After Troubled Highschool Experience, Takeru Segawa “Had No Option” but to Succeed in Martial Arts, Reveals ONE Flyweight

Takeru Segawa is one of the best kickboxers on the planet today, and while it appeared to be a path he was destined for, it was something he needed to do. “The Natural Born Crusher” will make his ONE Championship debut when he challenges Superlek Kiatmoo9.

The battle will be for the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship in the main event of ONE 165: Superlek vs Takeru this Sunday, January 28, inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. As he prepares to fight for the biggest prize of his career, the Japanese striker looked back at the beginning of his martial arts journey in an interview with ONE. 

Humble beginnings for Takeru Segawa

“I always wanted to be a fighter. But I thought I couldn’t make a living only by fighting. So, I thought about what I wanted to do for a job, and I thought I could be a childcare worker, so I went to a high school that had the curriculum for that,” he recalled.  

“I entered the high school, and I started to enjoy hanging out with friends. But I started to do bad things with my friends and got expelled after about three months.” Getting mixed in with the wrong crowd prevented him from reaching a goal he had set for future employment.

However, with every door that closes, a window of opportunity opens. With no other path to take, he decided to pursue his passion and make a living out of it one way or another. It not only gave him purpose but also helped him steer clear of negative influences in his life. 

“I was expelled from school, and there was nothing left for me to do. During that time, I didn’t do martial arts, and I was just fooling around, but because I couldn’t go to high school, I felt I had no option but to succeed in martial arts, so I made up my mind,” Takeru said. 

A discovery that would turn his life around

“I found a kickboxing gym and practiced there for the first time, and I saw I could finally do what I wanted to do. I remember I felt very happy about it. I was hanging out with friends every night, but then I stopped because it would affect my practice. It was fun to hang out, but I had the most fun doing martial arts, so I thought it was better this way. Martial arts helped me get back on the right track.” 

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After conquering the kickboxing world with multiple World Titles, including three from different weight classes in the prestigious K-1 promotion in Japan, it became clear that he as on the right track in life. And he’ll continue to tread that path toward greatness when he takes on Superlek for the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE 165 on January 28. 

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