Makita Sports is a popular talent who made headlines when he declared himself a free agent from his agency, Office Kitano. We were able to speak with him just as he was declaring his status as a free agent.

He spoke at length about the appeal of kendo from the perspective of a performer.

Profile

Makita Sports

Musician, actor and comedian.
He advocates "Otoneta," a fusion of "music" and "laughter."They actively perform live shows all over the country.
"The Painful Train," directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita and released in 2012Following her excellent performance, she won the 55th Blue Ribbon Award for Best Newcomer,She won the Newcomer Award at the 22nd Tokyo Sports Film Awards.He is also attracting attention as an actor.
He writes many columns and reviews with his own unique perspective,"The age of 100 million people making comments," "Anarchy in the Kids is cute," "He has written books such as "All J-POP is a rip-off."This perspective is also directed towards the pursuit of food, and the "10-minute Donbei"In 2016, he published his first novel, "Thirty Years of Hiding," in the Bungakukai magazine.announced.

What made you start kendo?

Makita Sports"My parents ran a sporting goods store called Makita Sports. They didn't sell protective gear, but they did sell bamboo swords. There was no kendo dojo in the town where I lived, but people would come from the neighboring town to buy bamboo swords. As my mother served these customers, she seemed to realize that kendo was a good educational tool. I was the naughty second son, so it seems she had quite a hard time with me (laughs)."

-Did you always want to try kendo?

Makita Sports"I don't remember, but I think my parents asked me and I said I wanted to do it."

-Did you enjoy kendo?

Makita Sports"Honestly, I didn't enjoy it at all at first. But it gradually started to become fun when I was in sixth grade. I grew faster than other people, so I started to use my physique to my advantage and win matches."

-Once you start winning, it becomes fun!

Makita Sports"On the other hand, I hated being a minority in elementary school. There were no kendo dojos in my town, and the most popular sport at the time was baseball. Even though I felt like I was getting stronger at kendo, it was suffocating not being able to share my progress with my friends. I felt lonely and wondered why I was doing something so obscure."

During his student days, he was a candidate for the Yamanashi Prefectural National Athletic Meet.

-What was your time in junior high school like?

Makita Sports"I won the individual championship at the county tournament and was recognized at my middle school.It was the first time I felt recognized."

-That's amazing!　

Makita Sports"I did well in the prefectural tournament, but it was difficult to get a high ranking. I was recommended for high school by the athletics department and went on to Yamanashi Prefectural Hikawa High School. I did well in kendo and had good grades at school."

-How were your grades in high school?

Makita Sports"When I was a freshman in high school, there was an individual competition for my grade at the prefectural tournament.I was able to come in second place there, which is the best result I've ever had in kendo.When I was in my second year of high school, there was a local national sports meet called the Kaiji National Athletic Meet, and I was selected as a training athlete for the national meet."

- He was the runner-up in the prefectural tournament and a training athlete for the National Sports Festival. That's an impressive achievement!

Makita Sports"There I had a shocking encounter. At the time, Kofu Commercial High School was a strong school in Yamanashi Prefecture, and there was a player named Hara who was a year above me.When I met him, I was blown away in many ways. Of course there was a difference in skill, but I also felt that his attitude and way of thinking about kendo was completely different from mine.Someone from the “realm”…”

- Rather than the difference in skill, did you feel the difference was in mentality?

Makita Sports"I was shocked to learn that there are people who love kendo more than I do and are pursuing the path of it.That's when I realized that I wasn't serious about kendo.This feeling never went away during my three years of high school. I was feeling good after coming second in the prefectural tournament, but it was short-lived and I soon became depressed."

-It must have been quite a shock...

Makita Sports"I thought about quitting kendo, but I entered the school on a sports recommendation, so I knew that if I quit the kendo club, I would be looked down upon. There was a member of the rugby club who quit rugby, but he spent his school life feeling awkward because he was looked down upon.

I started playing the guitar in my second year of junior high school, so I would have preferred to do that instead. I think that would be more popular (laughs)."

-That's definitely true (laughs).

Makita Sports"In high school, I was only able to attain a second-degree kendo rank. I had learned tricky kendo techniques in order to win matches, and this backfired. I tried kendo for the promotion exam, but I struggled because the style of kendo was not suited to me. In the end, I was unable to attain a third-degree kendo rank."

-Did you quit kendo in college?

Makita Sports"Yes. I really wanted to go to Tokyo, so I enrolled in a university there. I had always wanted to quit kendo, so to be honest, I was relieved."

Even in comedy, unity of spirit, sword, and body is necessary

Makita Sports"After stepping away from kendo, I realized that kendo is a truly wonderful martial art. I feel that my kendo experience is useful in comedy as well."

-In what ways do you feel you are making the most of your time?

Makita Sports“For example, there is the expression ‘the unity of spirit, sword and body’. Even if you say ‘men’, if you hit the kote, it won’t be a point.It's the same with comedy. Even if you can say a funny phrase, if you don't put your heart into it, it won't be funny.'

-That's a very easy-to-understand example.

Makita Sports"There was a time when I liked watching boxing. In boxing, too, the important thing is the distance. As it is a Western sport, there are lucky punches, but if you pay attention to how the fighter takes the distance before throwing a punch, I think it has similarities with kendo. You can tell the match is decided before the punch lands. It's like the "waza-mae" in kendo.

Kendo is not a knockout sport, and it's not even a sport,The important things in kendo can be applied to boxing. However, the mindset of professional sports such as boxing, where "it's all good as long as you win," cannot be applied to kendo. This is what makes it interesting.

Kendo cultivates the "mentality" that is important in any competition or way of life. I wonder why I didn't realize that."

-That's a very meaningful statement. What's important in sports can't be translated into kendo.

Makita Sports"Although I wanted to enter the entertainment world early, I made my debut at the late age of 28.

I loved comedy and music, so I wanted to try my hand at competing in the world I loved.However, if you only compete in something you love, such as music or comedy, there is no room for excuses.There is no escape route. When you reach that point, you are forced to realize that you were wrong. You have no choice but to reflect on your actions.You will be forced to face the things you have been hiding or pretending not to notice. Kendo should have taught you that a long time ago.But at the time, I ignored it."

- In kendo, you have no choice but to confront yourself.

Makita Sports"I took up kendo on a TV program, something I hadn't done in over 20 years. I competed against comedian Chan Kawai, but I was a bit overconfident. Based on my own experience as a comedian, I thought, 'Once the real match begins, I'll be able to show my incredible strength.' However, when I held my bamboo sword for the first time in a while, I thought, 'My opponent seems far away.' I could feel the distance.I realized that martial arts require courage and determination.'

-You're right.

Makita Sports"Humans have desires. We want to win, we don't want to get hit, we want to show off our skills, etc. All of those things backfired.The only option left was to take a passive approach and not attack. This is not good for kendo, and it is not good for a variety show.

If they don't fight, the show won't be interesting, and as comedians, it's better to show that they've lost.I learned from kendo that I needed more training. I realized that kendo is all about the heart. There is no such thing as a knockout where the result is all right. The only thing that matters is the heart. The person who gets hit knows this better.'

-All that matters is the heart. That's so true.

Makita Sports"In the world of sports, judges sometimes make decisions based on scientific verification. That's not the case with kendo referees. The worst thing you can do is complain that you've been awarded an ippon when you didn't even hit the area where you were striking. It's uncouth. When the referee's flag goes up, it means that you had your opponent under control before you struck. So kendo is a martial art where the process is evaluated rather than the result.I think the theme of kendo is to overcome one's own weaknesses. In the end, one has no choice but to turn to oneself. I think kendo is a path.'

-It's a road.

Makita Sports"There are some martial arts that have become sports and become Olympic events.Kendo is probably one of the few martial arts that still retains the element of being a "way."I think it would be better to preserve these martial arts.It's not something rational that everyone can agree on, is it? How do you move, or not move, the mind that is constantly moving and squirming?I don't know how to explain this. It's difficult. I've only just realised that kendo is actually an incredible martial art. You can still practice kendo even when you're older. In the end, it's all about who has the stronger heart, so age doesn't matter."

I want to return to kendo someday.

-This may be the first time we've heard you explain the appeal of kendo so clearly. Do you still watch kendo?

Makita Sports"I sometimes watch it on YouTube, though I haven't been able to watch it much recently. About three or four years ago, I went to watch the Kanto Student Kendo Tournament. I was deeply moved to see Nabeyama coaching at Tsukuba University. I'm the same age as him, and he was a superstar. I also saw him at the Inter-High School Championships, and the level was so different that I remember thinking, 'I've just seen something incredible.'"

-You're the same age as Professor Nabeyama!

Makita Sports"We're the same age. I still have my protective gear, so I'd like to return to kendo someday."

It was very impressive to see how Makita Sports, a successful artist, expressed the charm of kendo. We wish Makita Sports continued success in his various fields. Thank you for today!

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