sakuraba | Scramble Brand

HUGE NEWS! Sakuraba to face Renzo Gracie at Metamoris

September 25, 2014
by Matt Benyon

Our hero and now long time collaborator Kazushi Sakuraba will face Renzo Gracie (the coolest Gracie if you ask us, hahaha) at the next Metamoris event. This is the kind of legendary grappling match up fans have been waiting for, for years. We can’t wait to see the outcome and to produce some exciting content for Scramble and Sakuraba fans. We already have a number of official Kazushi Sakuraba products (below) in stock so check them out.

MMA

[VIDEO] Sakuraba vs. Tamura trilogy – History!

February 12, 2014
by Matt Benyon

While googling for Sakuraba images from his recent wrestling bout, I came across these old videos of Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi Tamura.

Tamura is one of the most underrated Japanese fighters out there, in my opinion. He was incredibly strong and a very mean grappler. I don’t believe he ever had any interest in pursuing a career outside of Japan which is why he doesn’t have much international recognition, but you can see from these fights (and others on YouTube) that he is a legitimate “hard man”.

These are professional wrestling bouts from the nineties but give them a watch – to me, they look unscripted. The level of grappling on display is just incredible.

Sakuraba vs. Tamura Part 1

Sakuraba vs. Tamura Part 2

Sakuraba vs. Tamura Part 3

MMA

[VIDEO] Kazushi Sakuraba video that blew my mind

October 18, 2012
by Matt Benyon

This video caught my attention like no other has recently. And yes, I’m not afraid to admit it, it brought a tear to my eye.

It’s probably because of my emotional investment in Sakuraba and also the connection to Japan, where I used to live.

I miss Sakuraba’s glory days. I miss Japan. I miss Pride.

I have a Sakuraba “Water” T-shirt that I bought at Pride Middleweight GP Opening Round 2005, where I saw Sakuraba fight. It’s the most memorable fighting-related memory I have. When Sakuraba entered the arena, we all stood as if our seats were electrified and cheered and shouted under the strobes and the smoke and the fireworks,

This video makes me think of the Japanese concept of 物の哀れ – Mono no aware. The Sadness of Things. That everything is transient and fleeting and that any strong emotional feeling or attachment will ultimately end in sadness when it passes.

Enjoy!

BJJ

[VIDEO] England used to be awesome at wrestling. Plus,…

August 30, 2012
by Matt Benyon

Stuck in a YouTube hole, I found myself stumbling across some fantastic old catch wrestling videos, which makes a change from the kind of video I usually end up watching. Did you know Bjork’s stalker’s suicide video is on there? Scary stuff.

Anyway, I found this video of Billy Robinson and Billy Riley, two legenday wrestlers from the north of England. I couldn’t help but get nostalgic – I’ve never been to Wigan but I imagine there are not many strapping young lads practising wrestling in the fields anymore. Unless you count drinking cheap cider and snorting legal highs as wrestling. Which I don’t.

I truly think it is a shame that there are no more coaches like Billy Robinson, no passion for catch wrestling left in the UK. I am sure there are some great coaches still around – if you know any, let me know. But it just seems a shame to me that England could produce such a talented group, that spread catch wrestling around the world (Sakuraba learnt a lot from Robinson), and then for it to fade away so rapidly.

While I was getting nostalgic for wrestling, I was reminded of Josh Barnett’s fight at the last Dream NYE – a really nice example of the terrible beauty of real pro-wrestling. Fast transitions, nasty submissions, and athleticism.

And then, for good measure, enjoy the greatest tag team match I’ve ever seen – a “scripted” pro-wrestling bout that turns very, very nasty. But Sakuraba doesn’t mind, he’s got a mean streak too…

Videos after the jump.