Interview with Japanese Gym Owner Tatsuo Sato
This is an interview with an owner of a Japanese boxing gym. His name is Tatsuo Sato, running a gym and residing in a residential area of Tokyo. He has no "big name" boxer in his gym. He certainly hopes to have a "star" for the future as all other gym owners do. Among things he loves -- boxing, rhythm and blues, and beer -- boxing, he says, can not be replaced by anything. This interview contains candid opinions of a man who really loves boxing.
What made you become a pro boxer?
I was born in 1951. In late 50's and early 60's, boxing was very hot in Japan. I was fascinated by Fighting Harada wresting world titles. My brother was also doing boxing. I used to run with my brother and exercised a lot to be a boxer. I started a professional career when I became a college student.
Although I was good at punching, I was so weak to get hit on my jaw. I got knocked down in almost every bout and even in sparring. I retired from boxing when I was 20.
Would you tell me how you got involved in "teaching" boxing?
After I retired, I could not forget about boxing. I restarted training at a gym and I even thought about a come back. During the time I trained myself after I retired, I had come to realize that boxing is not just a "slugging." I realized that hitting without getting hit is most important.
I had experiences being a trainer in several gyms. This made my view on boxing change as I mentioned.
How did you start to run your own gym?
I was looking for a place to live after I quit working for a company of which dormitory I had lived in. I was also working as a driver to make money. As I talked with my landlord and my friends, they started to encourage me to open a gym. And at that time, I heard the fee to open a new gym would be raised to 5 million yen. So I rushed to open my gym by paying 500,000 yen. I finally opened my gym in 1993.
Why did you name your gym "Ray Sports Gym?"
My family name is "Sato." It can be translated into "sugar" in English. My son's name is "rei." If these two are combined, they make "Sugar Ray." It sounded excellent to me.
What did you find first in running a gym?
In early days, I tried to make every one in my gym a strong boxer. Now, I have given up on that idea. I use different ways of instructions to each boxers. I have an extensive experience of trainer. It is easy to focus on just training boxers, but a gym owner has to take care of everything other than training boxers. That is a difficult point to me.
What do you think is most important to be a strong boxer?
You need to continue. It is up to how many years you keep doing your best. Mr. Matsumoto who was a trainer of Yonekura gym used to say that if you have an average sense of sport, you can be a Japanese champion at least.
What differences you feel between boxers of your age and those of current generation?
Young boxers in general are not bad in physical ability. However, they lack skills because of their insufficient career. For instance, Veeraphol who beat Tatsuyoshi has a tremendous professional career as a kick boxer. In the U.S., there is a lot of amateur boxers who have total records of more than 100. In Japan, boxers who have only 30 amateur fights and ten something professional bouts would challenge a world title. It is too early for most Japanese boxers to fight in a world championship. It is obviously related to the development of Japan's economic capacity.
Boxers are well informed of everything. There was no video recorders in my times. Young boxers were obedient to listen to his trainers, but we have to convince the young people by logical explanation because they are smart compared to boxers of my times.
What do you think of current situation of Japan's boxing in general? In my view as a boxing fan, there are very few enticing matches between Japanese top boxers.
I agree with your observation. There are scarcely good matches between Japanese top-rated boxers even if you could imagine good match-ups. I think boxers who survive in matches in Japan should challenge world titles. Boxing people are not making sufficient efforts in offering attractive matches. We should go back to the principle that match-making should be conceived by boxing fan's views not by people who have direct interest in the boxers.
If we can provide good matches, boxers would be encouraged to perform exciting fights. Nowadays, Japanese title holders can earn only 1.5 million yen. This is not enough. National champions should be paid 5 million yen.
In Japan, a gym owner plays a role of promoter. I think this has been a big obstacle to make good matches that fans really want to see.You are right. I also believe gym owner should be separated from match-making and promotion of bouts. I am not a kind of guy who can be both promoter and gym owner at the same time.
A promoter is the one to make money for the bout. A gym owner or a manager is responsible for his boxers. I have talked with my close friend about promoting a boxing bouts in which he does the promoter who prepares money for it and I provide boxers.
Thank you very much for sharing time with me.
My pleasure.
This interview was done at Ray Sports Gym on February 6, 1999.