Inoue started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in the late 1980s at Relson Gracie's academy in the late 1980s before joining the Machado academy where he earned his purple and brown belts.
ɪnˈaʊ stˈɑːɹɾᵻd tɹˈeɪnɪŋ bɹæzˈɪliən dʒˈɪuːdʒˈɪtsuː bˌiːdʒˌeɪdʒˈeɪ ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z æt ɹᵻlsˈɑːn ɡɹˈeɪsiz ɐkˈædəmi ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z bᵻfˌoːɹ dʒˈɔɪnɪŋ ðə mætʃˈɑːdoʊ ɐkˈædəmi wˌɛɹ hiː ˈɜːnd hɪz pˈɜːpəl ænd bɹˈaʊn bˈɛlts.