Japan the Land of the Rising Sun and Tokyo a city that never sleeps.

In December this city will host one of the greatest Martial Arts world events of 2008 in which 8 men will enter this tournament and only 1 will walk away champion. Holland, Russia, Morocco, France, Turkey, Korea and New Zealand will be represented at the highest level of this elite K-1 competition.

Jayson ‘Supercharge’ Vemoa (NZ) from the K-1 Team Ichigeki and Team Sefo currently resides in Tokyo preparing Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil) and Ray Sefo (NZ) for this epic event.

I interviewed Supercharge for some in depth views of his entrants for the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 8.

Tigerpromo:
Congratulations on getting your fighter Ewerton Texieira through to K-1 Final 8. Could you give us an update on your fighter?

Supercharge:
Thanks! Yeah, we finished in end of September the K-1 Final 16 Eliminations in Seoul Korea in which Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil) defeated Musashi (Japan) to qualify for the K-1 WGP Final 8. Our other Kyokushin fighter Glaube Feitosa (Brazil) lost to Errol Zimmerman (Holland). For the Final 8 draw Ewerton Teixeira will match Zimmerman in the 1st match (quarter final). For the 2nd match (semi final) we will be matched against either Badr Hari (Morocco) the current K-1 World Heavyweight Champion or Peter Aerts (Holland) a 3 time K-1 World Grand Prix Finals Champion. We are expecting it to be an exciting night on our side of the tournament pool.

In the other side of the tournament pool draw we expect any one of the four K-1 champions Karaev (Russia), Saki (Turkey), Le Banner (France), Bonjasky (Holland) in the 3rd match (Final).

Team Ichigeki – Jayson Vemoa (NZ), Ewerton Teixeira, (Brazil) Mauricio Da Silva (Brazil)
K-1 WGP Final 16 – Eliminations 2008 – Seoul Korea – September 2008
PHOTO: K-1 FEG

Tigerpromo:
How has preparation been for Ewerton Teixeira for these K-1 Finals

Supercharge:
It has been a long year with many hours of blood, sweat and sacrifice in preparation, so pretty much normal. (laughs) The K-1 WGP Final 8 tournament is the remaining hurdle for 2008.

In order to prepare for this level of competition one of the important components a fighter needs is quality sparring. For these fights we brought in Doug Viney (NZ) K-1 USA World GP Champion 2007 and Jan Nortje (South Africa) K-1 South Africa Champion 2004.

Our Team Ichigeki coaches with Mauricio Da Silva (Brazil Kyokushin), Faii Falamoe (NZ Boxing) and Jayson Vemoa (NZ Muay Thai) have been consistently training Teixeira. From my perspective his rate of learning to adapt to the K-1 has been nothing less than phenomenal and to top it off he has a good persona about him. If he wins this tournament he will have done it with an unbeaten K-1 record. What is even more amazing is the fact he never did any kickboxing until this year, switching from Kyokushin Karate after winning the 9th World Kyokushin Karate Title in 2007.

K-1 WGP Finals Training Camp at the Ichigeki Academy – November 2008
(L-R) Jan Soukup, Mauricio Da Silva, Jan Nortje, Doug Viney, Faii, Kou Tasei, Teixeira, Supercharge.
PHOTO: SUPERCHARGE LTD

Tigerpromo:
We also have news that you are training Ray Sefo (NZ) and that he is in the 1st reserve match against Hong Man Choi (Korea). How do you rate Sefo's chances after his losing slump over the past 2 years.

Supercharge:
All fighters go through a slump in their careers but the important part is how they fight their way out of the slump. If Ray Sefo comes in 20 pounds lighter for this fight and maintains his strength, I rate Sefo's chances as high and we will see a very exciting match with Choi and a very dangerous threat in this K-1 tournament. 1st reserve match surprises have happened twice in the past 3 years.

Glaube Feitosa in 2005 was the 1st reserve match winner and came through to the K-1 Final 3rd Final match against Semmy Schilt

Peter Aerts in 2006 was the 1st reserve match winner and came through to the K-1 Final 3rd Final match against Semmy Schilt.

Jayson Vemoa (NZ) helping prepare Ray Sefo (NZ) at the Ichigeki Academy (Japan)
PHOTO: STUART TONKIN

Tigerpromo:
Any other K-1 news updates from you that readers should know about?

Supercharge:
We have another exciting fighter here at the Ichigeki Academy, Kou Tasei (Japan) who is only 83kg and fighting in the K-1 Heavyweight division. He won by KO the reserve match for K-1 Japan GP in Fukuoka and another K-1 four man 86kg tournament here in Japan. Kou will be fighting a super fight as the opening match for the K-1 Final 8 against Takeru (Japan).

Jayson Vemoa (NZ) preparing Kou Tasei (Japan)
PHOTO: SUPERCHARGE LTD

Tigerpromo:
Wow! You seem very busy preparing 3 fighters for one of the biggest K-1 events of the year!

How do you handle the pressure of such high profile fights and the media hype surrounding K-1?

Supercharge:
My job is to train fighters and create strategies for their success. During the matches I keep myself 100% focused to help my fighter, absorbing pressure is all part of the fight game. Any top professional fighter understands the importance of a good team behind them.

This is my 7th World Grand Prix Final 8, so I guess I must be doing something right.

2002 – Ray Sefo (NZ) – 3rd place
2003 – Ray Sefo (NZ) – 4th place
2004 – Ray Sefo (NZ) – 4th place
2005 – Glaube Feitosa (Brazil) – 2nd place
2005 – Ray Sefo (NZ) – 4th place
2006 – Glaube Feitosa (Brazil) – 3rd place
2006 – Ray Sefo (NZ) – 2nd Reserve Match Winner
2007 – Glaube Feitosa (Brazil) – 4th place
2008 we will see what eventuates with Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil) and Ray Sefo (NZ).

As for media hype, there are opinions and there are facts. Media guru, Michael Schiavello (AUS) known as ‘The Voice’ is a commentator for WGP K-1 Final 8 and he has an amazing ability to state the facts and keep the viewer entertained at the same time. I find his view of each fighter and their matches the most accurate here in the K-1.

Jayson Vemoa (NZ) preparing Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil) for K-1 WGP Final 8
PHOTO: SPORTSNAVI (JAPAN)

Tigerpromo:
Thanks for an in depth view on your fighters in the Final 8 Tournament 2008, we wish you best of luck and it is good to know that NZ will be represented well at this martial arts K-1 extravaganza.

Supercharge:
Arigato Gozaimasu (thank you in Japanese), it’s always great to let the Kiwi’s back home in New Zealand know what we are up to. Every road to K-1 World Grand Prix Finals is Hard! I feel blessed to be part of this martial arts history.

OSU!!!