 | |
Native name | 修斗 |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Shin-kakutōgi |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Predecessor | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| Founded | 1985; 41 years ago (1985) |
| Founder | Sayama Satoru |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | www |
| Focus | Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Full-contact |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Creator | Satoru Sayama |
| Famous practitioners | |
| Ancestor arts | Shoot wrestling,Catch wrestling,Boxing,Kickboxing,Full contact karate,Muay Thai,Sambo,Judo |
| Descendant arts | Mixed Martial Arts,Seikendo |
Shooto (Japanese:修斗,Hepburn:shūto) is acombat sport andmixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission (ISC). Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as amixed martial artspromotion. It is considered one of the first truemixed martial arts competitions, with itsVale Tudo Japan events being essential to the rise ofPride Fighting Championships and the development of modern MMA. Many Japanese MMA fighters had their start at Shooto and the organization still holds both professional and amateur tournaments.
As a fighting system, Shooto is considered ahybrid martial art derived fromshoot wrestling. It is focused on all aspects of fighting:striking,stand-up grappling andground fighting. Practitioners are referred to asshooters orshootists. Shooto rules have evolved with time and differ depending on the class; Class C and D are amateur and have more restricted rules more similar to their first events, while professional classes are now truemixed martial arts competitions.[1] Shooto weight classes are different from those of the United StatesAssociation of Boxing Commissions, which are used by most MMA promotions.[2][3][4]
Although modern Shooto is indistinguishable from MMA, in Japan promoters, fighters and fans still see it as its own standalone combat sport, while outside of Japan it is mostly seen as a system of MMA promotions, organizing events from amateur grassroots to professional levels.[5]
The word "shooto" (修斗) is the Japanized form of the English word "shoot", referring toShoot wrestling. Although the word is of foreign origin, it is not written inkatakana, but rather withateji. Its first kanji (修) means "to practice or train in", and the second kanji (斗) is an obsolete unit of liquid measure equal to slightly more han 18liters, and is an alternate written form of the word "to fight". The intended meaning is "to master fighting" (斗いを修める).
Shooto was established as "New Martial Arts" (新格闘技,Shin-kakutōgi) in 1985 bySatoru Sayama (the originalTiger Mask), a Japaneseprofessional wrestler trained inshoot wrestling, who wished to create a sport that revolved around a realistic and effective fighting system.[6][7] Sayama was influenced by his former teacher, legendary pro wrestlerAntonio Inoki, who was known for his more realistic style of pro wrestling known as "Strong Style", which mixed various styles of striking martial arts (such askarate) withcatch wrestling submission grappling, taught byKarl Gotch. This style eventually evolved into the more developed "shoot-style wrestling", which was also further influenced by more martial arts such askickboxing,muay thai,judo andsambo.[8] It became very popular in the Japanese professional wrestling circuit, and Sayama would use it as a basis for his new martial art.[6][7] He also founded his own school named the "Super Tiger Gym" for training and development of this new martial art.[9] After its establishment, New Martial Arts was renamed "Shooting" which came from "shoot", a term of professional wrestling meaning a legitimate contest as opposed to a worked match, but this changed to "Shooto" to avoid confusion withshooting sports. Compared with the other professional wrestling organizations of the time, such as theNew Japan Pro-Wrestling and theUniversal Wrestling Federation, Shooto was aimed at having no predetermined results. The first amateur event was held in 1986 and the first professional event in 1989.[6][7][8] Due the origins in the shoot-style circuit, Shooto is considered part of the "U-Kei" system.
The Shooto organization hosted theVale Tudo Japan tournament in the summer of 1994. The objective was to create a more rules-free event similar to theUltimate Fighting Championship in the United States andVale Tudo in Brazil. The star of the first events wasRickson Gracie, older brother of three-time UFC championRoyce Gracie. Vale Tudo Japan was a smashing success, leading to the popularization of MMA around Japan, and its format and rules were used as a basis forPride Fighting Championships, which would become the world's largest MMA promotion, which many Shootist would join it. Vale Tudo Japan events were held annually from 1994 to 1999. In May 2009, it was announced that Vale Tudo Japan would return for the first time in ten years on 30 October 2009.[10]
In 1996 Satoru Sayama left Shooto due to disagreements with the board of directors, and was succeeded by Taro Wakayabayshi. In April 1996,World Shooto, theShooto Association and theInternational Shooto Commission were formed. This marked the end of Shooto as a single organization, and turned it into acombat sport with governing bodies. Since establishment of ISC, the champions of Shooto are called "World Champion".
Shooto was brought to America in the late 1980s by top student of Satoru Sayama,Yorinaga Nakamura. He began teaching Shooto at the Inosanto Academy in 1991, and is the instructor of Erik Paulson, Ron Balicki, Dan Inosanto, Larry Hartsell, and many others.[citation needed]
Shooto South America, also known as ShootoBrazil is managed by founder ofNova União mixed martial arts academy,André Pederneiras.[11] Its first event was held in Rio de Janeiro in May 2002.[12]
There has been an ongoing effort, spearheaded by Rich Santoro, to promote Shooto competition into the United States and Canada. He was officially named the Director of the International Shooto Commission - SHOOTO Americas division (the North American branch of the Shooto Association) in 2001. He has worked with both U.S. event promoters and state officials to spread the Shooto brand of competition throughout North America. As of 2006 Shooto has taken place in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, Nevada, Hawaii, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Promoters of Shooto events in North America have beenHOOKnSHOOT (one of the first MMA organisations in the United States to allowWomen's MMA),[13] The Ironheart Crown, Midwest Fighting, Tennessee Shooto, RSF Shooto Challenge, TUFF-N-UFF, World Freestyle Fighting, SHOOTO Hawaii and Mannidog Productions.
Previous to 2009, Shooto's rules included a knockdown rule giving knocked down fighters an eight-count to recover as well as allowing strikes to the back of the head. Shooto had argued that the potential for a knocked out (and thus unconscious) fighter to receive unnecessary damage while on the ground necessitated the rule, but with Shooto being one of the lone organizations still having the rule, consideration of the potential for injury allowing a knocked down fighter time to recover thus allowing additional blows, and with the original vision of Shooto's founder being a synthesis of striking, throwing and submitting - the rule change was instituted in mid-2008. The disallowment of strikes to the back of the head was done for similar medical reasons.[6]
The long-running Japanese league Shooto and sister organization Vale Tudo Japanlive-streamed its first shows onUFC Fight Pass in 2016. Vale Tudo Japan bouts are contested in a cage instead of Shooto's traditional ring.Broadcast schedules for both promotions were announced 20 April 2016 during a press conference in Tokyo.Shooto made its Fight Pass debut Saturday, 23 April, with "Fight & Mosh" live from Maihama Amphitheater in Urayasu, Japan. Two world titles were on the line, Masaaki Sugawara made his first defense of the 125-pound belt against Hiromasa Ogikubo, plus Koshi Matsumoto and Yuki Kawana vied for the vacant 155-pound mantle.Shooto followed that up with events on 17 July and 12 Nov., both took place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo as well as VTJ in Osaka" 19 June at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, and "VTJ 9th" on 19 Sept. which saw the organization return to its birthplace of Chiba prefecture.[citation needed]
In 2019 Shooto entered into a partnership withONE Championship. Under the terms of the partnership, Shooto champions will have the opportunity to sign a contract with ONE, while their amateur champions will be given an opportunity to train atEvolve MMA for a year.[14]
The aim in a shooto match is to defeat the opponent by aknockout or asubmission, but fights can also end in a referee stoppage or by a judge decision. Legal techniques include generalgrappling,chokeholds,joint locks,kicks,knee strikes,punches,takedowns andthrows. Illegal techniques includebiting,elbow strikes,eye-gouging, forearm strikes, hair pulling,headbutting,kicking orkneeing the head of adowned opponent,small joint manipulation, strikes to thegroin orthroat and since 1 September 2008, strikes to the back of the head.[6]
Shooto evolved in parallel with Mixed Martial Arts, including most of its techniques and strategies, to the point that both fighting styles are almost indistinguishable. However, fans, fighters and overseers still see Shooto as its own standalone combat sport.[5][15]
Shooto fighters are categorized into four classes.[16]
Fighters start out as Class-D or Class-C fighters and enter amateur competitions that Shooto hosts together with the help of local gyms all over Japan. Class-D Shooto does not allow knee strikes to the face or striking on the ground. Class-C Shooto does not allow striking on the ground, but knee strikes to the head are allowed. There are regional championship and once a year the All-Japan amateur championships. Then a fighter can get a Class-B pro license, these fights are 2x5 minute long and use the same rules as Class-A fights. Shooto holds yearly rookie tournaments in each weight class.
When a fighter has gathered enough wins and experience in Class-B he will get awarded with a Class-A license, as a sign that he's part of the elite professional fighters.
Shooto organize most of their events in Japan,[17] although it has organized some amateur tournaments inChina.[18]
Shooto consists of a multi-layered system designed to develop fighters from grassroots level, aspirants to professional fighters must start through the organization's amateur events, winning their regional tournaments (spread out throughout all the forty-sevenprefectures of Japan) and performing well on the annual All-Japan tournament. As the fighter progress they will graduate from lower classes (Class-D and Class-C) until they are graduated into the professional classes (Class-B and Class-A) and now can compete on Shooto's professional events.[5] In Japan the sport is organized by theShooto Association, however, the Association doesn't organize directly all events, be them professional or low-level amateur, letting gyms and independent promoters organize it.[15]
TheInternational Shooto Commission on the other hand, works to create Shooto organizations outside Japan. The Commission allows local independent organizations to promote their events under the Shooto name.[15]
Domestically, it broadcasts its events overAbemaTV and Samurai TV.[19] Internationally, it has broadcast over theUFC Fight Pass in the past, and a number of their events are part of the UFC Fight Library.[20] Recently, they have put up their events onYouTube.[21]
| Men's division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | 85 kg (187.4 lb) |  Yushin Okami | 30 November 2024 | 0 |
| Welterweight | 77 kg (169.8 lb) | Ryuichiro Sumimura | 3 November 2025 | 0 |
| Lightweight | 70 kg (154.3 lb) | Shutaro Debana | 28 July 2024 | 0 |
| Featherweight | 65 kg (143.3 lb) | Keisuke Sasu | 25 July 2021 | 3 |
| Bantamweight | 60 kg (132.3 lb) | Kanata Nagai | 21 September 2025 | 0 |
| Flyweight | 56 kg (123.5 lb) | Ryoga | 16 November 2025 | 0 |
| Strawweight | 52 kg (114.6 lb) | Koyuru Tanoue | 28 December 2024 | 0 |
| Women's Strawweight | 52.2 kg (115.1 lb) | Emi Fujino | 18 May 2024 | 0 |
| Women's Super Atomweight | 50 kg (110.2 lb) | Ayaka Watanabe | 21 May 2023 | 0 |
| Women's Atomweight | 48 kg (105.8 lb) | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
| Men's division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | 77 kg (169.8 lb) | Yukinari Tamura | 15 May 2022 | 0 |
| Welterweight | 70 kg (154.3 lb) | Shutaro Debana | 20 December 2020 | 1 |
| Lightweight | 65 kg (143.3 lb) | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
| Featherweight | 60 kg (132.3 lb) | Nobuki Fuji | 27 November 2022 | 1 |
| Men's division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 265 lb (120.2 kg) |  Kleberson Tavares | 3 February 2023 | 0 |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 lb (93.0 kg) | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
| Welterweight | 170 lb (77.1 kg) | Ronys Torres | 25 August 2023 | 0 |
| Lightweight | 154 lb (69.9 kg) | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
| Featherweight | 145 lb (65.8 kg) | Hermani Perpétuo | 24 November 2023 | 0 |
| Bantamweight | 134 lb (60.8 kg) | Cleiver Fernandes | 3 February 2023 | 0 |
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