Kai En Tai
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Kai En Tai (also spelled Kaientai) was a professional wrestling stable made up of Japanese wrestlers: Funaki, Dick Togo and Mens Teioh, later joined by Taka Michinoku. The group was managed by Yamaguchi-san when they were in the WWF.
The name "Kaientai" is based on the organization of the same name founded by a samurai named Ryoma Sakamoto. Considered Japan's first modern corporation, Kaientai (translated as "Naval Auxiliary Force") was a naval institution and paramilitary organization dedicated to freeing Japan from feudal rule and protecting the country's national sovereignty. It was a major player in the introduction of the Meiji Restoration. Dick Togo named his faction "Kaientai" in its honor.
The group debuted in Japan's Michinoku Pro wrestling promotion in late 1994 when SATO, Terry Boy and Shiryu introduced themselves as Kai En Tai. They had many high profile tag team matches before two of them changed their names; SATO became Dick Togo, Terry Boy became Mens Teioh while Shiryu's name remained unchanged. The stable's name was also changed to Kaientai Deluxe, or Kaientai DX for short. They would later be joined by Taka Michinoku and Funaki as new members. Other members included Hanzo Nakajima, Yoshihiro Tajiri, Gran Hamada and Super Boy.
Kai En Tai (with the exception of Shiryu, who was in WCW as Kaz Hayashi) made their first appearance in the WWF the night after WrestleMania XIV on the March 30, 1998 episode of Raw is War. The team dropped the 'DX' from their full title due to the existence of DX in the WWF. They attacked Taka Michinoku -- who signed with the WWF much earlier -- for unknown reasons, and their alliance with Taka in Japan was not mentioned. Kaientai was originally referred to by the announcers as Club Kamikaze, but Yamaguchi-san announced their actual name upon his arrival shortly afterwards.
Their most infamous WWF feud was with Val Venis, who had a porn star gimmick at the time. Yamaguchi was enraged when he was shown a pornographic video of his (onscreen) wife, sleeping with Venis, and threatened to punish both of them. Mrs Yamaguchi-San was brought to the ring for what was going to be a spanking by Yamaguchi-san using a wooden paddle, but she was rescued by Venis. A week later, just as Venis had finished a match, Yamaguchi and Kaientai showed up with a salami on a table. Yamaguchi proceeded to cut the salami in two using a katana while shouting at Venis, "I choppy choppy your pee pee!"
The following week, Venis teamed up with Taka Michinoku to take on Togo and Teioh in a tag team match. However, Taka made a swerve by turning against Venis, proclaiming that Mrs Yamaguchi-San was his sister. Venis was dragged backstage by Kaientai to be castrated, though the audience did not see what happened next. Venis returned after a week, explained that Yamaguchi's sword narrowly missed his genitalia, broke up his relationship with Mrs Yamaguchi-San and thus ended the feud.
After Togo, Teioh and both Yamaguchis left the WWF, Michinoku and Funaki began wrestling as a tag team using the name Kai En Tai. They were primarily comedy jobbers, best known for their "Indeed!" skits in which voices in English were dubbed into their promos while they badly lip-synched, and Michinoku eventually left the WWF. He now runs a promotion called Kaientai Dojo (or K-DOJO). Funaki remained in the WWF, finding a niche as part of the SmackDown! cruiserweight division and as a backstage interviewer.
With the occasion of Michinoku Pro's 10th Anniversary on November 2, 2003, Kaientai DX reformed, as Dick Togo, Men's Teioh, Taka Michinoku, Shiryu and Hanzo Nakajima took down Jinsei Shinzaki, Hayate, Kesen Numa-jiro, Kazuya Yuasa and Chi-Nen Hokkai.
On July 15, 2005, another Kaientai reunion took place at Kaientai Dojo, when Taka Michinoku teamed up with Sho Funaki, Dick Togo and Men's Teioh to do battle with Kengo Mashimo, KAZMA, Ryota Chikuzen and Kunio Toshima. Although Kaientai came up short of defeating the opposing team, it was a very emotional moment and the crowd showed their support after the match.
Kaientai will reunite again on the 2006 New Year's Eve Indie Summit show were TAKA Michinoku, Sho Funaki, Kaz Hayashi, Dick Togo and MEN's Teioh will take on Makoto Oishi, KUDO, Katsunari Kishi, Shinjitsu Nohashi and Milanito Collection a.t.
