数十人相手に最後まで立っていられるか…剣道の壮絶修行「立切り試合」　精鋭相手に2時間の戦い【福島発】 (24/02/25 16:00)

No matter how tough... or painful... you must fight to the end! Achieving the no-mercy "tachikiri" match is said to bring great achievements in both kendo and life. We interviewed a swordsman who takes on this fierce match. A fierce match for a master's license A tachikiri match is... a training exercise in which a single swordsman, known as a "motodachi," repeatedly faces dozens of challengers, one after the other. Yoshiaki Kuboki, 7th dan instructor and chairman of the executive committee for the no-mercy tachikiri match, says, "The term tachikiri originally originated from a fierce match held at his dojo by master Yamaoka Tesshu, a swordsman who made a major contribution to the Meiji Restoration, to award his master's license. Completing this is a great achievement both in kendo and as a person, and we hope it will open up new horizons." Once a year, swordsmen with proven track record and ability, regardless of occupation, are selected, and to date, 114 people have attempted the tachikiri. I have no choice Sergeant Kashiwaura Kazuki of the Fukushima Prefectural Police Headquarters Mobile Unit is one of the individuals approved by the Executive Committee to compete in the tachikiri match this year. Selected from among the more than 3,400 Fukushima Prefectural Police officers, Kashiwaura is a veteran with over 20 years of experience in the art of kendo. Even so, Kashiwaura seemed a little anxious, saying, "I'm very worried about whether I'll be able to stay standing until the end. Everyone was saying, 'We have no choice,'...they didn't give me any technical advice, just 'We have no choice,'" he said. The tachikiri match I wanted Kashiwaura is 31 years old. He's a veteran as a special training officer (tokurenin), and as a police officer, he faces transfers. Now that he's able to devote himself to kendo, and with both physical and mental strength, he wanted to take on the tachikiri match. His wife, Reiri, said, "It seems like he practices every day, from early in the morning until late at night, so I hope he does his best in the actual match." Kashiwaura said, "I've never competed for such a long time, so it's like I'm in unknown territory, and there's nothing I haven't experienced before. I hope to teach the children the importance of working hard without worrying about winning or losing." Approximately two hours with elite challengers The day of the tournament. Kashiwaura said, "I was nervous yesterday too, and I was feeling restless the whole time. It was a different kind of tension than before a match." His opponents were 31, and the challengers were also elite. He was determined to stay strong and not give up until the very end. The match lasted three minutes. The winner was the one with the most effective strikes within the time limit, and the Ki-dachi swordsman continued to compete against the 31 challengers. He continued to fight until the final match was over. Gradually losing the ability to move as he wanted Kashiwaura unleashed his sharp men, one-sidedly fending off the challengers. However... his stamina gradually wore down. His hands holding the bamboo sword and his footwork were no longer moving as he wanted. Yoshiaki Kuboki, 7th Dan, Kyoshi, Chairman of the No-Sparring Match Executive Committee, said, "For the first hour or so, you can perform techniques, but after an hour, your body starts to stop moving as you want it to. Eventually, your body starts to move naturally. That's what's required in a match." Approaching Limits...Here Comes the Strongest Opponent After one hour of matches against 20 opponents, he was approaching the wall he had to overcome. His opponent was Shohei Otani, 6th Dan, a senior in the Mobile Police Kendo Club and fifth-place finisher in the All-Japan Championships. His overwhelming spirit...truly no mercy. A relentless, no-holds-barred fight is the kind of encouragement a challenger can give. In the end, he defeated Otani with all his might. Although he's already reached his physical limits, he's determined to keep fighting against the remaining six opponents. "I want to push myself to the limits and bring out a new side of myself so I can become a player who can lead the team," Kashiwaura said. His match record is 24 wins, 6 draws, and 1 loss. He fought to the end. I can overcome it because I feel their feelings After the match, Kashiwaura said, "I could hear my teammates and family cheering me on from time to time, and that motivated me to keep going. Those who don't know might think it's just tough, but it's not tough at all. They know that it's love that helps me overcome it, so I'm grateful that they're so strict with me. I want to keep doing my best, knowing in my heart that there are so many people supporting me." Living the way of the sword... There is no end to kendo.