Gackt meets winners - interview with Yoshida Hidehiko, judoka
Here's the translation of Gackt's interview with Yoshida Hidehiko, the judo champion. This is the first in the Gackt meets winners series.
Unlike the interview with Koga Miho, this interview reminds me of two veteran fighters having a chat :D. Gackt talks quite a lot about himself here, almost as much as Yoshida talked about himself.
I'll like to remind everyone reading this that in his many interviews all these years, the answers he gives to certain questions varies, and sometimes it's hard to tell when he's being serious and when he's he pulling a fast one on us. So, uh, please take his words with a grain of salt.
A note on judo competitive scoring, lifted from Wikipedia. This is by no means comprehensive, please refer to other sources like the IJF if you're interested in knowing more.
ippon - literally means 'one point' and wins the match. Awarded for a throw that lands the opponent on their back for 25 seconds or opponent submission.
waza-ari - a throw that is not good enough for ippon (20 second hold). Counts as half-point.
yuko - 15 second hold. Non-cumulative, but counts as a tie-breaker.
*
Gackt meets winners - Yoshida Hidehiko
Yoshida Hidehiko
He was born on 3rd September 1969. He participated in the Barcelona Olympics in 1997 and won the gold medal in the men's 78kg class. Currently, he is active in the mixed martial arts arena as well as guiding the next generation as an instructor at the Yoshida Dojo.
G: The first time we met was in Vegas. We met while we were having fun there and we went for a meal together. Hide-kun is a shy person so he didn't say much... or rather, he didn't even look at me.
H: You have a unique atmosphere around you so it wasn't easy to get close to you. On top of that, I am a shy person.
G: But we became good friends very soon. I guess we have some things in common, don't we?
H: We are two people from two totally different worlds, but your stoicism have become a source of inspiration to me. It's impressive how you have trained your body so that you can put on a bewitching performance during your concerts. We too, train everyday so that we can put on a bewitching performance during our matches, so I guess we're both similar in that sense.
G: I was also strongly motivated by you. Every match is held on the premise that one party will be the loser. It is a world where, fundamentally, no one can be the winner forever. However, you can't survive if you don't win; you have to be a fighter. You have shown me how you fight in such a tough world. I think that is how we men should be like. I am happy that in this time and age, you can personally make me feel that way. I respect that and it has motivated me. What is more impressive is that along with your strength, you also have kindness. Kindness is not something you need in a fight. However, it is very important in our everyday lives and you balance it better than most people. Well, I guess we should waxing lyrical and get on to the main part.
H: Yes, yes (laugh).
G: You went to the Beijing Olympics, didn't you? What was it like to watch the judo matches in person?
H: It was a shame with the men's matches. The style of the judo changed from the one where you try to score an ippon to one where you just have to win at the end of the match. However, in the Olympics, the result is everything. If you don't aim for the gold medal, it'll be pointless no matter how good a performance you put on.
G: During the Barcelona preliminaries, you steadily won by ippon for each match from the first to the final match, didn't you?
H: At that time, I really thought that even the referee was my enemy. The previous year, I lost due to the referee's odd judging. From that time on, I thought of referees as my enemies. No matter who it was, I started thinking that I won't win unless I score an ippon. However, the rules have changed now, you don't have to throw your opponent down to win. That's where we need to change our mindset. For example, if you think, 'This guy's strong. I can't throw him down', then you have to win by not throwing him down. I think this change of mindset is important. You'll never make it if you're just aiming for the prize money.
G: Given that you like the sport so much, do you have any resistance to this change?
H: The changes were made because we had to have a conclusion for the matches. We must have a result. However, my judo has not changed at all.
G: Is there anything that you can only see and understand when you're aiming for the gold medal?
H: As expected, a person's mindset will change when they're aiming for gold. 'If I don't train, I'll become weak! I can't rest for even one day!' In the end, they'll overwork themselves or get injured, again and again.
G: So you're saying that even when under such a high pressure, one should control oneself?
H: It's something you'll realise when you get injured. Or rather, when you're injured, you might come to think that this is the gods' way of telling you to rest. You'll think that 'Well, there are times when I need to take a break too.'
G: As a man aiming for the world, with your experience, you really do think there is a need to take a break sometimes, don't you?
H: Yes, there is. That's why I came here right after my judo session. Right now, I'm enjoying my break. Gakkun, you're the one working hard now (laugh).
G: I'm having fun because I'm totally serious in either work or play. I don't do things half-heartedly. I don't sleep.
H: It's amazing that you don't sleep.
G: No, that's not it. If I'm asked 'Why don't you sleep?' then I'll answer 'Because I'm an average person'. If a real genius were to do the same things at the same time as normal people, they will be successful. However, when I started making music, I didn't think that I have any particular talent. I'm not skillful, I take more time than anyone else when we're doing the same thing so I wondered what I should do. I thought that if I work four times harder than them, I might be able to achieve double of what they can. So, I have no choice but to do it! I thought of where I can find the time and the only answer was to cut my sleeping time. From then on, I decided that I'll only sleep for three hours a day, spend most of my time working and the rest of it will be dedicated to playing to my heart's content. After I get tired from playing, I'll concentrate and go to sleep. I started doing that when I was 22 or 23. I don't sleep because I'm an average person.
H: There are a lot of mediocre people in the world who sleep (laugh).
G: An average person who sleeps continues to be an average person. I was originally an average person, but I have become an average person who doesn't sleeps. I'm a beyond-average person. In order to win, I first had to overcome my mediocrity. The phrase 'working hard' is my standard equipment now.
H: The world calls you a genius, but you really are working harder than everyone else. Just like Ichirou and Kitajima Kosuke, you achieve success because of your hard work. I don't think there is anyone who is a true genius. They too, are people who have worked hard and overcame their mediocrity.
G: Have you ever felt like just crying when you're working so hard and going through all the judo matches?
H: I always feel like crying (laugh). The most painful time was when I came back after I lost in Atlanta. The treatment I received was totally different. When I won a gold medal, I was called to a different room and held a press conference in a room packed with the press. However, it was different with the Atlanta match. There were only the three of us- me, my two juniors and my teacher. I started to distrust people after that.
G: But there are things you realise only after you have experienced loss, aren't there?
H: I realised and understood that no one will recognise you if you don't produce results. You may think that you're doing it for someone, but in the end you're only doing it for yourself. At events like the Olympics, I may say that it was for the glory of Japan, but in the end it all boils down to myself. If you lose, no one will wipe your ass. So I thought I should just do as I like. I can work hard because I've tasted defeat.
G: I've always thought that we should treat our athletes better. For example, you competed with the burden of your country's glory on your back in the Olympics, didn't you? However, even as you're aiming for the gold medal, it doesn't meant that their lives will be guaranteed from then on. There are a lot of people who are forced to live a tough life due to this because they bet their whole life on it. If you win, people tend to think that it's only natural, but if you lose they won't even bother getting acquainted with you. People will complain about you. They have forgotten about respecting those who have fought.
H: However, the people who come to you when you have lost are the people you can really trust. That is also something I learnt after losing.
G: It's very important to know defeat. In the endless rounds of victory and loss, there are times where you may seem to have won, but on the inside you know that you have lost, or times when you just feel that you have lost. In life, there are many times when we will experience loss that will leave us depressed or in despair. However, what's important is not only that we must recognise defeat, but whether or not we can truly find our direction from there. It is whether or not we think 'I don't want to fall down to this state again' and work hard from there. A lot of energy is needed to break out from that state. The people heading for the top have a tremendous amount of such energy. They may think 'I don't ever want to experience this again!'.
H: It's a scary thing to think it's okay to be defeated or to lose the way one overcomes defeat, isn't it?
G: The scariest thing is to get used to being defeated. I think that people who don't feel regret and frustration from losing have no direction in life. People who don't feel 'I don't want to lose' cannot achieve glory.
H: I think that the phrase 'I don't want to lose' is a great source of motivation. That and the feeling of 'One more time!' after you have had a taste of success. For that, I'm willing to go through a harsh training for a long time. That sweet taste of taste of success when I win is the most delicious taste ever. I'm working hard for that. I don't like the taste of defeat.
G: Right now you're participating in mixed martial arts, aren't you? When you were actively into judo, you had a clear-cut goal, the medal. What is your goal now?
H: The kids at my dojo get really happy when they win. I'm looking forward to seeing how they'll grow from now.
G: Recently, I've been thinking that for people of our age, we often think of what we can do for the kids who are going to be the next generation. The reason for that is because we are starting to feel that the time for us to be in active service is nearing an end.
H: For me, there's nothing I can teach other than judo so I wonder if I can pass that on to the kids. Maybe that is what I must accomplish.
G: I want to pass on not just my songs, but through my performance, I want to move their feelings, teach them the importance of having dreams and realising them. I think that dreams are a source of motivation for us; they are the catalysts that cause one to grow and mature. A person without dreams will not grow to become a great person. If we do not have dreams, humans as a race will gradually go towards the path of decay. However, our time is limited. After we retire, even if we talk about our dreams, we'll be like old soldiers talking about battlefields. It'll just be us talking about the old days. We can't have that.
H: There is a certain time frame during which we must pass this on, isn't there?
G: There are thoughts we can pass on because you are who you are now and I am who I am now. Well, we didn't think about things like this when we were young (laugh).
H: We sure didn't. We just struggled desperately for ourselves (laugh).
G: Lastly, shall we end this with your opinion on what victory means?
H: Victory... I guess it's something that once you have a taste of it, you will not want to stop.
G: We'll look forward to more of your victorious moments!
*
I don't know about you, but I really, really like the part where Gackt talks about how he wants to work four times as hard as other people because he feels that he is an average person. I admire people who can work hard, and reading that part when I'm rather used to seeing Gackt ooze self-confidence by the gallons is rather, for the lack of a better word, inspiring. Of course, not everyone will agree with his methods, but I highly doubt anyone can change his mind. If you don't like it, the only thing I can think of to say is go over to his site and leave him a message, tell him you appreciate him. Given how 'guiding the next generation' seem to be a recurring theme in his recent interviews, I think he'll probably be happy to know if his efforts have paid off.
I'm somewhat amused by how he uses words like 'soldiers', 'battlefields' and 'active service'.
I...probably had more to say but figuring out the codes and layout for this has sapped my brain. Hope you guys enjoyed this anyway.
Unlike the interview with Koga Miho, this interview reminds me of two veteran fighters having a chat :D. Gackt talks quite a lot about himself here, almost as much as Yoshida talked about himself.
I'll like to remind everyone reading this that in his many interviews all these years, the answers he gives to certain questions varies, and sometimes it's hard to tell when he's being serious and when he's he pulling a fast one on us. So, uh, please take his words with a grain of salt.
A note on judo competitive scoring, lifted from Wikipedia. This is by no means comprehensive, please refer to other sources like the IJF if you're interested in knowing more.
ippon - literally means 'one point' and wins the match. Awarded for a throw that lands the opponent on their back for 25 seconds or opponent submission.
waza-ari - a throw that is not good enough for ippon (20 second hold). Counts as half-point.
yuko - 15 second hold. Non-cumulative, but counts as a tie-breaker.
*
Gackt meets winners - Yoshida Hidehiko
Yoshida Hidehiko
He was born on 3rd September 1969. He participated in the Barcelona Olympics in 1997 and won the gold medal in the men's 78kg class. Currently, he is active in the mixed martial arts arena as well as guiding the next generation as an instructor at the Yoshida Dojo.
G: The first time we met was in Vegas. We met while we were having fun there and we went for a meal together. Hide-kun is a shy person so he didn't say much... or rather, he didn't even look at me.
H: You have a unique atmosphere around you so it wasn't easy to get close to you. On top of that, I am a shy person.
G: But we became good friends very soon. I guess we have some things in common, don't we?
H: We are two people from two totally different worlds, but your stoicism have become a source of inspiration to me. It's impressive how you have trained your body so that you can put on a bewitching performance during your concerts. We too, train everyday so that we can put on a bewitching performance during our matches, so I guess we're both similar in that sense.
G: I was also strongly motivated by you. Every match is held on the premise that one party will be the loser. It is a world where, fundamentally, no one can be the winner forever. However, you can't survive if you don't win; you have to be a fighter. You have shown me how you fight in such a tough world. I think that is how we men should be like. I am happy that in this time and age, you can personally make me feel that way. I respect that and it has motivated me. What is more impressive is that along with your strength, you also have kindness. Kindness is not something you need in a fight. However, it is very important in our everyday lives and you balance it better than most people. Well, I guess we should waxing lyrical and get on to the main part.
H: Yes, yes (laugh).
G: You went to the Beijing Olympics, didn't you? What was it like to watch the judo matches in person?
H: It was a shame with the men's matches. The style of the judo changed from the one where you try to score an ippon to one where you just have to win at the end of the match. However, in the Olympics, the result is everything. If you don't aim for the gold medal, it'll be pointless no matter how good a performance you put on.
G: During the Barcelona preliminaries, you steadily won by ippon for each match from the first to the final match, didn't you?
H: At that time, I really thought that even the referee was my enemy. The previous year, I lost due to the referee's odd judging. From that time on, I thought of referees as my enemies. No matter who it was, I started thinking that I won't win unless I score an ippon. However, the rules have changed now, you don't have to throw your opponent down to win. That's where we need to change our mindset. For example, if you think, 'This guy's strong. I can't throw him down', then you have to win by not throwing him down. I think this change of mindset is important. You'll never make it if you're just aiming for the prize money.
G: Given that you like the sport so much, do you have any resistance to this change?
H: The changes were made because we had to have a conclusion for the matches. We must have a result. However, my judo has not changed at all.
G: Is there anything that you can only see and understand when you're aiming for the gold medal?
H: As expected, a person's mindset will change when they're aiming for gold. 'If I don't train, I'll become weak! I can't rest for even one day!' In the end, they'll overwork themselves or get injured, again and again.
G: So you're saying that even when under such a high pressure, one should control oneself?
H: It's something you'll realise when you get injured. Or rather, when you're injured, you might come to think that this is the gods' way of telling you to rest. You'll think that 'Well, there are times when I need to take a break too.'
G: As a man aiming for the world, with your experience, you really do think there is a need to take a break sometimes, don't you?
H: Yes, there is. That's why I came here right after my judo session. Right now, I'm enjoying my break. Gakkun, you're the one working hard now (laugh).
G: I'm having fun because I'm totally serious in either work or play. I don't do things half-heartedly. I don't sleep.
H: It's amazing that you don't sleep.
G: No, that's not it. If I'm asked 'Why don't you sleep?' then I'll answer 'Because I'm an average person'. If a real genius were to do the same things at the same time as normal people, they will be successful. However, when I started making music, I didn't think that I have any particular talent. I'm not skillful, I take more time than anyone else when we're doing the same thing so I wondered what I should do. I thought that if I work four times harder than them, I might be able to achieve double of what they can. So, I have no choice but to do it! I thought of where I can find the time and the only answer was to cut my sleeping time. From then on, I decided that I'll only sleep for three hours a day, spend most of my time working and the rest of it will be dedicated to playing to my heart's content. After I get tired from playing, I'll concentrate and go to sleep. I started doing that when I was 22 or 23. I don't sleep because I'm an average person.
H: There are a lot of mediocre people in the world who sleep (laugh).
G: An average person who sleeps continues to be an average person. I was originally an average person, but I have become an average person who doesn't sleeps. I'm a beyond-average person. In order to win, I first had to overcome my mediocrity. The phrase 'working hard' is my standard equipment now.
H: The world calls you a genius, but you really are working harder than everyone else. Just like Ichirou and Kitajima Kosuke, you achieve success because of your hard work. I don't think there is anyone who is a true genius. They too, are people who have worked hard and overcame their mediocrity.
G: Have you ever felt like just crying when you're working so hard and going through all the judo matches?
H: I always feel like crying (laugh). The most painful time was when I came back after I lost in Atlanta. The treatment I received was totally different. When I won a gold medal, I was called to a different room and held a press conference in a room packed with the press. However, it was different with the Atlanta match. There were only the three of us- me, my two juniors and my teacher. I started to distrust people after that.
G: But there are things you realise only after you have experienced loss, aren't there?
H: I realised and understood that no one will recognise you if you don't produce results. You may think that you're doing it for someone, but in the end you're only doing it for yourself. At events like the Olympics, I may say that it was for the glory of Japan, but in the end it all boils down to myself. If you lose, no one will wipe your ass. So I thought I should just do as I like. I can work hard because I've tasted defeat.
G: I've always thought that we should treat our athletes better. For example, you competed with the burden of your country's glory on your back in the Olympics, didn't you? However, even as you're aiming for the gold medal, it doesn't meant that their lives will be guaranteed from then on. There are a lot of people who are forced to live a tough life due to this because they bet their whole life on it. If you win, people tend to think that it's only natural, but if you lose they won't even bother getting acquainted with you. People will complain about you. They have forgotten about respecting those who have fought.
H: However, the people who come to you when you have lost are the people you can really trust. That is also something I learnt after losing.
G: It's very important to know defeat. In the endless rounds of victory and loss, there are times where you may seem to have won, but on the inside you know that you have lost, or times when you just feel that you have lost. In life, there are many times when we will experience loss that will leave us depressed or in despair. However, what's important is not only that we must recognise defeat, but whether or not we can truly find our direction from there. It is whether or not we think 'I don't want to fall down to this state again' and work hard from there. A lot of energy is needed to break out from that state. The people heading for the top have a tremendous amount of such energy. They may think 'I don't ever want to experience this again!'.
H: It's a scary thing to think it's okay to be defeated or to lose the way one overcomes defeat, isn't it?
G: The scariest thing is to get used to being defeated. I think that people who don't feel regret and frustration from losing have no direction in life. People who don't feel 'I don't want to lose' cannot achieve glory.
H: I think that the phrase 'I don't want to lose' is a great source of motivation. That and the feeling of 'One more time!' after you have had a taste of success. For that, I'm willing to go through a harsh training for a long time. That sweet taste of taste of success when I win is the most delicious taste ever. I'm working hard for that. I don't like the taste of defeat.
G: Right now you're participating in mixed martial arts, aren't you? When you were actively into judo, you had a clear-cut goal, the medal. What is your goal now?
H: The kids at my dojo get really happy when they win. I'm looking forward to seeing how they'll grow from now.
G: Recently, I've been thinking that for people of our age, we often think of what we can do for the kids who are going to be the next generation. The reason for that is because we are starting to feel that the time for us to be in active service is nearing an end.
H: For me, there's nothing I can teach other than judo so I wonder if I can pass that on to the kids. Maybe that is what I must accomplish.
G: I want to pass on not just my songs, but through my performance, I want to move their feelings, teach them the importance of having dreams and realising them. I think that dreams are a source of motivation for us; they are the catalysts that cause one to grow and mature. A person without dreams will not grow to become a great person. If we do not have dreams, humans as a race will gradually go towards the path of decay. However, our time is limited. After we retire, even if we talk about our dreams, we'll be like old soldiers talking about battlefields. It'll just be us talking about the old days. We can't have that.
H: There is a certain time frame during which we must pass this on, isn't there?
G: There are thoughts we can pass on because you are who you are now and I am who I am now. Well, we didn't think about things like this when we were young (laugh).
H: We sure didn't. We just struggled desperately for ourselves (laugh).
G: Lastly, shall we end this with your opinion on what victory means?
H: Victory... I guess it's something that once you have a taste of it, you will not want to stop.
G: We'll look forward to more of your victorious moments!
*
I don't know about you, but I really, really like the part where Gackt talks about how he wants to work four times as hard as other people because he feels that he is an average person. I admire people who can work hard, and reading that part when I'm rather used to seeing Gackt ooze self-confidence by the gallons is rather, for the lack of a better word, inspiring. Of course, not everyone will agree with his methods, but I highly doubt anyone can change his mind. If you don't like it, the only thing I can think of to say is go over to his site and leave him a message, tell him you appreciate him. Given how 'guiding the next generation' seem to be a recurring theme in his recent interviews, I think he'll probably be happy to know if his efforts have paid off.
I'm somewhat amused by how he uses words like 'soldiers', 'battlefields' and 'active service'.
I...probably had more to say but figuring out the codes and layout for this has sapped my brain. Hope you guys enjoyed this anyway.