Unknown at home, he has 40,000 Japanese fans
TORONTO, September 3, 2004 -- When he's not training to subdue his opponents at the brutal martial arts sport of ultimate fighting, 27 year-old Carlos Newton quietly pursues his studies in Japanese and psychology at York University's Glendon campus.
At 5' 9” and 195 lbs. of solid muscle, Newton is one of the top five ultimate fighters in the world. He is better known to his legions of fans from Tokyo to Las Vegas as `The Ronin' (wanderer). His chosen sport, ultimate fighting, is not for the faint-hearted. It pits martial arts experts against each other in one-on-one battles involving head butts, choke holds, leg locks and takedowns: all aimed at making one's opponent submit - often by rendering them unconscious. “The battles are really more about technique than brute strength,” says Newton, whose black belt father first taught him how to fight in his native British Virgin Islands.
Newton concedes that his sport has been good to him financially, but he has also always recognized the value of a good education. “We didn't have a lot of money when I was young and I was the one getting good marks so my parents decided to send me to Canada for an education,” says Newton, adding that he wants to finish his BA and then pursue a PhD by the time he retires from his sport in about 10 years.
Despite the seemingly violent nature of ultimate fighting, Newton is soft-spoken and gentle. In his spare time, he volunteers at the Baycrest Centre in Toronto twice a week. “I got the job through one of my York professors. He knew I was interested in behavioural neurology,” he confides. “I find working with old people really fascinating. I enjoy their company. They've got a very different perspective on the world.”
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