Timid children rarely become fearless champions. Yuki Yoza discovered that transformation requires embracing hardship both on and off the mats throughout his remarkable journey from victim to warrior.
The Japanese striker faces ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek in a bantamweight kickboxing clash at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16, inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The 27-year-old Team Vasileus product carries a 12-fight winning streak into this career-defining moment. His path from bullied youth to kickboxing championship reads like fiction except every struggle rings true.
Yoza grew up quiet and gentle in Tsuchiura. He rarely spoke up and carried a timidness that made him vulnerable to bullies who exploited his peaceful nature.
His parents recognized the need to equip their son with confidence and defensive skills. At 6 years old, they brought him to observe a karate class. The wide-eyed boy immediately requested to join.
Stepping onto the dojo floor ignited something dormant inside him. Despite struggling initially against more experienced peers, Yoza possessed unshakable belief in himself from the start.
“I was a very gentle and rather timid child who would always concede to others instead of standing my own ground. But when I was six, my parents took me to observe a class at a karate dojo, and I apparently said I wanted to do it there,” he said.
“When I started karate, I was weak, but even then, I believed I could become a World Champion.”
Yuki Yoza embraced mundane training to reach kickboxing excellence
Yuki Yoza drilled Kyokushin karate fundamentals until they became instinct. He studied fighters across multiple disciplines, absorbing what resonated while discarding what didn’t. His obsession with martial arts fueled constant improvement.
Weekly sparring sessions became his laboratory. He tested techniques, analyzed results, sought advice from trainers, then repeated the process relentlessly.
At 19, he captured a Karate World Championship. The moment he envisioned since childhood finally arrived. But satisfaction never came. Instead, restlessness consumed him as that peak revealed itself as merely a plateau.
He found the perfect environment at Team Vasileus alongside Masaaki Noiri and Takeru Segawa. But true to form, comfort never satisfied him. In February 2023, he traveled to Mike’s Gym in the Netherlands, immersing himself in a culture renowned for producing ruthless competitors.
“I want to gain mastery over combat sports. Whether that means other disciplines besides kickboxing, I don’t know. See how far I can push myself. It’s about challenging myself. I guess you could say I want to do things no one else can do,” he said.
0 Comments