My life took a detour on April 14, 1974; that is when I began formal training in the martial arts.

I'M GOOD - When Doc Hamilton was
invited to Japan to judge Pride's 2003
Grand Prix Finals, he was one happy
dude.

My life took a detour on April 14, 1974; that is when I began formal training in the martial arts. The "Do" for me began with judo and Hawaiian kenpo. Because both of the arts and my instructor, sensei Bill Ryusaki, are of Japanese origin, it seemed only natural to immerse myself in all things Japanese.

I acquired a taste for sushi, udon soup and Kirin beer. A Sony Walkman accompanied me on all of my workouts. I recorded and watched every hour of the "Shogun" series. I made a point to see any film directed by the internationally acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa. Such films as "Rashoman," "Seven Samurai" and "Ran" remain all-time classics and an integral part of my psyche.

Included amongst the books I read was "Karate-Do," the autobiography of the "Father of Karate," Gichin Funakoshi. I have studied the precepts of Zen Buddhism and was thoroughly captivated when reading the book of the samurai, "Hagakure." The 970 pages comprising "Musashi," Japan's greatest swordsman, became my friend and constant companion for many weeks. The journeys of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikido, and, Jigoro Kano, founder of judo, became almost as familiar to me as my own. I have to admit that I became an unabashed, unapologetic, died-in-the-wool Nipponphile!

Planets Are Aligned

Now then, you can well imagine my surprise and delight when, out of the blue, I receive a call from Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE). They want to know if I am interested in going to Japan to judge the finals of the 2003 Pride Grand Prix Finals. Are you kidding me? Needless to say, it was one of those rare instances when I knew that all of the planets in the universe were perfectly aligned.

In a brief meeting, we work out the details, and I accept the assignment. My flight from Los Angeles International Airport leaves at 12:05 p.m. on November 5, 2003. After 11-1/2 hours of flight time, three mediocre movies, two bad meals and a 17-hour time differential from L.A., I land at Narita Airport at 5:10 p.m. on November 6. After clearing Customs and Passport Control, I am met by two very pleasant young men holding a Pride sign. They inform me that we will leave for Tokyo just as soon as the flight of the noted trainer, competitor and ring official, Matt Hume, arrives from Seattle, Washington.

Approximately one hour later we board the bus for Tokyo. The distance from the airport to Tokyo is approximately 43 miles. However, during the 6:30 p.m. rush-hour traffic, it seems to be 145 miles and takes us more than two hours to reach our hotel. The traffic is about as bad as any I've ever seen!

Studs From Team Quest

At about 8:30 p.m. Matt and I finally arrive at our stay, the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo. Upon entering the lobby, we are directed to the Pride table where we sign-in and are given our room keys and the schedule for the next couple of days.

We decide to drop the luggage in our rooms and go eat. However, before we get to the elevator, we run into some of the studs from Team Quest ... guys like Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Nate Quarry and Heath Simms. They are going to work out and urge us to join them. The six of us jump into two cabs, give the driver an address and head into the night. About 20 minutes later, we arrive at a nondescript building housing a number of empty rooms, except for the wrestling matted floors. Since he's fighting, "Hondo" Henderson goes round robin for the next couple of hours with his crew and Matt. Since someone had to keep time, I volunteered.

After a spirited workout, we walk to a pasta-and-salad restaurant known to Hondo. We are all famished and eat like there is no tomorrow. The camaraderie is great!

We decide to walk back to the hotel to burn off some of the meal. After a good 45-minute walk, we are in the hotel. It is 2:00 a.m. local time, and I have been awake for more than 24 hours. As soon as I unpack, I'll be in bed. Tomorrow is another day, and I can hardly wait.

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You can read Doc's other articles at www.mmarefs.com. He's also a columnist for Inside Kung-Fu magazine.