Combat Wrestling
Combat Wrestling, Japan’s version of Submission Wrestling, is establishing itself as a significant piece of the Japanese sports culture. In the past there have been a number of standout Mixed Matrial Artists involved including Rumina Sato, Takanori Gomi and Baret Yoshida. The annual tournaments held by the National Amateur Combat Wrestling Association have been taking place since 1993.
The NACWA is headed by Noriaki Kiguchi, the founder of the Kiguchi Dojo. Noriaki Kiguchi started teaching Combat Wrestling out of his basement back in 1970. Years later in 1986 he started teaching his system at the Super Tiger Gym. This was the school founded by Satoru Sayama where his revolutionary system known as SHOOTO was born. Noriaki then began teaching SHOOTO in his own school and eventually expanded to be a Total Unarmed Wrestling Academy. He has used his training principles and techniques from Combat Wrestling to produce some of the finest SHOOTO Champions in Naoki Sakurada, Japanese legend Noboru Asahi, and overwhelming fan favorite and superstar Hayato Sakurai.
He continues to teach Combat Wrestling today and has develop a program for kids that reinforces physical education in youth development, as well as, providing these young people with a unique opportunity to participate in an exchange program with the U.S. for wrestling meets and cultural enrichment.
Submission Arts Wrestling
is a modern Catch Wrestling based Japanese Martial Art and Combat Sport that incorporates elements from Sambo, Judo and Jiu Jitsu. Founded in the 1980′s by Hidetaka Aso, a student of Karl Gotch, SAW constitutes a NO-GI grappling system that focuses in forcing ones opponent to submit by employing “chains” of chokes and joint locks. One of the trademarks of SAW are its many variations of devastating leglocks. Like its predecessor, SAW supports the belief that a submission can be obtained by establishing either a position or a hold. The practice of Submission Arts Wrestling relies on solid technical principles, live sparring sessions and specific conditioning.
Hidetaka Aso
Hidetaka Aso, founder of Submission Arts Wrestling, was born in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan on Octuber 29th, 1950. Aso, a student of Karl Gotch, is a two times All Japan Wrestling Champion and a Sambo World Champion (1981 Sambo World Championship held in Spain). One of his most notable victories came during the Sambo American Championship of 1979, where the heavyweight claimed 1st place after defeating all of his 8 opponents. A 5th degree black belt in Kodokan Judo, knowledgeable catch wrestler, author of many textbooks, and chairman of prestigious martial arts federations and committees; Hidetaka Aso is highly regarded as a guru of the science of submission wrestling.
