, lightweight Class C, two rounds. In the red corner, from Kogure Gym, Takashi Yamabuki! In the blue corner, from Fighter's Brew, Meguru Takayanagi!"

Now that they're in the ring, it's clear that Takashi is much bigger than Meguru. Meguru is a skinny high school kid, whereas Takashi is already a seasoned fighter. He already has tattoos, of the Yamabuki flower, even though they're both the same age.

"He probably cut down from over 70kg," Meguru's coach tells the small pro.

The fight begins.

Flashback

Takashi and Meguru, as kids, were alone in the dojo. Takashi was practicing kicks as Meguru read a magazine, deep in thought.

"I really want to score a point with a high kick," Meguru said.

"You won't land a high kick out the gate," Takashi said. "According to Grandpa, first you need to throw low and middle kicks to make your opponent drop their guard."

[Whether kicks or punches, throwing low will get your opponent to drop their guard for you to go high. This is why diversity in your attack will keep your opponent guessing.]

"Then, what's this Brazil thing?" Meguru pointed at his magazine.

"Brazilian kick?" Takashi grabbed the magazine. "Brazilian kyokushin fighters often use it. It initially comes up like a middle kick, then there's an extra pivot where rather than the kick chopping up to the body, the kick chops down to the head."

[There are many variations of this kick, like the question mark kick (front kick to high kick). It's about disguising your true intent. You can apply this in many other ways, which we'll explore in the future.]

"Can you do it, too?" Meguru asked.

"No. But we'll probably be able to do it someday."

Back to present.

Meguru and Takashi touch gloves. They're opposites now—Meguru orthodox and Takashi southpaw. The past has caught up to both of them.

[Rather than standing parallel, since they're in opposite stances, they are standing perpendicular. This changes offense, defense, and the distance of the fight. Now the middle and high kicks from the rear are open for both fighters. Check out Lead Teep and Stance Theory for more details.]

"Read your range!" Takashi's corner yells. "Do it like always!"

"Relax, Meguru!" his corner yells. "Start with jabs!"

"He's a southpaw?" Meguru says to himself.

Takashi throws a left kick.

"A middle kick?!" Meguru thinks as he brings up his right leg to block.

At the last second, the kick changes from a middle kick to a downward high kick.

"A high kick right off the bat?" the small pro says to the coach.

"That was a Brazilian kick," the coach answers.

Takashi is sending a message. He still remembers that day, but he knows Meguru doesn't. This was supposed to be Meguru's move, but he knows Meguru didn't pursue it. Meguru didn't get any better, even though they were supposed to get stronger together. Karate, training together, his grandfather, that time together didn't have the same meaning for Meguru. So a move that was intended for their opponents was used against Meguru. A move Meguru shared with Takashi is now being used against him.

Takashi is telling Meguru he's better than him. That he's different from him. That he'll show him no respect because he knows Meguru doesn't put heart into anything he does. Not a friend and less than a foe because a foe will still take this seriously. To Takashi, Meguru is still the half-hearted kid from the river. What's worse, Meguru's okay with that. Takashi never wants to be that kid again. But is he telling Meguru that, or himself?

Meguru partially blocks but is still stunned by the kick and backs up. As Meguru is on one leg, Takashi seizes the opportunity to kick Meguru's foot out from under him. Meguru falls. Meguru might have fallen over anyway for a down, or Takashi could have kept attacking to the head. But instead, the ref calls a slip and tells Meguru to get back to his feet. Meguru is in shock.

[You ideally want to block the high kick with both arms. One to block it from making contact with the head, the other arm to deflect the energy of the kick. Without both arms, the kick can still make contact and also break the blocking hand or arm. Remember, the legs are stronger than your arms. They also take more dexterity to use and more time to learn. Which is why in LMA, we start with the kicks because it's so time-consuming, and because learning the kicks will teach you everything else, including punching and defense. Learning to punch will not teach you how to kick. A person who knows how to kick will still throw an okay punch. A person who only knows how to punch will throw awful kicks. So it makes more sense to teach kicks first. Learning isn't about a random sequence of moves but scaffolding and building.]

[Meguru is rocked by the kick and is on his way down, but Takashi trips him instead with a sweep kick. The intent is to prolong the fight rather than finishing.] 

"Hope that didn't throw him off," the coach says to himself.

"A Brazilian kick?" Meguru thinks. "But it's slow and throws you off balance. It's not really suited for MMA, is it? Alright, I'll go for a tackle next time he throws a kick."

Takashi launches a left kick. He's not done with Meguru.

[This time Meguru blocks with both arms, using his left arm to deflect. But Takashi's strategy is to attack the right shoulder, which makes his kick harder to catch, while damaging Meguru's right arm. It also makes Meguru pay attention to the left kick. With Takashi, it's about disguising intent.]

"Now!" Meguru thinks. As he closes in, the kick lands on his right shoulder, stopping Meguru in his tracks. Takashi immediately follows up with a right low kick.

"He's skilled," Meguru's coach says to the small pro.

Meguru's completely off balance. When he goes to block the middle kick, a right low kick comes. When he goes to block the low kick, the left middle kick comes.

"Catch the kick!" the small pro yells.

"Something's off," Meguru's coach says to himself. "He has a good left kick, so why does he switch to his right instead of throwing a left inside low kick?"

"I need to catch his right leg and take him down," Meguru tells himself.

"No!" the coach yells.

"Hang on," Meguru thinks, "isn't Takashi right-handed?"

"Meguru! Bring your guard up!" the coach yells. "The low right is bait! He's gonna—"

Takashi switches stances and throws a right high kick. Meguru brings one arm to block at the last second.

"Go for a high kick," the coach says to himself.

[It's Takashi's grandfather's principle of attacking low to attack high. But also, like the Brazilian kick, disguising your attack. Making Meguru think about the left high kicks to hit the right high kick. Since Takashi is a right-handed southpaw, not only does that open up his left kicks, but makes his right high kick his power kick. Takashi stands this way to maximize his kicks and to avoid takedowns.]

Takashi is surprised.

"He blocked it," the small pro says.

"Ideally, you want to block a kick like that with both arms, not one," the coach tells the pro.

Takashi hasn't just changed his name but also his stance. 

"That was close," Meguru thinks. Not realizing he's down on one knee. He still hasn't recovered from the Brazilian kick.

The ref starts the count.

"Get up, Meguru!" the coach yells. "Amateur rules only call for a five count!"

Meguru gets up at four. The ref checks to see if Meguru can continue, but the bell rings, and the round is over.

"Deep breaths," the coach tells Meguru.

"Good going reading that high kick," the small pro tells him.

"A right-handed southpaw?" the coach asks.

"Yeah," Meguru out of breath, "I figured he'd try to finish me with a right."

"Looks like he managed to block your finisher," Takashi's coach says.

"Yes," Takashi says.

"Did he read the timing of your switch?"

"No. He knows me from before."

Takashi was looking to knock his old friend out. To erase his past.

"Listen up, Meguru," the coach says. "In the next round, only raise your guard for his right and aim to tackle him in an exchange."

"Okay," Meguru says.

"Don't lose heart."

"Right!"

Round two begins.

"That's a dangerous strategy," the small pro tells the coach.

"But if he doesn't get a takedown, he'll lose," the coach says.

Takashi switches stances. Meguru catches him by surprise with a takedown. Meguru is now in Takashi's guard.

[It was an all-or-nothing strategy, waiting for Takashi to switch his stance to orthodox to throw the right high kick. But once Takashi did that, Meguru and Takashi were now standing parallel, the ideal position for a double leg tackle. Meguru turns Takashi, which cancels Takashi's ability to post his legs behind him and sprawl.]

"Top!" the ref says, awarding Meguru top points.

Meguru is pleased with his work. Takashi seizes Meguru's momentary lapse of concentration to grab Meguru's left arm in an arm drag to climb his back and get the rear choke. Meguru is taken by surprise.

Unlike training, in a live match, you don't stop after getting a position. You keep fighting. Every moment and transition counts.

[There are times when we pause after a scramble to admire our work, to rest, or to think. But if the opponent doesn't pause and keeps fighting, this is when things can get reversed. If you can keep fighting when your opponent doesn't, you can get the advantage.]

The ref awards Takashi back points.

"Catch!" the ref yells. The ref awards Takashi more points for securing a submission.

Meguru's coach yells, "Don't let him flatten you! Keep your hips high and throw him off! Fight his hands!"

That's too many things for a beginner. But in MMA, since it's multiple styles, you often have to do multiple things at once. MMA means mixed martial arts, but it should really mean multitasking martial arts. For a beginner, even a single task can be too much.

The ref stops the fight. Takashi goes to his corner and leaves his old friend unconscious on the ground.

A doctor checks on Meguru, but Meguru is okay.

"I was out?" Meguru asks his coach.

"Yup," the coach answers.

"Don't get up just yet," the doctor tells Meguru.

Takashi is declared the winner.

Meguru is sitting up and has his headgear off. Takashi goes to show respect to Meguru's corner. The small pro tells Meguru to greet the opposing team. Meguru shakes hands with the coaching staff. Meguru smiles and goes to shake Takashi's hand, but Takashi brushes him off and walks away.

Takashi's teammate asks, "You sure that was okay? Isn't he an old friend?"

Takashi answers, "I always hated that guy."

Meguru's team is helping Meguru take his gloves off. For amateur shooto, you wear headgear, gloves, shinpads, kneepads, and a mouthpiece. 

Meguru very much looks like a lost boy playing MMA. Takashi already looks like a jaded man fighting MMA.

The Segawa river has died. An imperfect flower has bloomed.

[Segawa means "current, rapids" (瀬) (se) and "river, stream" (川) (kawa/gawa). Yamabuki is a Japanese rose.]