Issue 026

June 2007

Photographs by William Robb, text by Maki. 

Stewart Fulton, 30, has been living and training in the Land of the Rising Sun since 2001. Catching the eye of none other than Nobuhiko Takada (the MMA fighter and one-time boss of PRIDE) he was invited to take a gruelling physical test to enter his dojo. Stewart spent 10 months learning under the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba and Takada, an experience he describes as “once in a lifetime”. He went on to compete in Demolition, Rise, Shootboxing and Cage Force (D.O.G.) compiling a mixed martial arts record of 3-3-0.  

In Japan, the history and culture of martial arts is well established, so fighting is not seen as a blood sport. Stewart tells us, “The fans don't drink beer and shout ‘fuck him up, fuck him up’, you don't get that here, they are a lot more respectful to the fighters, there is no booing... They see another side of it; it’s not just smacking someone in the face. It's very family orientated here, families with kids go to PRIDE and K1.” 

His advice to people wanting to train here is: “Learn the language, making an attempt will get so much more respect!”

8am: Stewart starts the day's training with a morning jog along the Arakawa River.

COFFEE WITH FRIEND

11am: Stewart meets his friend Sue, a student at an all-women's university where he teaches English part-time. Stewart manages to find a balance between rolling around with sweaty men and spending time with beautiful young natives! 

LUNCH

1.00pm: He grabs lunch at the Japanese equivalent of fast food, a revolving sushi bar, which is still a popular option for the locals who want to eat on the cheap in a hurry, despite McDonald's popping up on every street corner. “I had no problem getting adjusted to the diet, it's really balanced, vegetables are so cheap here,” says Stew. “You can eat huge quantities of chicken and pork and it's not so expensive. Fish as well, loads of fish. For protein, vitamins and minerals the Japanese diet is excellent”

STRIKING SHOT

4.30pm: He trains primarily at A-Square in Nogizaka, owned by Tsuyoshi Kosaka (known as TK in America). The training sessions are open to professional fighters, with many free fighters from different organisations such as Pancrase, PRIDE, and K-1 HERO’s, amongst others. 

GRAPPLE SHOT

5pm: For Stewart, the main industry difference is the emphasis on judo, wrestling and newaza, meaning most of the fighters are primarily grapplers, so subsequently want to finish the fight by submission. He says “It's a lot more technical in that respect, I think that is one of the main differences.” 

WAITING FOR TRAIN

6.30pm: Stew catches the train out to meet friends to relax. During the rush hour commuters typically get the tinned sardine treatment, and passengers have to be pushed into the trains by the stationmasters. 

ON CROWDED TRAIN HOME

7.00pm: Stewart says of the cons of living abroad, “Living in Tokyo, being around so many people everyday is stressful, having to get on trains everyday with people squashed against you is not much fun….and while you don't get a lot of open racism, no matter how long you are here for, you are always seen as an outsider” 

IN SHOWER

7.30pm: Japanese houses are renowned for their size, or lack of! People don't throw parties at home, typically they will go to an izakaya, or a traditional-style pub after work, to chill out. Stewart’s 6’5” frame isn't accommodated for in his own bathroom, in a country where the average height of men is 5’5”. 

MAKING DINNER

8.00pm: Here, Stewart is cooking with his girlfriend Mayumi, a translator in Tokyo. He makes an unusual sounding concoction of rice mixed with raw egg and soy sauce, plus chanko (a type of hotpot typically eaten by sumo wrestlers) with a variety of side dishes.

WATCHING K1

9.00pm: Relaxing and watching a bit of Japanese TV, which is famous worldwide for its ridiculous shows, although tonight there is a K1 event, which is phenomenally p

opular in Japan and also growing worldwide. 

KARAOKE

10.30pm: It seems too clichéd to be true, but Japanese people love their karaoke. After torturing his friends with his singing and downing a couple of Asahi’s, they go off for more snacks: BBQ chicken skewers, which are