The 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament took place tonight at Yamano Hall in the Yoyogi district of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Tonight’s three-round tournament field included 2012 champion Mizuki Inoue, 2012 finalist Ai Takahashi and six more of Asia’s premier female shoot boxers.

Elsewhere tonight, three-time Girls S-Cup champion Rena Kubota took on Lorena “Lady Pitbull” Klijn in a non-tournament bout. The card also featured the semi-finals and final of the 2013 JKS48 high school girls’ tournament, which included Kubota’s top protégé, 2012 JKS48 winner Mio Tsumura.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Final

Mizuki Inoue vs Ai Takahashi

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Koji Mono. Both fighters are fighting from long-range. Mizuki ducks a punch and lands a shot to the body. They clinch and Takahashi starts to tie up a guillotine, but Mizuki slips out. Mizuki lands a body kick and they clinch. Knees from Mizuki. They clinch again and both fighters land more knees to the body.

Round 2:
A straight right lands clean for Takahashi early on, followed by a body kick. They start to exchange wildly and both fighters land. Takahashi hits a body kick, but eats two punches in return. Uppercuts from Mizuki in the clinch. Takahashi is looking for throws, but Mizuki makes her pay for lazy mistakes. Both fighters push a high pace now, trading shots. Mizuki gets through with an uppercut and then throws a four-punch combo. Takahashi lands a hook as the bell rings.

Round 3:
Takahashi is pushing forward now and Mizuki lands counter shots. A big straight right staggers Takahashi. She tries to clinch but Mizuki is constantly attacking. Takahashi is staggered again by a hook. She seems dazed and Mizuki is just pouring on hard shots. Takahashi is hanging on and landing punches of her own, but Mizuki definitely has full control here. Uppercuts and knees in the clinch from Mizuki. They trade right hooks at the bell.

Judges Tsuyama, Suzuki and Motegi all score the fight 30-29 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Inoue.

Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Unanimous Decision (30-29, 30-29, 30-29) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her shoot boxing record to 7-1-0 and becomes the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Champion.

 

Non-Tournament Bout

Rena Kubota vs Lorena “Lady Pitbull” Klijn

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoyuki Taira. Klijn is all power early on, throwing singular haymakers that get blocked. A low blow lands on Rena and there’s a time stoppage. They restart and Klijn tries to outmuscle Rena, catching kicks and throwing power punches. Rena locks up a collar tie and lands a couple of knees to the face. A big knee lands to the body for Klijn. Rena is looking to put together punching combinations. More kick-catching and dumping from Klijn. Two body shots land flush on Rena’s ribs. Rena returns the combo with two body shots of her own and a body kick.

Round 2:
More haymakers from Klijn in round two. Rena is putting together combos and getting some shots through. A three-punch combo lands for Klijn. Rena lands a flush counter hook. Klijn continues to throw heavy punches, but Rena keeps moving forward and lands combos as well. Klijn bulls forward and lands two hard punches to the body.

Round 3:
Rena slips a big hook and moves to a back clinch, but she can’t secure a takedown. Klijn moves in and Rena tries for a standing arm-triangle choke. A high-low combo lands for Rena. She’s starting to slip and block most of Klijn’s punches now. Klijn sticks to the same strategy and Rena continues to counter. A four-punch combo lands for Rena. Both fighters look tired and Rena starts to slow down on her counters, but she still blocks and slips most shots coming her way.

After three rounds, judge Suzuki scores the bout 30-29 for Kubota. Judges Motegi and Tsuyama have it even at 30-30 and 29-29, respectively, for a Majority Draw. We go to an extension round.

Round 4 (Extension Round):
Rena stays aggressive early on. Her punch-kick combos are landing. A spinning backfist lands for Rena. Klijn is aiming for the body with hard punches. Rena keeps up her combos and lands a hard body punch. Klijn moves forward with more body shots. Two big right hooks land and whip Klijn’s head back. Rena eats a left hook, but Klijn is very tired. Both fighters land knees to the body. A sloppy throw follows from Rena and they start to brawl. Klijn screams and powers into a throw, but can’t land it. They trade wild hooks and the bell rings.

Judge Tsuyama scores the extension round 10-10. Judges Suzuki and Motegi both have it 10-9 for the winner by Majority Decision, Kubota.

Winner: Rena Kubota by Majority Decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-10) after one 3:00 extension round and four rounds overall. She improves her shoot boxing record to 22-5-1.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing JKS48 High School Girls’ Tournament Final

Mio Tsumura vs Yuuki Kira

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Ryogaku Wada. Mio is landing heavy punches early on. She slips an axe kick and lands a huge straight counter. Kira stumbles and Mio follows through. A big right hook from Mio flattens Kira and referee Wada calls the fight.

Winner: Mio Tsumura by KO (Punch) at 1:08 of round one. She improves her shoot boxing record to 10-1-0 and becomes the 2013 Shoot Boxing JKS48 Tournament Champion.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Semi-Final #2

Mizuki Inoue vs Miyo Yoshida

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Koji Motegi. Inoue moves in and out with quick jabs. A counterpunch lands for Yoshida. Hard hook from Inoue. Three-punch combo lands for Inoue, followed by a crisp Superman punch. Yoshida gets caught in the corner and eats a series of hard straight punches.

Round 2:
Yoshida’s being more assertive and moving forward now. Quick punches land for Inoue. More slipping and ducking from Inoue, followed by clean counterpunches. Inoue’s straight punches are starting to whip Yoshida’s head back.

Round 3:
Both fighters are starting to brawl in centre ring. More in-and-out combo throwing from Inoue. Yoshida eats a body punch but returns fire and lands a clean hook to the face. They trade shots sporadically until the bell.

Judges Tsuyama, Omura and Wada all score the fight 30-28 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Inoue.

Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Unanimous Decision (30-28, 30-28, 30-28) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her shoot boxing record to 6-1-0 and advances to the final round of the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Semi-Final #1

Ai Takahashi vs Rio Kamikaze

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Koji Mono. Kamikaze opens with good kicks to the body. They clinch and both fighters try to muscle the other to the ground. A nice punching combo lands for Takahashi. A left hook lands for Kamikaze, but Takahashi locks up a Muay Thai clinch and lands two knees to the face.

Round 2:
Kamikaze works kicks and Takahashi clinches. A front kick from Kamikaze pushes Takahashi to the ground. Takahashi stands and a big barrage of punches lands for Kamikaze. More clinching and throw attempts from Takahashi. A two-punch combo lands for Kamikaze at the bell.

Round 3:
Takahashi comes out aggressively and hunts for throws and chokes in the clinch. Big punches land for Kamikaze. More throw attempts from both fighters, but nothing lands clean.

After three rounds, judge Omura scores the bout 30-29 for Takahashi. Judges Tsuyama and Wada have it even at 30-30 and 29-29, respectively, for a Majority Draw. We go to an extension round.

Round 4 (Extension Round):
Takahashi is aggressive early in round four and she lands multiple punches in the clinch. More failed throws from both fighters, but Takahashi is definitely pushing the pace. They trade straight punches and then clinch. A front kick catches Takahashi in the face and she whips Kamikaze to the ground, but no Shoot Point.

All three judges score the extension round 10-9 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Takahashi.

Winner: Ai Takahashi by Unanimous Decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) after one 2:00 extension round and four rounds overall. She improves her combined shoot boxing and kickboxing record to 17-4-0 and advances to the final round of the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament.

 

Non-Tournament Bout

“V.V” Mei Yamaguchi vs Chihiro Kira

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Ryogaku Wada. Yamaguchi rushes in early on and pins Kira in the corner, landing multiple body shots. Yamaguchi gets a takedown, but no Shoot Point is given. Kira throws a big head kick and Yamaguchi just barely ducks under it. A huge right hook lands for Yamaguchi and she follows up with a body kick. Yamaguchi eats a big punch coming in, but she gets a takedown from the clinch and earns a Shoot Point.

Round 2:
Yamaguchi gets another Shoot Point early in round two off a hip throw. Kira lands punches sporadically as Yamaguchi comes into range, but she can’t defend against the constant pressure. An arm-triangle choke attempt follows from Yamaguchi in the clinch. She gets a Catch Point but can’t finish the choke. More clinching and another choke attempt from Yamaguchi, but the bell cuts her short.

Round 3:
Kira is getting more aggressive as Yamaguchi moves in. Kira drops to the ground as Yamaguchi looks for a throw and referee Wada gives her a Yellow Card for stalling. Knees in the clinch from Yamaguchi. A front kick from Kira lands flush on the face. Yamaguchi gets a throw in the clinch, but no Shoot Point. Both fighters move forward and land punches before clinching. Another throw from Yamaguchi, but still no Shoot Point. Yamaguchi pressures forward with haymakers. Late suplex from Yamaguchi, but it’s not neat enough for a Shoot Point.

Judge Motegi sees the bout 30-27, while judges Tsuyama and Ojima both have it 30-26. All three score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Yamaguchi.

Winner: Mei Yamaguchi by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three 3:00 rounds. She improves her shoot boxing record to 8-5-0.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Quarterfinal #4

Mizuki Inoue vs “Jet” Izumi Noguchi

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoyuki Taira. Izumi lands leg kicks and Inoue throws out quick combos. Good knees score for Inoue in the clinch. A solid combo from Inoue backs “Jet” up. Inoue lands more punches before Izumi clinches and they’re separated. More punches land for Inoue and she follows up with a quick barrage of hooks.

Round 2:
The two fighters throw alternating combos, but Inoue is much faster and she lands quick counters. Inoue starts to land crisp shots to the body and Izumi is slowing down. More fast combos land for Inoue late in the round.

Round 3:
Inoue seems to have the range down and she jumps in with beautiful punching combinations before dipping back out. Quick head movement and counters from Inoue. Izumi just can’t keep up.

Judge Wada sees the bout 30-27, while judges Suzuki and Tsuyama both have it 30-28. All three score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Inoue.

Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-28, 30-28) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her shoot boxing record to 5-1-0 and advances to the semi-finals of the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Quarterfinal #3

Miyo Yoshida vs Kanako Oka

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Hiroshi Kiyama. Oka tries to use her huge reach advantage and keeps Yoshida back with front kicks. Yoshida catches one and throws a big punch to Oka’s face. Oka tries to control the range, but she has no answer when Yoshida moves in and throws combos. Takedown attempts follow from Yoshida in the clinch, but nothing lands.

Round 2:
Yoshida catches another kick early on and puts Oka down with a straight right. Oka gets a standing 8-count. Oka fails to hold the range and Yoshida lands one-two combos in succession. Yoshida locks up a guillotine choke. She flexes for the choke for a long time, but doesn’t seem to have it tight enough. She throws knees and adjusts her arm position, but can’t finish before the round ends.

Round 3:
It’s more of the same in round three. Oka fails to keep the range and Yoshida keeps her confused with alternating high-low combos. Oka is getting tired and slowing down, allowing Yoshida to land counterpunches almost at will.

Judges Tsuyama and Wada both have it 30-26, while judge Suzuki sees the bout 30-27. All three score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Yoshida.

Winner: Miyo Yoshida by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her combined shoot boxing and kickboxing record to 8-2-0 and advances to the semi-finals of the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Quarterfinal #2

Rio Kamikaze vs Matsukuma Kikukawa

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Koji Motegi. Kamikaze establishes dominance early on by locking up a Thai clinch and throwing a series of hard knees to the body. Kamikaze lands a huge punching combo that staggers her opponent. She rushes in and hits a big hip throw to earn a Shoot Point. More knees in the clinch land for Kamikaze and she scores another Shoot Point from a hip toss.

Round 2:
Kikukawa tries to be more aggressive, but she can’t compete with Kamikaze in the clinch. Throw attempts follow from Kamikaze and she earns a Shoot Point from a hip throw. A punching combo lands flush for Kamikaze and she follows it up with hard kicks. Another big punching combo staggers Kikukawa and Kamikaze looks for a guillotine, but the referee separates them. Kamikaze gets a big hip throw late in the round.

Round 3:
Kikukawa is definitely outmatched. Two more hip throws for Kamikaze. Kikukawa tries to back up her opponent with a heavy combo, but Kamikaze blocks the shots and replies with a big two-punch combo that lands flush. They brawl in the final seconds and Kamikaze lands multiple punches.

Judge Wada scores the bout 30-21. Judge Kiyama sees it 30-22 and judge Suzuki has it 30-24. All three score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Kamikaze.

Winner: Rio Kamikaze by Unanimous Decision (30-21, 30-22, 30-24) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her combined shoot boxing and kickboxing record to 8-4-2 and advances to the semi-finals of the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 Quarterfinal #1

Ai Takahashi vs Wei-Ting Chen

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Hiroshi Kiyama. Chen comes forward early with one-two combos. Takahashi lands a solid three-punch combo that slows Chen down. Chen shoots for a double and Takahashi locks in a standing guillotine. The choke looks tight, but they fall to the ground and the referee stands them back up. Takahashi aims for the clinch and more choke attempts. Chen tries to move into range, but Takahashi uses her reach advantage to keep the Taiwanese fighter at bay.

Round 2:
Chen opens up with punching combos that land to the face of Takahashi. There’s a brief pause after a kick lands to the groin of Chen. She stays aggressive, but two huge punching combinations land flush for Takahashi and Chen backs up. Takahashi locks up a standing guillotine in the corner that ends it at the 1:24 mark.

Winner: Ai Takahashi by TKO (Standing Guillotine Choke) at 1:24 of round two. She improves her combined shoot boxing and kickboxing record to 16-4-0 and advances to the semi-finals of the 2013 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing JKS48 High School Girls’ Tournament Semi-Final #2

Mio Tsumura vs Comachi

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoyuki Taira. Comachi moves in quickly and lands punches while Mio looks to control from the clinch. Comachi lands here and there, but Mio finds her rhythm and starts to counter towards the end.

Round 2:
Comachi catches a kick and throws Mio down, but no Shoot Point is given. Mio gets a trip of her own, but still no Shoot Points. Mio hits a big hip throw, but Comachi gets caught in the ropes before hitting the ground and no points are given. Mio continues to aim for throws in the clinch until the round ends.

Round 3:
Both fighters become aggressive and start to brawl. Mio lands a hip throw in centre ring and earns a Shoot Point. Comachi ups the pace to make up for the throw. They circle the ring and throw punches from inside for the remainder of the round.

Judges Chihara and Suzuki both have it 30-28, while judge Motegi sees the bout 30-29. All three score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Tsumura.

Winner: Mio Tsumura by Unanimous Decision (30-28, 30-28, 30-29) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her shoot boxing record to 9-1-0 and advances to the final round of the 2013 Shoot Boxing JKS48 high school girls’ tournament.

 

2013 Shoot Boxing JKS48 High School Girls’ Tournament Semi-Final #1

Yuuki Kira vs Anna Murayama

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Ryogaku Wada. Kira comes out aggressive and brawls Murayama into a corner. She throws an endless barrage of punches and Murayama covers up before the referee calls for a standing 8-count. Murayama recovers and they resume. Kira continues her assault and Murayama shows no answer. Referee Wada steps in and stops the fight at the 52-second mark.

Winner: Yuuki Kira by TKO (Punches) at 0:52 of round one. She improves her combined kickboxing and shoot boxing record to 3-3-2 and advances to the final round of the 2013 Shoot Boxing JKS48 high school girls’ tournament.

 

Non-Tournament Bout

Rena Matsuda vs Nako Otsuka

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Takero Suzuki. Matsuda controls the pace, landing jabs and straight punches. Otsuka looks for throws and a couple of standing arm-triangle chokes from the clinch, but she finds little success.

Round 2:
The lanky Matsuda continues to work straight punches and front kicks from the outside, and she shuts down Otsuka’s clinch game on the inside with constant knees to the body.

Round 3:
Matsuda ups her aggression in the final round and she lands a few solid barrages of punches along with more knees in the clinch.

Judge Wada sees the fight 30-27, while judges Soga and Taira both have it 30-28. All three score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Matsuda.

Winner: Rena Matsuda by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-28, 30-28) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her combined shoot boxing and kickboxing record to 4-1-0.

 

Non-Tournament Bout

Akari “Eneos” Nakamura vs Tomomi Souda

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Koji Motegi. Nakamura comes out hyper-aggressive and throws a huge barrage of punches from close range. She continues her onslaught for most of the round, landing punches and kicks to the body as well.

Round 2:
Souda fires back in round two and she slows Nakamura down a bit, but Nakamura continues to land multiple combinations throughout the round.

Round 3:
Souda tries to gain forward momentum again, but Nakamura picks her off with punches and leg kicks, and she uses effective clinching to stall Souda out when in range.

Judges Wada, Taira and Chihara all score the bout 30-28 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Nakamura.

Winner: Akari Nakamura by Unanimous Decision (30-28, 30-28, 30-28) after three 2:00 rounds. She improves her combined shoot boxing and kickboxing record to 5-3-1.