INTERVIEW

Championship interview to Masahiro Miyazaki (Kanagawa Prefectural Police Kendo Chief Operating Teacher)

2018年5月25日
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The 15th All Japan Invitational 8th Dan Championship Victory.
Masahiro Miyazaki (Kanagawa Prefectural Police Kendo Chief Operating Teacher)
Always give your all practice, in Shiai fully exhaust that which is mastered.

As previously reported, Miyazaki Masahiro accomplished his first consecutive championship in the history of The 15th All Japan Invitational 8th Dan Championship. Miyazaki Sensei has always continued to be the champion of the times in the All Japan Kendo Championships, National Police Championships, and All Japan invitational 7th Dan Championships. He is working at the Kanagawa Prefecture Police as the chief operating kendo officer, and up until this day does not neglect the thorough practice of basics.

*Shooting = Sakai Takamasa

Thankfulness for thoughtfulness of instructors and the Tokuren.

– Congratulations on your first consecutive victory in the history of the tournament.
How is the experience of attaining at least a two win streak so far?
“I was aiming for the victory, but it is an honor to be able to participate, I was not so conscious of a win streak. The eighth Dan Championships have no selection matches, it is invitational. I felt great joy of being selected.”

– So there is value in being selected.
“Since I heard that there is a selection criteria of five years from the eight Dan acquirement, I feel there is a weight to that. So I felt it is obligatory to participate in the best condition by self improvement on top of competing. ”

-Was your application around new year?
“Yes, I had a strong motivation that I would have to face off by practicing well and build up my body.”

– The keywords “building up my body” came up but what exactly did you do?
“Although I piled up my practices to pursue myself, it is important not to get injured. You can call it self-management. This was also true for my active era. When participating I will do my utmost to compete. Not only during practice, but also in daily life I place importance on health management. Apart from health management it is only a matter of piling up practice. In my case in particular, there are members of the Tokuren at the workplace, so with regard to practice environment I have nothing to wish for.

– When you were in the Tokuren, getting results in competition must have been the most important thing. But being at the position of chief mentor now, what is the balance between nurturing competitors and your own training like?
“The director, coach, and Tokuren members do not put it into words, but they were thoughtful in ways invisible to the eye, and the practice menus had probably also been rearranged for me. I felt that thoughtfulness and atmosphere clearly. They also came all the way to Nagoya from Kanagawa to cheer for me on the day of the championships. I am thankful from the bottom of my heart.

– What kind of training content was it?
I joined them from Uchikomi Keiko practice onwards. It doesn’t go quite like the Tokuren members, but I joined their ranks and repeated trainings. After a break we went into regular instructional sparring with teachers. Even though instructional I refrained from teaching, and we sparred as equals and I continued as long as my body would allow. It’s not good to leave any fatigue, so I had to debate with my body when to quit. It’s very difficult to tell when it is time to stop.”
“I got it from the driving practice, I do not go as well as the experts, but I had them repeat the lesson after having taken a break.It is a normal teaching practice after a break.It is a teaching practice However, I did not do it like receiving it, I worked as an exercise for consistent practice and continued as long as the body moved, so I should not leave tiredness, so I will consult with my own body where I should quit I have to decide, but the timing to stop training is really difficult. ”

-From what point on did you really start training to prepare for the 8th Dan championships?
“Up until three days before the tournament I trained as usual, and after that I transitioned into adjustment training which would not leave me tired.

When you feel you can go, does your body move?

– I presume you went to the tournament site on the previous day, but were there any final adjustments you made on the day of the tournament?
“As was the case when I was on active duty, I ate breakfast in the dormitory, and managed my water intake during the tournament.”

– Have you changed the approach towards competitions in between your active duty era and now?
“It change little, it’s customary to warm up before the tournament begins, but this time my first match was in the second half, so I put my Men on after the opening ceremony.”

– Your opponent in the first match was Yosuke Yamanaka (Tottori). It was a close match as long as 17 minutes including extension.
“There was something I wanted to keep in mind. I wanted my body to move at the moment I felt I could go. I thought it would be best for my awareness and body to move together. When you hesitate there, doubt will arise. I also did research on my opponent Mr. Yamanaka, but that image was different from actually fighting him. In any case even when moving forward I could not reach him because his reach of technique. After taking an Ippon, he took a Men strike back. After that we went into extension, and I was able to score a Kote from a mutual pressure scenario . the face was returned, then it became an extension game and I was able to score a Kote.It may have been a restless match, but my body reacted unconsciously.”

– There was about 1 hour free time until the 2nd round.
“I was making sure that my body would not get stiff. From the second match on, I was calculating the match times and replenished fluids. The time in between matches gets shorter as you win, so I kept a close eye on the timing.

– Do you take breaks in the waiting room?
“Yes. It’s not good to let your body loosen up too much either, so I repeatedly made sure I moved a bit, and then rested a bit. I was wearing both my Keikogi and my Do and Tare. This time I did not remove my Do and Tare once from the moment I warmed up until the closing ceremony. There were chairs in the waiting room so I rested while seated with my Do and Tare on. In individual matches I mostly keep them on. In team matches we act as a group so I adjust accordingly to the situation.”

– The second match was against Yamazaki Ayori from Aichi prefecture.
“I have fought Mr. Yamazaki at police tournaments. In order to not lose to his driven Kendo I faced him with a mindset of staying ahead.

– I felt like that mindset led you to get a valid strike.
“The first Ippon and Second Ippon, Men and Kote, both felt like my body moved naturally. Especially the Kote was not something I was aiming for, but it came out naturally because of what I had been focussing on in training.

– You have fought Kazuo Furukawa (Hokkaido) in the third round. Was it the first time?
“It is the first time in an official match. We differ in age by eight years. When I was in high school, and went to watch the All Japan Kendo Championships in the Nippon Budokan, Mr. Furukawa was participating. I remember my teacher from Tokaidaisagami high school cheering for Mr. Furukawa and the champion in that tournament, Mr. Toyama Mitsuyoshi because they used to be classmates. Mr. Furukawa has been to Tokaidaisagami high school and I was able to practice with him. He was like an unreachable being to me. I could not even have dreamed to fight him in a competition.

– Could you please tell us the impression when you crossed swords?
“I felt the strength of his strikes. His Katsugi Kote was so powerful I could barely manage blocking it. I could only move forward. I felt I would get hit if he would chase me down. I was able to win with a Hiki Men after a Debana Men, but that match felt like I was being taught. Last year I had the honor of fighting Mr. Ishizuka Misenbu (Osaka) and Mr. Kamei Toru (Kumamoto) but there was something different compared to the teachers who are Hanshi. I can not express it with words, but I felt that the depth of style is different.

Even after testing a stone bridge, to not cross it.

– Next is the semi-finals. From here the time in between matches is even shorter.
“That’s right, when I felt tired, II would say to myself that I am young among the players, and the other teachers are more tired.”

– You fought Ishida Toshiya (Tokyo) in the semi-finals for the first time since two years.
Were there any Strategies?
“There is no strategy. The feeling I always have with Ishida Sensei’s kendo is the fear of being struck if I stay here or there. I want to do a lot of offense but it in any case he is strong. While moving around, his instant movements are so fast I can not get close to him. I want to get in more, but I can’t. Although it may not be clear when you are looking at it, there is fear of getting hit when you try to get close. In that exchange my body responded for a valid strike. I think that it was a awkward way of hitting, but the Kaeshi Men came out unconsciously. After that I was put under pressure constantly and before I knew it the 10 minutes were over.

– How was the situation after getting through?
“I was really tired. Maybe that’s why I could concentrate for 10 minutes. I have been fought many matches since my active duty era, but when I face Mr. Ishida he looks enormous. It feels like a big wall is closing in. So I think that I lost that game on content, but he allowed me to win. It did not feel like I had won.

– After 5 minutes the finals were waiting for you.
“I knew that because it was the second match of the semi-finals. It was fated, and I accepted the situation and place I was in without lament. I always try to have a positive way of thinking.”

– Well then, about the match content, did you assume the worst?
“There was that. When you do not see anything and move out, the game will be decided. Normally you test the stone bridge before crossing it, but sometimes you won’t even cross it after testing it. You could call it a bad feeling. Sometimes even when you feel like you can go it doesn’t turn out right.

– Please reflect again upon the final match against Tani Katsuhiko (Gunma).
“I’ve met Tani Sensei in competition several times. Before fighting, the image I have of Tani sensei is also that he has a deep personality. For the finals, wanted to move forward and do my own Kendo. He is my Senpai and held the championship before, so I went forward with the intent of letting him show me the ropes. But he dealt with it effortlessly. In any case his Shinai won’t leave the centre. Even when I threw out techniques with confidence, he would dodge them by a hair’s breadth so I was running out of options. At the end I threw out my arms with full force, and my technique came through in the form of an Ai Men. After the closing ceremony Tani Sensei and many other Sensei congratulated me and I was happy about that.

– This time you were able to achieve the feat of a consecutive championship, and I felt your opponents researched you thoroughly
“I don’t think so. They are all very strong to begin with. In my active duty times I had the impression that they researched me sometimes, but it is hard for me to believe that they would study a Kohai like me. For me personally, the being champion is an overachievement. I think it comes down to a fortunate turn of events, and being able to perform above my ability. I think I was able to win because of a lot of helping factors, so personally I can’t tell whether i was being researched by my opponents. It would be a simple lack of skill if I were not able to mount a successful offensive. I feel like I was able to fully exhaust my Kendo, but I was able to experience the Senseis’ strong pressure, depth of personalities and depth of styles. There is also a difference in swordstyle, but I have not reached that yet. I continue to do kendo which relies on youthiness and vigor, and my goal is to do kendo with a little more weight to it. It is quite difficult to manifest that on the scene in a competition.

– Did you win by “youthiness” and “vigor”?
”When I look back at my kendo this tournament, I feel like I still fight with a lot of youthiness and vigor. It is my goal to do kendo with more weight to it like my sempai and Sensei who are hanshi. Looking back at my matches, I certainly gave everything I had. For the rest it is a matter of listening and follow the advice of the teachers in a straightforward manner. I am really satisfied with the victory. But there are also many challenges. With those challenges as goals, I would like to do my best next year also. I can do my best because of goals. There are still many shortcomings within me, so I would like to face my practice next year to fill those gaps.”

To embrace those times going back to basics.

– Regarding practise, could you tell me what you try to grapple with and what you try to keep in mind?
“When you become a teacher there will be more teaching practice, so I try to implement basic Uchikomi into my consciousness. This is for a short time, but when I put my men on I do this in a focussed manner. Sometimes during practice the urge to hit my opponent becomes strong and my form collapses. I try to follow the procedure of letting my body thoroughly memorize the correct way of striking and letting those strikes out during sparring practice. I think that Uchikomi is the time when you cherish going back to basics and adjust yourself, so I try to keep that in mind. Yesterday, and the day before that I did this before the afternoon teaching practice with the Tokuren members but it was pretty tough. The teaching practice lasted for 40 minutes but my body was strained and I took my Men off after 30 minutes. (laughs)”

– Do you practice basics together with the Tokuren members?
“Yes. Even though I am an instructor, it is still practice for the Tokuren members, so I ask the supervisor for permission and we rotate and practise according to the commands of the Tokuren coach. The Tokuren has all types of members so it is really insightful.

– Is that because you have this idea that at the foundation, you can only apply those things which are body-memorized through basics in competition and sparring practice?
“Yes. Personally, compared to my active duty days I spend so much less time on basic practice that I exercise basics with awareness. No matter what, during practice the feeling of wanting to hit and not to get hit arises. This element which is different from basics, so I always try to practice basics with awareness. When I was younger there were times I believed that I would be able to win more matches the more I practiced applied techniques as opposed to basics. But now i have difficulty applying those techniques with the proper basic way of striking. You end up not striking with the shortest distance, but only in a deceiving manner. So in order to hit with the fastest and shortest distance while pressuring the middle, it becomes important to practice the basics day in and out. I aim to hit crisply with the left foot as the pivoting foot while moving my right hand and right foot. If you do not practice this regularly, you will become unable to do it. When I was younger i used to think that the application of techniques was more important for actual matches than basics, but now that is different.”

– I’ve heard that you are doing Suburi together with the Tokuren members.
“Sometimes we do 30 Suburi and sometimes 50. I do all of it together with them. I can barely keep up with fast Suburi with the Tokuren members. But i think i won’t be able to keep up at all once i stop doing it, so i try to incorporate it with all my might.

– Currently you are at the position of Chief operating Teacher at the Kanagawa Prefecture Police Department which has lead Tokuren members to become champions of Japan and you are pushing on to become world champion as the director of the Japanese ladies team. I would like to hear about your aspirations as an instructor from this point on.
“In Kanagawa Prefectural Police, I have the position of general oversight, and I focus on one-point guidance while watching over the supervisors and coaches. As a director of the ladies team, I do my utmost to fulfill my responsibilities.

– Finally, what are your aspirations for next years’ 8th dan competitions.
“I am honored to be able to participate and I will work hard. To that end, I think it is more important to be in my best condition rather than winning or losing. I want to practice a lot, and do my best Kendo.
– Thank you for today.


Miyazaki Masahiro Born 1963 in Kanagawa prefecture, 54 years old. After graduating from Tokai University and Sagami High School, he was appointed to Kanagawa Prefecture Police. 6 time All-Japan Champion, 4 time World Champion in teams and individual, 2 time National Police team Champion, 6 time National Police Champion, 寬仁親王杯八段選抜大会優勝, 7 time All Nippon Invitational Seventh Dan Champion. He has stood at the top of every tournament. In April this year, he won the first consecutive title in the history of the competition at All Japan invitational Eighth Dan Championship. Kendo teacher 8th Dan. Currently, Kanagawa Prefectural Police Chief Operating Teacher.

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