IF THEY MANAGE TO MEDAL IN THESE
GAMES, IT’S A SPECIAL HONOR.
IN THE LAND THAT GAVE US THE
SAMURAI, IT IS A DIRECT LINK TO
THE PAST.
WHEN THE TOP ATHLETES IN MARTIAL
ARTS STEP UP TO COMPETE IN
TOKYO, THEY’RE STEPPING ON TO A
JAPANESE STAGE WITH LUNCHES OF
YEARS OF HISTORY.
A TRADITION FORGED IN FIRE, MADE
OF STEEL, BUSHIDO OR THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR IS NOW A WORLD
THE WARRIOR IS NOW A WORLD
FAMOUS ETHOS THAT TRADES BACK TO
THE ERA OF THE SAMURAI.
HERE IN TOKYO, THEY’RE STILL
MAKING SAMURAI SWORDS USING
ANCIENT METHODS.
THIS FAMILY HAS BEEN FORGING
BLADES THIS WAY FOR TEN
GENERATIONS.
THESE SWORDS ARE NOT JUST FOR
SHOW.
THEY’RE KEY TO EAIDO, A MARTIAL
ARTS THAT TRAINS TO TO MASTER
THE KATANA BLADE.
>> YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THE ENEMY
AFTER THE BATTLE.
>> THE APPEAL ROARING IN,
AMERICAN CURTIS TERRY.
>> AS A COMBAT VETERAN, I’VE
ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN THE
MARTIAL ARTS, PARTICULARLY BUDO.
SO WHEN YOU’RE IN JAPAN, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT SYMBOLIZES JAPAN
THE MOST TO ME IS THE KATANA.
>> WE VISIT AN ACHIDO DOJO IN
TOKYO.
>> HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR ITS
INTERNATIONAL POPULARITY,
PARTICULARLY IN THE U.S.?
>> WELL, IT’S A REALLY APPEALING
MARTIAL ART TO DO.
WE STOP ROLLING AROUND AS PEOPLE
WHEN YOU’RE OUT OF PRIMARY
SCHOOL, RIGHT?
IT’S SO MUCH FUN TO START
HITTING THE GROUND AND ROLLING
AROUND.
IT’S SOCIAL.
IT BRINGS OUT THE MOST IN YOU.
IT’S A CONSTANT PATH OF
SELF-LEARNING AND GETTING
BETTER.
>> AKIDO FOCUSES ON TAKING YOUR
OPPONENT’S ENERGY AND USING IT
AGAINST THEM.
>> IF IT WAS ONE THING YOU WOULD
WANT ME TO TAKE AWAY, WHAT WOULD
THAT BE?
>> A BRUISE?
NO.
DEFINITELY NOT.
>> SHE DID HER BEST TO TEACH ME
THE FINER POINTS OF USING THE
SHORT STAFF.
THANKFULLY, FOR ME AT LEAST, THE
FIRST THING YOU LEARN IS HOW TO
FALL WITHOUT HURTING YOURSELF.
IT’S ONE THING TO STUDY THE
MARTIAL ARTS AS A HOBBY.
IT’S ANOTHER, OF COURSE, TO
TRAIN TO BE AN OLYMPIAN.
AMERICAN TRAVIS STEVENS IS A
THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN IN JUDO,
WINNER OF THE SILVER MEDAL IN
RIO.
>> I THINK THERE’S VERY FEW
SPORTS THAT INSTILL THE
MIND-SET, THE DISCIPLINE AND THE
TOUGHNESS ALONG WITH THE KEY
DETAILS.
LIKE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE
GOOD AT MARTIAL ARTS, YOU HAVE
TO BE DETAIL ORIENTED.
YOU HAVE TO BE DISCIPLINED.
YOU HAVE TO BE MENTALLY STRONG
AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY STRONG.
>> FOR THOSE ATHLETES ABOUT TO
COMPETE IN THE MARTIAL ARTS IN
TOKYO, STEVENS SAYS IT’S A RARE
PRIVILEGE.
>> IT HAS A LOT OF HISTORICAL
PRESENCE TO IT, YOU KNOW,
COMPETING IN JAPAN IS NOT LIKE
COMPETING IN THE REST OF THE
WORLD.
THEY’RE A VERY INTELLIGENT
CROWD.
THEY SEE THE SUBTLETIES THAT GO
ON IN THE SPORT AND THEY PRAISE
THE ATHLETES FOR IT, WHETHER
YOU’RE A JAPANESE, EUROPEAN OR
AMERICAN.
SO TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE ON THAT
STAGE, IT’S PROBABLY A LITTLE
NERVE-RACKING.
MORE SO THAN THE OTHER
TOURNAMENTS.
BUT IT HAS A SENSE OF BELONGINGS
COMPARED TO THE OTHER EVENTS.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE MADE IT
WHEN YOU’RE ON THAT STAGE.
>> THE STAGE IS SET UPON A
FOUNDATION FROM CENTURIES PAST.
THERE MAY BE NO SPECTATORS THIS
YEAR, BUT FOR THIS SPORT IN THIS
HISTORIC PLACE, THE ANCESTORS
WILL BE WATCHING.
>> AND IN A TRANSFORMATION RIGHT
NOW, I AM WEARING A JUDO UNIFORM
LIKE THE ONES BEING WORN BY THE
COMPETITORS HERE AND, OF COURSE,
THE SWORD AND A JHO.
BEFORE PEOPLE TWEET ME AND SAY
EARLIER ON YOU WERE DRINKING
SAKE AND NOW YOU’RE GOING TO
FIGHT, PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT
BRITISH GUYS LOVE TO DRINK AND
HAVE A FIGHT AND ALSO I’VE NEVER
DONE JUDO SINCE I WAS 10 YEARS
OLD.
>> WELL, WE BROUGHT SOME 10
YOOERL
10-YEAR-OLDS IN.
>> CAN YOU TAKE THE SWORD OUT?
>> NO, IT’S WOOD.
>> IT’S NOT A REAL SWORD.