#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

Two-time Olympic champ formerly known as Kawai returns in triumph

By Ken Marantz

YAIZU, JAPAN (October 16) -- As Risako KINJO stood on the top of the medal podium, a warm smile came across her face. It was not for the victory in her return to the mat after 14 months, but for that other part of her life that had kept her to stay away so willingly.

She had caught sight of her mother in the stands across the gym, holding Kinjo's 5-month-old daughter in her arms and waving the infant's hand in her direction.

"There have been so many people supporting me, and that's what allowed me to take the mat today," she said.

To the rest of the wrestling world, she is still known by her maiden name KAWAI, under which she won a second straight Olympic title by capturing the women's 57kg gold at the Tokyo Games in August 2021.

Much had changed in her life since that triumph at Makuhari Messe arena, her name notwithstanding through the marriage to former wrestler Kiryu KINJO. But as the three-time world champion showed on Sunday, her desire and talent for the sport have not altered in the slightest.

Kinjo returned to competition by cruising to the 59kg senior title at the Japan Women's Open, winning three matches without surrendering a point in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, about 200 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

"There's a feeling of relief, but also I wish I had a few more matches," said the 27-year-old Kinjo, who capped her golden run with a 9-0 victory in the final over national collegiate silver medalist Miyu NAKANISHI. "It felt like the three matches were over before I knew it."

Kinjo said she had butterflies in her stomach at the start, but actually welcomed that feeling as in reminded her of old times.

"I was really nervous before my first match," she said. "After that there wasn't much time between matches. But it's like there was something nostalgic about the nervousness. After it was over, looking back I thought, 'That was fun.'"

JPN
Risako KINJO gets 2 with a counter-lift in the 59kg final against Miyu NAKANISHI (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kinjo, who had a bye into the quarterfinals, opened with a victory by fall in 51 seconds over Mizuki NAKAHORI. Kinjo did not have to attack, as she spun behind off a Nakahori shot, executed a pair of gut wrenches, then used a leg lock and reverse half-nelson for the fall.

In her semifinal match against Himeka HASEGAWA, Kinjo maintained her defensive wall and scored two go-behind takedowns, then scored another with a snap down. From there, a pair of gut wrenches ended the match 10-0 at 1:23.

In the final against a defensive-minded Nakanishi, Kinjo took a 3-0 lead into the second period from an activity point and a back-door takedown off a single--off her first shot of the day. But in the second period, Kinjo effectively moved Nakanishi around to set up a low sweeping single, then a shrug-and-go-behind. She added a counter-lift for 2 to make it 9-0.

Kinjo's coach Ryo KANEHAMA was impressed with the performance, given the uncertainty going into the tournament.

"That she first of all could get so mentally prepared was really big," he said. "She also showed speed. What we were most fearful of was going the full six minutes, but she was able to keep moving like that. Looking at how she started in the morning, she looked in really good shape."

For Kinjo, the most unfamiliar moment came when her married name was used in the pre-match announcement for the first time.

"When I saw 'Kinjo' on the scoreboard, I was like, 'Oh, right,'" she said. "This is the first tournament that I entered as Kinjo, and I feel honored to have it on the certificate that I received."

The couple announced they had tied the knot on Aug. 27, 2021, and Kinjo gave birth to a baby girl in May this year. She said she started working out again at the end of June, and practiced on the mat the following month. As can be imagined, it was not easy.

"At first, I couldn't even do calistenics on the mat, or a high bridge," she said. "Parts of my body were really stiff. My legs couldn't react to where my eyes were looking. I thought, this is how much it changes after being away 10 months. It was like watching someone else."

Kinjo eventually got back to speed, realizing that the additional burden of raising a child meant changing her approach to training from quantity to quality.

"I have a child and she is the No. 1 priority," Kinjo said. "The amount of practice has been reduced. Before, my time was all mine; now more time is spent on the child. I don't know how much less I'm doing, but to me, it's of a better quality."

Living with her husband in Fukui Prefecture in western Japan, where he is coach at Tsuruga Kehi High School, presents a challenge for Kawai. She takes advantage of every opportunity for a practice spot--sometimes it's with the high schoolers, other times she might head to Tokyo or Aichi Prefecture to train with younger sister Yukako, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist at 62kg.

Everywhere she goes, she is fortunate to have someone to help out with the baby. In Fukui, Tsuruga has a kids club and sometimes the mother of one of the team members will look after the child. In Tokyo, she knows she can always leave her with her mother, Hatsue, a national team member during her career who almost unfailingly attends all of her daughters' matches.

That support system has allowed Kinjo to join the ever-growing number of Japanese female athletes who are continuing careers after childbirth, which only a few decades ago would have been unheard of. Most noticeable was Ryoko TANI, who won a fourth Olympic medal in judo after giving birth.

JPN
Risako KINJO, center, smiles on the medal podium. (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kinjo became the latest high-profile wrestler to use the Japan Women's Open as the first stepping stone in a return to the sport. It is actually a second-tier tournament with age groups that for senior wrestlers, is a last-chance event to qualify for the All-Japan Championships in December. Kinjo's only previous appearance was in the junior high school division in 2008.

Previously, 2016 Olympic champion Eri TOSAKA appeared at the 2017 tournament as her first competition after undergoing foot surgery, and the legendary Kaori ICHO competed in 2018, having taken two years off after Rio 2016 in a bid for a fifth Olympic gold that would eventually be thwarted by Kinjo.

The question now is, what will Kinjo do from here? The All-Japan in December marks the start of the qualifying process for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is squarely on Kinjo's radar. It is possible for her to enter at 59kg and later drop down to the Olympic weight of 57kg, or she can go down to the latter now. "It's a secret," she said mischievously.

Of course, whether she does it in December or later, Kinjo will almost surely eventually clash heads with rising star Tsugumi SAKURAI, who won the 57kg world title in Kinjo's absence.

Kinjo takes an esoteric stance when it comes to the emergence of the 21-year-old Sakurai, who also won the 55kg world title in 2021.

"I think it is a good thing for Japan that young wrestlers are being cultivated," Kinjo said. "I don't mean that it would be good for me to lose to them. But for the ones coming up after me, the future is bright. While I keep battling on, the young ones get stronger. They are all rivals, but I think that their getting stronger is a good situation."

JPN1
Yukako KAWAI talks to the media after withdrawing just before her opening match. (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Younger sister defaults after injury during warm-up

Meanwhile, younger sister Yukako KAWAI was also entered in the tournament, but defaulted her opening match at 62kg after hurting her back while warming up.

"It's not such a serious injury, but we thought it was better to be cautious and not risk making it worse," Kawai said.

Unlike Risako, Kawai has already faced a domestic usurper to her throne, and lost it. In her first tournament after winning the Tokyo Olympic gold, she returned at the All-Japan Invitational Championships last June, but lost in the final to another rising star, Nonoka OZAKI.

Ozaki went on to win the senior world title in Belgrade last month, establishing herself as the one to beat in the race to Paris 2024.

"I've been working to fix the mistakes I make in the June match, and this Women's Open was supposed to be a test of how far I have come," Kawai said. "I think I'm rounding into shape."

Kawai said she finds motivation in Ozaki's world title run.

"I thought she would win the championship," she said. "By winning the title, I think it shows that our domestic matches are the highest level matches in the world. That's motivating me."

Another top wrestler who made the trip to Yaizu was world silver medalist Ami ISHII, who won the 68kg title by beating Kokona TAKADA by fall at the first-period buzzer.

"The reason I entered this tournament, to put it plainly, was to check my technique," she said. "Also, my pre-match preparation has not been good and I wanted to work on that."

In December, Ishii can expect to see a great deal of shifting into the Olympic weight class, with her most notable competition likely to be current 65kg world champion Miwa MORIKAWA.

"If I do what I need to do, the confidence will come," Ishii said. "We'll see how much I can progress in the next two months. If I do everything I need to, it will be like insurance, and winning won't be out of the question."