Go! Go! Waseda Sports :
Nihon-Kenpo-bu (Japanese Martial Arts club)
-- Headed for glory --

3rd year of School of Education
Hikawa Yoko

Right: former captain Ito Masanobu (senior in the School of Political Science and Economics) in the Eastern Japan league last year

“The air is heated.” If I think about it, there are always a number of moments when I get that feeling during the meet. In a circle, the players, manager, OBs, all of us shout, “Waseda, let’s win, win, win!” I get gooseflesh and a feeling of tension runs through us. The match is about to begin.

There are 19 boys and 3 girls, 22 in total, practicing in our Nihon-Kenpo-bu. Nihon-Kenpo is a sport in which the players put on helmet, armor and gloves and compete to get points by thrusting, kicking, or attacking the joints. The game has three rounds and the player who gets two points first wins. A point is admitted when an effective, strong attack hits the opponent’s face or chest, consecutive hits overwhelm the opponent, the player holds the opponent down and hits, or the player holds the opponent by attacking a joint.

Nihon-Kenpo is also called "Japanese fighting", is characterized by a stubborn martial spirit and a flexible power of absorption, and is highly rated for practicality and safety. It is generally unknown as a sport, but ‘Tyokutsuki’, the essence of Nihon-Kenpo, is admitted to be superior to other martial arts with its strong, rational attack. There are many fighters who play other martial arts with skills of Nihon-Kenpo. Ikari Motohide (former kickboxing champion) and Watanabe Ziro (former boxing champion) are famous. Nihon-Kenpo has also increased its influence by being adopted by the Self-Defense Forces because of its practicality.

Our club, in which most of the members start as beginners, is in third place in the Eastern Japan league, in the top eight of the National University league, and took third place in the Eastern Japan tournament and in the East Japan Freshman league last year. Ozawa Nemu (senior in the School of Literature) took second place in the Eastern Japan women's championship (individual) and in the intercollegiate university championship game. Our club, which belongs to set of Waseda sport clubs, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Belonging to a time-honored tradition at Waseda, we proudly proclaim, “The Nihon-Kenpo-bu is hot!”

The biggest strength of our team is our bonding. Nihon-kenpo is a personal sport, and doesn't place a lot of emphasis on teamwork. Training is also a fight against our own. However, it seems that there’s an invisible bond between us as we fight with 7 members in the Eastern Japanese league and 5 members in the National league. The reliance of the members upon the captain is great. As the members face the game with all their faculties concentrated, their backs are so big and strong. That's the moment when they shine the most.

This photo was taken in a camp which was held in this year's Golden Week. Left of secnod row is the writer ,also the third in same row is Okubo-captain.