BattlArts: 26th July 2009

Here's some more BattlArts. Opening couple of matches are short enough. Basen TAGAI vs. Super Tiger was not good. I appreciated the focus on the arm, but the arm work was pretty lacklustre, and Super Tiger's kicks were sloppy (and not the fun, deadly looking sloppy, but the sort of sloppy that makes you question why that would knock a guy out). I also didn't really like the Walter vs. Yano match. Yano takes it to the outside and introduces a chair, which I hated. BattlArts is somewhere where the regular striking often looks (and is) nastier than most promotions . The chair would be unnecessary if Yano was able to actually hit anyone hard. He also does some other stuff that looks weak, like his standing splash to Walters arm (or leg, I temporarily can't remember what he was targetting in this match). I was hoping for Walter to smack Yano around a lot more, and there were a few nice punches (although I realised that they were actually to the shoulderblade rather than the head, which doesn't make much sense as an offensive strategy from a pure striker who struggles more on the mat with submissions). I did like the suddeness of the finish though, and Yano sold it like the victim of a blunt force head trauma (which it might actually have been).

Usuda vs. Yamamoto was a really great match. Comparing it to the other two great singles from February with these two guys (Usuda vs. Yoshikawa, Yamamoto vs. Otsuka), this combined elements I really liked from both - great, completely organic matwork exchanges and Usuda's selling in particular. I also liked the sense of a veteran on the backfoot, having to really struggle to find an opening to sneak a victory. In the Otsuka match, Yamamoto was very much the underdog for the middle of the match, but here's he is really in control. His mat counters are both visually impressive yet never contrived looking. Has this the length of the Yoshikawa match and the final few minutes of drama, I think we'd be talking match of the year.

I liked Ishikawa vs. Tiger Shark a lot. This was another great Ishikawa performance, where, like the Walter match on the previous show, the other guy (whilst mainly being along for the ride) plays his role. He had plenty of head kicks, and whilst I never really bought him as a realistic threat (which was probably the intension here), he didn't look out of his depth in any aspect. Ishikawa is maybe the best guy I've seen this year for little details, which in the context of the realistic BattlArts style, are really great.. Firstly, he never stops moving or doing things - in a submission, he'll look to add extra pressure by including another limb; on the backfoot he'll be firing off little counter punches, even whilst falling to the mat. The finish was a great example of the former, first countering an armlock with one of his own, then manoevering around so he was on top, then adding the headscissors to clinch the victory.

And the main event tag was just kind of OK. There was a load of no-selling that I wasn't wild about, with Sawa and Sasaki shrug off punches to the face. Then, after all that indyish no-selling and strike exchanges, they tag on a finish that was much more realistic, with a single knockout blow that just happens to get the job done. The match was really built around a feud they seem to have, which meant limited Otsuka, especially in the last seven minutes or so. His mat section wit Sawa wasn't high end Otsuka mat dominance, but was fine; in particular the bits where Sawa was fighting to avoid a suplex. Also enjoyed his running headbutt to the back of Yoshikawa - especially as it looked liked he was lining up for a punt. Otsuka will make you sell.