In this issue, we interviewed Manazo Kobayashi (NEXT LEVEL Shibuya), who will face Tiffany Van Soest (USA/Tiffany Van Soest) at “Glory 80” to be held on March 19, 2022 (March 20, Japan time).
Kobayashi is the first RISE QUEEN Flyweight Champion, WPMF Women’s World Flyweight Champion, and the first Muay Thai Open Women’s Flyweight Champion, but her road to success has not been smooth. After making her professional debut at the “SHOOT BOXING Girls S-cup – 48 kg World Tournament 2018”, she steadily improved her record and was undefeated until July 2018, when she suffered a loss to Iliana Valentino at the “SHOOT BOXING Girls S-cup – 48 kg World Tournament 2018”. After that, she continued to improve her winning record, but her career has been full of twists and turns, including an unexpected loss to Ryoka Tabuchi at “RISE 144”, where she was the interim champion.
She herself said, “I make mistakes at the critical moment. She also says, “I make mistakes at the critical moment. However, the interesting thing about Tabuchi is that she has been able to get revenge for both her first loss to Ileana and her subsequent loss to Tabuchi.
The driving force behind this is her competitive spirit. In dramas and animations, it is a matter of course to get revenge, but in reality, it does not work that way. It is a common occurrence that a fighter loses after all, even after setting up a revenge match. In Kobayashi’s case, however, the difference between him and other players is that he has achieved revenge. He says, “In my case, I am the type of person who can explode as soon as I have a certain “I’m a bastard” moment. This competitive spirit has been the driving force behind his success.
目次
- The beginning was because I got compliments on my calves.
- I’m going to roll it into my own pace.
- I want to show that the Japanese fighter is great.
- Kickboxing isn’t everything in my life
The beginning was because I got compliments on my calves.
Kobayashi started kickboxing because she received compliments on her calves. Kobayashi, who was attending a vocational school at the time, was looking for a place to exercise while on a diet when he went to visit Fortis Shibuya. I was just going to take the free trial and go home,” he says, “but I got compliments on my calves in the class.
Originally, Kobayashi had been playing volleyball since elementary school and had muscles on her body. she says his calves were complex. She got hooked on kickboxing because it was a sport that allowed him to make use of her complex.
Fortis Shibuya has many female athletes, which led her to her professional debut. As she trained with champions such as Aki Gracia, Tsubaki Oshima, and Momi, she felt frustrated every time. It is only natural that she would not be able to compete with the champions, but in this environment, Kobayashi was able to develop her strength.
Kobayashi moved to NEXT LEVEL Shibuya, but she was still surrounded by women’s champions, such as Gracia, as she had been at Fortis Shibuya. Because she was in an environment where champions were so close to her, “I could imagine myself with a championship belt around my neck,” she said. When I can visualize something, I can embody it,” she says, “and that’s how I ended up with a championship belt.
I’m going to roll it into my own pace.
Kobayashi will be traveling to Europe to compete against Tiffany Van Soest on the big kickboxing stage of “GLORY”. Moreover, this match is a challenge to the belt she holds.
As for her preparation for the match, she said that she is “still adjusting” as there are still a few days until the match. About her opponent, she said, “She’s not a compilation of kicks, but she moves in a way that everyone thinks is ideal,” “She’s technical, she does some tricky moves, and she’s athletic,” and “If I can get her into a rhythm, she’s going to be bad. Is there anyone who is similar to the players you have fought?” Shee replied, “It’s like adding Hinata Terayama and Suzuka Tabuchi and dividing it by two.
However, she also seems to have found a point of attack in this, saying, “I think it is important to keep my own rhythm from the beginning. Regarding the game in which Tiffany lost, he said, “I didn’t get the rhythm right, or I was matched or shifted,” and that it was important for both players to have the rhythm in their hands.
Kobayashi’s approach, however, is to “keep your own rhythm. I can’t manipulate my opponent even if I try to break his rhythm,” she said. “I can take countermeasures based on the data I receive, but I have to strengthen my own rhythm and fighting style,” she said.
I want to show that the Japanese fighter is great.
Kobayashi is selected for the big game, a title match on “GLORY. “RISE,” Kobayashi’s main competition, has strengthened its overseas ties by partnering not only with “GLORY” but also with “Enfusion. In mixed martial arts, there are some Japanese fighters who are moving overseas, but what about Kobayashi?
“I will go to fights, but I have no intention of leaving NEXT LEVEL.” She is adamant that she has no intention of leaving NEXT LEVEL. Kobayashi says that her current environment suits him the best.
As for her plans to go abroad for training as a warrior, she says, “I may need outside stimulation in the future.” She says it is a possibility, but she would like to think about it based on her current environment in Japan.
But as for competing overseas, “I would like to show that Japanese fighter is awesome.” She would like to continue to do so in the future.
I would like to win at “Glory” and say, “If you want to fight, come to Japan. This time, Kobayashi will be in a hostile environment, and his opponent will be the “Glory” champion. I don’t mind”, he said. However, “the most frustrating thing is when people say on Yahoo comments or on Youtube, ‘She lost, but she won in terms of content. She is determined to win, no matter what.
Kickboxing isn’t everything in my life
She also says that she is not good at Japanese sensibilities, such as human relationships and traditions. In this tournament, she hopes to experience “a freedom that is different from Japanese sensibilities. Some athletes do not hesitate to communicate with other athletes, but Kobayashi says she is “not good at it.
In particular, she is conscious of fighters in the same weight class as her opponents, and even when having a meal, she gets into fighting mode and “gets nervous.
For Kobayashi, kickboxing is about “how you face your opponent in the ring. I think there is something like, “We can understand each other by fighting each other in the ring.” She believes that you can understand your opponent better by facing her in the ring than by talking to her.
Kobayashi is such a fighter, but she is not sure about her future. This does not mean that she is thinking of retiring, but rather that kickboxing is a part of her life and not the only part of her life. She is positive that she wants to enjoy her life: “I want to work, get married, and do what I love.”
She says, “A year from now, I may be saying something different,” but it seems certain that she will continue to head in a positive direction.