Seika<\/strong>: I started Judo when I was 4 years old. My mom wanted to stop my three brothers from fighting amongst themselves so she took us to a nearby Judo dojo. Thanks to my days practicing under my strict mom, I was able to take part in many national competitions and was able to finish 3rd in the inter-high school tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was in 4th grade, my father took me to wrestling practice because someone told him that it would be good for strengthening my ground skills. When I went to try it out, it was fun so I started doing it and ended up winning the national tournament when I was a third year in junior high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: Which do you think you were better at?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I think I was better at wrestling because I was able to show my opponent my power face to face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: You were involved in Judo and wrestling until 2019. Why did you transition to MMA? Do you remember when\/why you decided to turn professional?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: There were no Judo tournaments because of COVID-19. When I started thinking about whether I want to be a player or a coach, I realized that I still have a strong desire to make those around me happy by watching me work hard towards my goal, so I decided to become a mixed martial artist so I can continue to grow and build off of my experiences so far. That was in June of 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: You also did some Sumo. Can you talk about that? Was it fun?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I did Sumo when I was a senior in college. Judo was over so I decided to try Sumo. I practiced hard and as a result, I was able to get 2nd place in the national women’s tournament. I really enjoyed it a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: How did it feel facing a champion in only your second fight and your first fight in the division?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I’ve decided to become the Deep Jewels 52kg champion, so I was happy that I could fight the champion so quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: Can you talk about the match against Motono<\/a>? Did it surprise you that you were able to take her down? Can you talk about her strengths and weaknesses, if she had any?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I practiced flowing from the tackle to the takedown before the match, so I was very happy that I was able to do what I practiced. She has a lot of power and fights with a lot of forward pressure. I didn’t really see many weaknesses…<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: How do you think the rematch will play out? Do you think it will be similar to the last fight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I think she will be more aggressive than last time. I’m also good at being aggressive and attacking so I think it will be an explosive fight, I’m looking forward to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: Has COVID-19 affected your training?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I started my training after the COVID-19 pandemic had already started so not a lot has changed, but I have noticed an increase in those who train while wearing masks. I feel like its made me better at breathing through my nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: I read that when you were younger you wanted to compete in the Olympics. Can you talk about that? Do you have any goals in MMA?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I think that the Olympics are the top stage for Judo and wrestling. However, I also had a strong desire to become a teacher so I wasn’t able to focus exclusively on them. Now as a MMA fighter I want to become the Deep Jewels champion. By becoming the best in the world, I will make Deep Jewels the best promotion in the world too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: You are a graduate student at a respected university. What are you studying? What is your lifestyle like as a student and a pro-fighter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: My area of study is education. Research plays a main part in what I do, so in my free time I read books or essays. Classes are in the evening so I work part-time before and go to practice afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: How long have you been at Takamoto Dojo? I also read that your brother is your physical trainer, so can you talk about that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: When I was a Sophmore in college I did some Jiu-Jitsu at Takamoto Dojo. After that, I started teaching wrestling there. My brother is a physical trainer, so I am very grateful that he trains me very well and helps with my diet. But I love sweets so it makes me sad when I’m scolded by him every time I eat them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: For some non-fight related questions, can you talk about any hobbies you might have or what you like to do in your time off? Any manga, music, or foods that you like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: My hobby is eating sweets. Recently, I’ve had a lot of time to chat with my brothers so I’ve been enjoying that as well. My favorite manga is Haikyu<\/a>, my favorite music is The Blue Hearts<\/a>, and my favorite foods are tapioca, ice cream, and fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SK<\/strong>: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Is there anything you would like to say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seika<\/strong>: I’m Seika Izawa, and I will be the best fighter in the world. I will become the Deep Jewels champion and will get even stronger in the future, so please look forward to my success! <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can follow Seika on Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Currently living in a $300 a month apartment in Tokyo, Seika Izawa is chasing her dream of being the best fighter in the world. In addition to training, she is also has a part-time job and is a graduate student. On March 7th, Seika will have an opportunity to get one step closer to her goal, as she will be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deep-jewels","category-interview"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sogo-kaku.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Seika-Judo.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1\")
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