Japanese
Fight at 145lbs
Train our of Clinch MMA and UNITED ALLEGIANCE BJJ
I grew up in a single parent home. A dysfunctional home, where my mother was too busy focused on working to maintain bills and living expenses for the family. She had a hard time raising us, I guess for myself I felt alone and not part of the family. No father figure in my life, I got bullied growing up in elementary and early high school. Through myself getting bullied and my low-self esteem, I ended up being a bully myself in early high school. Eventually that changed because my focus was no longer in school, I found security in a "different" crowd. Eventually I found my way into Muay Thai in my late 20's where I fell in love w/the art. Jason Fenton was the first to start me off in my love for martial arts. That only held for so long. Again I was side tracked with life. Again going through a crisis in my life, I left for Thailand to clear my head and getaway. I trained in Bangkok for awhile, when I came back I started to train and got into MMA when I was living Vancouver Island. With new clarity and a change in heart I focused diligently in martial arts and saw that my life began to change. I had more focus, discipline and a true sens of self-esteem. Eventually I changed my life around. Today I train regularly, compete, help run a OUTREACH MMA program at CLINCH MMA and own my own ladies fitness gym (30Minute Hit Kerrisdale).
Martial Arts has helped change my life for the better.
Interview
BCABI: So we now have Tak Sasaki and we
believe you have a big fight coming up right?
Tak: Yes, September 15th, at the
Vancouver Convention Centre.
BCABI: So let’s have you introduce
yourself.
Tak: My name is Tak Sasaki. [I am] a local
MMA fighter in Vancouver. I train out of Clinch
MMA B.C. I fight at 155 [lbs], trying to make 145 or 135, not sure which
one she wants me to get down to. Next fight is supposed to be at 145[lbs], but
might have to [do] catch weight at 152[lbs]. Possibly a [professional] fight
overseas on November 12th if the contract goes through. [Also the] owner
of a ladies only gym called the “30 Minute Hit” in Kerrisdale. So not only do I
train myself, but I train females in kickboxing, boxing and self-defence. [I] have
a little family, a little guy and a wife. Just training and living a healthy
way of life has been my life for the last 4 years and I got into martial arts
or I should say Muay Thai kickboxing about 6-7 years ago. And [got into] MMA
the last 4 years.
BCABI: Wow, you’re so busy, I’m surprised you have free time for me.
Tak: I try!
BCABI: I heard a lot of things about your Outreach Program. Why and how did you get involved with your current anti-bullying activities?
Tak: Well, before the Outreach Program, I actually used to go to [the] youth detention centres and try to talk to [the] youth there. I just told them a bit of my life history and the poor choices that I made that led me down a certain way in life. Through Martial Arts I manage to find a different way to living life and [it] also really helps me shield myself as a person [on the] inside with my own self-confidence, own discipline and all these other aspects that come with martial arts. So [anti-bullying activities] started there, [by] reaching out to youth and trying to make a difference in the community and then through my training. My trainer Sal Ram, from Clinch MMA, offered me the opportunity to start a program out of his gym and I jumped right on it. Since then, [he], myself and Paul Cheng have been running the MMA Outreach Program out of Burnaby Clinch MMA. It’s been great so far, I really enjoy that I can not only teach kids the skills of MMA and the stuff I learn [such as] staying in great shape, but also try to guide them in a positive aspect using self-defence not as a way to bully or hurt others, but to be confident within themselves, to defend themselves and to develop themselves as martial artists not necessary in the physical aspect but as a person, to develop their mind, to learn their math, science, English and listen to their parents and all the other good stuff that comes through learning discipline and focus.
BCABI: Ya there’s some really deep things going on in there. Why do you think bullying occurs in general?
Tak: I believe, this is just from my own experience, bullying occurs because the people who are usually doing the bullying are broken themselves; but I shouldn’t say broken, [but rather] hurt themselves. And I believe that something, whether it’s in their current history in life, whether they were growing up with something during that journey, has damaged them where they have to lash out and I find that bullies themselves have been bullied, have some kind of domestic issues at home, or even growing up or other situation that affects their self-confidence and affects their social behaviour with other people. And I think for them to feel better of themselves, they lash out and I think that’s what causes this bullying. Also, it’s part of that feeling of not [being] good enough or their self-esteem feeling is low, but by bullying they feel their confidence goes up, but in a false state. By bullying, they aren’t really increasing true self-confidence but more increasing poor ego.
BCABI: Yeah it is a shame in that way. But if one let say, encounters a bullying situation at a school ground, what should one do?
Tak: If someone was bullying, for myself, I would just do my best to avoid the situation and turn away. I would definitely tell a peer [and] talk about it. I would not hold it in. I have an 8 year old step son and he’s had some issues where kids have lashed out and you know kids are kids and they do things. [He has not experienced] a full bullying situation where it occurs daily, but a situation where it’s been uncomfortable for him. He has the understanding with his mom and I to have that freedom to talk and let us know and to understand that he’s not being a wimp or ratting out, [talking about bully is] not these negative connotations that come when people talk about these bullying issues. I have expressed to him to let us know. So that being said, when a person comes across a situation like that, I would say avoid it and talk to someone and let them know. If they see someone else being bullied (witnessing), I hope they would have the courage to help the person being bullied, [not by fighting], but by interjecting and letting them know that it is not cool [while at the same time] sympathizing with the bully [and] letting the bully know it’s not okay, but yet at the same time letting them know that they (the bullies) themselves don’t have to bully others to make them feel better about themselves.
BCABI: Yeah, I would understand. Sometimes they are a little scared to actually turn it around.
Tak: Definitely. I understand that too because there is social pressure [against] people who do that (confronting a bullying situation). Especially with bullying there is always this main, one bully and group a behind it, [and there is a] group conscience, group thought behind it (bullying); thus, it does get intimidating for other people. So it is hard to do that and I hope that through, for instance, the MMA program, that we can instil confidence in themselves (bullies and non-bullies) and their own ability, physically, to not worry about those things, and to develop a strong leadership skill in themselves as well as build that self-confidence.
BCABI: So in your own opinion, can you elaborate how one can make one’s self more bully resistant?
Tak: I believe bullies find victims or look for victims, a person who will not fight back, an easy person to prey on. And that being said, a person who speaks up and stands up with confidence or does not let it happen by not keeping it to [oneself (does not become a victim)]. I believe that a victim becomes a person that lets it (bullying) happen and doesn’t say anything. So in order to not be that victim I believe a person has to express this bullying behaviour by talking to their peers, parents and teachers. And also the other aspect of [becoming] bully resistant is to be able to know for [oneself], to have their own self confidence that it’s okay to stand up to it. I have seen bullies do that where they have taken that physical or that group setting, say there is a group of three or four kids and they pick on that one [victim] and that one feels very outnumber and intimidated and then usually happens daily until something happens to the poor kid and his self-esteem gets broken down over time, his own confidence and things like that. By speaking out, and becoming more aware that it’s not okay to let this happen will help boost a person’s (victim’s) confidence. I believe that martial arts will help develop, I don’t want to say their anti-bullying qualities, but will increase the victims’ confidence level and their insurance in themselves and their ways to protect themselves not just physically but mentally because their training develops a mental conditioning that requires resilience and mental toughness [and] that helps them persevere through things like that (bullying).
BCABI: It seems like a very multifaceted thing to do if we look at the whole spectrum.
Tak: Yeah, I truly believe that [the] bullying issue is unfortunate. I just wonder too that these kids, with these shootings happening or these guys that just snap, you look at their history they are usually the ones sometimes who are out-casted and are considered victims and they get to the point where they get pushed and they just snap and violent behaviour occurs because it just builds up over time. And I think that the community or we as a support group, can avoid [these incidents] by letting these victims know or letting people know that, A: it’s it not right and B: that it’s okay to speak up about it and get the support that the person needs. Again, like I said, I find that some of these people who get bullied are the ones that are out-casted or considered weak. And when I say that, it comes with quotations: I’m not saying that these people are but in a general sense, they are the quiet ones and are the ones that don’t stand out and get bullied. It’s unfair and society breeds that sometimes.
BCABI: In your opinion, what can be done at the individual and public level to address the bullying problems?
Tak: On the individual level, I believe that just being able to talk about it. Like for myself, I encourage my step son to talk about it, like when these situations happen. Don’t bottle things up. I think on an individual level as parents, they can have open communications with their children. Teachers have open communications with their students. Peers have open communication and letting them know that it’s a safe environment is [another] way to help that (address bullying problems). On a community level, like doing outreach programs, and being there as a whole community to help others just unites that (group anti-bullying culture). And I think that the person who is doing the bullying also needs to be reached out too. The person, like I said, who is doing the bullying is misguided or hurt themselves and I believe that they themselves need help, some kind of support or reassurance in life that it’s okay and they don’t need to lash out at others to feel better or whatever else is going on behind their closed door. So I think that not only the victims need help but the people who are [doing the] bullying need some kind of support or some kind of way to let them know that this isn’t right [to bully others].
BCABI:
This is just my own personal curiosity. What is the most significant
anti-bullying experience that you have done that was the most momentous or had the
most impact.
Tak: I definitely would say working in the youth outreach program, not just the MMA one, but talking with the youth at the Burnaby detention centre had a huge impact on me and for me to express that to help youth with anti-bullying and to make choices in life. That as well as my eight year old step-son I would say, that’s been a huge experience for me too, to be that huge support for him and to let him know that I’m here for support no matter what he needs in his life and even if that is he needs someone to talk to or someone is picking on him. Those two I would say are very equal and level to the anti-bullying question you have there.
BCABI: Would you know any good anti-bullying resources one can reach out to?
Tak: I don’t’ know at the moment. Every school has their counsellor. If this is going out to students or high school students, I would definitely say talk to counsellors at their high school, they are a great resource. Talk to parents, be open with your parents, they only have their best interest for you. They do love us. I know when I grew up I had a hard time communicating with my parents. I felt that at the time when I was younger, I did not have this resource that I could talk to parents to let them know of certain things in my life. Today, being a parent myself, I see how huge a resource a parent is and I believe some people lack that communication in their household. So I like to let students know to talk to their family, parents, counsellor, use that as a start for that. And definitely teachers and principals when at a school environment, you definitely need to address those situations.
BCABI: And there is also BC Anti-bullying Initiative if anyone needs resources, we have a lot of resources in our resources section.
Alright, I know you have had a long day, so
I won’t take too much of your time. If someone wants to reach you how would
they reach you? Through your Facebook page or Twitter? What would be the best
way for someone to talk to you more about this?
Tak: They can reach me on Facebook, under Tak Sasaki, and they can feel free to send me a message if they have anything to talk about. On Twitter as well, they can follow me @taksasaki and I just twitter about what goes on in my life and the different things I do, hopefully making changes in people lives. Again on Facebook, [I] just [post] status updates of my fight and the MMA outreach program. It’s open to all youths out there. If there’s anyone who would like to come, we change it to Friday at Clinch MMA in Burnaby. It’s on Fridays 4:30-5:30pm for the Outreach Program. We have a lot of fun there; we get the kids together there. We teach a lot of different skills and build a great community there with not just the instructors there, but with the children and with each other. It’s a nice community building there so it’s really good.
BCABI: I would like to thank Tak Sasaki for what he’s done for the Anti-Bullying Community. I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with the B.C Anti-Bullying Initiative and we hope to speak to you soon!
Tak: Thank you Jackson. I appreciate for you wanting to talk to me. I feel flattered and grateful I had the opportunity to talk about that stuff. Anytime anyone out there needs help or needs to talk, feel free to contact me.
