Never Give Up, Your Chance Will Come

Where We Call Home.

Though he hung up his boxing gloves twenty years ago, this American man keeps his fighting spirit alive.

Meet former Japanese lightweight champion Frederick Roberts.

Owner of the national record for the most consecutive title defenses,

he now wants to train a boxer to become world champion, a dream he himself had hoped to achieve.

Even with only 1% chance of success,
you gotta keep on going till the end.

Never give up. Never give up.

Rick's single-minded determination inspires those around him.

We're all Rick's fans.

We support him wholeheartedly.

For the first time since he founded his gym ten years ago, one of his proteges will challenge a national ranker.

Don't stay in front!

Come what may, never abandon your dreams.

Let's follow Rick as he pursues a new challenge.

Fussa City in Tokyo.

The Yokota US Air Base makes up about one third of the town's total area.

Residents from some sixty countries and territories give Fussa a rather multicultural atmosphere.

Right next to the air base is a boxing gym named Ringside.

Many of its seventy-or-so members are locals.

From those who come to train simply to stay fit to those who aim to go pro, everyone is welcome.

This "friendly neighborhood" gym was founded and is run by one man.

Frederick Roberts from the US.

Under the ring name of Rick Yoshimura, he used to hold the title of Japanese national champion in two weight classes.

Even to members who only come to exercise and stay in shape, Rick provides thorough and thoughtful guidance.

"Aisatsu" is greetings.

You come in and you just say:
'Onegai shimasu.'

He puts a lot of importance on Japanese etiquette and manners.

He says it's the first step to facilitate communication between members of different nationalities.

- He's more Japanese than Japanese.
- Right?

You'd never guess he was a pro boxer.

At Rick's gym, we're all like
one big family. It's a lot of fun.

I really love Fussa.

It's a fun town. It's fun to be here.

I love the gym.

This is my home.

I love boxing. I just love boxing.

Rick has now set his hopes on one fighter.

Suzuki Kensuke is in his fourth year as a professional.

This is Kensuke.

This is Suzuki Kensuke.

- He's so earnest.
- My only redeeming quality.

Kensuke is one bout away from his A-class boxing license - a qualification only a few pro fighters in Japan have.

If he succeeds, he'll be the first at Rick's gym to do so.

This would also open up the path to becoming national champion.

I think... I think he could be champion.

He could be champion.

He's good. He's very smart.

He's smart. He's a good boxer.

Kensuke's next fight has been set.

Ranking thirteenth in Japan, his opponent has fought the Asia Pacific title match.

Kensuke will be outranked.

This adversary is a heavy hitter who can knock out opponents with one blow.

Don't stay in front; that's his fight.

To prepare for the match, Kensuke spars at a gym in a neighboring town.

As a strategy against a power puncher, he practices how to hit from the flanks.

Kensuke is in the black trunks.

He rapidly steps to the side and strikes.

Nice! Nice, nice!

Step! Step, step, step, step!

But something's bothering Rick.

Kensuke maneuvers his opponent near the ropes,

but where he would normally need to move in with a series of rapid blows,

he tends to become too cautious, and thus misses the chance to knock his opponent out.

You get a chance, you got to go. You have to go.

But now I want him to see it.

I wanted to tell him, 'Go!,' you know.

I want him to... take every chance.

You see a chance, take it.

Don't give up, and a chance will come.

This is a lesson Rick learned over long years of experience.

Rick grew up in the South Bronx in New York City in the 1970s.

Back then poverty and crime ran rampant.

When times were hard, my mother
would go to the movie theater.

It wasn't to catch a movie.

She waited after showings to approach
the staff who were throwing out food.

She'd say, 'Please spare some for my kids.'

She was begging... She was begging for food, you know, and...

That was... that was hard.

That's when he saw Muhammad Ali fight on television.

With the legendary world champion as his role model, Rick took up boxing at the age of twelve.

However, unable to leave his mark in the professional circuit, he enrolled in the US Air Force to earn a living.

When Rick was twenty, he was sent to Japan,

where, alongside his military duties, he continued to pursue his boxing dream.

After my service, I didn't want
to go back to a place like Harlem.

I didn't want go back.

That was my inspiration, my motivation... Was to keep going.

Thanks to his outstanding technique, he won the title of lightweight champion in Japan,

which he successfully defended on many occasions.

Although he was at the peak of his boxing career, he had difficulty landing a world title match.

Boxing is a sport, but it's also show business.

The appeal to draw in audiences and sponsors is a key element in booking fights.

A fellow boxer at the gym where Rick trained, Ohata Hideaki says he watched the US military man's efforts with mixed feelings.

Japanese boxers would get on TV
and would find sponsors.

Rick's defense record was amazing.
But it was also too long.

After defending his title a total of twenty-two times,

Rick was finally able to challenge the world champion at the age of thirty-six.

Though the bout ended in a draw, he explains he could seize this chance because he never gave up on his dream.

My thinking...
I thought I wouldn't have much chance.

Maybe, 1% chance...

...now that I think about it.

But maybe, 1% chance, but...

If I gave up, it'd be 0%.
So, I fought on.

Never give up.

In boxing, and in life, if you persevere, a chance will come.

Rick wants to instill in Kensuke the fighting spirit to quickly spot and seize any opportunity.

This is what I've been talking about, right?

You hit him, right?

Something like that.

Honestly, right?

That's what you need.

You just...

thinking that's the man is hurt.

Because if you hit me once, twice, I can take that. But you...

Then you go down to the body, then up, right?

OK? So, sometimes that's what you need.

He often tells me to 'become a lion'...

and to never back down
in front of any opponent.

I still have a long way to go, but I feel
I'm changing and gaining confidence.

Rick teaches me that if I give it my all,
a chance will come.

So, I'll put that in practice.

They picked me to be their trainer.

So, I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure they have a good chance to be... to live their dream.

That's what I want.

I want to give them every chance I can give them.

I'm back!

After retiring, Rick settled down in Fussa, his beloved town of adoption, with his wife Yoko and their daughter Momoko.

He's fun and makes me laugh.

How so?

He makes mistakes in Japanese.

Really?

Oh, really? Well!

Yeah, sometimes.

Hoping to make his boxing gym an integral part of the local community, Rick has been going around town to find sponsors.

- Fliers for our next fight.
- Really?

- Yes.
- Thank you. Nice work.

He opened a boxing gym in Fussa,
and wants to train champions.

So, I want to try to give support
in any way I can. It's very simple.

All of Rick's efforts are for the aspiring champions under his wing.

So, I wanna bring you the poster if you don't mind.

When I was fighting,
I had difficulty finding sponsors.

It took a long time to
land a world title match.

So, I look for sponsors now,
for those young, hardworking boxers.

I want to find some now.

The day of Kensuke's fight has finally come.

If it were my fight,
I'd be more relaxed.

But it's his fight.
I feel nervous.

As Kensuke is currently still a B-class license boxer, this will be a six-round bout.

If the match ends in a win for him, or even a draw, Kensuke will be promoted to A-class.

Ready?

One, two three.

Ringside!

Have fun, OK?

Kensuke is in the white and green trunks.

The two pugilists begin by studying one another.

Near the ropes, Kensuke goes in with rapid blows...

...and lands a clean hit.

Nice! Nice! Nice! Nice!

You go. Use the jab! Use that jab!

Yes! There you go!

He uses footwork to seize control of the fight from his hard-hitting opponent.

Nice, nice!

Deep breath, deep breath!

Catch him in the flanks with a hook!

Turn him over!

After you hit, don't stay in front. Don't stay in front.

Nice jab, nice jab. Use the jab, OK? Alright?

Nice.

Even around mid-time, he continues to keep his opponent at a distance...

...and strikes with precision.

Body! Body! Spin! Step, step, step!

Step!

Yo, spin, spin, spin! Spin!

Making use of the side-flanking strategy he practiced, Kensuke continues to lead the fight.

Only one round left.

- Three minutes! OK? Three minutes!
- OK!

- Right? Don't give up! Three minutes!
- Alright!

Just box. Have fun this round, OK?

This is the last round. This is your fight!

- OK?
- OK!

Deep breath, deep breath!

Last round!

The final three minutes.

However, Kensuke gradually slows down.

Only twenty seconds to go.

Jab, jab, jab! Kensuke! Outbox! Outbox!

Jab! Jab! Outbox! Outbox!

He receives several powerful hits to the face.

Outbox! Outbox! Outbox!

Will he hold out?

Though he took many blows, Kensuke never backed down.

The result is about to be announced.

57 to 57.
Draw!

Kensuke's tenacity brought the fight to a draw.

And thus, he becomes his gym's very first A-class boxer.

Dam it!

It was a good fight, right?

- I'm sorry!
- No, no, no. It's OK.

Both trainer and trainee fought on and seized the chance that came to them -

a small but great step forward.

Throughout my boxing career,
the people of Fussa have supported me.

My dream is to produce a world champion
right here in Fussa.

Never give up. Never give up.

Hi! I'm Rodrigo, from Brazil.

As a high-school English teacher,
I put passion and fun in my work.

Toyokawa in Aichi is home to many
foreign workers in the auto industry.

Mito Aoba High School
counts 298 students.

Including Brazil, the Philippines
and Bangladesh...

the students are of a broad range
of nationalities.

Good morning!

Rodrigo teaches English
for a total of 15 hours a week.

OK! A very good morning, everyone!

- Good morning!
- How are you today?

- I'm fine!
- I'm hungry!

Who's hungry!

Yeah. Me, too. I'm very... I'm starving!
'I'm starving!'

'I'm starving!'

Do you understand, 'starving?'

'Starving' means 'very hungry.'

He encourages students
to use only English in class.

He puts particular effort in having
students discuss among themselves.

Having robots in the world is nice or not?

If yes, why yes? If not, why not? Why not?

In the future, robots help us and elderly people.

If our teacher is a robot, it's not good!

In a factory, just people, no robots.

They can finish their project, but it takes time. So...

They save us a lot of time, maybe?

A lot of energy?

What do you think? Do you agree?

I agree.

I want them to be able to use English
if they ever go abroad.

If they see someone they like, they can
strike up a conversation in English.

That's part of life.

At 10, Rodrigo moved to Japan.
His parents worked at an auto factory.

Bullying in elementary school
caused him to stop attending.

In junior high...

I had a teacher, Mr. Maeda,
who'd been working there for 10 years.

On the first day, he asked the class
to encourage and support me.

That made it easier for me
to ask him for help.

He taught Japanese.
So, he gave me weekly kanji tests.

It motivated me to study hard.

Rodrigo played on the Aichi
high school soccer team.

But during gym class,
he constantly had nosebleeds.

The diagnosis: leukemia
with a 50% survival chance.

'I won't let illness beat me!'
I had this combativity...

I got from playing soccer.

My family said, 'Let's fight together.'

Rodrigo won his three-year battle
with leukemia.

I heard on the news there'd been 30,000
suicides every year 10 years in a row.

If I survived, I'd try to change that.

After studying hard, he became
a certified teacher in Aichi in 2010.

As a teacher, I wanted to show students...

how great it was to be alive.

He gives his students regular
individual memorization tests.

Arthur is from Sweden.

She was interested in Japan.

- I only know this part.
- It's OK.

Ready! Go!

Arthur is from Sweden.

He got interested... in Japanese style.

No, wait.

In junior high, they gave
points for smiling.

- It's hard to smile with this content.
- I smiled!

I did!

Next time, I'll check if you smile.

- I look forward to it.
- Really?

Even though she's very busy,
Uetake-san always smiles.

I'm amazed by her patience
and mental strength.

When Rodrigo's around...

the mood really brightens up.

The students become more positive.

He tends to do everything on his own.
He shouldn't hesitate to ask for help.

- I'm a bad communicator.
- No, no!

- You can do everything alone.
- I'm the worst teacher.

No!

My treasures are the letters I get...

from students every year.

I keep them so that when I feel down...

they're a big source of encouragement.

They write things like
how passionate I am in my work.

Some might forget what they wrote.

But their words make me happy.

They fuel my motivation
to work hard every year.

So, their letters are treasures to me.