Mr. Karate II/Story

Past
A world-renowned martial artist, he is considered the most likely candidate to win this year's tournament. He is a well-balanced fighter who uses Kyokugen Style karate, a strong and practical fighting style, with a good balance of offense and defense. He was invited by the tournament to participate as the heir of the Kyokugen Style and to spread Kyokugen Style karate throughout the world. Honed through street fighting since he was a boy, his karate style has been modified in various ways, making it different from the so-called "orthodox" style, but it has an unfathomable destructive power. He has far more experience in actual combat than most fighters of his age, and is known for his mental fortitude. He is ordinarily the head instructor at the Kyokugen Style dojo. He is a rough and ready fighter who doesn't care about details.

Interview
Ryo Sakazaki is a unique fighter. He has almost no record in official tournaments, and of course, he does not hold any titles. If we are simply talking about his fame as a karate fighter, it should be close to zero. But as a fighter, no one else is as famous as he is. Anyone who has studied fighting, even just a little, has likely heard of the name "The Invincible Dragon". Sakazaki will finally appear in Tokyo on the day of the tournament as an invited competitor! We were able to speak with Sakazaki at his Kyokugen dojo.

Interviewer: Could you tell us how you came to participate in this year's tournament?

Ryo: Well, I heard they'd actually invited me earlier, but I was on a bit of a trip. When I returned, I found the invitation, and so I said "Yes". That's about the extent of the circumstances.

Interviewer: A trip, you say. Training as a warrior, by any chance?

Ryo: Nah, nothing that intense. I just heard there was an interesting guy, so I went over there for a bit. I heard he's injured right now, so we couldn't have a match after all.

Interviewer: Do you often go to other contests like that?

Ryo: Yeah. When I hear that someone strong is out there, I can't help but want to challenge them.

Interviewer: Mr. Sakazaki, you haven't participated in many official tournaments in the past, have you? Why did you decide to participate in this tournament?

Ryo: Not much out there? I don't know, I think I'm getting out a lot... I always want to fight the strong ones. Don't get me wrong, the strong people aren't just the ones who participate in official tournaments. I'll go anywhere where there are strong people. In official or unofficial tournaments. Of course, I can't really go out that often because of dojo instruction and other things.

Interviewer: In that sense, this tournament is quite significant for Mr. Sakazaki.

Ryo: I agree. I don't think I'll ever have a chance to fight with this many opponents again.

Interviewer: Are you still aiming for the championship in this year's tournament?

Ryo: Yes, I hope to win. But more than that, I want to have a good fight and let everyone know how strong Kyokugen is. It would be the best if someone sees my match and thinks, "I want to start fighting" or "I want to join Kyokugen".

Interviewer: I am looking forward to watching Sakazaki's match on the day. Good luck!

Ryo: Thank you.