Shooto

Summary

Shooto is a relatively young martial art league. Its origin can be traced to the combat sport of ‘shoot wrestling’. This form of martial art was formed in the year 1985 and since then, it has seen a steady rise in its popularity around the world. The man behind developing Shooto is Master Satoru Sayama. A life-long exponent of Judo, Karate, and Muay Thai, Sensei Sayama infused Shooto with the best techniques and practices that he came across during his years as an active martial artist.

History / Origins

ETYMOLOGY

The name Shooto came into the martial art lexicon well after the combat sport was first introduced. In the beginning, it was simply known as “New Martial Arts” (Shin-Kakutogi). Soon after, the name ‘Shooting’ became popular, which in professional wrestling terms means a ‘serious match’. However, anticipating a confusion with sports based on actual shooting, this new martial art was named Shooto (pronounced Shu-to).⁽¹⁾

BEGINNINGS

Sensei Satoru Sayama first envisioned a martial art form that was highly combative in its entirety. He soon followed his passion into professional wrestling and received tutelage from a number of established martial artists across different combat sports. Prominent among these were Muay Thai, Russian Sambo, and Catch-As-Catch-Can wrestling.

An acclaimed Judo exponent, Sayama pursued early retirement and ventured into developing a set of realistic fighting skills and maneuvers that would go on to become the hallmarks of Shooto fighting. He first began imparting Shooto training on a larger scale at his very own Tiger Gym in the year 1984, which was exactly a year after his retirement from professional wrestling.⁽²⁾

PRESENT DAY

Exactly two years after Sensei Sayama started teaching Shooto to students. The first amateur event saw light of day in 1986. The first professionally managed event, however, didn’t take place until 1989. The first national level Shooto tournament was held in 1994. Named ‘Vale Tudo Japan’, the event proved to be a success with significant participation from non-Japanese contestants as well.

The end of Shooto as a solitary organization came about in 1996, when three separate bodies, namely World Shooto, the International Shooto Commission, and the Shooto Association, were formed. The transition from a derivative martial art to a separate combat sport with its own governing bodies was now well and truly complete. Since the ISC came into being, a champion in Shooto holds the title of ‘World Champion’.

Shooto was brought to American shores in the year 1991 by one of Sensei Sayama’s most famous disciples, Sensei Yorinaga Nakamura. Starting off at the Inosanto Academy, Sensei Nakamura tutored eminent martial artists like Erik Paulson, Dan Inosanto, Ron Balicki, Larry Hartsell, among many others.

Efforts towards popularizing Shooto through events and tournaments across the American continent and other parts of the world are in full swing. With increasing support from promoters, the sport is poised to see a surge in popularity.

FOLKLORE

One of Sayama’s biggest motivations as he developed Shooto was to give rise to a combat sport that was realistic and high on skill. Popular legend has it that he wanted Shooto to be different from the kind of professional wrestling that was popular in Japan back then. Instead of the predetermined results of the latter, Sayama wanted Shooto to be original and innovative. This led to him borrowing elements from a number of already existing martial art forms including Muay Thai and classic English Wrestling.