PRIDE Academy vol.1

Continuing PRIDE's tradition of reaching out to its fans, the very first PRIDE Academy, Vol.1, a one-day seminar where fans get to learn the basics of MMA under the tutelage of a PRIDE fighter, was held on Wednesday, April 4th, at PRIDE's official training center, Dreamers, in Tokyo.

Tatsuya "The Crusher" Kawajiri and Mitsuhiro Ishida, two lightweight fighters who regularly train at the T-Blood dojo, taught the seminar. Together, Kawajiri and Ishida instructed students on the fundamentals of striking, takedowns, and several common submission techniques.



Following the instructional portion of the seminar, students got the opportunity to participate in a three-minute round of light sparring, under the watchful eye of the coaches.

For many fans, the chance to be coached in MMA by a PRIDE fighter is a dream-come-true. Kawajiri and Ishida gave a short pep talk at the end of the seminar.

"Martial arts becomes more fun when you start learning different techniques, so if you enjoyed our workout today, I encourage everyone to pursue training. It would make me very happy to see more people enjoy what martial arts has to offer," said Ishida.

When asked about the best methods for improving in competition, Kawajiri suggested, "get involved in martial arts by training at gyms or entering amateur tournaments. Or even come to T-BLOOD for training."

The Crusher was quick to jokingly add "next time, perhaps we'll even see each other in the ring, in which case, I look forward to fighting you."