Fighting Spirit (2000) s01e65 Episode Script

The Summer of the Kamogawa Corps

1
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
I don't believe it.
Takuma Saeki is torn apart!
The match is over!
The Featherweight champion, Takeshi Sendo,
takes his first defense fight
with a one-round knockout.
What a perfect champ he's shaped up to be.
He fells second-ranking challenger Saeki
in a mere 67 seconds.
It's his first defense fight,
but the Tiger of Naniwa
already oozes his own style.
Dreams are quickly expanding
to the future and the world stage.
Sendo!
THE SUMMER OF THE KAMOGAWA CORPS
KO time, first round,
one minute, seven seconds.
It's a new record for the shortest
Japan Featherweight title match.
Yeah. And special mention
goes to his making this record
against Takuma Saeki of all people.
Driving an opponent as famous
as the Speed Star into a corner
and finishing him off with a KO
isn't an average day's work.
I still believe that Ippo-kun
is the best puncher around,
but it did take him four rounds
to take down Saeki.
I made sure it happened.
I wanted to take him down faster
than Makunouchi did.
I spotted you from the ring.
I guess it was too good
to be true that I set a new record.
However, I need to fight him
head-to-head to get anywhere.
Unless I return the debt personally,
nobody will accept it, including me.
To this day I still can't say
I'm the champion with pride.
Let me fight Makunouchi.
Let's settle who's the strongest in Japan.
You're as impatient as ever.
I actually like that about you.
What? You mean
you'll let me have my fight?
Not so hasty now.
The kid will likely re-challenge
the title not too far into the future.
However, he will take the belt,
no matter who is the champion
at that time.
Get your burial plot picked out.
You sound pretty confident. But
The Dempsey Roll won't work on me.
Hey, it's Rocky!
So that's where you were!
Hey, what are you doin'?
The reporters are waiting for you
in the green room.
Oh, pipe down! I'm having
an important discussion.
The Chief is furious!
He is?
Let's get going!
All right.
Bye, Kamogawa-san.
Set up the match for me, okay?
If you'll excuse me,
I have to be getting back.
Come on!
Who's that weird old geezer?
I told you to pipe down!
Hey, a boxer's hitting little children!
You noisy nitpicking kids!
Chief, what did he mean
about the Dempsey Roll not working?
FISHING BOAT RENTAL MAKUNOUCHI
The match is over.
The Featherweight champion, Takeshi Sendo,
takes his first defense fight
with a one-round knockout.
What a guy.
Now, let's recap the match.
Saeki-san is in good shape.
He went in anyway.
He's acting tough as always.
He's dodging by the skin of his teeth
by slipping through.
Like he knows the trajectory
of the jabs beforehand.
The challenger is against the ropes!
The champion hasn't hit him yet!
Is he driven back by sheer force of will?
No, there's more to it.
He's doing that to warn
that he's going to hit.
It's harder to deal with
than actual fists.
This is incredible!
He made the correct opposite moves
using feints,
but his escape route was blocked
as though Sendo-san knew.
Saeki is trapped!
He isn't predicting moves
from experience like Date-san did.
It's an animal-like instinct
unique to Sendo-san.
Whoa, Saeki is down!
The referee stops the match!
The match is over!
He's tough.
He has improved greatly
since the time he fought me.
And this style of boxing
Who could it be at this hour?
Chief!
Uh, please come in.
No, I'll stay here.
Did you watch it on TV?
Yes.
Your impressions?
I'm in shock.
Sendo-san was undoubtedly aiming
to finish off Saeki-san
in the first round by KO.
He's become far stronger
since the time he fought me and Volg-san.
It's only been 18 months
since the All-Japan.
He has improved abnormally fast.
You are the cause of it.
Natural ability and daily training.
Self-confidence gained
from wearing the belt.
The empty bitterness
of the Volg fight coming down to points.
Those are plenty of the elements
required for sudden growth.
However, those are merely secondary.
It is all for the sake of defeating you.
I could read it in Sendo's eyes.
He is becoming a monster.
You are the one who made him that way.
I'm matching you up.
Your opponent is
Featherweight champion Takeshi Sendo.
This time, you take that belt.
-We're going to camp.
-Yes, sir!
Be forewarned that
you'll be holding back tears throughout.
I want
I want the belt.
It's every boxer's dream. But
If it's Sendo-san,
I don't care if it's a non-title fight.
It isn't over.
When we fought,
he left the ring unconscious.
But I was on the verge of losing
by KO as well.
I can't help but wonder
what if the match had continued.
It feels like that match isn't over yet.
That may be why
Sendo is so obsessed as well.
Sorry to barge in so late.
-Um, Chief.
-Yes?
About the Dempsey Roll
I'm worried the Dempsey Roll
won't work on Sendo-san.
Kid
Clear your brain
of anything unnecessary right now.
The Chief is aware of it, too.
Hey, hurry it up!
Yo!
We have camp this year, too.
It's already late August
and we haven't had any typhoons.
-We'll get to swim, huh?
-Mother Ocean is waiting for us. Right?
Well, we're going there to train, so
You're packing all sorts of stuff, too.
Don't go through personal things.
Always playing the good boy.
Uh No, I
I think you guys are barking up
the wrong tree.
No, sir. We're only talking
about our free time.
We'll be training seriously. Don't worry.
-That's not what I meant.
-Huh?
This year we're heading to the mountains.
How far up do we gotta go?
Is your friend a hermit, old man?
Pipe down, Takamura!
WATCH OUT FOR BEARS
That sign we just passed
said to watch out for bears.
We're getting deeper
and deeper into the boondocks.
Is there really a lodge up here?
Quit fussing around
and prepare to disembark. We're here.
YOSHIO'S LODGE
Yoshio's Lodge.
What were they smoking
when they built it on the edge of a cliff?
It could subside
and fall over at any time.
To live next door to danger
at every possible moment is my policy.
Oh, Neko-chan!
Gen-chan! I'm glad you're here.
It's been ages!
-You haven't lost your touch.
-Neither have you.
Those aren't the moves
of old men pushing 80.
I didn't see the punches at all.
This gentleman is Ginpachi Nekota.
He says he named this lodge
after Japan's first world champion,
Yoshio Shirai.
Are these kids your pupils, Gen-chan?
The big one must be Takamura.
Do you know about me?
I order my boxing videos
and sports magazines
from the foot of the mountain.
You're currently
the Japan Middleweight champion,
with three consecutive KO wins
on defense fights.
You're well informed.
That title fight the other day
was really close, huh, Makunouchi?
Do you know about me, too? I'm flattered.
You're famous. That would mean
the other two are
Ooh! He knows about us, too?
You're Charlito Degnos
and Rocky Lin, aren't you!
We're Japanese!
Let's get right down to training!
-Right!
-Yes, sir!
Takamura, you stay behind.
I need to talk to you
about the next match.
Yo!
-Shinoda-chan, look after the boys for me.
-Right.
There are bears around here. Be careful.
Bears?
Now that you mention it, I saw a sign
It's all right. We're three boxers.
We'll catch it and bring it back.
Come on, let's go!
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
We'll go slow on the way down to
avoid knee strain, but we'll dash uphill.
-Yo!
-Yes, sir!
Ippo blasted on ahead!
I won't let him beat me!
Hey, don't go overboard now!
We got energy to spare!
That's some good stuff.
You're a champ all right.
Don't strain yourself.
My punches can crush organs
right through a sandbag.
Let's leave it at that.
I need you to look after
all our needs, Neko-chan.
Now that you mention it,
the guys are late coming back.
They thought mountain running was easy,
so they're probably dying as we speak.
The downhill trek is way harder.
Don't talk to me. It's hard to talk!
Unbelievable.
My feet has to take all my weight,
it's hard to hold myself up.
But this exercise is perfect
for the shift of weight,
the most important element
in the Dempsey Roll.
Is he gonna blast on ahead again?
Makunouchi, I told you
to take it easy on the downhill.
Behind you!
A bear!
Hey, don't leave me behind!
Shut up! Sacrifice yourself!
I don't want to!
You were fortunate to run into him
on the way down.
Bears are fast at running uphill,
but their front legs are so short,
they're slow going downhill.
Is that so?
My life feels shortened somehow.
I thought I'd end up as bear food.
Damn, you guys are pathetic.
Kill it and get a real reputation.
Seeing one in real life is really freaky.
What'll happen to the roadwork tomorrow?
Don't worry.
We have a local bear-repellant method.
That would be great.
I'll have them ready for you tomorrow.
I don't need one. The only thing
I want from you is a large pot.
I'll catch that sucker,
so get ready to cook bear.
Don't treat me like those wimpy losers.
What a dependable guy.
What are you doing up so late?
Chief!
I bet you're worried
about the Dempsey Roll.
The Dempsey Roll is extremely powerful
against someone backing off,
but it's a bad bet
against someone who drives forward.
Add to that Sendo's overwhelming
punch numbers and overbearing attitude
It will be rendered ineffective
before it can even begin to work.
Then what should I do?
The Dempsey Roll is not
just one technique by itself.
When Jack Dempsey,
the originator of the technique,
used it, he would always force back
his opponent first.
Always force back his opponent?
It was linked from the groundwork to force
an opponent to retreat to technique,
and finally to finishing blow.
Once all those elements are assembled
the Dempsey Roll will near perfection.
The perfection of the Dempsey Roll?
Yes.
However, Sendo is a horribly difficult
opponent to force to back off.
A lower body that won't be stopped
by his power punch.
The strength to make the most hits
even if charged bodily.
That is what you will acquire
during this camp.
Yes, sir!
I get it. Whole body strength.
I need to do more than cook up techniques.
I need to start
with the power to out-hit Sendo-san
to force him to back away.
Take these with you today.
Shut up! You guys make me look bad.
Don't follow me.
Come on, man.
I guess we didn't encounter
any bears today thanks to the bells.
Damn! I'm heading back without you.
The old geezer is thinking up
a new training menu.
He can still talk big 'cause
he hasn't seen one close up.
They're really big, you know.
We still got a bear!
What?
Ippo-kun was attacked by a bear?
It happened in the blink of an eye!
He's done for!
He's probably being devoured as we speak!
Kid!
Where's the bear?
We're gonna rescue Makunouchi!
-Hey, bear!
-Don't point that barrel at me!
What'll we do?
-Huh?
-That sound
You guys are mean!
You all left me behind,
so I got lost on my way back.
A dog?
You troublemakers!
I'm sorry.
He showed me the way back.
That's my dog, Hachi.
I told you not to point that barrel at me.
All right, then, I'll go over
each of your training menus.
-Are you ready?
-Yes, sir!
Do 30 of these.
Split them up into quarters.
I'm chopping wood, sir?
Understood! I'll do it!
Let's see. So, I'm splitting them
into quarters lengthwise?
Heave-ho!
Squats, eh?
Yes. Placing their lower extremities
in a heavy current
helps to maintain balance as they squat.
It works wonders.
That's a dandy idea.
That's not how you do it!
Squats aren't effective
unless you go down deeper.
Oh.
Watch me closely.
You do this! This!
He got washed away!
You would've been in trouble
if Hachi hadn't helped you.
Nekota-san, it's dangerous, so please
I'm sorry.
Takamura-kun! All right,
five more reps! Let's go!
All right!
It ain't the Bremen Musicians.
This is harder than it looks.
Hachi?
Come on, he's spotted us.
Nekota-san?
I didn't mean to interrupt.
What's wrong? You don't look so happy.
I got in everybody's way.
All I wanted to do was help out.
You're not in our way.
I bet so few people come out this far,
he wants to join in.
Um, if it's okay, would you please
teach me how to chop wood?
I can't split them properly.
-What's that?
-Please show me.
Okay! Just watch this!
-You start by stabilizing your lower body.
-Right.
Then hold out your chest,
and bring it down in one motion.
Amazing! What a perfect cut!
I did it every day in lieu of training
back when I was actively boxing.
Thanks to that, this is what I got.
They say that the back muscles
are the source of power.
I can't believe he's maintaining
this much muscle past 70.
You might think it's primitive,
but the effects are huge.
So that's why the chief
told me to do this.
You need power
in order to force Sendo back.
But if that's all you did, you'd destroy
yourself even if you did win.
Are you referring
to the punch drunk syndrome?
There once was a boxer
who wouldn't back off for anything.
No matter how many times
he was dropped, he'd get back up to fight.
However, he was eventually forced
to retire due to brain damage.
It took him five years to learn
how to function normally again.
Five years?
Actually, he never did recover fully.
Nekota-san.
You always have to pay the price
for big, satisfying slugfests.
Especially guys like you.
But I can't run from it because of that.
I need to exchange punches face-on.
If only against Sendo-san.
You're definitely Gen-chan's pupil.
You're prepared for the worst, huh?
However, I want you to remember one thing.
There are more
to face-on slugfests than fists.
There are other ways to punch
than by punching.
Keep that in mind,
and your punches will double in number.
But is that possible?
That trick of yours
gave me no end of trouble.
Chief!
That trick forced me
into the ropes many times.
I can still do it.
What?
Kid, call the gang together later.
This is a good opportunity
to tell everyone about it.
Something that punches without punching?
A method to double the number of punches?
What on earth is it?
Feint. A feigned movement
made to throw an opponent off-guard.
Confuse the opponent
by stepping in or moving the shoulder in.
To fight an opponent
who has acquired that technique,
I must refine my mental attitude
to match it.
I must train myself further.
I feel rushed emotionally,
but no matter how painful it is,
I must see this training camp through.
Next time, "Mr. Takamura's Tears."
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