‘Inheriting The Warrior Spirit’ – The Ancient Rituals And Sacred Beliefs Driving Yuya Wakamatsu’s MMA Career
Japanese MMA fighter Yuya Wakamatsu blends ancient rituals with modern combat ahead of his ONE SAMURAI 3 co-main event, framing victory as divine communion rather than mere physical triumph.
Yuya Wakamatsu, former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion, approaches mixed martial arts as a spiritual practice rather than a binary contest of wins and losses. He describes combat as an act of divine communion where victory is determined by the warrior’s consecrated soul. Ahead of his co-main event at ONE SAMURAI 3, Wakamatsu emphasized the spiritual foundation guiding his preparation, contrasting his approach with conventional fight strategies focused on game plans and sparring.
Wakamatsu’s pre-fight rituals center on sacred fire ceremonies at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, a 10th-century sanctuary, where he performs the Goma fire ritual. He burns wooden prayer tablets before Fudo Myoo, a fierce guardian deity, believing the flames carry his devotions to the heavens. These rituals mark the transition from physical preparation to spiritual surrender, drawing a boundary between effort and trust in unseen power.
Beyond temple visits, Wakamatsu’s discipline extends to Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward, where he visits historic shrines to reinforce the divide between physical labor and spiritual readiness. His practices are rooted in Shugendo, an ancient ascetic tradition tied to Yamabushi mountain warriors, which includes Takigyo, or freezing waterfall meditation, to purify his spirit before training.
At the core of Wakamatsu’s philosophy is Fudo Myoo, the Buddhist Wisdom King whose iconography—brandishing a sword and rope—mirrors his martial approach. His connection to the deity stems from his grandfather’s birth year and a lifelong affinity for the temple dedicated to Fudo Myoo. Wakamatsu views his greatest battle as internal, battling worldly desires rather than external opponents.