#JapanWrestling

Ex-Olympic medalist Ota continues mission of opening wrestling mat to those with Down syndrome

By Ikuo Higuchi

(Editor's Note: The following is an edited version of a two-part series that appeared on the Japan Wrestling Federation website on Jan. 18 with excerpts from previous stories. It has been translated and published by permission.)

"Through wrestling, society can be changed. Those with Down syndrome can be given courage by wrestling."

On the second floor of a non-descript building near Tokyo Dome in the heart of the city, the club members gathered in a small martial arts gym with a wall-to-wall mat to resume activities that, for some, date back to the start of the club in 2005.

Unavoidably suspended during the pandemic, the Waku-waku Wrestling Club -- specifically for those with Down syndrome -- was restarted in mid-January to central Tokyo, continuing the mission of its founder of enabling people with Down syndrome to become sharper physically and emotionally, and give them hope in life.

The club ("waku-waku" is an onomatopoeic expression of the feeling of excitement) is the lifework of Takuya OTA, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bronze medalist at freestyle 74kg.  "It has become a part of my life," says the 53-year-old  Ota,  who, following a long stint as coach at Waseda University, is currently the head coach at Chuo University. "I get my power to go on from these kids."

The flame of Ota's interest in helping those with Down syndrome was ignited after being deeply moved by the book "Tatta Hitotsu no Takaramono (The One and Only Treasure)," a mother's account of raising a son with the disorder published in 2004. The book by Hiromi Kato was made into a TV drama, titled "The One and Only," which won the Asian Television Award for drama in 2005.

When Ota started the project, he was already working full-time coaching world-class competitors at Waseda, Japan's longest-running team. He had also launched the Waseda Club for kids, fueled by his determination to spread the word about the wonders of wrestling to as many people as possible.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, Down syndrome is a "genetic disorder" caused by abnormal cell division during gestation, with the resulting extra genetic material causing "the developmental changes and physical features of Down syndrome."

It affects 1 in 1,000 newborns and varies in severity. The website notes: "Better understanding of Down syndrome and early interventions can greatly increase the quality of life for children and adults with this disorder and help them live fulfilling lives."

After reading Kato's book, Ota began to think to himself, "How would it be if I had them try wrestling?" For those who are often neglected or ignored by society and suffer from uninformed biases, could not wrestling be a means to help give them more worth to their lives?

In July 2005, he started the first wrestling club specifically for this purpose, taking under his wing an inaugural group of six kids.

That's not to say there were no initial concerns. Children with Down syndrome are not on the same physical level as their healthy peers, and there were some whose spines might not hold up to the rigors of wrestling. Was wrestling something they could do? But there was no way to know until they tried, and Ota wanted to give them the chance.

And given the chance, they showed that they were able to move around just like the others. Not so much at first, but as they got used to it, they gained strength and confidence. They began to understand the rules and learned the techniques as Ota put priority on safety and stopped any potentially dangerous action.

Ota
Just like any wrestling practice anywhere in Japan, Coach Takuya Ota addresses the wrestlers before the start as the Waku-Waku Wrestling Club resumed in January for the first time since the start of the pandemic. (Photo: Japanese Wrestling Federation)

Getting big names involved

Perhaps no observers were more surprised, and overjoyed, by the success of the project than the parents. They could see their children who had mostly been kept out of sports getting exercise, having fun and, most importantly, building their self-esteem.

In 2017, reigning world champion and future Olympic gold medalist Yui SUSAKI was in her freshman year at Waseda when she offered her time to the Waku-waku Wrestling Club.

"I became aware Waku-waku Wrestling from the federation website and other sources," Susaki said. "I thought that after entering college, I wanted to be involved, so I participated joined the practices once a month as a coach. Everyone in Waku-waku has a pure love for wrestling, and each time it stimulated me as well," she added with a glisten in her eyes.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Future Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI and Beijing Olympic silver medalist Kenichi YUMOTO pose with two proud participants at the 2017 Waku-waku Waseda Cup. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation)

Also coming on board to help out was Kenichi YUMOTO, the 60kg freestyle silver medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with deep connections to Ota -- they are both natives of Wakayama Prefecture and alumni of Nippon Sports Science University. Yumoto made his presence felt at practices, patiently teaching techniques.

The club continued unabated until the coronavirus pandemic hit the world in 2020, leaving no sport unaffected. Ota's contract had just ended at Waseda and he made the move to Chuo University, which is located in the western Tokyo suburb of Hachioji. That left the club without the wrestling room at Waseda, and combined with the pandemic, caused a halt to the operations.

The recent easing of pandemic restrictions in Japan allowed the club to restart, and Ota was fortunate to make arrangements for use of the martial arts gym near Tokyo Dome in Bunkyo Ward.  It was a special moment for everyone involved.

"People with Down syndrome are fundamentally averse to combative sports," he said. "But when they continue doing it, I find that their fighting spirit come out. I hear from parents, 'He's no longer timid' or 'He's become able to do things on his own.' I feel that the parents also sense that by wrestling, they have unlimited potential for personal growth."

While there were only five participants on that first day of restarting the club, the room was filled with a positive energy, from the smiles on their faces as they practiced moves to the way they proudly raised their hands when asked for sparring partners.

Among those taking the mat was 24-year-old Aruban Kubota, who was one of the original members of the club in 2005 as an elementary school first-grader. Kubota, whose first name is derived from his father's native country of Albania, is currently employed in a public welfare center.

"At first, he would always sit off to the side at practice," recalls his mother, Rimiko. "But before we knew it, he starting joining the group and would decide things by himself. He started acting on his own."

Rimiko says the wait for the club to restart seemed interminable. "I am so grateful to Coach Ota," she says.

In July 2009 , Ota, looking to give the members a chance to put their new-found skills to the same test as all wrestlers, organized the "1st Waseda Cup." Other clubs for Down syndrome kids had cropped up, mostly at the urging of Ota through his wrestling connections, and the tournament drew 29 entries from three clubs.

The tournament, which would later be renamed the "Waku-waku Waseda Cup" and gain sponsorship from a company employing former Waseda wrestlers, has drawn entries from children to adults in their 20s. The level continues to improve and, unlike in the early years when it was difficult for the participants to control their emotions, matches are no longer halted and can proceed smoothly.

"At first, our main objective was to just get them to be able to go out onto the mat by themselves," Ota said in an interview after the 2016 tournament. "Now, they understand the rules and can have what we would consider a regular match."

All participants receive a medal, but the highlight of the award ceremony is the selection of  the MVP and Fighting Spirit Award which come with a trophy. As Ota holds the microphone before making the announcement, the winners (who are eligible for MVP) watch him as if in prayer while the whole venue takes on a atmosphere of smiles.

Ota2A club member does a double-leg takedown drill as the others watch. (Photo: Japanese Wrestling Federation)

Aiming for the Special Olympics

As could be seen by the enthusiasm at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, sports is not the exclusive dominion of the able-bodied. People with Down syndrome or other intellectual disabilities are also making strides toward participating in sports.

In October 2020, an athletics competition solely for those with Down syndrome was held in Miyazaki in southern Japan, and earlier this year, a division for Down syndrome entrants was set up for the first time at a swimming meet in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

On an international scale, Virtus, an organization established for the development of elite sport worldwide for athletes with intellectual impairments, had judo on the program at the 1st Oceania/Asian Games held in November last year in Australia. Japan athletes took part, widening the scope of opportunities for those with Down syndrome.

Ota is also looking beyond Japan's shores. Ota's next goal is to get wrestling into the Special Olympics, which has a history of over 50 years and differs from the Paralympics in that it is specifically for those with intellectual disabilities. Currently, there are over 20 sports in the Special Olympics, including judo.

Ota has visited the headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he was told that for wrestling to be included, it was necessary for the sport to expand in Japan and for more countries around the world to start programs. As it is still evolving and not well-known in Japan, it marks a high hurdle to be cleared.

But he is undaunted. "Even if you have a disability, as long as there is a sport providing a stage to shine, one can have a big presence in society," Ota said.

--Translation and editing by Ken Marantz

#JapanWrestling

Former Japan high school star aims to put Samoa on wrestling map

By Ikuo Higuchi

(Editor's Note: The following appeared on the Japan Wrestling Federation website on Nov. 2. It has been translated and published by permission.)

TOKYO -- On the Japan wrestling schedule, the National Non-Student Open falls far below the level of major tournaments like the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup, which serve as the qualifiers for the world and Olympic teams.

As such, it is rare to see a prospective Olympic team member entering the tournament. Yet at this year's event, which was held for the first time in three years due to the pandemic, there was one, although it is not Japan's team that Gaku AKAZAWA is hoping to make for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

A former high school star, Akazawa won the freestyle 70kg title as a member of a team from the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, which he hopes to represent in Paris. 

The 32-year-old Akazawa, whose quest for Olympic glory included a four-year sabbatical in Russia, was wrestling in his native country for the first time in three years at the Non-Student Open, which was held Oct. 29-30 in Fujimi, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Akazawa, who was unable to obtain Samoan citizenship in time for the Tokyo Olympics, is hoping the paperwork comes through in time for Paris. "I have never stopped dreaming of appearing in the Olympics," he said. "I will make every effort as I try to become an Olympian from Samoa."

JPNGaku Akazawa celebrates his victory at freestyle 70kg for Team Samoa. (Photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Akazawa last competed in Japan at the 2016 Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships. The victory in Fujimi was his first anywhere since winning the National Inter-High School title at 66kg in 2008, which made him the first-ever national champion from Hanasaki Tokuharu High School in Saitama Prefecture.

His coach at Hanasaki Tokuharu, Takuya TAKASAKA, was on hand to watch the former prodigy show his fighting spirit with tough wins over several opponents with pedigrees. In the semifinals, Akazawa defeated 2018 national collegiate champion Hayato OGATA 8-2, then took the title with a 6-2 win over Kantaro YAMAZAKI, who won both the spring and fall titles of the East Japan collegiate league in 2018.

"It was a long time since I've wrestled in Japan, so I had no idea what level I am presently at," Akazawa said. "I was nervous. By winning the title, it gave me some idea of where I stand, and I'm honestly really happy."

Asked what was the source of his tenacity and stamina that allowed him to rally to victories, he replied, "Every morning and night, and sometimes three times a day, I train intensely. I think that came out today."

In Samoa, wrestling is still far from popular, and with the pandemic limiting activities, there are only about 10 wrestlers over the age of 14 in the entire country. The majority of competitors are still beginners, and he cannot train in a way that sharpens his skills. "Instead, I think I was able to win on physical strength," he said.

JPN1Akazawa, right, poses with competitors at the Samoan national championships in the capital Apia in August 2021, where he served as a referee. (Photo courtesy of Gaku Akazawa)

From Russia, with determination

The Non-Student Open, as the name implies, is for anyone out of school, and draws a wide mix of wrestlers with various backgrounds, from former high school champions to more than a few who started the sport after leaving college to keep in shape and maybe practice on weekends at a local club.

But for Akazawa, it presented a challenge directly related to getting to Paris. "I hadn't wrestled in Japan for a long time, so I think there were people who thought I had retired," he said with a smile.

Akazawa, who had won national junior high school and JOC Junior Olympic titles, went to Nihon University following his Inter-High School success, but was unable to repeat it on the collegiate level. Plagued by injuries, Akazawa's file in the database of the Japan Wrestling Federation website, which lists all results, has no entries for his years at Nihon.

He would not make his first appearance at the Emperor's Cup (held in December) until 2013, the year he graduated from Nihon. He placed fifth at 60kg.

Never abandoning his Olympic dream, he chose a path that took him to one of the premier powerhouses in the sport, Russia. He headed to Krasnoyarsk, the Siberian city well known in Japan as the host of the prestigious Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, to continue his career.

He had no sponsor. When his visa expired, he would return to Japan, work some odd jobs to save up money, then return to Krasnoyarsk. He endured this unstable life for four years from 2013 to 2017, all because of his love for the sport and his desire to become an Olympic champion.

But no matter how much he trained in a top wrestling country, such instability in his daily life certainly made it difficult to focus on the sport. He would return to Japan to compete in the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup (the All-Japan Invitational Championships, held in the spring), but was unable to finish on the podium.

The Olympics seemed farther away than ever. But his dream never faded. What caught his attention was that one of his Russian wrestling buddies, instead of competing for the stacked Russian team, had changed nationalities and made it to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

While such a move is exceedingly rare in Japan, it is not without precedent. A minor comedian named Neko HIROSHI (neko means cat; his real name is Kuniaki TAKIZAKI) became a Cambodian citizen so he could run the men's marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

While his move gained attention as a celebrity, he also faced criticism as his best time would not have even made the Japanese women's team. He finished 138th in Rio, 37 minutes behind the winner with a time that would have placed 85th in the women's race.

Akazawa, whose case is different in that he is already on a global level, began to think about how he could go about changing nationality. Thinking of countries with the easiest route for qualifying he was attracted to Oceania. An English teacher from his junior high school days just happened to be dispatched to Samoa under a Japan International Cooperation Agency program as a judo instructor, and Akazawa got the wheels in motion by contacting him.

With that as the turning point, he relocated to Samoa in June 2017.

JPN3Maulo Willie ALOFIPO, a former rugby player, accompanied Akazawa to Japan and finished second in both styles. (Photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Spreading the word in Samoa

Jerry WALLWORK, president of the Samoan Wrestling Federation, bought into Akazawa's enthusiasm and dedication and pledged his support. The following year, Akazawa married a local nurse named Sinevalley. He applied for a change of nationality with eyes on the Tokyo Olympics, but it did not come in time. "It's hard to get Samoan nationality," Akazawa said.

Akazawa currently earns a living as the owner of a massage parlor, and is able to continue his wrestling career through support from the federation. For the Non-Student Open, Samoa had come out of lockdown and Akazawa had needed to return to Japan for a family matter, so he decided to use the opportunity to enter the tournament and see where he stood.

He was to be accompanied by two Samoan wrestlers, who entered the individual tournaments in both styles. The trio would also enter the team event. However, the father of one wrestler took ill and was unable to make the trip, and Team Samoa had to withdraw.

The remaining wrestler, Maulo Willie ALOFIPO, made the most of his trip, winning silver medals in both styles at 97kg and gaining valuable international experience. The 25-year-old  was originally a rugby player and has only been wrestling for two years.

"There are common points between rugby and wrestling," Akazawa told Alofipo in recruiting him to the latter. "You can do it just once a week if you want, but why don't you give it a try?"

Alofipo gradually started spending more time in wrestling. He practices in the morning before going to his day job on a cacao plantation, then returns to the mat for an evening session.  He made his international debut in August this year, finishing fifth at freestyle 97kg at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

As for his runner-up finishes in the Japan tournament, he commented, "I'm really happy. Japan is a very high level. It's a thrill to be able to fight here."

Asked about his goal from here, he replied, "The Olympics."

Both Akazawa and Alofipo remained in Japan after the tournament with plans to stay until late December. Akazawa said they will work out at his alma maters of Hanasaki Tokuharu High School and Nihon University.

Although his victory earned him a spot in the Emperor's Cup in December, Akazawa did not enter. His latest foray was to test his current level, and, regarding himself now as "Samoan," he said he draws the line at competing for the title of No. 1 in Japan.

 JPN3Akazawa records a fall in the second round at the National Non-Student Championships. (Photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Building a new powerhouse

When deciding what high school he would go to, Akazawa bypassed the powers of the day for Hanasaki Tokuharu, which was virtually unknown in wrestling circles. "Rather than get stronger on a strong team, I wanted to go to a no-name school and beat the powerhouses one after another," he said at the time.

And that was pretty much what he did. In his third year in 2008, he helped Hanasaki Tokuharu end the 14-year reign of Ibaraki Prefecture's Kasumigaura High School at the Kanto High School Championships (Kanto is the region of Japan that includes Tokyo and its environs).

Kasumigaura would get revenge later in the team final at the Inter-High School Championships, but in that match, Akazawa defeated the reigning national champion (shown in the top photo). He made a name for himself and helped launch a new powerhouse on the scene just four years after its founding.

The energy and enthusiasm that Akazawa feels in Samoa now are incredibly similar to "those days." Samoa enjoys warm weather year round, with average lows of 23 C and highs of 31 C. The wrestling room is an open-air facility with a roof, much like in the Japan of another era when each town had an outdoor sumo ring located next to the local shrine.

Whereas gyms in Japan are now air-conditioned, it is a world of difference in Samoa. "Every day, I practice drenched in sweat," Akazawa said.

Rugby is still king in Samoa, and trying to increase participation in other sports is no easy task. But there have been inroads made, as Samoa has been represented at the Olympics in judo. In wrestling, the lone Olympic entry in its history was at the 2000 Sydney Games, when Faafatai IUTANA qualified at Greco-Roman 76kg. Samoa had a fair number of gold medalists at the Oceania Championships, although none since 2011. So the potential is there.

Achieving his own Olympic dream will be a link to the spread of wrestling in Samoa. For now, as he awaits word of being granted citizenship, Akazawa will continue to focus all of his efforts on making it to Paris. Most of his high school teammates have long left the mat and have followed a path into coaching. But at least one of the "Class of 2008" still has a burning passion for the Olympics.

-- Translation by Ken Marantz