The event itself was typical of the time. Most of the fighters are one dimensional and fairly clueless about grappling. What makes this a great tape is the fact that it documents a part of history -- The early years of NHB fighting. More importantly, this tape cuts through most of the legend building and idol worship that surrounds Rickson Gracie. I think the makers of this documentary tried to put Rickson on an even greater pedestal, but ended up showing a very human and un-superman like Rickson Gracie. I don't mean this in the negative sense. It is similar to a book I read once by one of Bruce Lee's students ("Bruce Lee" by Jesse Glover (1976)). I walked away with seeing more of the human being named Bruce Lee and a little less of the martial arts legend. I mean really, how glamorous an image can you maintain when you hear Rickson announce that he has to take a "shit" and then see the whole entourage run off to the bathroom just before he has to walk out and fight.
This tape shows part of 7 fights that make up Vale Tudo 95. Rickson Gracie, Todd "Hollywood" Hays (Kickboxing), Koichiro Kimura (Shootfighting), Wayne "The Viking" Evans (Ninjutsu), Yuki Nakai, Yoshihisa Yamamoto (Rings), Craig "Pittbull" Pittman, and Gerard Gordeau, all fought in the event. Really, except for Rickson and Nakai, the rest were clueless and not really worthy of today's standards. But that was then and this is now, so to speak.
The cameras follow Rickson around before and during the event. Rickson starts with an interview done with Inside Kung Fu Magazine and then moves to Rickson's final training session at his academy just before leaving for Japan. The cameraman briefly shows you the outside of Rickson's school. Right next to the sign for Rickson's school is a sign for "West L.A. Karate School." It would be interesting to know if this karate school is still open, you would think Rickson would have sucked all the business in the area into his school. Anyone that lives in the area let me know if the karate school still survives.
The tape then leaves Rickson and takes a look at one of ths opponents. The scene shifts to Dale "Apollo" Cooks school and Todd Hays for an up close and personal look. Todd is a kickboxer with no NHB experience. Todd and his instructor have been watching the UFC and have clearly learned a few things from these events. However, they are still under the delusion that they will catch Rickson Gracie with the "one punch" coming in and finish the fight. I can only shake my head and smile as I listen to Hays discuss his fight strategy. I must say that Hays was the third best fighter in the event. Todd talks about how he will use the money he wins to fund his hope of being an Olympic bobsledder. Well you know what, he did!!! Two thumbs up for Todd. Todd as it turns out has transformed himself into one of the best bobsledders in the US today. Todd did qualify for the Olympics by shocking the more experienced drivers with a victory. However, his Olympic dreams were crushed like a bug, when U.S. bobsledder Mike Dionne was banned for three months because he tested positive for ephedrine, a minor stimulant found in many over-the-counter cold remedies. Dionne appealed. When his appeal was denied, his athlete credentials were yanked. So was Dionne's sled. His four-man bobsled team, with driver Todd Hays, was not be allowed to compete. DOH!!! You should see Todd at Salt Lake competing in the next Olympics.
The tape then turns to Rickson fighting Helio and an interview with Helio. The interview with Helio looks similar to the one on the Gracie Advanced tape set. Maybe Helio always sits in the same chair and wears the same outfit when interviewed. They makers of the Choke tape edited out the part where Helio slams Rickson and scoffs at Rickson's claimed 401-0 fight record. The announcers in the Vale Tudo event announced that Rickson has a "professional" record of 401-0. Rickson would be fighting about 12 times a year since birth. I can could count all of Rickson's professional fights on my fingers without using my toes. This is more in line with what Helio claims is Rickson's fight record that is somewhere around 9-0.
The scene shifts to the home of Koichiro Kimura. We meet his parents and then head back to Todd Hays working out.
Next we get to spend an inordinate amount of time with Rickson stretching on the beach. Rickson appears to be performing the animal like movements of "Ginastica Natural." Then we get to watch Rickson do breathing exercises with his stomach that are best left for "Ripley's Believe it or not."
Now we are off to Japan. We see the rules meeting were Dale Cook is upset about some last minute rule changes dealing with standing eight counts. Dale has a point about the fact that if you will give a guy who is standing an eight count then you should do the same on the ground when a fighter is almost choked out.
Now the fights are ready to begin. The camera follows several of the fighters around and cuts footage of the fights around this. Some times you are watching the fight from ringside, sometimes you are standing next to Todd Hays in the back of the arena watching and commenting on the fight. Other times you are in the locker room with a fighter and hear second had what has happened in a given fight.
Anyone who has seen this event knows that the toughest person in the whole event was not Rickson Gracie by a long shot. The title of toughest competitor and winner of the "Oleg Taktarov Absorption of Punishment Award" goes to Yuki Nakai. This guy got the piss beaten out of him and kept finding ways to win. There is no way they would let this guy continue to fight these days. After his first fight against Gerard Gordeau he had a large bandage over his completely shut eye. He walks out to the ring, does his best sumo impression and then takes the bandage off and is ready for more punishment. Nakai promptly get the crap beaten out himself and again finds an armlock to win. I heard that Nakai had to retire because of the injuries he sustained in this event. (If someone has any info on Nakai after this event, let me know.)
By the time Nakai fought Rickson, I am not sure he could see out of either eye. To Rickson's credit he decided that he would not hit Nakai and would just submit him. Royler and the rest of Rickson's corner did not agree with strategy, but again to Rickson's credit he showed a lot of class in submitting Nakai. The same thing can't be said of Rickson when he tossed Yamamoto over the top rope and out of the ring ala Tank Abbott in an earlier fight. There was a thought that Rickson might be disqualified. Then you step back and realize that this is Rickson's event that centers on him. This would never happen.
One of the more interesting scenes on the tape is the soap opera discussions of whether Todd Hays should pull out of the event because he hurt his shoulder. The thought process that went on here is an interesting case study. Discussion of money, having a loss on the Todd's record, how injured Todd really was, and what the effect would be if Todd pulled out all factored in. In the end Todd pulled out and thus blew the biggest and most sought after fight of all time - A chance to fight Rickson Gracie in a NHB event.
Instead, a consolation fight between Koichiro Kimura and Wayne Evans was had and the winner would fight Rickson. The funny thing was that the winner would immediately fight Rickson after the fight! Kimura gets up after beating Evans in a skill-less brawl only to see Rickson Gracie in the other corner waiting for the bell to ring to start the fight!! Doh! The organizers of the event decided to be nice and let Kimura have a 2 minute rest period (inside the ring) before fighting Rickson. To his credit Kimura takes the fight to Rickson and goes for a takedown. Rickson literally flies through the air and avoids the takedown. Rickson then gets clueless down to the ground and chokes him.
In the final fight of the evening, Rickson went on to defeat handily the completely blink Nakai. While Rickson was good to his word to not punch Nakai in the face, he did land a few good heels to Nakai's groin when he had Nakai's back. Interestingly enough, the check that Rickson held up said $60,000 in US dollars. I found this strange in an event in Japan. Also, there were announces in English for parts of the event. For his efforts Rickon was given a huge trophy which had to be over 6 feet tall. It was interesting to see Rickson talk about wanting the event promoters to give out a championship belt like boxing and not a trophy. You would think that this would be the last thing going on in Rickson's head. I took this to mean that Rickson believed that his victory would be more credible if he won a championship belt and not a trophy like a point fighter in a karate tournament. Like the rest of the tape, it was a fascinating look behind the scenes and into the minds of those that participated in this event.
This tape is a must buy for Rickson fans. For those that have seen this event I would recommend getting this tape too. You will have a whole new perspective on the event. As a fighting event, the tape is kind of lame. The talent was mediocre at best. Don't get this tape to see just the Vale Tudo 95, get this tape to enter behind the closed doors and enter the minds of those involved and relive part of history.