YUSHIN OKAMI

ATTRIBUTES

OFFENSIVE SKILLS

DEFENSIVE SKILLS

ULTIMATE TECHNIQUES

LEFT LONG STRAIGHT

Level 2—Both Standing, Striking Range

Okami packs a pretty good punch when he lands clean with this long, heavy straight. Land this heavy punch a few times to rock his rival, even when exchanging from the outside.

SUPLEX TO SIDE CONTROL, TOP

Level 2—Double Underhook, Offense

“Thunder” is at his best when working his opponent over in the clinch or using the Double Underhook position to secure technical suplexes that land him in dominant Side Control on the ground.

LEFT/RIGHT HOOK

Level 2—Open Guard, Top

Posture up and deploy these big bombs of Okami’s from the Open Guard, Half Guard, or Mount position. Thunder does his best damage when landing these heavy technique hooks from the full Mount.

STRENGTHS

• Ground-and-pound

• Strength

• Conditioning

Yushin “Thunder” Okami is a big, powerful middleweight with good takedown ability and ground-and-pound.

Okami’s striking isn’t quite as developed as his grappling game, but he has demonstrated the ability to apply steady pressure from the outside and land a long left straight that can eventually become a difference maker in a close-fought stand-up battle.

In truth, however, his stand-up game is best used as a means of setting up his takedowns and clinch attempts.

Strike hard and from relative safety from the outside until the opponent becomes frustrated and starts pressing forward, then step in and clinch up, or duck under for the short takedown when the time is right.

Control the opponent with his strength and grappling prowess in the clinch or on the ground, landing hard strikes from either position to steadily batter his rival until you secure the TKO victory.

WEAKNESSES

• Speed

• Kicks

• Submissions

Though strong for his division, Okami is a slow middleweight fighter whose poor footwork and lack of striking speed can get him into trouble when he tries to compete in the stand-up battle.

Try to draw “Thunder” into striking exchanges to punish him with quick strike combos and sting him on the feet.

Remain elusive and work at landing numerous leg kicks from the outside as well to slow him down and set him up for more effective striking barrages.

Don’t let him clinch up or take you down—his grappling game is too powerful to risk fighting him in the clinch or on the ground.

Try to keep him on his feet by maintaining your distance instead, and bloody him up with lightningfast strikes and long kicks from the outside, well out of his countering range.