Ko Hayashi and Hideto Nakano were both World champions in the 80's. Today, they are Head Coach of the Japan National Team and Head Coach of the Women's Team. Arrived since Tuesday in Paris, they will fly directly to Dubai in early February with their athletes. We met them at their hotel. Cold analysis of the World championships, new preparation plan, Japan’s training... They tell us about Japanese Karate on the road to « its » Olympic Games.

By Ludovic Mauchien / Photos : DR / Kphotos

Hideto Nakano recalls Mohammed Khatiri, who gave him a hard time on his way to his title of World champion in 1986 (-60 kg). Ko Hayashi talks about his French opponent in a big smile : « Thierry Masci, he is my friend ». The Frenchman beat him in the 1986 World’s ½ final. The Japanese fighter was world champion in 1988 and 1992 (-75 kg). But, on this rainy Wednesday in Paris, they express themselves as Japanese national team bosses, with sincerity, humor, delicacy. And, quite surprisingly, .

1st nation at the World Championships in Madrid last November, with 10 medals (4, 4, 2), Japan knows that it owes this leadership to Kata (4 medals, 3 gold). On the Kumite side, only Miyahara (-50 kg) won the gold. Even with their 6 medals (3 silver, 2 bronze), Japanese fighters back in the 3rd place, behind Iran and France (2 gold). Such a record would make more than one dream but, at a year and a half of the Tokyo Olympics, Japan can not be satisfied.

The first to be interviewed is Hideto Nakano, 6th Dan Goju Ryu, in charge of the women's team. To the first question, « Are you happy with the Madrid Worlds ? », the answer comes right away : « No ! ». Smile, then seriousnes : « We hoped for more gold medals, Kayo (Someya), Ayumi (Uekusa)... We had prepared a Game plan with Kayo but she could not put it in place. She failed to attack. Her timing was not good. She lost in the 1st round (against Semeraro). As for Ayumi, she made a good fight in the final against an opponent she fought many times (Chatziliadou). But she had changed her way of attacking. And, concerning the women's Kumite team final, we did not know enough French women. They are young. They are new and we did not have many data about them ».

The opinion of Ko Hayashi, the Head Coach of the national team, 7th Dan Wado Ryu, is equally critical of the Madrid performance of his troops. With a voice low, he strikes : « These World Championships were complicated. Most of our best fighters were quickly eliminated. Araga lost in the 1st round. I was shocked ! Kagawa lost in the 1st round. I was very, very shocked ! The men's team lost in the 3rd round, I was shocked ! Uekusa lost in the final, I was very shocked ! Not to mention Shimizu in Kata.

The conclusion is that our training system is not good now. We do not have enough time for our training camps. We think about changing our training system next April ». That’s questioning ! Publicly moreover ! Respect Sensei !

To summarize, until today, until April thus, the national team meets (only) twice a year in training camp, one of 3 days, the other of 6 days. They take place at the « Ajinomoto National Training Center », a 3.0 Center, ultra-modern, with all appropriate means. But this is only twice a year. The rest of the time, athletes train in their university. For the competitions, they are (just) convened for a 2 days camp before leaving.

What is going to change : « We will convene all athletes for a 7-day (and no longer 2) seminar before the competitions », says Ko Hayashi. « We will also develop communication between coaches and athletes in their daily lives at university ».

The Paris Open Premier League (January 25-27) gets the ball rolling. « This is the first competition in 2019 », says Hideto Nakano, « I want to know how every competitor feel and is in order to plan a personalized preparation for each one of them. We will follow everyone ».

Ko Hayashi is even more ambitious about the Paris Premier League : « in the male categories, each of our competitors can win gold. It's the challenge. We are aiming for gold. We want to win, of course. But Karate has changed a lot. The level of many countries has risen a lot. It’s getting harder and harder to win gold ». Certainly, however Japan has finished 1st nation in the last three World championships. And it's on his way to Tokyo...

QUOTES

If I say Tokyo 2020...

Ko Hayashi : « Of course, my dream would be to win all the gold medals (he smiles). It’s a huge challenge ! We must be brave, attack very hard. But, whatever, we aim to win several ones ».

Hideto Nakano : « We have to win gold medals. I do not know how much but we focus only on the gold medals ».

What is the core of a champion ?

Ko Hayashi : « I think mental strength is the first quality of a champion. The technique and the physical condition, which I put both at the same level, are important elements but to be able to focus, breathe, challenge oneself, never give up, is essential ».

Hideto Nakano : « The most important thing is the mind, the heart. The technique and the physical condition are also important elements, of course, but to reach « Shin Gi Tai » (the unity of mind, technique and body), it goes through the mind and the heart. The Karate style is not important. The character is more. We can change the style, not the character ».