Translation by Toshiko Masago




Easily one of the most recognizable fighters in MMA, fans know that when they come to see Enson fight, win or lose, he’ll lay it all on the line and give the fans an exciting fight. True to his style and reputation, Enson doesn't hold back and tells it like it is, in this interview. I hope you will learn more Enson, not only as a MMA fighter but also as a person. His beliefs and convictions transcend into his personal life, not only his life in the ring.

Find out what’s new with Enson, what he’s planning for the future, the incident with Guy Metzger at Pride 13, Kid Yamamoto, and his friendship with the Yakuza.


IRONLIFE: First, thanks for doing the interview. I know that you’re a busy guy. Is there anything new that you would like to share?

ENSON: I’ve been waiting for a fight. I’ve got offers from Pride, Shooto, and a semi-round about offer from the UFC right now. For me, in my regular days when I first started, I was fighting because I enjoyed it and wanted to see how good I was. I already knew how good I was, I don’t enjoy it anymore. Now it’s for the money. If I were to come-back, which I don’t need to……I got 3 more offers for new gyms that sponsors want to open up but I can’t spread myself so thin. We already got one in Saitama, Tokyo, Kyoto, and now a new one in Osaka. Got one in Guam and Saipan. So…spreading myself thin now.

What’s happening now is, before when I was fighting 90% of my time was training and 10% of my time was moving around and working but now it’s become the opposite 90% is my work and 10% is training. I’m getting a little bit fatter but I’m not training as much – I’m doing more weight lifting and running only. It becomes a whole different thing now, when people ask me to fight. If they ask me to fight, it has to be worth my time, where I’m going to stop everything I do, ignore my gyms for 3 whole months and train like I used to do, 90% and 10% just moving around. The money has to be there, that’s the only problem.

IRONLIFE: I read that it has to be a good 6 figures. Referring to the amount it would take to get Enson back into the ring.

ENSON: Yeah, it has to be 6 figures, definitely. I got one in February from Pride for mid-5 figures, but I turned it down. The U.F.C. is apparently going 50/50; 50 to show and 50 to win. I don’t like to have pressure on myself to win; I might fall into trying to win and playing a boring game. I’m not worried about getting knocked out; I’m worried about losing a fight. I’ve never had a contract win/lose. I’ve always negotiated my own contracts on a one time payment. When I fought for Pride against Nogueria*, it was a one time payment.

*Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, PRIDE 19, 2/24/2002. Enson's retirement fight in Pride. He was retired for while and two years later, had two more fights after that, but not in Pride.

If the U.F.C. comes up with $100,000.00, I’ll fight Tito, Randy, Ricco…..anybody.

IRONLIFE: Have they mentioned any names to you?

ENSON: Just Randy. I don’t think they are giving me a chance. That’s why I’m thinking too, if they don’t put out 6 figures – I ain’t gonna fight because they‘re not doing it for me and they’re not doing any good for me fighting in the States, fighting someone who has been at the top of his game. Of course he lost to Chuck (Liddel) but one lose isn’t going to change the whole career of a person. I still think Randy is at the top of his game. So….they’re not doing it for me, they’re doing it for them and Randy. I'm like an instrument they want to use to fine tune Randy's reputation back.

What I think what they want to do is build Randy again. They want to build someone with Randy, someone that they think 90% he would beat. Me, being someone who hasn’t been active and having lost to the top fighters in my last 4 fights. I believe he was referring to his last four fights in Pride against Nogueira, Herring, Igor, and Kerr. I think is a good possibility that I will probably lose the fight, is what they are thinking.

But, they think I got something that is sellable. They can get any Tom, Dick, or Harry out to fight Randy and he can beat them up. But they don’t have the credentials that I have – my only credentials are -- that I beat Randy Couture. Via armbar, Vale Tudo Japan, 10/25/1998. That’s good enough credentials to probably sell the fight. They probably don’t want to say it to me, but I’m a smart guy, I know what’s going on. I’m a very good “tomato can” for Randy. I beat him before but that was way back in my prime in 98’. That’s what I believe it is. So…if they want me to sacrifice myself, which is what they think I’m going to do, but I’m going out to beat him. They got to pay the price. I’m doing them a favor by fighting for them. I look at it that way. It’s not like I’m an upcoming fighter …by all means I want to get into the U.F.C. It isn’t like that. If that was the case, $50,000.00 is a damn good price for me.

I don’t enjoy it anymore, there’s too much stress involved. Referring to fighting. I don’t enjoy the fact that I’ll be walking into the ring accepting that I might die there today. My whole life isn’t involved around the fighting anymore. When it was, it was alright for that.

In your life you have stepping stones. One is like elementary school, another is high school, and another is like college or going through some relationship with some girls or something. Another one is marriage. I think fighting in my life – to become the ultimate man, where I can die as a man. I already cleared the fighting stage. There’s nothing more that I can learn about myself as a man that I already did with fighting. I think the Igor and Frank Shamrock fights* actually taught me a lot of myself.
*Igor, PRIDE 10, 8/27/2000.
Frank, Vale Tudo Japan 1997, 11/29/1997.

IRONLIFE: What part of that did it teach you?

ENSON: Adjusting to the fear. I always thought that in the ring, the reason why I never win is because I fall off the meaning of why I am fighting. Which is…to every other fan and fighter it is falling off but to me it isn’t falling off. The reason why I fight, the reason why I always have the energy and the excitement to get in the ring is because as a fighter, I’m lucky. I can put myself in a life and death situation and test my heart, my ability to think and adjust and move on thinking straight, every time I get in the ring.

That’s why throwing blow-for-blow with Igor was so intriguing to me. That it was such a scary situation, that I wanted to be able to think, be able to throw punches, be able to know when to take him down, be able to know when to do something, in the flurry of the punches. He took me down, so I wasn’t able to take him down but I feel that fighters are lucky. We’re lucky because we got the opportunity to test it all the time.

Some other salary man (business man or white collar worker) won’t be able to test his…what kind of…how he would be able to adjust under fear, under pressure like we do in the ring – until it’s too late. The only time a salary man will get under that kind of pressure or fear is when it’s too late.

When I get into the ring, the reason why I even started fighting wasn’t because I wanted to be the best fighter in the world or to make money. It’s because when I was a racquetball player and when I went into the world racquetball tour, I had so many butterflies that I had a hard time adjusting myself. I always thought these aren’t my feet. Why can’t I move like I move in practice, every single day I practice? Slowly as I entered tournaments I could control that nervousness and fear. The fear was always there when I got into the court but I could control it.

I was friends with Rickson Gracie, at the time I was training Jiu-Jitsu as a hobby. When I saw his fight in Japan when I was here, when I was a racquetball player, I had some major butterflies. More butterflies than I would be if I were in a racquetball court playing a racquetball world tournament. I had more butterflies watching my friend fight in the ring. So then right there, it clicked in my head. Shit….I wonder how it would feel for me to be in the ring?

The reason why I believe that I didn’t win a lot of fight that I should have won or could have won is because my whole thing is when you are fighting to win; you move out or fall out of the fire. You get away from the fire, put out the fire the way you can. When I was fighting, I had a magnet pulling me to the fire. I see Nogueria and I wanna see what his ground is like. I see Igor and I wanna see the end of his punches, even I’m going to get hit, even if I do get knocked out. I fought 19 times and lost 8. But in my heart I didn’t lose a fight. In my fight career, I'm 11-8. But in my fight to become a stronger man inside -- I'm undefeated. There was never a time in the fight when I lost control of my fear. There was never a time in the fight when I got scared and wanted to get out of the ring and give up. Basically my fighting is done – I think. In the ring, I’ve learned all I can. As a man, to get back into the ring would be a step back for me. So what I’m doing now is just for extra cash.
ENSON's FIGHT RECORD

What I’m doing with the pro wrestling now is; 1) Getting side cash. 2) Just being active in any type of event which helps T-shirt sales. 3) Keep my name sold. I’m in some magazines because of pro wrestling. I’ll be on TV because of pro wrestling. It keeps my fame alive and it keeps me from becoming a blimp. So that’s what I am doing right now.

The other big thing that I’m doing right now. I haven’t been getting any good offers to fight, so by the end of this year, if I don’t get any really good offers I’m thinking of putting the gloves in the closet and start more on the promotion/management side. Cause I got links with K1, Pride, Deep, Pancrase, Shooto, Shinichi. Pretty much every pro wrestling association.

I’ve been getting a lot of people telling me – why don’t you promote? As far as an event, of course if I got a sponsor but more to promote fighters. I’m the one who developed Kid (Norifumi Yamamoto). I started Kid, I taught him, and I also got him the contract with K1. I also, for his first 3 fights, I picked and chose his opponents and made rules for him. Kid was the only guy that had rules made for him. IE…alternating rounds of MMA and K1 rules. I think for a fighter to become a star in the beginning is just that, match making and picking the fights. Now it’s up to him.

I’m thinking of moving more into that area – promoting fighters.

IRONLIFE: You’re looking at promoting, just your own fighters?

ENSON: Oh no, fighters – fighters who want to be in Japan. Fighters in Japan who want to be in the U.F.C., Superbrawl, or Guam fight. I got a lot of connections there. I know Dana White personally. I’m sure I can bring a fighter to Dana White and bring him a video and he would actually look at it and try to get him in the U.F.C.

Basically I speak Japanese and English. I’m very respected in the promotion side, as far as any big promotion. U.F.C., I think Im respected enough in most fighting promotions to get fighters fights, beginning fighters, from Japan, to fighting there. I’ve been getting people telling me that all over.

I also got Sangtiennoi in Thailand. From next year we’re going to start a Purebred Thailand. We’re going to build a new gym and house just for foreigners – air conditioning, mosquito nets, showers, and etc.

I could probably find 3-4 guys right now that could probably win the K1 MAX next week in Thailand. Sangtiennoi has all the connections, I can’t bring them all myself but Sangtiennoi can. Sangtiennoi is the Muay Thai teacher that trained/trains both Enson and Kid. We can also get Japanese fighters fighting in Thailand, in events, because he also promotes events in Thailand. Basically that’s what I wanna move to. I want to use everything that I have now, all my respect, to promote fighters and get them good contracts.

Phil Baroni is fighting, he fights under Coleman. I’m the one that actually brought him to Japan. I’m actually the one that told him that he should fight in Pride or Japan, for that matter. Coleman helped him out, Coleman has an “in” with Pride because he’s one of the Pride fighters now – that’s a good thing. But I don’t think Phil is getting the fight money I can get him and/or the VIP service that I could probably get. He (Baroni) came to train with me….he’s a good friend. He wants me to come to Pride but ….. I don’t know if I can make it, I have to go to Tokyo tonight.*

*The face-to-face interview was held before Bushido and written up shortly after.

Just to clarify, Phil is not fighting under the Purebred flag. Enson is under the impression that Phil might be fighting under the Hammer House flag. In addition, the reason why Enson is not sure about being able to go to Pride is because he’s going to be a guest commentator for a karate event (Shidokan) being shown on Japanese TV, held in Tokyo, whereas Bushido is being held in Nagoya.

I want to move into management. Maybe this interview can help, if people see this interview and can see that I’m starting to do that now. Any fighters that want to get into the Japan circuit, male or female; I have a lot of connections -- the more famous the name, the easier. Basically I will be managing them. If they want me to be in their corner, I’ll be in their corner. They probably need me to be there for translation. I’m also looking for any Pride fighters. I’m good friends with a lot of Pride fighters…all of them in fact. Last time we partied with Ninja, I see Wanderlai a lot in Tokyo, Coleman and Randleman, Phil Baroni they’re all good friends. Basically every fighter in the whole circuit, I know.

I believe at lot of them (fighters) get fucked by the promotions, because they don’t understand how it’s run. Implying, promotions in general and no one specific promotion.

For those of you interested in being managed by Enson, prepare a highlight tape of your fights and a profile so he can look them over. You can contact him directly at shoji_inoue@hotmail.com He will take a look at your information and take you under consideration. I suggest you write "Enson, fight management" in the subject line. Enson gets a lot of e-mails, coupled with his busy schedule, it will make things easier for him.

The ENSON and GUY METZGER incident, PRIDE 13, 3/25/2001:

ENSON: Pride tried to play a game with Guy Metzger after he beat my brother, I was already retired and he tried to call me out. If he wants to call me out, it’s cool but not if Pride is going to make him call me out. And the way he was going to do it was really bad. I didn’t know about it.

A lot of people on the Internet want to know this story. Guy comes over to me to shake my hand. I go to shake his hand after he beats Egan – "good fight." I went to go check on Egan in the ring. Guy comes over to me and says “hey, remember it’s not personal.”

Enson thinking to himself…….Beating my brother, why would that be personal? It’s part of fighting – I’m a professional.

I look at him and say “What are you talking about? Good fight man.” Then Guy says “No, no, no, no, not the fight.”

This is in the ring, if you look at the video you can probably see us talking:

GUY: “No, I gotta call you out.”
ENSON: “What? What do you mean you have to call me out?”
GUY: “I gotta challenge you; I agreed to challenge you if I beat Egan,”
ENSON: “You know I retired, right?”
GUY: “I know but it not my style but shit…I have to do it.”

Then I grabbed his hand and I starting forcing him into the corner. I pinned him in the corner:

ENSON: “You know what? If you don’t want to do it, don’t fucking do it! What the fuck? Don't do anything you don't want to do...dont do it."
GUY: “It’s in my contract”
ENSON: “That’s fucked up. OK, do what you have to do.

He toned it down though. He was supposed to call me out in a bad way. He thought I knew about it. Pride told him that I knew about it. They were going to play that game. Eventually he (Guy) comes into our locker-room. Once again he says “You know what guys, I respect you guys. I like you guys as fighters. I would never do anything, this is not my style but this is an agreement I made with Pride.” Then he gave me a name of who he talked to (the name of the Pride rep that told Guy to call him out). Then I said “Cool. I got nothing with you. Thanks man, good fight.” Boom finished, everything is gone. Guy is a class act and I respected him as a great fighter but now I also respect him as a person.

Then I started calling the Pride guys in. They don’t … they stated playing games again like they probably do with all the fighters. They said “He’s busy, he’s busy” Referring to the Pride rep that Guy told Enson made him call him out. I said “yeah I know he’s busy but what you guys have to understand is, that this problem is more important right now than anything.” Then they made me wait for a half hour.

In short, Enson was able to talk to the people that he needed to talk to directly, and force them to admit what they did. As a peace offering, Pride gave Enson monetary compensation as an apology, which is common practice here in Japan.

I got the impression that Enson shared this incident 1) To clarify what happened with Guy in the ring. 2) To show as an example of how promotions sometimes take advantage of a fighter. 3) To demonstrate how Enson is not the type of person to simply roll over and be taken advantage of, nor will he allow this to happen to anyone he is managing.

If you come with me, I’ll make time to meet you. I’ll make time to answer your calls. I’ll make time to answer questions for fans but once you fuck me, I’ll fuck you right back. You’re not going to fuck me and get away with it. That’s the thing, that’s the problem – promotions are about fucking fighters. The better you can fuck a fighter, the cheaper you can get him, the more you can make. Maybe fucking is too strong of a word, so maybe take advanatge is a more appropriate word. That’s what it’s all about. For me, which is good, I think when people come with me as management – they’ll never get fucked or taken advantage of. Cause the associations wouldn’t want to fuck with me.

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of stuff. A lot of rumors about Enson Inoue.
*He’s Yakuza Japanese mafia, famous for their tattoos and missing fingers.
*He did this
*He extorted somebody
*He beat up some reporters

Is Enson Yakuza? Find out:

You hear a lot of stories. But every story there’s a reason behind it. I just gotta be smarter about how I do it. I hear a lot of rumors like…."Is Enson Yakuza?" To tell you the truth, I’m not Yakuza. I’m free to talk about whatever I want. I’m not Yakuza. Actually the definition of Yakuza, what is Yakuza? Nobody knows. Yakuza is Borokudan, which is an assault group which beats up people and causes trouble. I don’t cause trouble; I don’t beat up people unless they deserve it. Are tattoos meaning Yakuza? If it is, I got tattoos all over my body.

Some of Enson’s Tattoos:


Left inner bicep. Inoue family crest.


Left inner bicep. “Real power, strength, and heart can’t be given…it must be taken.


Left upper chest. Sangtiennoi, the Muay Thai teacher that trained/trains both Enson and Kid.


Enson’s back. The vertical Chinese characters on his right side say Yamato Damashii.


Enson’s chest. Yamato Damashii Family.


(L-R) Right palm: Family
Left palm: Pride


Enson’s left thigh. “Live as a man, die as a man.”


Two new tattoos on Enson’s neck.


Loyalty and Unity.

Enson explains the meaning of his tattoos:

ENSON: Every tattoo on my body, there’s a movement in my life, or a meaning in my life, that I want to remember for the rest of my life, and put it on my body. You know the ones on the palms of my hands, because I was going to go to war.

Enson lost a friend in one of the Twin Towers on 9/11 and was planning to enlist in the military but was unable to, due to his tattoos and age. In a previous audio interview that he did with the now "retired" PrideCast, he stated that a few moments before he dies, you will see both of his fists clenched. This is due to the fact that Pride and Family are written on his palms. The reason he is closing his fists is, as a symbolic gesture, he would hug his Family and protect his Pride.

Then ones on my neck, because I’ve been running into the past 1 – 1 ½ years -- I’ve been going into a lot of situations where I thought people were family or really helped them out in the beginning, I feel that I’m losing a lot of loyalty. I think some of these people are too (concerned about) money, and get blind with the money. They see fame or they become a superstar or forget about the people who actually set their base.

I believe that any person, any fighter, they have a base. You know how you build a house? You have to settle the ground, level the ground, and pack it in. Make sure it doesn’t shift anymore than it will. You set a base. Once you get a good base, it’s just a matter of how high you can build the building. If you don’t set a good base, it doesn’t matter how tall or how high the building is, it’s gonna fall. I believe that the more famous you get ….. the more you have to concentrate on how the base is strong.

I felt that some of the people* in the past 1 – 1 ½ have forgotten the base. The buildings are getting taller and taller and instead of making sure that the base is strong, they seem to be forgetting their base and losing their base. In other words, if you’re talking about a fighter, talking about someone who’s been helped out …. You know someone who’s become a big super star. Someone who helped him when he had no money, helped him when he had no where to train, no where to go. The reason why I put these tattoos on in my life … there were 3 or 4 people in my life that were doing that. I felt, right where you put it, is right where you would cut someone’s neck.

*I wanted to point out that Enson was speaking to me in general terms when he said “some people”. No specific names were given, nor did I ask for any. I felt that was part of his personal life and if he wanted to share that, he would have. But since he didn’t, I/we, should all respect that.

I felt that these two words, for my group, for my family, for me – If I ever want to break any of these 2, you’re going to have to cut my neck, right there, where it is. One of them is called Toitsu (Unity). To stand as a unit. Any type of group, you need to stay strong. Unity equals, for example, are like the fingers on my hand. When they are separated, they are weak, one finger can be broken. But once they’re clinched into a fist, they’re a union and they stay in unity – I believe a fist is a lot more dangerous than an open palm.

The other tattoo is called Chugi (Loyalty). I believe a family, group, or even a gym affiliation, like Purebred, if you can keep those two things your group will never be beaten.

They’re right on the neck so if I were to ever break those; I would just cut right across it. The words right there are like my love to my unity and if I were to ever break that it’s like cutting my neck right there. I would do it if I ever hurt someone like that – love or unity with my family. Basically, all my tattoos are like that.

Is Enson Yakuza? Find out cont':

ENSON: Is Yakuza meaning that you do business and have friendship with Yakuza? Yeah, I do. So I don’t know – am I Yakuza? Also, another thing about Yakuza, you have to be a Japanese citizen. I’m not a Japanese citizen. Enson is ethnically Japanese but was born and raised in Hawaii. He has now been living in Japan for 16 years but holds an American passport. I’m a fighter, I’m a MMA fighter. So…I’m not a Yakuza. I do have a lot of friends that are Yakuza but I do not really associate with ones that deal with drugs, ones that fuck people over, or ones that work with child pornography. I do not deal with any of those guys. But I do deal with a lot of Yakuzas.

Just to clarify, for those of you that are not familiar with Japan or the Yakuza. Its common practice for people to have some form of association with the Yakuza, whether they are aware of it or not. The more fame or money you or your business has, the more apparent it becomes. A lot of Japanese big named businesses and celebrities have some form of business or personal connections with the Yakuza. However, the average person probably would not realize their involvement with the Yakuza unless they were in serious trouble. Enson is just more open and honest about his Yakuza connections than most people.

When people see this interview, what they have to understand, which you probably already know is -- basically anything from 40% or up for size of a business, you’re in with Yakuza because you have to, in Japan. In America I don’t know if you really need to be in with them unless you’re dealing directly with like a casino or a gambling operation.

In Japan it’s different. 1) As a fighter, it attracts the machoism the egotistic people, which is a lot of gangsters and mafia. Another point which is appealing to them, for them to get stuck on me, is the Yamatodamashi thing – about not tapping in a fight and not being afraid of anything. That’s how they see it.

IRONLIFE: You brought up your gyms. Do you have any yakuzas training there?

ENSON: Yeah, my gyms are probably the only gyms in Japan with Yakuza training.

Most gyms, including weight training gyms and swimming pools, do not allow members with tattoos to join. In rare cases that they make an exception, you would have to cover up your visable tattoo(s). For example, you have a tattoo that says "mom" in a big heart on your lower bicep, that is visable, even with a short sleeve T-shirt. You would either be denied entry to most gyms in Japan or they would ask you to wear a long sleeve shirt or a bandage/sports tape to cover your tattoo. Basically a rule created to avoid possible problems with Yakuza's joing a local gym.

IRONLIFE: As far as you’ve noticed, there’s never been a problem with a student and Yakuza training?

ENSON: No, not at all

IRONLIFE: If it’s a problem it more of a personality conflict rather than a Yakuza versus student conflict?

ENSON: Yeah. Here’s the thing. There’s a reason why people don’t want Yakuzas in the gym, which is understandable. If you’re sparring and you accidentally pop a guys arm and it’s a Yakuza, you might have a problem with the guy – you know what I mean? But if it’s a regular Joe Blow, then its like “Fuck I don’t wanna spar with that guy anymore, he’s dangerous.” But with Yakuza they have pride and they’ll be all like pissed off and Yakuza is all about getting reimbursement about money.

The reason that they can come to my gym is, I guess it’s because of the way I fought and the way I live my life. I guess I get a lot of respect from the underworld. So these guys will come into my gym, being honored to come into my gym. And if they have any problems with anything, they know that they have to go through me. So if they have a problem with a student, they know it’s about me. So they don’t go to the student and bother the student, they have to do it to me, which they they’ll never do.

It’s a good thing I think. Kid and Masato have all the girls. When I go to the arenas and I hear Kid’s name I hear all girls. I hear my name and I hear “Yamato Damashii” As Enson says “Yamato Damashii” he impersonates the way they cheer for him in the arenas. All macho guys cheering his name and catch phrase. You know what I mean? It’s a little different. When I’m at the fights I’m like….aw man, I wish I had chicks like Kid, I think to myself. But in the long run when I do business, or when we have problems. Enson then give me an example of one of his guys* that had some problems with the Yakuza, in Shinjuku, a very popular night spot in Tokyo. Enson simply contacted some people in the same group and the problem was resolved peacefully.

*I purposely with-held the name and full details.

When I encounter those kinds of things, I realize “Hey man, what would chicks do for me there, man?” I believe that in the long run, the connections that I have being a Yamato Damashii fighter, rather than a Kakkoii fighter (cute/cool/popular) are way bigger.

In short term, man…Masato and Kid have to be in heaven right now. Long term – no. Chicks aren’t going to do shit for you in the future. They’ll just entertain you while you are in the top and as soon as your done and not in the top anymore. You know where they’re going to be? To the next new Kakkoii face. The connections that I’m getting in the underworld are pretty much forever.

Several days following our face-to-face meeting/interview. Enson called me because he wanted to be clearer about his Yakuza friendships and again, whether or not he was Yakuza. I got the impression that Enson was concerned that too many fans were getting the wrong impression.

Enson’s phone call:

ENSON: I just wanted to answer all the questions about being a Yakuza and the Yakuza thing. For me, I don’t think being a Yakuza, or being considered in that status, or actually become a Yakuza, isn’t anything, because I think I’m past that point. If I wanted to go into the Yamaguchi gumi* or any family, they’d probably accept me with open arms.

*Yamaguchi gumi is the largest and strongest Yakuza family.

The reason why I think I’m above them (Yakuza) is because I have a family called the Yamato Damashii Ichizoku. Ichizoku, which means family. You have the Yamaguchi gumi. Gumi means group, a group of people. You have the Kobayashi kai, kai also means group. The reason why I call my group, Yamato Damashii Ichizoku is because …. we’re a family; we’ll do whatever we need to do, to help each other out.

The reason why I say I’m above them, is because within my Yamato Damashii Family, we do have people from Inagawa kai, people who are willing to risk their life for us, they are down as family. I have people from Yamaguchi gumi, I have people from the Sumiyoshi, from the Dragon – Chinese mafia. I have people from the Israelian group, people from the Iranian mafia. Pretty much, I have the top people in a lot of the groups – under my Yamato Damashii Ichizoku.

So when people are asking me, “Are you Yakuza?” The reason I refer to them and answer “No”, is because I’m not a Yakuza where I bully people, try to take advantage of the weak, deal drugs, or make fast cash – doing anything I can. But, if you want to talk about family, about having a group of people that will do anything for you. A group of people, who are willing to stand by you through a war, go on the front line with you and die with you. I do have a family, bigger than that, stronger than any family there is.

I do feel like I’m above them because if I have a problem with the Yamaguchi gumi, I have people from the Yamaguchi gumi that can help us out. If I have a problem with Sumiyoshi, they can help us out. If I have a student that gets into a fight with a Chinese guy who’s in the Chinese mafia, I can settle that with one phone call. But it’s not vice versa. If they have a problem with us, they have to come to me. I have to be satisfied with the outcome of what they want to do for us. If they have a problem with me, they have to come settle it with me.

In part II of my interview with Enson, he clarifies what Yamato Damashii means to him. It has a deeper meaning than what most fight fans think they know. The details of why Kid Yamamoto didn’t go to the Olympics for wrestling, as originally planned. How Kid got into MMA and his current relationship with Enson. A run down on Enson’s current legal problems and more.