Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida

Lyoto's Log
Record: 12-0
Next Fight: May 24 vs. Tito Ortiz at UFC 84.
Last Fight: A dominant performance over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 79
Best Win: Before Anderson Silva, Machida was the only fighter to beat Rich Franklin. He stopped "Ace" by TKO on Dec. 31, 2003.

By Danny Acosta MMA Madness

SAN JOSE, Calif. — His name typically rolls off the tongue as if each sound was a misguided footstep. It is not a particularly difficult name, but the problem is no one ever really says it. It is a name attached to one of mixed martial art’s most impressive resumes—known but seldom spoken. More and more it finds its way in print, in the air, and wrong or not, everyone is learning it. To be able to know the man behind the name, one must understand thousands of years of history.

Martial arts and philosophy have never contemplated divorce. But when mixed martial arts found its stride in North America, the philosophies of individual disciplines competed for legitimacy and the effectiveness of traditional martial arts came into question, challenging entire civilizations of thought and technique.

Amidst all the friction of MMA, one philosophy prevails: only use what works best. Execute a physically damaging plan against the opponent in the most energy efficient manner while avoiding all potential backlash until the fight is over. That is the philosophy behind MMA. However, one man has come to represent traditional martial arts in MMA with the same allure that created an entire film genre.

His name is Lyoto Machida.

With a wide, low, and unorthodox stance, the karate black belt incorporates throws, shoves, and trips into his fighting style. It is flashy yet it works. It makes him elusive, dangerous, and undefeated. As one of the few successful karate practitioners competing in MMA, he debunks lessons learned from the inaugural UFC event when the discipline was deemed impractical for MMA.

Machida embodies a grey area where he does justice to the philosophy of MMA and affirms his traditional martial art. In other words, Lyoto is bringing it back.

A FIGHTING FAMILY

He sits impatiently in San Jose, CA’s American Kickbox Academy unable to do karate or MMA. Fresh out of the Score Clinic for a sore back, Machida would be grinding his teeth except he knows that is a bad habit. He wants to be sparring. He can’t, so he observes intently for two hours.

The Japanese-Brazilian comes from a fighting family. His father, Yoshizo, is a Shotokan Karate master. Alongside his brothers, Lyoto took up the family art at age four while bouncing around Brazil.

Yoshizo “always said that you have to be a good guy, uh…how do you say?...a nice man. You have to respect everybody,” said Lyoto in his progressing English. This was the only time he really struggled putting together his thoughts to the point of obvious frustration on his face. Failing to communicate words he has probably heard more times than he has thrown a punch proves to be upsetting.

But the language barrier does not subvert the underlying vigor in his statement. Lyoto explains that advice cultivates his personality and career.

“I can understand the real thinking of the samurai because the martial arts came from Japan,” he reflected. “The samurai thinks as much as he fights in the martial arts. Then my father always teached me (sic) about everything—about technique, but about out of the ring.”

These teachings create a paradoxical comfort zone: among family, sharpening the mind and body, but constantly in battle, kicking the consciousness out from under one another in training.

“In the fighting, I don’t think about [representing traditional martial arts], but I know its very important for me, because my parents said I would always represent traditional martial arts—the karate—and I feel pride for this,” said the light heavyweight. “I’m happy that everybody respects my style. Everybody knows that I always try better technique in my fight, but I prefer not to think about this. I prefer to think about my fight, about my training, along with [Brazilian] jiu-jitsu. It’s my style.”

LEARNING ENGLISH

He could probably write a novel in his native language of Portuguese on the subject of karate, but instead he will just continue working on his English, which has been working on sporadically since he was fifteen.

Recently, he has been dedicating himself to English to connect with American fans. Spending time away from the comforts of his family in Belem, Brazil -- and his training counterparts Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira of the Black House Team – has forced him to use the language.

He spent roughly two weeks elevating his wrestling for his May 24 bout with Tito Ortiz. AKA’s head trainer Javier Mendez sicked Cain Velasquez on Machida. A 2005 Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year at Arizona State University, Velasquez has the background to pose problems for anyone. Factor in his strength that seems to have no parallel and it is clear Machida came to the United States for tenacious workouts. Mendez commented Machida did “great work” with the heavyweight, who is a man of such size and credentials Machida could not find anyone like him in Brazil. It is no wonder Machida asserts he is “very prepared” for the most high profile fight of his career.

Machida started training MMA at the age of seventeen. Twelve years later he is still traveling to foreign continents to hone his technique. He feels each fight should be an evolutionary process. That is why Machida was disappointed in his UFC debut against Sam Hoger. It was stagnant in his opinion, but led him to push for progress with each subsequent Octagon showing. It is the constant quest for the perfect technique and execution. He will need it against Ortiz, who he describes as an incredibly tough UFC legend. A victory over one of the UFC’s most recognizable fighters could propel Machida into spotlight and likely bring about a title shot.

“I don’t think in these belts,” he said. “Of course I want a belt. I want to fight the best. But I think maybe I have to improve more because when it comes, my chance, I’ll be ready.”

MASTERING TECHNIQUE

As always, Machida’s focus is on technique. It is what gained him a decision win over B.J. Penn, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. In a sport full of colorful personality, Machida garnered internet buzz reserved for lurid celebrity videos based on his unorthodox style. When critics said he was boring, he kneed David Heath in the head seven times in a row. When critics said he didn’t finish fights, he submitted prime Judo player Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. But Machida’s technique is the sole reason for his fan base. No one knows much more about the twenty-nine-year-old.

In Japanese, “Lyoto” means dragon, when a friend recommended he adopt “Dragon” as a nickname to relate to American fans, Machida gave his blessing. He laughed when he found out the UFC added a dragon roar to their promo for UFC 84. He hadn’t seen it himself, but was going to cruise YouTube later and watch it. He was unaware internet fans were comparing him to another karate practitioner—the fictitious Ryu from the video game series Street Fighter.

“The one from Playstation 2?” he asked.

Machida knows the game. He most likely played it between watching American movies he enjoys like Gladiator and The Last Samurai to aid his English.

Married and a soon-to-be-father, Machida first came to United States in 1996 for a competition. He returned in 2003 and again in 2008, when he went on to see Los Angeles and Las Vegas after San Jose. The American Kickbox Academy had a lasting impression on the Brazilian, who despite missing the food and his house back south of the equator, thinks America would be a place to live someday. In fact, he plans on it. And he looks forward to being able to eat Mexican food, something his pre-fight diet will not allow.

“I have to do good things for this country, I have to make good fights,” Machida said.

Smiling and stopping conversation in order to watch a grappling session on AKA’s world class mats, Machida walked away. Such a calm man, it is difficult not to remember words he said—channeled through centuries no doubt—only moments before saying goodbye.

“Always when I fight, I think this fight is my last fight.”