Catching Up With “Sleeping Samauri” Fighter | Ki Bethune
Catching Up With “Sleeping Samauri” Fighter | Ki Bethune
Ki Bethune is kind of a big deal!
Currently ranked #1 in the state of New Jersey in his craft, what makes his story and craft even more interesting is that he competes while wearing a suit.
He recently sat down with Wazzup Tonight and shared his story and more. Check Him Out:
Wazzup Tonight: What advice would you give someone who wanted to get involved in the mixed martial arts and sword fighting?
Ki Bethune: My advice for someone looking to get involved in sword fighting or mixed martial arts would be to recommend watching first because while you may be interested in the competitions, you might find you enjoy battles that are a bit more casual- which despite Sleeping Samurai having many protocols tailored for safe fighting for all ages, they do engage in.
Wazzup Tonight: What had been your greatest triumph?
Ki Bethune: My greatest triumph would have to be when I won my first tournament. I’ve won many since then, but that particular tournament was the first time I showed that I was a contender. It was also against an extremely brash and cocky person that we all dubbed “Spoon Man” for his unorthodox fighting style and a random accessory he carried that was in the shape of a spoon.
Wazzup Tonight: How would you describe your fighting style?
Ki Bethune: I would describe my fighting style as calculating and thoughtful. I use my ability to read people to control the pace of when and how we fight by controlling the distance.I came up with a combat style revolving around a maneuver we call sniping. Since the rules of sleeping samurai are much different from conventional forms of sword fighting, it is an attack exclusive to this form of combat
Wazzup Tonight: What do you think makes Sleeping Samurai different from other sword fighting groups?
Ki Bethune: The one thing that I can say Sleeping Samurai has above all of them is control. A majority of the other groups are all about swinging as hard as you possibly can or going as fast as you can with no real control, and in that regard Sleeping Samurai is in a league of its own.
Wazzup Tonight: What do you think about or focus on during fighting?
Ki Bethune: When I’m fighting I focus on my opponent’s movements. Most importantly, their footwork. By watching the way someone moves with their feet you can pretty much determine exactly what they’re thinking once you become more experienced in Sleeping Samurai. I usually training at least 2 or 3 times a week for at least an hour. I usually use each training session to focus on something specific so I have a clear direction of what I’m training. Whether it be my footwork, striking speed, accuracy etc.
Wazzup Tonight: What would you attribute your discipline to?
Ki Bethune: The activities that I would have to attribute a lot of my mental success to would be being in the marching band and choir, which I participated in during high school. In band I was able to learn how to use the cymbal, the bass drum and the snare drum- and of course I sang in the choir. Since my family is in the entertainment and music industry, it came natural. I also played basketball and chess which helped me with concentration and with being competitive. Being a “techie” has also helped me with strategy, computing and resilience. This gave me a foundation of discipline and the ability to commit myself to a task when necessary. Especially in today’s society, where people seem to have no lack of procrastination or worries about their self-image, I can confidently say that this does not apply to me when it comes to what I am passionate about and what I want to do, especially my sword fighting.
Wazzup Tonight: How could someone find you on social media?
Ki Bethune: Check out my Instagram and Facebook fan page at @KiBethune