After the shocking news that 108 children died in Japan last 10 years, I've been doing some research to the probable cause of this “sudden” deaths.
First of all in Japan there's a totally different treatment of the children than in which other country in the world. The Japanese culture is all about being the best because when you the best you become a leader of a group. Japanese people live in groups with a strong hierarchic structure.
When you studied in Japanese history you can see that the culture is built around the best warriors.
By defeating all their enemies and become the most powerful leader of the whole nation, they created room and safety for their next of kin. Above the most powerful leader of the country (the Taiko or shogun) there was only room for a god (the Empire)
Japan was isolated for almost 3 centuries, their only window to the rest of the world was trough the Dutch eyes, who are allowed to settle and trade with the Japanese on the Island Decima.
It must been quite a shock when Admiral Perry from United States of America appeared on their coast and demanded to the Japanese authorities to open their borders for foreigners.
Perry of course first had to show off his power in the strength of his force, before the Japanese authorities, listen and obey these demands.
Always listen to someone who is stronger and in the meantime look for opportunities to defeat them.
The overall attitude is to work hard and don't give up even if the circumstances do not allow that.
It's this attitude what is actually the bottleneck why there are so many casualties in Japan, but there is more.
古賀 稔彦, Koga Toshihiko, one of the famous judokas from our time, declares in an interview that during elementary school in run every morning with his brother and father 45 minutes, went to school where he was training judo for about 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. After school he visit the dojo for another 2,5 hours. But that was not all when he was at home he practice all the techniques with his father and his brother again.
How much endurance and power training the body of a 12 year old boy can bear??
Science says about endurance and power training for kids:
The science of developmental physiology can supply answers to certain important questions regarding the training of children. One such question is: should children perform adult-type endurance and power training in (reduced) quantities, or should they be performing a different type of training that is tailored to their physiology? Science investigation point out that the type and intensity of training that is most effective for developing endurance and power by 12 year old will be different from training methods used by adults.
Several training studies have been carried out on children to find out what effect a endurance and power training program will have on fitness levels. In general, the research shows that if children follow a 3-5 times a week routine of at least 20 minutes continuous activity for 12 weeks, then improvements in their fitness is possible. On average, though, and the results of some of the better controlled experiments support this, a child can expect a 10% improvement in their fitness after following an 'adult-like' endurance and power training program. The consensus from the research is that children can improve their overall fitness but not to the same degree as adults, when following a similar training program.
Adult approach of 6.5 hours intensive judo training for kids in the age of 12 is in my point of view not useful nor good for children that age. Especially when the boy proclaims not to be particularly found to do his basic school work, it seems to me that education is more important than sport.
Of course you develop yourself to be the best of the world there are posibilties, because in some sports there are extreme high financial benefits.
But at the age of 12 you face a long way to go to reach that goal.
Actually Koga training schedule at the age of 12 was even more trainings labor than a grown-up man like Mark Huizinga did in the year before he became Olympic champion in Sydney.
To be crystal-clear at the age of 12 you tend to grow most quickly, by age 16 most boys have stopped growing, but their muscles will continue to develop. Normal growth — supported by good nutrition, adequate sleep, and regular exercise — is one of the best overall indicators of á teen's good health.
My grandmother taught me that everything that’s over marked with too isn’t good for your health, too much food or too training etc.
The Dutch judo Federation national technical director judo Mr. van der Geest, it is always pointing out that the opponents of the Dutch judokas are better and deeper trained.
His son became a heavyweight world champion, quite a successful effort you will think, to accomplish this as a coach and father.
But to be perfectly clear in the preparation to the world championships. Dennis was guide by Jan Looman a sports psychologist who had quite a remarkable vision about training in that time. He pronounces that it is a myth that only by hard training you become a champion.
On the moment that you tired in randori, when you're almost break down, you can't focus to the right technique. You become sloppy and you are not anticipating on the actions your opponents.
Actually if training is so intense that you reached a point that you are exhausted you can react properly anymore. You are not able to learn and use your creativity, to reach that goal you have to be refreshed and open. You don't become a champion by only working in long en exhausting trainings labour, on the contrary the only thing that's improving it chance to get injured.
That's exactly what古賀 稔彦, Koga Toshihiko experienced, he was injured in his elbow and had to rest for a long time. The injury was so severe that he was not able to perform a normal ippon seoi anymore. He started to experience and adjust his judo, by that, Koga Toshihiko did something quite remarkable and not Japanese. He invented new ways of judo. A new wind was born and became a legend.
Unfortunately a lot of Japanese children are not that lucky and become seriously injured or even die during training. The Japanese government must be aware of this also, by making judo a compulsive sport in schools in the present situation is in my point of view a incomprehensible risk.
If the Japanese government decides to this measure, it is in my point of view wise to change the pedagogic criteria of the judo teachers to much higher standards.
This will avoid the casualties under the school children in Japan in the future.
BvdE
See also this disabled people's association blog
