A lot of people have asked me about the video below, where Antonio Inoki slaps a young Lyoto Machida after ‘The Dragon’ wins a match. Here’s the video and we’ll explain it below:

Some people have said Inoki was pissed at Machida or disappointed in his performance. Actually, the title of the YouTube clip essentially gets it right: it was a slap of respect. More specifically, Inoki was slapping Machida whom he was training at the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo in an effort to enhance his ‘toukon‘ or ‘fighting spirit’. In this instance its a show of respect and you’ll see other Japanese trainers do this to their proteges. Can’t remember who Nobuhiko Takada was seconding at DREAM 9, but he did it. It’s kind of a congratulations for an exceptional fighting performance and is typically done by someone who is considered a legendary fighter like Inoki.

The slap of ‘toukon‘ is not limited to a post fight show of respect, however. There have been occasions where Inoki has stood in the ring (at Kurikan Hall if I remember correctly) and fighters, fans and media have lined up to get slapped in this manner. There’s supposedly some video circulating of Inoki doing this which I’ll try to track down.