Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Bye Matsumura Shigeya - Sensei, the 91 years old pass away


Matsumura Shigeya: "Judo is the heart. If he stops, we die. "
Sensei Matsumura Shigeya died in his 91st year, when he was still involved in the tournament in April senior officers when he had just been appointed the 9th dan January 17, and he had to finish the Kangeiko Tokyo, the early winter training for which he did not hesitate to get up at 4 am to be on time on the mat, in order to provide its almost secular know ne-waza, his favorite practice. Always in shape, full of drive and enthusiasm, he explained there is little to his relatives he planned to embark on the competition of high ranking next year, "to lead by example." He can not finally stopped in his adventure by death, without ever having given up an inch before fatigue and age. Set an example? It is done. Sensei thank you.

We suggest you find the interview that we published three years ago in the Spirit of Judo (42), this "divine old man", a character both endearing and inspiring a deep respect.
Shigeya Matsumura - The mark of Kosen Judo 高 專 柔道
"If I got lucky at this age, I owe to judo. All my friends are dead today. It invests me with a mission: to teach, transmit, anywhere for free. "So says Shigeya Matsumura, 8th dan Kodokan *, one if not the last ambassador of a learned judo at source. A specialist in judo ne-waza and katame-waza, the mark of Kosen Judo.
His ambitions as a young man? "It's on the ruins of war in Japan as judo has become to me. There was nothing left after the war, except Budo. So, I searched everywhere. I lived in Ibaraki, 100km from Tokyo. I discovered the Kodokan, one of the few buildings preserved from the flames. We were in 1946. I have met in my life. The Americans had tried to preserve certain sites and, I tell you, I think, voluntarily, they had not bombed the Kodokan. Everyone was part, something was being reborn there. I was 20. I could not do that over the white belts, but I wanted to become a human being simply (sic). I came from the countryside. I worked on the farm with my father and it gave me a strong body. "Not very big that body, but it is his moral resources that identify Matsumura. "It was judo at all costs. For dignity. ". Four hours to go - and as for the return by steam train to Tokyo five times a week. "The Kodokan was closed on Saturday and Sunday, if not, I'll come too," he adds. Today still far from the Kodokan, Matsumura continues to rise at dawn to be the first to arrive. An hour a train is no longer steam, but still a long bike ride to get to the station.

Master sankaku. The meeting that would change his life is that of Kiyoichi Takagi (9th dan, who died in 1972). Takagi had studied directly with Jigoro Kano and told the stories of that time. It was he who ruled the valor of this passionate and rude provincial, that does not stand practicing experts according to the canons of the moment. It was he who sent the young man to study with Shigenori Kojima (8th dan), specialist katame waza. "Stand no. But the ground you can become strong. " It will be another decisive meeting. Now 88 years past, Shigeya Matsumura proudly displays 45 years of consecutive presence in the national competition of high-ranking Japanese **. A record. Former professor of judo at the University of Agricultural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine in Tokyo, vice president of high-ranking circle of the Kodokan, he always has a sharp eye, applies to be in rhythm, to move his Uke, which Tatsuyo Matsumoto, a 6th dan 110kg (!). In January of Kangeiko for ten days, he continues, so we guess his battered body and tormented hands to ride his bike in the middle of the night to be on time for that morning workout. To the question "Why do not you take a rest? "A scathing response as a katate-jime" The Shihan said that one should never stop, even if we practice differently. I hurt all over, but I never stopped. The Shihan created judo in a spirit of expansion. We must put ourselves in difficulty to progress. Judo is the heart. If he stops, we die. "His view of the French judo? Favorable. "I came to France for the first time 20 years ago. Here, the mind is just, I feel respect for the partner as well, particularly in the hi. You practice in the traditional spirit, as in Japan. You understand judo. When I see you, I also have to tell myself that the Japanese are moving! "An intact passion, a rare encounter with a piece of history, an immovable smile, a wide open heart. Meeting with a master.
Special thanks to Vincent and Pierre Thébault The Caër. Interview conducted at the Dojo of the Chapel of Pierre Le Caer in Paris.
"In ne-waza, you can not cheat"
Matsumura sensei, your teacher was Kyoshi Takagi, 9th dan. It was he who inspired you to become an expert on the ground. Tell us ...
Takagi sensei was an incredible teacher. He was one of the disciples of Kano himself. He was a soldier with the sturdy spirit. It was judo teacher in the Navy and the National University of Sendai. He was also professor of the Tokyo Police Department and officers of the army.
What lesson did you receive?

I was a farmer, but work on the farm gave me a strong body. My sensei, he made me understand everything. I particularly remember one of his most valuable advice which has never left: to protect the partner. I was strong and bold, but he was holding me by making me reproach. If you continue, you'll hurt your partner or hurt you. And then how will you do for training? ". Judo, that's it: practice without injury. At first I was practicing only right. I have endeavored to knowledge on both sides. Why ? To be effective, have solutions, but also do judo long, long time. My teacher also confronted me in the competition. I often lost at the start! It was hard against the elite of the great universities of Tokyo. On returning to the dojo, so I said to my master, "Sorry, I still lost ...". He invariably answered me: "It does not matter. One day, you will be strong. Meanwhile, leads up without a word. In his mouth, he had to understand: "Train yourself with sincerity, without excuse. "One of the great lessons learned judo me. My master was saying a lot. He told us ... One day he was hurt, he looked the other train. Kano goes before him and asked, "What happened to you? ". He says he can not train because he is injured. Kano then asks, annoyed "What grade are you? ". "4th dan" -which was then a high grade, my sensei replied. And Kano, edged say, "What? You are 4th dan and you got hurt? This is not acceptable. "Then Kano spent his path before retracing his steps and tell Takagi sensei," Stay focused. Looking at the other, you'll learn something. There is wealth everywhere to observe one who knows. "My master had thanked him and started to cry ... And we had to give him, as he had received a lesson on the concept of mitori geiko, practice by observation.
Why become a floor specialist?
My sensei told me that I was not standing strong, but in ne-waza the other hand, I could do that if I worked hard. He asked me to study the soil with Shigenori Kojima, the great master of the ground at the time. He had a dojo in Tokyo.
With him was katame waza ***, not ne-waza. He was very, very hard ... Maybe a little too anyway. When I returned, sometimes I cry blood. I did my course. I do not quite understand the standing judo but I know the ground well. On the ground, you can not cheat: you can not close the battle to lose Shido. The problem is that we do not leave time to work on ne-waza in modern competition. It's such a shame. Because besides the ne-waza is judo: plan and stop, that's what counts.
Projecting is not enough?
Judo is 70% technical and 30% standing ne-waza today. As soon as one becomes schoolboy, key can be. It should therefore be 50-50. And one must imagine that the proportion is reversed over the years. Today I am no longer that of ne-waza. Frankly, it is both judo and track when the years pass: it is distressing to see that the competitors stop, people who were 20 or more years of judo, once it can no longer good do standing judo. My definition of the ground? The legs are above the arm. But the head itself is far superior legs. That is the ne-waza.
Interview by Olivier Remy
The 19 principles of ground work to judo "Katamewaza"
by MATSUMURA ​​Shigeya
1. Judo begins with salvation and the salvation eventually
2. Judo begins with learning to lose is to say, to fall (UKEMI)
3. Judo begins with a projection and ends in the ground control to win.
4. You must be simultaneously an expert in Tachiwaza (standing techniques) and expert in Katamewaza (Matwork)
5. The power of the legs is greater than that of the arms. The power of mind is greater than that of the legs.
6. One must be attacked by two. Both must be attacked by three (eg Katame-waza, hook the opponent's arm with both hands, or control the opponent resists with both arms by your two hands and a leg).
7. When you attack from above, acting like a garment that covers it.
8. When you attack from below, act like the tentacles of an octopus.
9. The attack is the best defense.
Tachi waza 10. The required power and speed, Katame waza requires mastery of power.
11. Always face the opponent.
12. Secure the shoulders of the opponent. If you are attacked, first react with your shoulders.
13. Do not defend turtle crawling, do not defend his stomach spreading her legs.
14. Catch the belt is to do half way to victory.
15. katame waza means mastering the legs of the opponent.
16. Always think with one step ahead compared to the opponent.
17. Stay humble in victory, not to be discouraged in defeat.
18. Absolutely master the basic techniques; then use and combine to infinity
19. Never forget the principle of the lever.
* Sensei Matsumura was named 9th dan January 17, 2016, days before his death.
** This interview was conducted three years ago at exactly the same time of year. Since Sensei Matsumura added three competitions to his record.
*** The katame waza terminology emphasizes the concept of control. It was originally used and marks the spirit of the original Ju martial Justsu.

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