‘There’s Really Nothing Else’ – Why Asa Ten Pow Has Dedicated His Entire Life To Martial Arts Success
Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow’s life has always been inextricably linked with martial arts.
The Florida resident’s decades-long journey ultimately led him to ONE Championship, and he’ll make his highly anticipated return against former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker at ONE 168: Denver.
The pair will collide in a bantamweight Muay Thai showdown live in U.S. primetime on Friday, September 6, but it’s taken a lot of effort and dedication for Ten Pow to reach this point.
Before he competes in front of his countrymen at Ball Arena in Denver, USA, take a look at “The American Ninja’s” long road to combat sports success.
A ‘Latchkey Kid’
Ten Pow was originally born and raised in Portland, Oregon. But soon after his parents got divorced, he and his father relocated to South Florida.
Since his dad was working to provide for his son and wasn’t always at home, Ten Pow – a self-confessed “latchkey kid” – was often left to his own devices. However, that freedom brings back many fond memories.
“The American Ninja” said:
“I was on my own. I was outside all the time. I had to be back in before the sun was down. So, all the time I was outside playing.
“I was really into sports. Whatever we could play. If there was a ball, we were playing something. So yeah, I had a lot of free time to be outside and run around.”
When Ten Pow was at home, there was always some sort of martial arts programming on the television set.
Whether it was his favorite shows or his father’s movies, “The American Ninja” remembers always being exposed to some kind of on-screen combat.
He recalled:
“Power Rangers. Ninja Turtles. There was so much of that in my household. Bruce Lee on VHS. It was just always about some martial art.”
The Journey Begins
Ten Pow’s father’s parenting style was relaxed in many respects, but he desperately wanted his child to learn martial arts and remain committed to his training.
The family patriarch took his son to the dojo at a young age and made sure he was consistent in that, if nothing else.
Ten Pow recalled:
“My dad put me in martial arts at a very early age, actually with my mother. We were in a traditional karate hybrid style. I was like 5 years old when I started.
“The most important thing that my dad said was, ‘He has to stay in it. Whatever we start, he has to learn consistency.’ So, he was the one who kept me in it.
“When my parents split and we moved down to South Florida, he knew of a teacher. It was a family teacher who actually taught my grandmother in traditional kung fu. His name was Sifu Andy Chung. He was my first real experience with martial arts.”
Ten Pow learned a lot from his early exposure to kung fu.
But after years of competing in the various non-contact and semi-contact styles, “The American Ninja” knew he needed to practice other disciplines.
He offered:
“I would do my forms and do my competition, win my medals and stuff like that. But I got really tired of doing the forms and the weapons, and I just wanted to do more of the contact.”
Finding His Niche
Although his father was keen on Ten Pow staying in his traditional styles, he saw his son’s desire for more and agreed to pay his first month of training under a Muay Thai coach.
It was sink or swim for “The American Ninja,” but he was willing to take that chance.
He said:
“I think I was 16 or 17 at the time when my dad signed me up for a new Muay Thai gym. He didn’t want me to fight. And I was like, ‘I need to fight.’ So, he said, ‘Alright, figure it out. Here you go. I’ll pay for the first month, and then you gotta do the rest.”
“The American Ninja” thrived in the full-contact element, and it became quite clear that this was his calling.
Until this point, he wasn’t sure where his life was heading. However, this move clarified his commitment to making combat sports his livelihood.
Ten pow recalled:
“Unfortunately, my grades weren’t that great, and I couldn’t continue to do scholastic stuff. Being an outdoors kid, school really sucked. I needed something to do because kung fu was not it.
“My Muay Thai teacher was telling me I could do it. Not to gas me up or anything, but it was like he could see the potential in me. So, I could feel that. I knew that I had a look and a fighting ability that was entertaining.
“I thought, ‘I’m gonna do this, there’s really nothing else.’ I kept on the path with the kickboxing and Muay Thai. And that’s the path I’m on right now.”
A Grave Loss
Success rarely comes without obstacles, and Ten Pow has had to endure difficulties on his route to the top.
One man who was always there for him was his father, and his recent death was a huge blow to the 34-year-old striker. However, he plans to stay the course and win ONE World Title gold to make his dad proud.
Ten Pow said:
“My dad really set the way for me. He showed me how to work and support myself. And the way he was with me and with other people, he was charming, and he could light the room up. So, he was that guy [who inspired me].
“Not having my father, who was obviously a big proponent in all of this, is hard. Although he probably wouldn’t want to see me fight anymore anyway, I just want to get that championship belt for all that work we’ve done and seal that off.”
Securing A Legacy
With back-to-back knockout victories over elite opposition in ONE, Ten Pow is well on his way toward his World Championship goal.
The American has spent years working hard for little compensation to get to this point, but he knew it would eventually pay off. Moving forward, he wants to secure his legacy and prove that his efforts were put in the right direction.
Ten Pow explained:
“I’ve got to a point where I can make some money and be comfortable. That’s the hard part. It’s like you almost break yourself before you make the money.
“[Winning the ONE World Title] would be a legacy of dedication, consistency, discipline, respect, and perseverance, and [it’s important to] seal this drive that has gotten everything for me.
“I have a gym now, I have a successful business. The people in my life all come from the journey of getting to this place, and it’s just minting all of that. [It’s about] showing that I backed up what I said, and that’s all there is to it.”
