THE HISTORY OF SHOOTO & THE I.S.C.

The term “Shooto” is derived from the Japanese words “shu” and “to,” which taken together mean “learned combat.” Sometimes referred to as “Shootfighting” in the Western World, the art of Shooto is a comprehensive fighting style founded by Master Sotoru Sayama in Japan during the early 1980’s. A life-long practitioner of the Martial Arts, Sensei Sayama drew from his background in judo, karate, sambo, muay thai, and submission wrestling to create a comprehensive fighting system made up of the most effective techniques taken from these core martial arts disciplines.

Master Sayama sought not only to establish Shooto as a recognized fighting system, but also as an organized form of martial arts competition. In 1986, after founding the International Shooto Commission to oversee mixed martial arts competition, Master Sayama sanctioned the first amateur Shooto event. From these humble beginnings, the Shooto organization quickly spread throughout Japan and has now become the primary sanctioning body for Japanese mixed martial arts competition.

The spread of Shooto across the sea to the United States is credited to Yorinaga Nakamura, Master Sayama’s student and the first ever Shooto World Champion. With the help of American martial arts legend, Dan Inosanto, Nakamura founded the first American Shooto school in Los Angeles, California at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts.

Shooto competition spread rapidly throughout the United States and events are now held regularly in Hawaii, Nevada, Indiana, Illinois, and Tennessee, with affiliates currently working to develop Shooto in Colorado and in Florida as well. Worldwide, the International Shooto Commission oversees competitions held in Australia, Holland, Finland, Latavia, Norway, Switzerland, Lithuania, Denmark, Canada, and Brazil, in addition to the many events featured regularly in Japan.

Established in the mid 1980’s, the International Shooto Commission is the oldest mixed martial arts organization in the world. With over 70 events sanctioned annually througout the world, the ISC has also grown to become the world’s largest Mixed Martial Arts organization.

 

SHOOTO-RELATED LINKS:

CURRENT SHOOTO RANKINGS
OFFICIAL SHOOTO WORLD & REGIONAL RANKINGS FROM X-SHOOTO.JP
SHOOTO RANKINGS BLOG

SHOOTO IN NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA
SHOOTO AMERICAS WEBSITE
HOOK-n-SHOOT (PIONEER IN U.S. SHOOTO)
SHOOTO HAWAII

INTERNATIONAL SHOOTO
SHOOTO JAPAN / SHOOTO JAPAN ENGLISH VERSION
X-SHOOTO.TV (JAPAN)
SHOOTO AUSTRALIA
SHOOTO SWEDEN
SHOOTO HOLLAND
SHOOTO SWITZERLAND
SHOOTO FINLAND
SHOOTO LITHUANIA
VIKING FIGHT (SHOOTO EVENT IN DENMARK)
MIXED BATTLE (EUROPEAN SHOOTO EVENT)
SUSUMU'S SHOOTO PHOTO GALLERY (JAPAN)
KO GYM IN JAPAN