Sendai Tanaka
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
boxing
trainer. He is one of the few outstanding trainers from Asia
, and has a reputation especially for his focus mitt
s training.
), Japan
. At age fourteen when he was in the third grade of high school in 1986, he learned boxing from a former boxer from Chuo University
who lived near his family home, and joined Sendai Gym (current Shin-Nihon Sendai Boxing Gym) in the first year of Miyagi Prefectural Fisheries High School. Having finished his five-year amateur career with a record of 18–5, Tanaka won his professional debut in April 1991, and compiled a 2–3–1 record in the featherweight
and lightweight
divisions by February 1994.
Tanaka had adored Sadahiro Gonohe, the president of Hachinohe Teiken Boxing Gym, who is known as a theorist and trained him. After his retirement as a boxer, Tanaka started training for becoming a boxing trainer with Gonohe at his gym. Gonohe taught him how to train with focus mitts there. The gym had a Mexican
trainer, and Latins
who speak Spanish
frequently visited there. At first he had been studying Spanish on his own. Then, a Mexican Spanish teacher, an acquaintance at the gym, came to give him lessons for free. He also actively participated in the Spanish-speaking people's parties and mass
es, where he got acquainted with an Argentine
family, and lived together with them like a homestay
for over a year.
to practice, with about 7,100 dollars in the amount of time earned by the part-time job. He began working in Mexico, but his final destination was Argentina
. Tanaka loves Argentina, and boxing in that country. Whenever Tanaka has time to spare, he headed from Mexico to Argentina.
When Tanaka was twenty-two years old, the twenty-one year old Marco Antonio Barrera
ahead of his first world title shot in March 1995 came to the gym where he was training, and asked for his focus mitts workout. After training for the day, Tanaka agreed to become his co-trainer with Rudy Pérez in response to his request. Barrera won that first title shot, and Tanaka guided him to a victory in the fight against Naseem Hamed
in April 2001. During Barrera's rest period, Tanaka observed the teaching methods of a variety of trainers and learned at gatherings or conferences in Mexico, the United States
and Argentina. He also received their guidance to learn the techniques, and coached boxers there.
When he started living in Mexico, he heard boxers trained by the International Boxing Hall of Fame
r Argentine Amílcar Bursa (1922–2011) saying that they could have lived a happy boxer life since Bursa was in their corners. When Bursa had coached the Golden Boy-promoted
boxers in Los Angeles
and Big Bear City, California
, Tanaka studied under him. Tanaka recognized Bursa as the best master and called him Maestro. He received his guidance everytime he met Bursa.
who has been looking for excellent trainers who can bring out the boxers' ability all over the world, requested him to become a trainer of his Teiken Boxing Gym
. Tanaka started to coach in Japan at times other than Barrera's training, and signed a deal with Teiken Boxing Gym in May 2003. While instructing Jorge Linares
intensively, he made some other boxers spar with Barrera, or made them participate in his training camps. In Linares' first world title shot in Las Vegas, Nevada
, in July 2007, Tanaka served as the chief second among Rudy Pérez, Rudy Hernandez and Kenny Adams. Just before the gong sounded, Tanaka tapped on his back saying that "Thanks for making me a second of the world champion. Let's go". Tanaka later told that he changed the plan during the fight and Linares neatly ran it since he was a superior boxer.
Tanaka has so far trained the world champions such as Erik Morales
, Lorenzo Parra
, Edwin Valero
, Jorge Linares, Román González
and Takahiro Aō
et al. In March 2011, Tanaka's hometown Higashimatsushima was devastated by the Tōhoku earthquake
. His two-story family home's first floor was submerged by the tsunami. Although his family was safe, his nearby relatives were swallowed by the tsunami. However, since Aō's first defense was scheduled in early April, Tanaka remained in Tokyo saying nothing about it, and continued training.
Every morning, He has been running and training his abdominal muscles. While he currently works as an employee of Teiken Boxing Gym, he also hopes to train boxers in various countries and improve his skill as a boxing trainer (as of February 2008). Tanaka visited Bursa in Santa Fe
, Argentina, in January 2010. He daily went to the boxing gym with Bursa to coach boxers there. After they finished all boxers' workout, Bursa make Tanaka wear gloves to train him. Then, they went to the sports gym run by Bursa's daughter, and talked about the history of boxing or Bursa's own in his room within that gym. He has continued to be a trainer in order to become an Amílcar Bursa.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
trainer. He is one of the few outstanding trainers from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and has a reputation especially for his focus mitt
Focus mitt
A focus mitt is a padded target attached to a glove and usually used in training boxers and other combat athletes.The person holding the focus mitts will typically call out combinations and "feed" the puncher good counter-force while maneuvering and working specific skills...
s training.
Early career
Tanaka was born in Yamoto, Miyagi (current Yamoto, Higashimatsushima, MiyagiHigashimatsushima, Miyagi
is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.It was created on April 1, 2005, when the towns of Naruse and Yamoto, both formally of Monou District, merged to form the new city....
), Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. At age fourteen when he was in the third grade of high school in 1986, he learned boxing from a former boxer from Chuo University
Chuo University
Chuo University is a one of the Japanese leading universities. Thus it is competitive in several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 27th, 25th, 34th during 2008-2010 respectively in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai.-Research...
who lived near his family home, and joined Sendai Gym (current Shin-Nihon Sendai Boxing Gym) in the first year of Miyagi Prefectural Fisheries High School. Having finished his five-year amateur career with a record of 18–5, Tanaka won his professional debut in April 1991, and compiled a 2–3–1 record in the featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
and lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
divisions by February 1994.
Tanaka had adored Sadahiro Gonohe, the president of Hachinohe Teiken Boxing Gym, who is known as a theorist and trained him. After his retirement as a boxer, Tanaka started training for becoming a boxing trainer with Gonohe at his gym. Gonohe taught him how to train with focus mitts there. The gym had a Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
trainer, and Latins
Latins
"Latins" refers to different groups of people and the meaning of the word changes for where and when it is used.The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy. Through conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome, the original Latins culturally "Romanized"...
who speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
frequently visited there. At first he had been studying Spanish on his own. Then, a Mexican Spanish teacher, an acquaintance at the gym, came to give him lessons for free. He also actively participated in the Spanish-speaking people's parties and mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
es, where he got acquainted with an Argentine
Argentine people
Argentines are the citizens of Argentina, or their descendants abroad. Argentina is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds. According to the , Argentina had a population of 36,260,130 inhabitants, of which 1,527,320, or 4.2%, were born...
family, and lived together with them like a homestay
Homestay
Homestay is a form of tourism and/or study abroad program that allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better learn the local lifestyle as well as improve their language ability. While homestays can occur in any destination worldwide, some countries do more to encourage homestay...
for over a year.
Mexico, United States, and Argentina
In February 1995, Tanaka who had mastered Spanish language went to MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to practice, with about 7,100 dollars in the amount of time earned by the part-time job. He began working in Mexico, but his final destination was Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Tanaka loves Argentina, and boxing in that country. Whenever Tanaka has time to spare, he headed from Mexico to Argentina.
When Tanaka was twenty-two years old, the twenty-one year old Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He has won numerous world titles in three different weight classes; he is a former two-time WBO super bantamweight , WBC, Lineal, & The Ring featherweight , and WBC & IBF super featherweight champion...
ahead of his first world title shot in March 1995 came to the gym where he was training, and asked for his focus mitts workout. After training for the day, Tanaka agreed to become his co-trainer with Rudy Pérez in response to his request. Barrera won that first title shot, and Tanaka guided him to a victory in the fight against Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed is an English former professional boxer.He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, & Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion....
in April 2001. During Barrera's rest period, Tanaka observed the teaching methods of a variety of trainers and learned at gatherings or conferences in Mexico, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Argentina. He also received their guidance to learn the techniques, and coached boxers there.
When he started living in Mexico, he heard boxers trained by the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
r Argentine Amílcar Bursa (1922–2011) saying that they could have lived a happy boxer life since Bursa was in their corners. When Bursa had coached the Golden Boy-promoted
Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a combat sport promotional firm started by former boxer six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya...
boxers in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Big Bear City, California
Big Bear City, California
Big Bear City is an unincorporated, census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California immediately east of Big Bear Lake. The population was 12,304 at the 2010 census, up from 5,779 at the 2000 census...
, Tanaka studied under him. Tanaka recognized Bursa as the best master and called him Maestro. He received his guidance everytime he met Bursa.
Japan
In December 2002, Akihiko HondaAkihiko Honda
is a Japanese professional boxing promoter who was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008, and was also selected as an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009.-1965 to 1990s:...
who has been looking for excellent trainers who can bring out the boxers' ability all over the world, requested him to become a trainer of his Teiken Boxing Gym
Teiken Boxing Gym
in Tokyo, a Japan's traditional boxing club whose genesis dates back to 1926, manages professional boxers as a member of the , a subsidiary body of . Currently located in Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, its president is the International Boxing Hall of Famer , the representative is , and the long-time female...
. Tanaka started to coach in Japan at times other than Barrera's training, and signed a deal with Teiken Boxing Gym in May 2003. While instructing Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares is a professional boxer from Venezuela. He is a former WBC featherweight champion and former WBA super featherweight champion. Linares is currently living in Tokyo, Japan. Jorge's older brother is boxer Nelson Linares.- Amateur career :Linares compiled an Amateur record of 89-5...
intensively, he made some other boxers spar with Barrera, or made them participate in his training camps. In Linares' first world title shot in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, in July 2007, Tanaka served as the chief second among Rudy Pérez, Rudy Hernandez and Kenny Adams. Just before the gong sounded, Tanaka tapped on his back saying that "Thanks for making me a second of the world champion. Let's go". Tanaka later told that he changed the plan during the fight and Linares neatly ran it since he was a superior boxer.
Tanaka has so far trained the world champions such as Erik Morales
Erik Morales
Érik Isaac Morales Elvira is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the first Mexican born boxer in history to win a world title in four weight classes and is the current WBC Light Welterweight Champion...
, Lorenzo Parra
Lorenzo Parra
Lorenzo "Lencho" Parra is a Venezuelan professional boxer. He is a former World Boxing Association flyweight champion....
, Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero was a Venezuelan professional boxer. He was born in Bolero Alto, and raised in El Vigía ....
, Jorge Linares, Román González
Román González (boxer)
Román Alberto González Luna is a Nicaraguan professional boxer who is the current WBA light flyweight champion and is the former WBA minimumweight champion.-Career:...
and Takahiro Aō
Takahiro Aoh
is a Japanese professional boxer who fights at featherweight and is the current Japanese featherweight champion. He is the current WBC Super Featherweight Champion.-Professional career:Aoh turned professional in September 2003 at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo...
et al. In March 2011, Tanaka's hometown Higashimatsushima was devastated by the Tōhoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. His two-story family home's first floor was submerged by the tsunami. Although his family was safe, his nearby relatives were swallowed by the tsunami. However, since Aō's first defense was scheduled in early April, Tanaka remained in Tokyo saying nothing about it, and continued training.
Every morning, He has been running and training his abdominal muscles. While he currently works as an employee of Teiken Boxing Gym, he also hopes to train boxers in various countries and improve his skill as a boxing trainer (as of February 2008). Tanaka visited Bursa in Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, Argentina, in January 2010. He daily went to the boxing gym with Bursa to coach boxers there. After they finished all boxers' workout, Bursa make Tanaka wear gloves to train him. Then, they went to the sports gym run by Bursa's daughter, and talked about the history of boxing or Bursa's own in his room within that gym. He has continued to be a trainer in order to become an Amílcar Bursa.