[Shorinji Kempo Club] Achieves victories in five categories in the 60th Kanto Student Shorinji Kempo Championship
Nov. 08, 2023
The Shorinji Kempo Club participated in the 2023 Shorinji Kempo World Taikai in Tokyo, Japan, held at the Nippon Budokan (Chiyoda City) on October 7 and 8.
The championship consists of 23 different categories such as Paired Embu, Solo Embu and Group Embu, and competitions are judged on technical and artistic level. In the Solo Embu Men Dan Holders’ category, SHIROSAWA Taiga (2nd year in the School of Political Science and Economics) won the Best Award (first place) and ODA Kakeru (3rd year in the School of Commerce) won the Excellence Award (second place). In addition, KAWAKAMI Suzuka (2nd year in the School of Global Japanese Studies) and MIURA Daichi (2nd year in the School of Commerce) won the Merit Award (third place) in the Women Self-Defense Kyu Kenshi category.
Comment from Head Coach YAMADA Masayoshi (graduated from the School of Agriculture in 1989) and the club members
Head Coach YAMADA Masayoshi
I think it is our first great accomplishment in the history of the Meiji University Shorinji Kempo Club and the World Taikai that Meiji was able to take both first and second place in the Solo Embu Men Dan Holders’ category.
SHIROSAWA, the Best Award gold medalist, made his way through an ordeal of frustration after breaking his finger before the Kanto Student Shorinji Kempo Championship in May. I feel that his resulting achievements of first place in the Kanto championship, first place in the newcomers competition, and the Best Award in the World Taikai have given him great confidence for the UNIVAS Cup in November.
ODA, the Excellence Award silver medalist, came in first in all three qualifying rounds, which had the most entries. He seems to be frustrated that he was left with the Excellence Award by a narrow margin of 0.5 points, but I believe he will use his frustration as a springboard to achieve great things in the UNIVAS Cup.
The winners of the Merit Award bronze medal in the Women Self-Defense Kyu Kenshi category (Brown Belt Men/Women category) were MIURA and KAWAKAMI. They are beginners who started Shorinji Kempo after entering university, yet they have achieved very pleasing results and I look forward to their future success.
Congratulations to all four top award winners!
SHIROSAWA Taiga (2nd year in the School of Political Science and Economics)
The result of this championship is not one I achieved myself, but one all the club members achieved by working together and improving each other. I will work hard from the ground up with my next goal in mind, while remaining ever grateful to our Head Coach, the other coaches and my senior club members for their guidance.
ODA Kakeru (3rd year in the School of Commerce)
It is a wonderful honor to have received the Excellence Award (2nd place) in the World Taikai. However, I am reflecting on how I may have been able to go beyond the Excellence Award. On the road to the UNIVAS Cup, I will figure out what stood between me and the Best Award and find out what I am lacking.
KAWAKAMI Suzuka (2nd year in the School of Global Japanese Studies)
I am very happy to have made it to the big stage of the World Taikai. I have nothing but gratitude for my senior club members who gave me guidance and to my first- and second-year teammates who supported me. I will continue to give my best effort.
MIURA Daichi (2nd year in the School of Commerce)
It was my first World Taikai, but I was able to perform with a nice sense of tension. I want to do my best to win in the UNIVAS Cup.
≪Japanese version≫
The championship consists of 23 different categories such as Paired Embu, Solo Embu and Group Embu, and competitions are judged on technical and artistic level. In the Solo Embu Men Dan Holders’ category, SHIROSAWA Taiga (2nd year in the School of Political Science and Economics) won the Best Award (first place) and ODA Kakeru (3rd year in the School of Commerce) won the Excellence Award (second place). In addition, KAWAKAMI Suzuka (2nd year in the School of Global Japanese Studies) and MIURA Daichi (2nd year in the School of Commerce) won the Merit Award (third place) in the Women Self-Defense Kyu Kenshi category.
Comment from Head Coach YAMADA Masayoshi (graduated from the School of Agriculture in 1989) and the club members
Head Coach YAMADA Masayoshi
I think it is our first great accomplishment in the history of the Meiji University Shorinji Kempo Club and the World Taikai that Meiji was able to take both first and second place in the Solo Embu Men Dan Holders’ category.
SHIROSAWA, the Best Award gold medalist, made his way through an ordeal of frustration after breaking his finger before the Kanto Student Shorinji Kempo Championship in May. I feel that his resulting achievements of first place in the Kanto championship, first place in the newcomers competition, and the Best Award in the World Taikai have given him great confidence for the UNIVAS Cup in November.
ODA, the Excellence Award silver medalist, came in first in all three qualifying rounds, which had the most entries. He seems to be frustrated that he was left with the Excellence Award by a narrow margin of 0.5 points, but I believe he will use his frustration as a springboard to achieve great things in the UNIVAS Cup.
The winners of the Merit Award bronze medal in the Women Self-Defense Kyu Kenshi category (Brown Belt Men/Women category) were MIURA and KAWAKAMI. They are beginners who started Shorinji Kempo after entering university, yet they have achieved very pleasing results and I look forward to their future success.
Congratulations to all four top award winners!
SHIROSAWA Taiga (2nd year in the School of Political Science and Economics)
The result of this championship is not one I achieved myself, but one all the club members achieved by working together and improving each other. I will work hard from the ground up with my next goal in mind, while remaining ever grateful to our Head Coach, the other coaches and my senior club members for their guidance.
ODA Kakeru (3rd year in the School of Commerce)
It is a wonderful honor to have received the Excellence Award (2nd place) in the World Taikai. However, I am reflecting on how I may have been able to go beyond the Excellence Award. On the road to the UNIVAS Cup, I will figure out what stood between me and the Best Award and find out what I am lacking.
KAWAKAMI Suzuka (2nd year in the School of Global Japanese Studies)
I am very happy to have made it to the big stage of the World Taikai. I have nothing but gratitude for my senior club members who gave me guidance and to my first- and second-year teammates who supported me. I will continue to give my best effort.
MIURA Daichi (2nd year in the School of Commerce)
It was my first World Taikai, but I was able to perform with a nice sense of tension. I want to do my best to win in the UNIVAS Cup.
≪Japanese version≫