Warrior Profile: Sage Yoshida
Much like an attack on an opponent, Sage Yoshida’s mentality regarding his training regiment is direct and to the point. “Train hard so you’ll be ready to fight at any moment,” he says.
Yoshida was definitely prepared for his match against fellow fighter Bronson Barrozo at Destiny’s Cage Heat March 9 at the Waipahu FilCom. Particularly impressive were the kickboxing skills of the 2011 Moanalua High School graduate, who made quick work of his opponent after Barrozo failed to answer the bell in Round 2.
“At first I was disappointed,” says Yoshida about the sudden end to the bout. “My dad told me to be appreciative that (Barrozo) stepped in the ring with me, and reminded me to stay humble.”
Yoshida has been honing his fighting technique and improving his cardiovascular conditioning at the Hawaii Martial Arts Center under the guidance of his father, Kevin, who co-founded the training facility. And since his father is a former boxer, Yoshida has been receiving both pugilistic pointers as well as lessons in Muay Thai at HMC.
Going into the fight, Yoshida’s mission other than winning was to honor the memory of his friend, Zach Manago. And the 18-year-old fighter believes he did just that for Manago, a Menehune alumnus and former Hawaii Pacific University baseball player, who died while riding his bike in Wahiawa following a hit-and-run accident in December 2010.
“I wanted to be able to leave it all in the ring. Go out there, fight, and win or lose, (I’d) know I gave it my best,” Yoshida says.
Currently, he is training for Kai Kamaka’s Amateur King of the Cage, scheduled for May 4. But because he does not yet have an opponent, Yoshida’s plan is to keep active by — what else? — training every day.
As far as turning pro, Yoshida says he would rather stay the course by taking it one step in the amateur game.
“I don’t want to be too ahead of myself. I have the rest of my life to fight,” he says. “Just train every day. Always stay active.”
