Nakano Won Even with Major Unrecovered Injury at 7th Dan Competition

The 7th All-Japan Kendo 7th Dan Championship Competition
On Sunday, February 2, 2020 
At Yokohama Budokan, Kanagawa

 

The 7th All-Japan Invitational Kendo 7th Dan Championship Competition was held on Sunday, February 2nd. The final round was a match between Takahiro Nakano, Kyoto Police, and Tomohisa Iwashita, Chiba Police, both graduated from Hosei University. Nakano hit the head and gained the victory in his first participation.

 

 

The 18 participants were first divided into 4~5 players per league, and the top 2 players of each league entered the quarterfinals. Susumu Takanabe of Kanagawa Police who won 3 times including last year, and Keiichi Hashimoto of Ida Technos in Saitama who the winner of 2 years ago, disappeared during the league matches.

Takanabe, who won in the 1st of the same competition, was in League A, same as Kanagawa Police’s Hozo Tadaomi, and the fight ended in a tie. Takanabe lost against Matsuyaki Shinsuke, Metropolitan Police Department, and had a tie with Yukihiro Higashinaga, Saitama Police. In the final rounds, Takanabe won 2 rounds against Nobuaki Hurusawa, a faculty of Nippon Sport Science University, but ended up in 3rd place. Hozo won against Hurusawa and had a tie with Higashinaga and Matsuwaki. In this group, it was 2 wins and 2 ties. This league ended with a result of Matsuwaki with 2 wins and 2 ties as first place, Hozo with 1 win and 3 ties as second place, and Takanabe with 1 win, 1 lose, 1 tie as third place.

In this competition, Korean players participated for the first time. These players are Seonghong Jang, 43 years old, and Gangho Lee, 41 years old, who are active in World Championship Competition. Seonghong Jang in League D had a tie with Ryoichi Uchimura, Metropolitan Police Department, but lost against Hashimoto and Yuichi Yoneya, Saitama Police Department. Thus, he was eliminated from the league. Hashimoto won against Seonghong Jang but he lost against Yoneya and had a tie with Uchimura. Uchimura, who got second place last year, entered the finals with 2 ties. He was facing league elimination if he can’t win against Yoneya with 2 wins, but he took the chance and won the victory with all his might.

 

The 18 participants were first divided into 4 or 5 players per league, and the top 2 players of each league entered the quarterfinals. Susumu Takanabe of Kanagawa Police who won 3 times including last year, and Keiichi Hashimoto of Ida Technos in Saitama who the winner of 2 years ago, disappeared during the league matches.

Takanabe, who won in the 1st of the same competition, was in League A, same as Kanagawa Police’s Hozo Tadaomi, and the fight ended in a tie. Takanabe lost against Matsuyaki Shinsuke, Metropolitan Police Department, and had a tie with Yukihiro Higashinaga, Saitama Police. In the final rounds, Takanabe won 2 rounds against Nobuaki Hurusawa, a faculty of Nippon Sport Science University, but ended up in 3rd place. Hozo won against Hurusawa and had a tie with Higashinaga and Matsuwaki. In this group, it was 2 wins and 2 ties. This league ended with a result of Matsuwaki with 2 wins and 2 ties as first place, Hozo with 1 win and 3 ties as second place, and Takanabe with 1 win, 1 lose, 1 tie as third place.

In this competition, Korean players participated for the first time. These players are Seonghong Jang, 43 years old, and Gangho Lee, 41 years old, who are active in World Championship Competition. Seonghong Jang in League D had a tie with Ryoichi Uchimura, Metropolitan Police Department, but lost against Hashimoto and Yuichi Yoneya, Saitama Police Department. Thus, he was eliminated from the league. Hashimoto won against Seonghong Jang but he lost against Yoneya and had a tie with Uchimura. Uchimura, who got second place last year, entered the finals with 2 ties. He was facing league elimination if he can’t win against Yoneya with 2 wins, but he took the chance and won the victory with all his might.

 

 

In the quarterfinals, Uchimura hit the wrist of Matsuwaki twice, and won. Nakano got the head and wrist of Asahina from the start. The two players who got the tickets to quarterfinals during the finals of the league showed their skills right away. The match between Gangho Lee and Iwashita was extended to overtime and Iwashita took the ‘reverse waist’ and defeated a strong player of Korea. Yoneya took the head from Hozo and got the ticket to Best 4.

 

 

 

 

The final round was between Nakano, at his first participation, and Iwashita, at his third participation. In Hosei University, Iwashita is one year older than Nakano. From the start of the round, Iwashita actively showed his skills and Nakano went on with defense. It was a round of seeking for chances. However, during the overtime, when the movement of Iwashita stopped right after an attack, Nakano went for the head right away. This was the turning point for the finals.

Nakano was chosen as a member of World Championship Competition held in Italy in 2012, but got a major injury right before the event. With left hamstring tendon rupture, he had a 8-hour surgery, and doctors said that he might not be able to do Kendo anymore. However, he was able to return and participated the All-Japan Championships. He says that his injury still affects his play. He continues Kendo while taking recovery trainings and taking care of his left leg. He says that it is a lifelong injury.
Nakano said, “The pain is still there. My left hamstring only has a strength which is the same level of an average of female high school students.” He played the finals while treating the leg, and it affected his play in the competition.
“In the finals with more rounds, I didn’t attack at first and I was just waiting for an opportunity to hit because I thought that I might not be able to do Kendo again if I get another injury on my left leg.”

However, at the final round, there were several instances where in Iwashita attacked, and Nakano quickly went back to avoid the hit. The accuracy of the footwork was outstanding among them, and no one imagined that his leg is still injured. For Nakano, it was a win over a strong opponent and a win against the injury. He can say that it was a victory that gave him double joy.

“The mere participation in this competition is very meaningful for me and I really didn’t expect victory. There were players whom I fought with at the World Competition, so I participated in each round with joy and appreciation. Although my training situations weren’t so good,  but I love Kendo and I didn’t quit. I kept practicing until I felt the overlimit for playing kendo, and it resulted to victory. There should be more injured players other than myself, so I thought that it would be great if my plays can give them hope.”

 

 

Takahiro Nakano
Mizuru Department of Kyoto Police. 39 years old, born in Kyoto. Graduated from Hiyoshigaoka High School and Hosei University. Best 8 in All Japan Invitational Championship. Participated in the World Championship. Won 3rd in teams and 2nd in individuals at the National Police Competition.