VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

WWF Funking Dojo

Coach Dory Funk Jr. Coach Dory again
Coach Dory puts the Funking squad through its Funking paces

I believe that Dory Funk Jr., Jack Brisco, and Harley Race created and established the "modern wrestling style" through having tough and hard competitions for the NWA World's Heavyweight title against each other in the '60s-'70s. Please take a look at my past column about Dory Funk Jr. ("60 Minutes Time Up Draw") at http://www.oocities.org/Colosseum/Bench/5904/jp111698.htm . Dory knows everything about wrestling's A to Z, and has trained many wrestlers including Japanese stars like Jumbo Tsuruta, Gen-ichiro Tenryu, and Mitsuharu Misawa (All Japan's top star and a booker now). All Japan's "Gaijin" (foreign) wrestlers usually stay in Ginza, Tokyo (shopping and entertainment district in the center of Tokyo), but Dory and his wife, Marti, have stayed in a hotel in Kawasaki (a suburb between Tokyo and Yokohama) near the All Japan Dojo to coach young boys. By the way, Dory has brought a lot of American stars to Japan as a Gaijin booking agent and formed the "Funk Family" (Army) with his brother, Terry Funk, along with Dick Murdoch, Dick Slater, and Ted DiBiase, against Abdullah the Butcher's Army in All Japan's ring. Dory's wife, Marti, explained, "Nobody can forget the Funks' role, which brought Baba and All Japan great success. Dory Sr. started the company with Baba in October 1972, and Dory Jr. was selected to represent Baba's American interest. Baba's big relationships with the old NWA and the AWA (Verne Gagne) were all managed by Dory and Terry. And, Dory coached Jumbo (in Amarillo, TX), Misawa, and Kobashi at the Dojo."

Masanori with Mitsuharu Misawa of All Japan Pro Wrestling

Dory Funk Jr. signed a contract with the WWF, and Dory, assisted by Dr. Tom Prichard, has been training and coaching the present stars and future talents in the WWF's Funking Dojo at the WWF's Titan Towers Building in Stamford, Connecticut since January 1998. "Dojo" is the Japanese wrestling training system (actually, all-living facility in Japan), as its purpose is the training of young wrestlers into main eventers, while inculcating them with the strict etiquette, discipline, and special values of wrestling. Dory is teaching mat skills and ring psychology by his original curriculum, which mixes both the Japanese Dojo system and some drills from college football. Dory said, "Professional wrestling is one of the most highly complex sports. It's very hard to learn. Funking Dojo is designed for wrestlers just beginning, the intermediate, and the advanced to make the climb to the winner's platform."

A model schedule of the WWF's Funking Dojo at the WWF's Titan Towers Building:

1. Workouts / weight training (9:30 am-11:30 am / WWF's training facilities on the first floor)
2. Lunch (12:00 p.m. / WWF's Cafeteria on the second floor)
3. Wrestling in-ring workouts (2:00 pm-6:00 p.m. / WWF's TV Production Studios)
(The scheduling of the Dojo is like Japanese Dojo; boys have to arrive a few minutes earlier than "sensei" [coach / teacher] and "senpai" [elder boys] and be ready to go throughout the schedule.)

A model menu of the WWF's Funking Dojo:

1. Basics of wrestling - Combinations
(1) Stance and movement for the neutral, down, and top positions
(2) Positioning for takedowns, reversals, and escapes
(3) Self-controlling in both offense and defense
(4) Controlling opponent
2. Exchanging blows / Techniques / Maneuvers
(1) Locking up with opponent, (2) Taking opponent off, (3) Double leg tackle, (4) Single leg take-down, (5) Fireman's carriage, (6) Hip-lock, (7) Full body slam, (8) Arm drag, (9) Chicken wing and half nelson, (10) Dory Funk Sr.'s Special Chief Justice "Whizzer" White reversal (invented by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and former pro football player, Byron "Whizzer" White, who was also a wrestler) (11) Blows to the body, (12) Forearm to the midsection, (13) Back and front elbow, (14) Elbow drop, (15) Kicks, (16) Straight punches to the body, (17) Flying elbow, (18) Flying drop kick, (19) Aerial maneuvers
3. Interviews
4. Matches
5. Reviewing interviews and matches on the video tape

Past WWF Funking Dojo Boys:

1/4 - 1/10/98
Marc Mero, "Blue Chippers" Sean Morley (Val Venis) and Adam Copeland (Edge), Steve Blackman, Mark Henry (Sexual Chocolate), Darren Drozdov (Puke / Droz of L.O.D. 2000), Taka Michinoku, Robert Maillet (Kurrgan the Interrogator), Tiger Ali Singh (son of Tiger Jeet Singh), Ahmed Johnson, Shawn Stasiak (son of Stan Stasiak), Achim Albreicht (Brakkus), Matt Bloom (The Mongolian), and Rodney Blackbeard … Please take a look at my past column about Val Venis ("Helloooo, Ladieeeeees…") at http://www.oocities.org/Colosseum/Bench/5904/jp110998.htm .

Dory said, "At the Dojo, we begin with athletes that have in some way grabbed the attention of the talent relations department of the WWF. Some have wrestled the indy circuit like Copeland, O'Grady, and Grimes. Some come from the amateur ranks like Severn and Stasiak. Some from football like Drozdov. We also have some regular WWF stars who come to the Dojo to improve their skills."

4/18 - 4/26/98
Paulo Silva (Giant Silva of the Oddities), John Tenta (Golga), Solofa Fatu (Sultan), Shawn Stasiak, Mike Tierney (Irish Assassin), Erin O'Grady, Vic Grimes

5/10 - 5/17/98
Dan Severn, David Heath (Gangrel), Paulo Silva, John Tenta, Solofa Fatu, Darren Drozdov, Andrew Martin (Test), Shawn Stasiak, Mike Tierney, Matt Bloom, Erin O'Grady, Vic Grimes, George Phillips, Emory Hale

7/18 - 7/25/98
Steven Regal, Miguel Perez, Paulo Silva, Christian Cage (Jay Reso; Christian of The Brood), Andrew Martin, Apolo Dantes, Tarzan Boy, Papichulo (Mr. Aguila), Shawn Stasiak, Ted Annis (Ted Hart, grandson of Stu Hart), Rhino Richards, Timber the Lumberjack

8/15 - 8/23/98
Christian Cage, Andrew Martin, Brakkus, Matt & Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle (1996 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist), Shawn Stasiak, Matt Bloom, Glenn Kulka, Tom Howard (KGB) (Kurt Angle's Official Home Page-Gold Wrestler.com http://www.goldwrestler.com/home.html)

Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle

10/23 - 11/1/98
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams, Giant Silva, Tiger Ali, Pablo Marquez (Babu / El Puerto Ricano), Andrew Martin, Kurt Angle, Shawn Stasiak, Glenn Kulka, Todd Passmore (Barry Houston), Ted Hart (grandson of Stu Hart), Devon Storm, Steve Corino, Christopher Daniels

11/18 - 11/23/98
Steve Williams, Giant Silva, Pierre Oulette (of the Quebecers), Andrew Martin, Kurt Angle, Glenn Kulka, Todd Passmore, Devon Storm, Steve Bradley

1/1 - 1/9/99
Hawk, Giant Silva, Brian Heffron (Blue Meanie), Kurt Angle, Glenn Kulka, Todd Passmore, Steve Bradley, Shane Sewell, Lester Speight, Kevin Loughnane, Andy Lewis

Jim Ross talked about the Dojo Boys on his 900 report, saying, "Many of them have the physical skills, but it's more than executing an individual move or a collection of moves or a series of moves. It's more than that. We're looking for people who come to work on time, we're looking for people who want to keep themselves in condition, and we're looking for people who want to be the very best at what they do and not just hop onto the roster. We want people who want to be in the main event at WrestleMania. That's what you're always looking for. I know it sounds a little like a romanticist's way of looking at it, but there's more to being a star and more to having a long shelf life in the WWF than just being able to execute move A to move B to move C."

The WWF Funking Dojo is a new and different way of developing wrestling talents in 2000. Dory Funk Jr. is the teacher of teachers. I hope they will start the project to run the Dory Funk Jr. and WWF Funking Dojo show in Japan in the near future.

Masanori with Marti Funk