Fighter's Brew Transcript: Episode 4 (Patreon)

• Fighter's Brew

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

[Note: Manga is read right to left.]

It's another gym. Another amateur shooto event. Glasses is the one fighting this time. He has his opponent in clinch, controlling an underhook and his opponent's elbow. He positions his hip in front of his opponent and throws him over it. They crash to the ground.

"Nice hip toss, Kitamura!" Urasawa yells from the corner.

"Side and top!" the ref yells.

"You still have time, Kitamura!" shouts Furuya. "Score some points!"

The opposing coach is annoyed. "Shimoyama! Don't just lie there. Move!" he yells. "Turn into him!"

Shimoyama turns into Glasses, but Glasses seizes this opportunity to spin for a farside armbar.

Shimoyama taps. The ref stops the match. Glasses celebrates.

"The referee has stopped the match at two minutes and 52 seconds of the second round, "the announcer says. "Declaring the winner by armbar, Yudai Kitamura!"

With this victory, we're now properly introduced to Yudai Kitamura—Glasses. Who, by the way, also had his first fight the same day Meguru did.

"You cut that finish close," Urasawa says, "but good job!"

"Thanks," Yudai says.

Yudai smiles for the first time.

"Alright, you ready, Meguru?" Furuya asks.

Meguru puts his mouthpiece in and smacks his gloves together. "Yeah!"

"12th match, lightweight division, two rounds," the announcer calls. "In the red corner, from Fighter's Brew, Meguru Takayanagi! And in the blue corner, from Team Yoshizawa, Keiichi Komiyama!"

"What kind of fighter is Meguru up against?" Yudai asks Tamiya.

"He's a grappler, and this is his fourth shooto match," Tamiya says. "Kenichiro told Meguru to stop his tackles and stick to striking."

Meguru and Keiichi touch gloves, and the fight begins.

Meguru takes the initiative this time and starts with an inside low kick. From his fight with Takashi, Meguru was reminded of what their old Sensei told them. If you want to attack the head, first attack the legs and body to make your opponent drop their guard.

Meguru lands a stiff jab to Keiichi's face.

[Fighter's Brew fighters are known for their jabs and low kicks. Though every fighter is unique, there is a signature gym style that binds all the fighters. You as an individual will have your strengths but so will your gym. You want to capitalize on both.]

Both corners are yelling instructions.

"Keep it up, Meguru," Furuya yells. "Circle to his left!"

"That makes sense," Urasawa tells Furuya. "You want him to get away from his right power punch." [Refer to Stance Theory.]

"Exactly. Even when you're winning the exchange, the right punch can change everything, and it's hard to predict, especially from a grappler who's inexperienced in striking."

Keiichi shoots for a double-leg takedown, but Meguru sprawls.

"Push his head down!" yells Furuya.

[Meguru is using his hips to break his opponent's grips while driving his head down. He's also pushing down on his opponent's head to pin him in place as he stands back up.]

"Meguru's doing well today, huh?" Yudai says.

Meguru and Keiichi are back on their feet.

"I can do this!" Meguru thinks. "My jabs and low kicks are landing, and I'm stuffing his tackles. If I manage to land a right, maybe I can win by KO." Meguru is giddy with the thought.

Keiichi changes level for another double-leg takedown. Meguru squats down and drops his hands to block the tackle. But instead of a tackle, Keiichi smacks Meguru in the face with a right punch, sending Meguru sprawling to the ground.

[Since it's MMA, going low doesn't just mean kicks or punches, it can also be a tackle that sets up a punch to the head.]

"A tackle feint into a right overhand?" says Yudai, baffled.

"Those are hard to predict," Tamiya says.

The referee starts the count. Meguru gets up.

The referee calls for Meguru to walk over to him, but Meguru nearly falls over. The ref catches Meguru and waves off the fight.

"Match over!" calls the announcer.

"Good job with the punch!" Keiichi's coach tells Keiichi.

"Attack low, then aim high," Keiichi replies. "Just like you taught me."

"Look at the light," the doctor tells Meguru. Meguru is covering one eye as the doctor shines a flashlight at his other eye.

"You only took one hard hit?"

"Yes."

"Any headaches, nausea, or numbness in the hands or feet?"

"No, ma'am."

"No sparring for a while. Just rest for today and take a shower, not too hot, rather than a bath. And use a cold compress when you sleep. Avoid bright lights. No matches for 120 days."

Meguru walks back to his team, dejected. Furuya doesn't say anything but puts his hand on Meguru's shoulder and walks with him.

Fighter's Brew is sitting together.

"This is your second win in a row by armbar, right, Kitamura?" Asks Tamiya. "You might have found your specialty."

Yudai is blushing. "You know, I never managed to pull one off in judo," he says sheepishly. "Weird, huh?"

"It's MMA. So many moves, we all find something," Tamiya says.

"But I've still got a long way to go! I've gotta learn leg locks, too!"

As Yudai shines, Meguru's depression gets worse. He didn't even last a round.

"Meguru," Urasawa says. Meguru looks up. "You old pal. Takashi Yamabuki, was it? He's up next."

They all walk over to watch the match. Meguru checks the program. "What kind of fighter is that Yokoyama guy he's up against?" Meguru asks Furuya.

"He wrestled all the way through college. This is his 10th amateur fight, and he's racked up several KOs. So in a way, he's a veteran. Yamabuki's got a tough opponent for his second match."

"You sure his first opponent wasn't just too weak?" asks Yudai.

Another knockout blow for Meguru.

Yokoyama is muscular and thick.

Takashi's coach to Takashi, "You both fight southpaw. Lay off the left kicks and stick to jabs and front kicks to keep your distance."

"Right," Takashi says.

Yokoyama's coach to Yokoyama, "Go in when you read his mid left, just like we practiced."

"Got it."

The fight begins. Takashi immediately goes for a left middle kick which Yokoyama blocks.

"Still going for the left middle against a leftie?" Furuya says. "Gutsy."

Takashi throws another left middle kick and misses.

"Dammit, kid," Takashi's coach says to himself.

"Isn't it a bad idea to go for a mid left against a southpaw?" Meguru asks Furuya.

"Just watch."

Takashi throws the left middle again. Yokoyama times the kick and lands a left straight. Takashi goes down.

[Back to stance theory, attacking someone parallel to you as if they were perpendicular will get you in trouble.]

"He barely managed to drop his head to take the punch on his forehead," Furuya says.

Takashi gets up before the end of the count, and the fight continues.

"When two lefties fight, and one is a wrestler, it becomes much harder to land kicks, especially the left kick," Furuya tells Meguru. "But now, how will he adjust?"

Yokoyama fires a throwaway right hook. Takashi backs up with his weight on his heels. Yokoyama shoots a double-leg takedown and scores.

They scramble, but Yokoyama can't pass Takashi's legs. Even off his back, Takashi's legs are nimble. 

Takashi works his way back up to his feet, but rather than breaking free, Takashi grabs a double-collar tie.

Expecting a knee, Yokoyama drops his left hand to block, only to be caught by a right uppercut.

"What was that uppercut?" thinks Furuya. "For a second, it looked like Yamabuki was floating."

Yokoyama is still stunned. Takashi follows up with the knee this time. Yokoyama goes down.

The ref starts the count.

"That uppercut, it was barely more than a tap, and he didn't even put his hip into it. Yet he still managed to stun Yokoyama. But how?" Furuya asks himself.

Yokoyama gets up, but the round ends.

"As I said," Takashi's coach grumbles, "stick to jabs and front kicks to keep your distance."

"I'm behind on points. I have to KO him."

"But do you have to finish with a high kick?"

Takashi doesn't respond. His coach pats his shoulder.

"Fine. Do what you want."

"You're ahead on points," Yokoyama's coach tells Yokoyama. "He probably won't use his left middle kick anymore, thanks to that counter. Just take him down and finish him."

The second round begins.

They touch gloves. Then Takashi goes for the left middle.

"Again?!" Yudai cries.

"He's a right-handed southpaw, right?" asks Urasawa. "So why doesn't he just switch his stance?"

When Takashi goes to throw again, Yokoyama charges in to counter. But this time, the kick lands lower, below Yokoyama's right elbow, with the ball of the foot right to the liver. Yokoyama is hurt.

"A diagonal front kick?!" Meguru shouts.

[A front kick doesn't have to be delivered with the toes pointing up. Just like the jab, you can change the angle and bring the kick around the opponent's defense.]

Takashi steps through into an orthodox stance and throws a right straight. Yokoyama ducks under the punch and shoots for a takedown. Takashi blocks.

In the clinch, Takashi grabs the back of the neck again. Yokoyama, expecting another uppercut, uses both hands to block and pulls away.

Yokoyama lifts up and back, right into the trajectory of Takashi's left high kick. Yokoyama drops to the ground. Out cold.

The ref immediately stops the fight. The doctor and Yokoyama's corner rush in.

"Did he feint the uppercut?" Meguru asks Furuya.

"A high kick has nearly the same range as a punch. He set up the uppercut so Yokoyama would move his guard forward, exposing the side of his head. Then Yokoyama swayed back, the same way Takashi did when he got taken down. You end up standing too tall. Leaving you exposed to a variety of counters. This is why we sit into our fighting stance."

"Meguru, what's that diagonal front kick you mentioned?" Urasawa asks.

"It's a type of karate kick. It's between a front kick and a roundhouse kick. Since it almost comes straight up, it can get under the opponent's arms and can land from further away. If you use your left foot, it can land directly on the liver."

"The modified front kick is unusual but not anything special," Furuya thinks, "but what's the secret behind that uppercut?"

"I see," Meguru thinks. "Takashi never gave up karate. Kitamura has his armbar. But I don't have anything you'd call a specialty."

After the event, Meguru spots Takashi putting on his shoes.

"Takashi," Meguru says.

"What?"

"Umm, congrats on your second win."

"Thanks." Takashi tries to walk away.

"How's your grandpa?"

"He died four years ago."

Meguru is stunned. "Oh..."

Takashi walks out of the gym.

Urasawa walks up behind Meguru. "Cold shoulder again?"

"You guys have a fight?" Tamiya jokes.

"No. I mean, yes. But it's not like that."

As Takashi walks with the rest of Kogure Gym, a fancy black sedan pulls up.

"Sorry, Tsukisada-sensei. I have to go."

Tsukisada, Takashi's coach, responds, "Oh. Alright."

Takashi gets in the car.

One of the members asks, "Sensei, whose car is that?"

"His uncle's."

"Huh. Guess it was true he has family in the yakuza."

Inside the sedan.

"Did you have fun play fighting?" Takashi's Uncle asks.

"I won," Takashi answers.

"Oh, to be young again. But I do worry about you. My only nephew suddenly decides to quit school and support himself. But you seem to be doing well. What is it you do now? Shoo something?"

"Shooto."

"That's right. Is there a pro league?"

"Yes."

"Can you make a living off of it?"

Takashi looks out the window and avoids answering.

Takashi's Uncle calls to his driver, "Sang-myeon."

"Yes, sir?" the Zainichi Korean answers.

"Did you make a living when you were a boxer?"

"No, sir. The ones who make the big money fight in the US in places like Vegas. They're also usually bigger. I was only a featherweight. There was a guy at my gym who held the Japanese bantamweight title, but he also worked at the supermarket during the day."

As an ex-fighter and Korean facing discrimination, the yakuza becomes one of the few available employers.

"What are you trying to say, Uncle?" Takashi asks.

"Why don't you come work for me?"

"No way in hell."

"Ouch."

"You have Tomohiko-kun, anyway."

"That idiot I call my son? Though, as stupid as he may be, he plans to go to college."

The car stops. Takashi opens the door and steps out.

"Takashi, come by the house once in a while," his Uncle says.

"Do you know?" Takashi asks, "When he's getting out of prison?"

His Uncle glances at him.

"Can't say for sure. He's with a different clan."

Takashi closes the door and walks away.

He arrives at a two-story house. There's a separate side entrance to the small studio he's renting.

Inside, the studio is completely empty other than some boxes. There's a manila envelope on the floor. Takashi sets his bag down and opens the envelope. Inside are some documents and a photo of a familiar face with slicked hair.

His father's killer.