[Bemapayople]

This article was recently referred to on e-budo, thought I'd bring it to people's attention here. Apparently high school judo instructors in Japan can still be archaic bastards.

[Elaltergephah]

It seems kendo instruction is starting to focus more on proper hydration and taking breaks when you need it. At least some groups have learned from deaths.

[mr.calisto]

http://judojiko.net/eng/news/55.html

These statistics are scary in general people die playing volleyball and table tennis in junior high?, how many junior high or high school students in the US do you think die from sports? I can think of only 2 I have heard of, one was a football camp on a 103 degree day, and the other is a basketball player who's father decided that they could ignore doctors orders and play with pneumonia....

It would be interesting for more statistics on circumstances of death? I'm wondering at least for kendo what percentage are hydration related vs well... what else would kill you in kendo? Freak broken shinai perhaps, heart condition manifesting during practice.....

[mArVHDO6]

http://judojiko.net/eng/news/55.html

These statistics are scary in general people die playing volleyball and table tennis in junior high?, how many junior high or high school students in the US do you think die from sports? I can think of only 2 I have heard of, one was a football camp on a 103 degree day, and the other is a basketball player who's father decided that they could ignore doctors orders and play with pneumonia....

It would be interesting for more statistics on circumstances of death? I'm wondering at least for kendo what percentage are hydration related vs well... what else would kill you in kendo? Freak broken shinai perhaps, heart condition manifesting during practice.....

People in the US die in sports all the time; and they're usually at a rate much higher than sports that you think would be more "dangerous".

[pirinosa]

People in the US die in sports all the time; and they're usually at a rate much higher than sports that you think would be more "dangerous".

not just in sports, but specifically in school sports. middle school kids, under 15 years old... Here at least there is quite a bit of supervision, and while injury is not uncommon, death certainly is. Dying playing ping pong would be like dying in a chess match I would think....

[esdfsdflast]

not just in sports, but specifically in school sports. middle school kids, under 15 years old... Here at least there is quite a bit of supervision, and while injury is not uncommon, death certainly is. Dying playing ping pong would be like dying in a chess match I would think....

Not that uncommon I'd imagine. When I was in 6th grade we broke a girl's neck playing dodgeball.

[Enrobrorb]

Debating whether one sport or another is more or less dangerous is not the point I think. The point is, there's no attempt to mitigate risks in what should otherwise be a relatively safe sport/martial art. What's more the Japanese judicial system is showing again failure to deliver justice and it sounds like the school system and the AJJF is both complacent and contempuous of the victims and their families. I find it incredible that such incidents are described as accidents rather than manslaughter. Sounds a lot like the same wall of silence that is now blowing up in the faces of child abusing priests.

Sports/budo is there to improve the mental and physical well being of its participants. It sounds like the instructors are forgetting this.

[WrinnaArraple]

Unfortunately this sort of stuff is the dark side of Japanese culture. If it surprises you, then you don't know much about Japan. Every Nipponophile should read ALex Kerr's books, particularly "Dogs and Demons". Everything we admire about kendo and the culture that created it has a directly related negative value. Hard training that pushes students to their limits will occasionally go too far, resulting in death. In Japanese culture however it is generally seen as the student's fault that they died, not the training or the instructor, because it is the student that was too weak to withstand the training. b

[paulaglober]

The scary part is the stonewalling that protects the sadists that do this.

[htDgExh8]

Dying playing ping pong would be like dying in a chess match I would think....

depending on the level of play, ping pong can be quite physically demanding. badmin is even more challenging...almost like tennis, i guess.

[ssiikmuz]

depending on the level of play, ping pong can be quite physically demanding. badmin is even more challenging...almost like tennis, i guess.

I can totally see someone going nuts, tripping and bashing their head on the corner of the table...

[arrendabomnem]

oh, that's called beer pong.

[JohnMitchel]

That is just plain cruelty. Those teachers sound like NCO's in the Imperial Army. Interesting that the police sought to press charges but that the prosecutor's office dismissed the charges even after they were re-instated by a judiciary panel. Could politics be at play given that martial arts will be compulsory for all students?

[gkruCRi1]

I teach at a Judo school, meaning as well as a school, it has a respected Judo program. Those kids are always in the hospital, although usually from intestinal problems related to making or cutting weight (which I also think is cruel. Adults are one thing, but kids still growing...) These are horrible accidents, and if the instructor responsible deliberately beat kids to death, he should be punished; that said I can't help but feel the journalism is a little one-sided. Shoddy, really. For one thing, that sparring with the coach/sensei is written as a somehow unusual thing, or even a punishment, rather than an everyday event. I also knew plenty of kids with asthma in my own school days. It never allowed them to get out of PE class, nor do I think it should have, as many were better athletes than non-asthma-having me... but being "forced" to do Judo is different? Also mentioning the instructor's transfer (who was not interviewed for comment, curiously) even though the transfer is mentioned as standard, hints at a coverup, instead of saying "All teachers are routinely transferred, and had we wanted to, his name was on record and we could have interviewed him but chose not to."

I'm not trying to side with the instructors at all, but let's see some journalistic objectivity.

My own thoughts are, judo training should involve headgear. Those mats aren't feather pillows. No one wants to hear that, but all the same.

[ONLINEPHARMACYCHEAPILLS]

Unfortunately this sort of stuff is the dark side of Japanese culture. If it surprises you, then you don't know much about Japan. Every Nipponophile should read ALex Kerr's books, particularly "Dogs and Demons". Everything we admire about kendo and the culture that created it has a directly related negative value. Hard training that pushes students to their limits will occasionally go too far, resulting in death. In Japanese culture however it is generally seen as the student's fault that they died, not the training or the instructor, because it is the student that was too weak to withstand the training. b

Well said. Sir.

[miel]

I teach at a Judo school, meaning as well as a school, it has a respected Judo program. Those kids are always in the hospital, although usually from intestinal problems related to making or cutting weight (which I also think is cruel. Adults are one thing, but kids still growing...) These are horrible accidents, and if the instructor responsible deliberately beat kids to death, he should be punished; that said I can't help but feel the journalism is a little one-sided. Shoddy, really. For one thing, that sparring with the coach/sensei is written as a somehow unusual thing, or even a punishment, rather than an everyday event. I also knew plenty of kids with asthma in my own school days. It never allowed them to get out of PE class, nor do I think it should have, as many were better athletes than non-asthma-having me... but being "forced" to do Judo is different? Also mentioning the instructor's transfer (who was not interviewed for comment, curiously) even though the transfer is mentioned as standard, hints at a coverup, instead of saying "All teachers are routinely transferred, and had we wanted to, his name was on record and we could have interviewed him but chose not to."

I'm not trying to side with the instructors at all, but let's see some journalistic objectivity.

My own thoughts are, judo training should involve headgear. Those mats aren't feather pillows. No one wants to hear that, but all the same.

you have past over the point, Sir 108 kids dead. there should be someone looking into this. if it's true someone should go to jail and all judo classes stopped till it's looked into. headgear or no headgear kids are dying.

[Grizli]

I've always been sceptical of the claims that the Budo particularly cultivate only positive characteristics in people, any more that football, rugby or cricket does, and these stories reinforce my beliefs. There are nutters is all avenues of life just as there are people of good character but the bad eggs need 'reeling in' and/or removing by their governing body regardless of their rank, influence and ability.

Luckily for Iaidoka, there is no physical contact so the abuse can only come in the form of taunting, shouting and ridicule, which I believe sometimes happens. So much for Budo cultivating people of good character, reserve, peace, compassion and honour.

[MondayBlues]

I can understand if adults or (young adults) harshly pushed to pass their limit, but kids??

[Hoglaunccoolf]

you have past over the point, Sir 108 kids dead. there should be someone looking into this. if it's true someone should go to jail and all judo classes stopped till it's looked into. headgear or no headgear kids are dying.

In 27 years, not all at once. Were all of them from teachers? Of course it's too high, but I think that's less than football, which used to be much worse. Heat stroke alone has killed a lot of kids in football, never mind paralysis and brain injuries. Arguing for the immediate cessation and some sort of national investigation... get real. Safety measures need to be improved, and there may well need to be some changes in policy but your response is exactly what I'm talking about. That article was written irresponsibly. If the author wants to talk about coaches apparently beating kids to death, then why were none of the judo coaches interviewed? It's a pretty damn serious accusation to be thrown around without full investigation, I think.

A quick search has turned up no other articles by Mike Burke, the "Special" author of the piece. Is he even a real journalist?

[ketNavatutt]

I agree that the piece does smell like a beat up, and to some extent I'm sure it is. However I would hazard a guess that there probably is a case to answer. The fact that there hasn't been an enquiry already isn't any kind of measure as to whether an enquiry is or isn't necessary. The Japanese education authorities are likely to be moving very slowly towards doing something about it. How slowly? Well you can't tell that a glacier is moving when you look at it, but we do know that they are in constant motion... b