 Idolizing Kengo Kimura as a little child, and after graduating from high school, Otani moved out from his parents house after being heavily criticized by them for choosing a professional wrestling career, he left with 60.000 yen in his pocket.He went to Tokyo to start training in Animal Hamaguchi's gym.Otani's life was hard at the beginning, since he was homeless and his money only paid for a small tatami-like dwelling for 24,000 yen.