GRAPPLER BAKI- PART VIII

Time for Flashbacks

To start things off right, Hanma Yujiro kills a polar bear with his bare hands... bare hands? Cause it's a bear. No? Damn. We get to see the sheer power of Yujiro as he topples a massive polar bear with ease, forcing a hunter to give up hunting out of embearassment. Ok, seriously, I'll stop.

The story immediately shifts to how Baki's mother, Emi, and Yujiro meet. Emi is married to the leader of the Akezawa Group and they are attending a decadent party. The main event of the evening, a cross-styles match pitting a Brazilian Jujitsu player against a boxer. The fight is short and sweet, as the BJJ fighter takes the boxer down and proceeds to snap his arm with a Kimura (the boxer even gave up!). Let's take a moment and analyze the fight a little.

Boxing vs. Brazilian Jujitsu

Boxing is all about punching and BJJ is all about taking your opponent to the ground and submitting them with a choke or joint lock. For a boxer to beat a BJJ player, it would be necessary for him to keep him at a distance with jabs and superior footwork, while looking for a knockout chance. The BJJ player only has to bridge the gap long enough to trip the boxer up and then the fight is almost certainly his, especially if the boxer is gloved. It's really a game of distances.

Yujiro, in his ruffled shirt and slicked-back hair, catches Emi's eye and catches her off guard with a kiss. Naturally, her husband is slightly irritated and disciplines his wife with a slap before tossing a plate of food on Yujiro's clothes. Yujiro jumps into the ring in a silent challenge, but the BJJ fighter steps in for the head of the Akezawa Group. He shoots in quickly, but is met with an axe kick to the back of the skull, laying him out. Although the fight was short, let's analyze it anyway.

Brazilian Jujitsu vs. Yujiro (Yujiro is his own style)

It wasn't the smartest idea for the BJJ fighter to come in so brazenly with a tackle (or, more likely, a double or a single leg takedown). First off, he let his intentions of attack be known immediately. Then, he allowed his opponent ample time to decide a counter-offensive. Lastly, he was fighting a guy who kills people for fun. It is extremely possible to counter a takedown with a well-placed axe kick or elbow to the back of the head or spine if the person attempting the takedown fails to set it up correctly or drops his head (like he's looking at the floor) when he shoots in. It's still going to be hard to pull off, though, because he's more than likely going to be moving very fast and, even if you hit him, he will probably still fall onto you. Regardless, even on a sloppy takedown, a precision strike to the back of the spine or skull will take speed, skill, and concentration.

Give this a try-- have your partner shoot in properly (head and hands up, bending mostly at the knees) and attempt to counter the move with strikes. Start slowly and add speed as you both feel comfortable. Remember to wear gear and hit relatively light. This is just training, after all.

After the remainder of Yujiro and Emi's "love story," we jump back to the present with Yujiro coming in at the end of Baki and Hanayama's fight. Without really thinking, Hanayama steps up to fight Yujiro, but he's easily taken care of. Even his special gripping power does nothing to stop or even stall the monster. In a battle of brute force, Yujiro wins over Hanayama hands down. Yujiro says it himself-- a kid is just a kid.

Yujiro vs. Hanayama

It is important to realize that no matter how strong you are, there is someone out there who can beat you, not to mention, beat you to a pulp. There are just too many factors in combat and just too many fighters out there to think that a simple understanding of how to throw a few punches or even a black belt in a combat art is enough for you to walk around with a feeling of invincibility. Rest assured, the more you learn about actual combat, the more you will realize just how much you don't know.

After dealing with Hanayama, Yujiro dispatches Baki with a backhand. This whole ordeal is very disappointing to Yujiro and he returns to tell Emi that she has failed, but (after she tries to stab him) he has a change of heart and says that he's going to test out the Baki that she created for him.

That's all for today. I've been a little busy with work recently, but I'll try to get as much up here as I can for you guys! Train hard!