The 69th All Japan Kendo Tournament took place on Nov. 3 at the Nippon Budohkan in Central Tokyo. Twenty-three-year-old fourth-dan swordsman Keita Hoshiko from Kagoshima Prefecture became the champion by defeating 27-year-old fifth dan swordsman Kyohei Hayasida from Fukui prefecture with two successive, lightning fast men strikes. Hoshio was junior to Hayasida when both were students at the Tsukuba University in Ibaraki Prefecture.
本線は序盤、面を得意とする林田五段の手の内を知り尽くした星子四段が、素早い小手をちらつかせて林田五段の警戒を誘ったのち、林田五段のわずかな躊躇の余韻が消え去る前に電光石火の面を放ち最初の一本を決めた。
Hoshiko, who knew Hayashida's tactics so well from years of training together at collage, released quick 'kote's, or attacks at one of the opponent's wrists, in order to impede Hayasida's aggressive move forward. Hoshiko, who didn't miss Hayashida's slight hesitation, didn't mist out of the opportunity, throwing a brilliant men strike before Hayashida was able to figure out how to get around Hoshiko's strategic kote attacks.
得意技の面を逆手に取られた林田五段は、仕切り直し後、トーナメントの中で見せてこなかった突きなどを奇襲的に繰り出して応戦をするが、審判の旗はあがらない。
Trying to take a point back, Hayasida released a 'tsuki' attack to Hoshiko's throat, unusual for the swordsman who is the most well-known for his men strikes. But the offence wasn't quite on target to count as a point.
後輩に面で先行された焦燥が、金甌無欠の身体バランスを誇る百戦錬磨の林田剣士に見えない隙を生んだのか、戦型を立て直す暇もないままに、鮮やかな面が再び林田五段の面を襲い序盤で決着がついた。
A sight pressure that he felt from allowing his junior swordsman to score a point first may have caused Hayashida to lose his otherwise impeccable mind-body balance, because no sooner had he scored his first point with a clear men than Hoshiko released another brilliant men strike on Hayashida's center of head! The bout ended in the first half of the 5-minute round before going into extension...
これまでの全日本剣道選手権は、警視庁の警察官剣士の皆さんの独壇場の様相をていしていた。しか本大会は、ベスト4に残った4名の内、警察所属の剣士は村山 仁錬士・六段ただ一人で、準決勝で林田五段に敗れた山田 将也四段はNTTドコモの企業剣士だった。
This tournament was unique in the sense that only one police officer climbed up to the semifinals. In the past tournaments semifinalists were dominated by swordsmen belonging to the police department. This year it was sixth dan swordsman Hitoshi Murayama alone. Hayashida is a high school teacher. And Masaya Yamada who lost to Hayashida in the semifinal is a businessperson.
参考までに、公式サイト上では優勝した星子四段の職業は無職とあるので、筑波大学卒業のタイミングとコロナ禍が重なったことが身の振り方を決める上で影響したのかもしれない。少しずつコロナ禍が収束する中で、落ち着いて今後の身の振り方をお決めになられるのだろう。日本一の剣士になる自己管理力を有する青年を採用したい組織は数多あろうし、ご本人はご本人で、就職とは異なる星雲の志を別にお持ちかもしれない。納得のゆく自己実現をされることを願う。
According to the Japan Kendo Federation's official webpage, Hoshiko is currently unemployed. Gathering from his age, when I graduated from university, he was in the middle of corona pandemic, and that might have affected his career exploration. I am optimistic about his future though. You can easily imagine there are numerous people who want to hire a disciplined young man such as Mr. Hoshiko. Or perhaps Mr. Hoshiko may have different plans than being employed. Who knows? Whatever future holds for him, I with him the best.
プラトンは「速いものは遅いものより美しい」と言った（そうだ）が、星子四段は剣道の門外漢の私でもわかるほど圧倒的に速く、美しかった。若き剣士の今後の活躍を応援する。興味のある方は、You Tubeでアップされたらご覧になるとよかろう。一色触発の緊張感は、枯葉を近づけたらた発火して、焦げ臭い匂いが鼻先をかすめそうなほど、息の詰まるものでした。まる。
参考までに、公式サイト上では優勝した星子四段の職業は無職とあるので、筑波大学卒業のタイミングとコロナ禍が重なったことが身の振り方を決める上で影響したのかもしれない。少しずつコロナ禍が収束する中で、落ち着いて今後の身の振り方をお決めになられるのだろう。日本一の剣士になる自己管理力を有する青年を採用したい組織は数多あろうし、ご本人はご本人で、就職とは異なる星雲の志を別にお持ちかもしれない。納得のゆく自己実現をされることを願う。
According to the Japan Kendo Federation's official webpage, Hoshiko is currently unemployed. Gathering from his age, when I graduated from university, he was in the middle of corona pandemic, and that might have affected his career exploration. I am optimistic about his future though. You can easily imagine there are numerous people who want to hire a disciplined young man such as Mr. Hoshiko. Or perhaps Mr. Hoshiko may have different plans than being employed. Who knows? Whatever future holds for him, I with him the best.
プラトンは「速いものは遅いものより美しい」と言った（そうだ）が、星子四段は剣道の門外漢の私でもわかるほど圧倒的に速く、美しかった。若き剣士の今後の活躍を応援する。興味のある方は、You Tubeでアップされたらご覧になるとよかろう。一色触発の緊張感は、枯葉を近づけたらた発火して、焦げ臭い匂いが鼻先をかすめそうなほど、息の詰まるものでした。まる。
As I bring this blog post to a close, I would like to quote Plato, who is said to say, "What is fast is more beautiful than what is slow." Whether it's true or now, I can say this for sure. Swordsman Hoshiko WAS fast. And he WAS beautiful. I hope the video of this bout will be available on You Tube sometime down the road. Once it is, I highly recommend you to watch it if you are a sports fan. The tension between the two swordsmen was so agonizing you could feel sick just by watching them!
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