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Post by m4tt3r0x on Feb 5, 2023 18:12:52 GMT -5
Shingo really is in remarkable shape for 48. Actually for any age. I didn't realize how much muscle he has built on him until he took on Stage 2 last year. Look at his upper back. I know he's a trainer now but he might be even in better shape now than he was when he was younger. And he hasn't slowed down either. If he really trains like hell for next year he has a legitimate shot of clearing Stage 2 like Suzuki or Yuuji.
After 25 years of perfect attendance I can't remember the last time he looked as confident as he did last tournament. Just look at his demeanor at the beginning of Stage 1. He had like a newfound swagger to him and was acting like a different person. He said once in 26, at least as far as G4 was concerned, that no matter how many times he's been at the beginning of Stage 1, he was never not nervous. He probably still feels the same nerves but he handled himself so much better in 40.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Feb 4, 2023 17:37:36 GMT -5
Stage 1 and 2 I think 30s Nagano at least matches modern Yuuji and that's probably being generous to Yuuji. Nagano just was naturally nimble and didn't even really have to train specific obstacles all that much in his prime. Yuuji in his 30s to be fair was also very quick, but I doubt 40s Yuuji is any faster than prime Nagano. As for Stage 3, 40s Yuuji outclasses Nagano from any era imo. He's just too well trained, and on harder obstacles.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Sept 17, 2022 13:16:43 GMT -5
Yes, yes I remember seeing footage of that slope! That looks dreadfully painful with the 20kg vest. I see even Yoshiyuki falling over at the end of it in exhaustion.
Yamada-san does seem like a good trainer. I wish you luck in your training, and maybe we'll see you on the real course some day. The VR game you created is awesome and hopefully gets some good use by the Black Tigers and Yamada-sam even.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Sept 14, 2022 7:28:41 GMT -5
First of all it is awesome to meet you! I recognized your face instantly from the Yamada Gundam once I started up the video. This is so cool. I have a Playstation VR that somebody gave me, but have never used it. Would it be compatible with this? I also have so many questions about your experiences at KuroTora. How is it training with Katsumi Yamada? How often does he have the team train? What are your thoughts on Yoshiyuki Yamamoto? Thank you!
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Sept 13, 2022 17:43:49 GMT -5
I'd probably have to choose being against a Stage 3 timer personally. I like that the Stage is kinda chill even though there is a lowkey intermittent obstacle timer and the course is brutal. Feel like the stage would just turn into ANW's current Stage 2 at that point. It's not the worst thing, but yeah. Having the rest time being 30 seconds but an extra 5 or so seconds if needed for like timing the Cliffhanger is fine imo.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Sept 5, 2022 22:41:59 GMT -5
Not a bad idea. The log dizzies up competitors before the next immediate obstacle or two, but I'd personally keep it before the Salmon Ladder still.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Aug 12, 2022 13:54:21 GMT -5
Ah, funny but not surprising Shingo's favorite obstacle is the Warped Wall. He's only ever failed it when it was wet in a qualifier and in America when he lost his shoe! I've always noticed one of his strengths is his legs' ability to drive up the wall, and he seems to have pretty long, athletic legs at that. I think he would have cleared the wall in 38 had he gotten there as Takeda did who in my opinion is visibly less proficient at it judging from training videos at Matsuda's.
Another obstacle Shingo's never failed is the Salmon Ladder (the three variants he has attempted).
Overall his top 5 picks make sense. The only one he hasn't failed more than once is the Rolling Log, but I feel like that one also just gave residual damage on his Stage 1 runs when it was present. Not many other obstacles have that particular type of effect on their stages.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Aug 10, 2022 10:58:44 GMT -5
Wonder if he'll out dark horse the dark horse
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Aug 1, 2022 17:48:46 GMT -5
Noticed he was reuploading a little while ago now, and was also surprised by his new daughter. Happy for him and hope he's doing well. He looks great.
I'd like to say if there's one thing I know about Sasuke retirements, it's that they're not necessarily permanent. The difference here is that Takeda was actually forced to retire for the serious sake of his own health. No matter what though he'll still always have a special place in my heart.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Aug 1, 2022 8:28:03 GMT -5
So personal disagreements in management policy. Interesting as I assumed he was the sole founder of the company and thus could override stuff. Maybe he is and he's just stepping down because... no idea. Don't see why he would ever leave even if management had potentially better avenues planned ahead.
Also lol just realized Tomo's Instagram handle ends in 99. Not hatin', I like Tomo a lot.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jul 31, 2022 13:51:08 GMT -5
After watching their runs on the official channel, I think you can likely say #89-91 had more traction on their final steps on the wall judging from observation alone. You can still hear wet slipperiness, but it seems close to incomparable to how Yuuji and Yusuke were straight up sliding down the thing in defeat. It's possible #89-91 had more power, but I think they also just got luckier with the traction not being THAT horrendous.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jul 31, 2022 13:06:05 GMT -5
It was definitely raining on Ryo, Keitaro, and Tada. The fact all three of them cleared the wall still wows me to this day and my respect for all three of them went up. If you watch their runs on the official Sasuke YouTube channel you can see the rain dropping into the water pits fairly heavily. I've tried the Warped Wall before when it had just started raining and after and it felt borderline impossible. That all said there is perhaps some sort of traction molding on the Warped Wall in Sasuke nowadays which helps combat slickness. I think Matsuda even put the same material on his wall on his home course. I don't think they are running up straight up marine plywood or whatever wood type they use for the wall anymore. How much that affects water on the wall exactly I'm not sure, but we clearly saw Tomo, Yuuji, and Yusuke all slipping down the wall with no shot. (linking video to show those threes' attempts, but also because I just loved the music) But I have to say as far as I can tell it was definitely raining on Yusuke's run. You can kinda see it in that video alone. I'm pretty sure it was raining during Yamada's run as well, but perhaps not as hard. As for why #98-100 failed the wall and not #89-91, it's a great question I do not have a firm answer to. Maybe the wall was just so damp at that point the course producers couldn't compensate for it. It's true that when the rain just starts the wall is still not as hard as after it has been wet for a while.
I guess I'm kinda just less surprised the last three runners failed and more #89-91 didn't.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jul 30, 2022 6:00:29 GMT -5
There was a YouTube livestream with Ryo, Suzuki, and Yamada doing the obstacles.
Video's unlisted now but I caught it while it aired.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jul 18, 2022 15:33:04 GMT -5
Hmm good question. I think there's a good chance Tomo clears in my opinion. Let me put it like this: He hasn't failed before the Warped Wall since his Double Pendulum flop in 33 if I remember correctly, and that fail was largely due to him just rushing and not taking the extra swing. What I'm saying is he has a good track record for pre-wall obstacles, and I don't see him failing something like the Fishbone-Kai or Dragon Glider. Then it comes down to how he fairs against the Ni Ren Soritatse Kabe. I don't think his fail in 39 counts, entirely because of the rain lol. I think him failing the wall once was a big surprise in 37, still a surprise in 38. but in 40, it will be no secret anymore that the wall is his test now. I personally think he would have likely cleared it in 39 had it not rained, and I feel the same for 40. I'm pretty confident Tomo will put in the work to clear it this time (of course anything can happen), fingers crossed he has a fair shot. I don't know if Ayano has it in her to beat the second wall yet sadly. I'd like her to clear, but from what I've seen in practice, she can get it, but I've never personally seen her clear it after a big stamina test prior which is what Stage 1 is. Could be wrong though. I think she will make it the Ni Ren Soritatse Kabe though. Kanno and Shunsuke I don't think are clearing. They could, but I just doubt it. I think Shunsuke has a better chance, as Kanno has already had Warped Wall problems in the past let alone problems with the Dragon Glider. Then there's Kan Yutaka, who I like a lot as a competitor, but I don't think he will clear the wall in 40. I think ABC-Z is pocketed at this point. If it's not the Dragon Glider that gets him I think it will be the Warped Wall. Lastly, and I'm probably missing people, I think Darvish still has a legitimate shot, but will he likely do it? I actually think there's a good shot. He got cheated in 38 and 39, let's face it. Shingo's gonna fail something. Sadly probably Matsuda too Nagano's very likely not getting past the wall, if that. I think he fails the DG again personally. Tl;dr Tomo clears, Darvish has a good shot, the rest I doubt but hope I'm wrong.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jul 3, 2022 10:01:41 GMT -5
I think you could honestly argue Nagano had a pretty rapid and unexpected decline after 23. Yeah he made it to Stage 3 in 27, but other than that he really just never fully recovered from his string of fails between 24-26. Failing the Warped Wall in 28 at 40 years old after just making it to Stage 3 a year and a half ago and on quite arguably an easier Stage 1 was pretty shocking.
I know the word on the street was that his heart wasn't in it anymore around 24 onwards, but the guy was only 37. Compare that to the older athletes today who have excelled in their forties (Hioki, Yuuji, Suzuki Yusuke, and even Okuyama from a decade ago) and in retrospect I think you can say Nagano declined fairly quickly.
I'd also say Takeda after 24 just became Salmon Ladder fodder fairly surprisingly.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jul 1, 2022 7:44:42 GMT -5
Currently Yuuji, previously Takeda
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jun 27, 2022 8:34:46 GMT -5
So they want to have an obstacle course as one of the five components of the pentathlon. I imagine they'll just have something more akin to the Ninja Warrior qualifier/semi-finals courses. No way they're going to make all of Sasuke one of the five events, as that would highly dwarf the other four in comparison. This is TBS and Sasuke tho not Ninja Warrior. Maybe just trial courses then. TBS and ATS (makers of ANW courses) are pretty intertwined these days. As far as I understand TBS is also highly connected to some of the other Ninja Warrior derivatives in certain countries in Asia. Anyway I just meant I imagine the course will be about the size of a Ninja Warrior semi-finals course and like the mixture of upper and lower body obstacles.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jun 27, 2022 8:08:14 GMT -5
Oh so that is why they are changing. Well anyway, can someone explain me how exactly would Sasuke be a part of modern pentathlon. Olympians would run the whole course? Or is it just First Stage and who makes it further/completes in shortest time? So they want to have an obstacle course as one of the five components of the pentathlon. I imagine they'll just have something more akin to the Ninja Warrior qualifier/semi-finals courses. No way they're going to make all of Sasuke one of the five events, as that would highly dwarf the other four in comparison.
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jun 27, 2022 6:39:47 GMT -5
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Post by m4tt3r0x on Jun 16, 2022 6:42:31 GMT -5
lol wow that's pretty funny. I didn't notice it
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