The Judo Club participated in the Kodokan Cup All Japan Judo Championships by Weight Category held at Chiba Port Arena (Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture) on November 5, and MORI Kenshin (4th year in the School of Political Science and Economics) won first place in the 90kg category. MITSUOKA Gakuto (3rd year in the School of Commerce) won fifth place in the 66kg category.
The Kodokan Cup is where top athletes, both students and adults, across Japan compete to determine the best judo athletes in Japan by weight. MORI fought NAKANISHI Kazuki (Asahi Kasei) in the semifinal. In the extra time, he scored a waza-ari with a yoko-shiho-gatame hold, and advanced to the final. The opponent in the final was TAJIMA Goki (PARK24) with a proven track record. Both athletes were penalized for the second time with shido for their defensive posture. In the extra time MORI countered TAJIMA’s sumi-otoshi throw, and won with a waza-ari.
Comment of joy from MORI
I am truly pleased with the result because I have not won any individual championships since I entered the University.
In the extra time of the final, if I had been attacked one more time, I might have lost by committing a foul. I applied the final counter-technique following the development of the match. Today we won every match by taking a single chance of winning. In the final I could win in the same way.
I suffered a subluxation of the left elbow and had its left-side accessory ligament injured in June in the All Japan Student Judo Championships. I underwent surgery in July. Immediately after the surgery, I was told that I would be unable to participate in the individual student championships. But I began practicing in an unsatisfactory physical condition and fought in the Tokyo Student Judo Championships by Weight Category and All Japan Student Judo Championships by Weight Category while thinking that this might be my last competition as a student. I hesitated to undergo surgery, but I listened to a lot of people's opinions and made the best decision. I am very grateful to all those who supported me.
I continued to practice while I could apply a limited number of techniques due to the elbow injury. At first, I felt fear unless I grasped my opponent’s collar and sleeve. But I could overcome such fear and became able to apply techniques more positively. Experiencing such a hard time, I think I became stronger mentally.
With this result, I am eventually at the starting line. I intend to continue playing judo after graduation. So what I will do from now will determine my career as a judoka. I know my judo is rather boring for spectators. But I learned I could win if I don’t give up until the last moment. Going forward, I want to master throwing techniques and do my best to deliver great performances in international events.
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Japanese version≫
