CIMA is known as the "Dragon Gate Icon" in Dragon Gate USA because of his stature in the company. He is the ambassador and main driving force behind Dragon Gate. You've seen him do amazing things in the ring, now you'll find out that he is a deep person and true leader.
 
CIMA dreamed of being a baseball player as a young child. That all changed in middle school when he first saw Lucha Libre. At only 16 years old, CIMA left his home country of Japan to train in Mexico as part of the Toryumon promotion. It was the Mexican style of wrestling that fascinated him, not his native Japanese style. CIMA saw pro wrestling as his ticket to travel the world. He was also interested in other "benefits" of being a star wrestler.
 
"If I became a professional wrestler," CIMA said. "I could wrestle everywhere in the world. Right now, my dream came true, and I am wrestling all over the world. Also, I thought I could get attention from a lot of girls. That was one of the many reasons I wanted to be a professional wrestler. I'm sure any guy would want to be the center of attention by girls, wouldn't you?"
 
CIMA immediately was under the tutelage of Dos Caras in Mexico. When he turned 18 he started training under Ultimo Dragon and Jorge Rivera. He brought an athletic background to the ring consisting of baseball and the discus throw in track. His greatest outside-of-wrestling athletic accomplishment was in MMA. He managed to finish 3rd in Sumo tournament without any training or preparation. His raw talent was evident as a teenager.
 
CIMA finished his training in Mexico with an astute knowledge of Lucha Libre, but he still didn't know much about Japanese style. At this time, CIMA thought he would marry a Mexican girl and settle in Mexico, but last year a Greek woman captured his heart
 
"Now I am with a beautiful Greek wife," CIMA said. "I think I will retire in Greece one day. Being with Dragon Gate, I can wrestle in Mexico, Greece, anywhere. Until I got married last year, my philosophy was "Money I made was all for myself!" But it changed... a little bit. I think I'm still selfish."
 
CIMA is now concentrating on Dragon Gate's worldwide expansion. DGUSA is a huge part of it as the brand has allowed the Dragon Gate stars to compete all over the United States and in Canada. CIMA spends a considerable amount of time learning English so he can better communicate with the North American fans. CIMA is leading this new revolution of modernized wrestling. As the captain of the ship, he is weathering the ups and downs in search of success. He is very grateful to all the fans that have given their encouragement.
 
"CIMA, the wrestler, exists because of all your support," CIMA said. "I'm not special, but I am a lucky person. Dragon Gate had grown in the last few years. We made a lot of mistakes, and I did too. I am proud of myself to be with Dragon Gate all my wrestling life. I have Myspace and twitter @dragongatecima now. Please find me. I'm trying my best to write everything in English."
 
After spending a little time with CIMA, it is clear why he has the "Dragon Gate Icon" moniker. His pride and joy is Dragon Gate. He lives to spread the name and make the company grow. CIMA is a true leader in every sense of the word. Now he looks forward to continuing his journey on July 24th in Philadelphia and September 25th in Chicago. CIMA is also keeping a close eye on the DGUSA Seminars/Tryouts. This is a personal project of his and he hopes to discover new talent for Japan.
 
"I can never forget my first debut in the States with Shingo," CIMA said. "My goal is to make DGUSA more thrilling, and want to spread to more American fans. I want to make a new unit just for DGUSA. I want to talk on the mic in English, just like the way I do in Japanese. I'm looking forward to your comment!"