Name a SASUKE Kōji Yamada wasn't in and I'll say how he does

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Adhering to the recent trend, I have to do one for my favorite competitor and the man I dedicated my username to. Any SASUKE from 1-11, 18, and 20-35 (I think he'd have called it quits there, he'd have been 43 and after seeing the Dragon Glider he'd have known he wasn't up to the task anymore.) I'd prefer some chronological order so I don't forget and accidentally spoil something, but it's totally up to you all!

[darthvaderlim]

I'd go with Sasuke 20. Will he clear the brutal first stage again?

[hatkun]

Okay, Koji, we gotta go all the way back to the beginning. Sasuke 1. Let’s see how he’d do as a 23 year old on the original course.

P.S: I wish I could do this for Shingo but well…perfect attendance haha

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 28, 2023 20:04:08 GMT -5 hatkun said:

Okay, Koji, we gotta go all the way back to the beginning. Sasuke 1. Let’s see how he’d do as a 23 year old on the original course.

P.S: I wish I could do this for Shingo but well…perfect attendance haha

SASUKE 1

It's the inaugural SASUKE tournament at Tokyo Bay NK Hall, and 100 challengers are eager to take on what is supposedly the world's hardest obstacle course and show what they're made of. Among them, 23 year old firefighter-in-training, Kōji Yamada. Of course since he isn't a sportsman, he isn't very well known aside from his friends and family that came, but he still gets a relatively high #82 due to his age and profession. 

First Stage

Sixteen have cleared by the time Yamada's run arrives, however he's a little nervous after watching wrestler Tatsuo Nakano fail on just the first obstacle. Nevertheless, he succeeds where Nakano failed, bounding up the Taki Nobori with ease. He takes the slow approach on the Burasagari Maruta, safely sliding across it before jumping down the Taki Kudari and easily running up the Sosoritatsu Kabe. He pauses for a moment before taking on the Yureru Hashi, but manages to clear it in three steps. Sliding down the Maruta Kudari, he glances at the clock and sees a comfortable 33 seconds left, so he takes a few of those seconds to size up the Free Climbing before starting his ascent. He only makes one minor mistake, missing a foothold halfway up, but he recovers and proceeds to get up the Kabe Nobori with no issues. The klaxon barely begins to sound as Yamada taps the finish button with a healthy 09.79 seconds remaining, becoming the 17th man that day to advance to the Second Stage.

Second Stage

As if Yamada wasn't nervous before his First Stage run, he's just watched this set of obstacles in front of him take out 14 of the 16 that have attempted this stage before him. Never one to back down though, he walks up to the start line and is introduced by Ichiro Furutachi, before hearing the signal to start. He jumps into the Spider Walk and is careful, but still makes steady progress and no mistakes. The Ugokukabe nor Spider Climb pose any issues for the young fireman hopeful, as he descends the pole he's gotten so used to and walks up to the Goren Hammer. He picks his moment and dashes through, diving into the Gyakusō Conveyor, but as he does, he hears the ten-second warning! Yamada can only listen as the seconds tick down, and as he's lifting the second, 40kg wall on the final obstacle, the gunshot goes off, bringing Yamada's run to an end. A disappointed Yamada walks off to the sidelines to cheer on the others, but nonetheless still found the experience fun and hopes he can get another chance to compete!

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 28, 2023 19:58:07 GMT -5 darthvaderlim said:

I'd go with Sasuke 20. Will he clear the brutal first stage again?

SASUKE 20

After tying for the best performance in SASUKE 19, 34 year old Kōji Yamada returns once again for the landmark 20th anniversary tournament, having one goal in mind: To get revenge on that Salmon Ladder and make it to the newly redesigned Third Stage. He is given #1992 in this tournament, directly after his SASUKE 19 partner in crime, Yūji Washimi. 

First Stage

Yamada is seen warming up for his run at multiple points throughout the #1980s and low #1990s, until it is finally his turn to challenge the course. He is introduced by Keisuke Hatsuta as a VTR is shown of his SASUKE 19 timeout and vow to take revenge on his nemesis, but he must get there first. Looking to avenge his friend Washimi, he takes off once he hears the start signal, bouncing through the Rokudantobi as if he'd done it a thousand times. He then takes hold of the Log Grip, making sure he's got a firm grasp before starting down the track, hanging on through the two brutal drops as he touches back to safe ground. Next up is the Pole Maze, which he has no trouble with, navigating through with relative ease.

Now, he meets the first of the two big killers, the Jumping Spider. He pauses to collect himself, then runs up, jumps and... Sticks it! He's safely inside, and a few seconds later, he dismounts safely and comes face to face with the obstacle that just took out his SASUKE 19 buddy and took out Shingo, Akiyama and many others before him, the dreaded Half-Pipe Attack. He gets a good run-up and safely grabs the rope, the crowd holds their breath as Yamada prepares to dismount, but at the last second, he thinks otherwise and holds on to the rope, going back for a second swing to make sure he's safe, perhaps a bit shaken by Washimi's fail.

His second swing results in success, however the clock is now his enemy with only 50 seconds left. As Hatsuta mentions said clock, Yamada rushes up the Soritatsu Kabe in one go, pulling himself over and reaching the Flying Chute with 38 seconds on the clock. Knowing he doesn't have much time to lose, Yamada slides down with a relatively fast pace, and grabs the rope. However, he's unable to get to the cargo net on his first try, much like SASUKE 19. Unlike SASUKE 19 however, when he makes a desperate grab for the net on his second swing, his other hand peels off and he ends up in the drink!

Sadly, neither of the SASUKE 19 clearers could build on their success, and Yamada can only shake his head in disappointment as he walks over to be interviewed.

"What happened?" asks the astounded reporter.

"Time got to me, it really did. I panicked. I shouldn't have. I'll be back though, certainly. Can't go out like that."

"Well, we're glad we'll see you again, Yamada-san. Thank you for coming out!"

Yamada thanks the reporter back and waves to the crowd as they clap for him, going over to his friends and competitors to offer advice. After watching the rest of the results, Yamada knows he must come back stronger in order to defeat the beast known as the Shin-Cliffhanger.

[hatkun]

Loving these write ups! Alright Koji, that’s not a bad start. Shingo and Yamada started out the same way. Let’s see how he does in Sasuke 2.

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 28, 2023 22:29:52 GMT -5 hatkun said:

Loving these write ups! Alright Koji, that’s not a bad start. Shingo and Yamada started out the same way. Let’s see how he does in Sasuke 2.

SASUKE 2

After his Second Stage failure in his first attempt, 24 year old Kōji Yamada is more than ready to come back for a second shot at SASUKE, this time at Midoriyama Studios. He is shown in the SASUKE Bus along with the other 99 challengers, and he is shown to be wearing #86, a decently high number after his previous 7th place finish.

First Stage

Yamada is introduced with a round of applause from the crowd, his trademark orange pants making him a very recognizable player to the fans watching. Furutachi states his name, job and age as usual, and he's off as the start signal sounds. Like last tournament, he makes quick work of the Maruta Nobori, but knowing he needs to go faster to clear with the reduced time limit, he opts for the riskier approach of running across the Burasagari Maruta... And it works. Yamada is safely across, and he wastes no time using his momentum to jump down the Maruta Kudari to the base of the Sosoritatsu Kabe.

Despite the increased angle of the obstacle, Yamada need only grab the sides once he was near the top, and he easily pulls himself the rest of the way up to reach the Yureru Hashi. He once again bounds across it and slides down to the Free Climbing, this time not bothering to check the clock. He's studied the patterns of the moving rock wall, and is quickly able to get a good rhythm going. Once his hands reach the Kabe Nobori, it's all said and done, and he hoists himself up to slap the button with a solid 12.01 seconds left, advancing to the Second Stage once again and becoming the 28th of an eventual 35 challengers to do so!

Second Stage

The stage that took Yamada out in the previous tournament is unchanged, giving him the optimal chance to take revenge. He's again watched many fall in this stage so far, with only Shingo Yamamoto, Eiichi Miura, Tatsuya Yamamoto, Ken Hasegawa, Masakazu Ebihara, and Hiroaki Yoshizaki clearing before him. However, he is not shaken and steps up to face his enemy, the Spider Walk. It cost him victory in the last tournament as it slowed him down too much, but not today! He blazes through, making even Furutachi impressed at his pace as he passes the Ugokukabe as if it weren't even there, and makes it to the pole with a whopping 30 seconds left!

Taking a bit to make sure he doesn't make a mistake on the Goren Hammer, he maneuvers through the murderous mallets and goes right into the Gyakusō Conveyor, relieved to not have heard the klaxon by the time he got out! The heavy walls look like toys as Yamada hoists them over his head one by one, and this time, the ten-second warning starts where he timed out in SASUKE 1, not posing any threat to the fireman in training as he walks through the gates with 05.59 seconds on the clock!

Third Stage

Now Yamada must face uncharted territory, as like rest of the Third Stage challengers sans Ken Hasegawa and Akira Ōmori, he has not been here. The drizzle doesn't help his spirits, nor does watching the first six of his comrades fail the dreaded Pipe Slider. Nevertheless, Yamada steps into the metal jungle, starting with the Pole Bridge.

Due to its change in design, nobody has struggled on it so far since the pillars are now much sturdier. Yamada is no exception, easily crossing the obstacle and starting to size up the Propeller Untei. He slaps some chalk on his hands and takes his thirty seconds to get the timing right, going after about 26 seconds. His timing is spot on as he's easily able to transfer to bar 2, but the second transition is a different story as he misses his chance to go on the first spin, having to take another ride on the metal merry-go-round before finally being able to transfer and dismount.

Next up, another fearsome Third Stage foe, one that will drain Yamada's strength for the most brutal test in front of him, the... The Hang Move. You know what, I hate this obstacle so much that I'm not even going to go into detail. He cleared it, that's all you need to know. I mean, seriously, do you think he'd fail? Do you think anything noteworthy would even happen? It's the dang Hang Move for crying out loud, DON'T MAKE ME WRITE ANY MORE THAN I HAVE TO ON THIS USELESS PIECE OF SH-

At long last, Yamada has reached the final boss of the Third Stage, the Pipe Slider. Everyone so far has made it here, and everyone so far has met their defeat here. Even the gymnast, Hiroaki Yoshizaki, went out just before Yamada in rather painful fashion. Yamada is not stirred however, merely determined to avenge his fellow competitors. He takes his thirty seconds' rest and applies chalk before gripping the first orange bar and sliding out. He has a few struggles, and nearly pulls the left side of the bar off the tracks at one point, but he recovers and makes it to the green break bar.

He shakes his arms out and gets ready for the final stretch of the Third Stage, taking the 30 seconds before grabbing hold of the final bar and sliding out over the void. His arms are visibly fatigued, but he's still making progress, albeit slowly. He presses on, grimacing, but he's almost at the finish! He can see it, but right as he extends his legs, his arms give out and he plunges into Midoriyama's waters! A devastated crowd groans as Yamada pulls himself out of the swamp, sighing and looking up at the obstacle that sent him packing.

Unlike his SASUKE 1 fail however, he's earned an interview from the sideline reporter, who asks him about his run.

"Well, my arms just got tired, that's all. Didn't really have the right technique on that pipe, I guess."

The reporter thanks him for his time and wishes him well, before Yamada goes over to the crowd and watches the rest of the tournament, studying the successful Pipe Slider techniques and cheering Hikaru Tanaka and Ōmori on during their Final Stage runs. They unfortunately come up short, but Yamada is still determined to press on with his SASUKE career, and hopefully get his shot at that tower someday!

[hatkun]

Brilliant. I wish I would have taken your approach and just said “he clears the hang move” when I covered these tournaments on the Okuyama thread cause yeah, it’s the freakin’ Hang Move

Koji is well on his way, and I can already guess he’ll be known as Mr. Orange Pants in this universe. Let’s see how he’ll do in the tournament where the All-Stars’ dominance began, Sasuke 3.

[darthvaderlim]

Sasuke 21, will he avenge the Salmon Ladder ?

[dakohosu]

Let's go with Sasuke 11, because he did run in the trials for that tourney.

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 29, 2023 0:01:55 GMT -5 hatkun said:

Brilliant. I wish I would have taken your approach and just said “he clears the hang move” when I covered these tournaments on the Okuyama thread cause yeah, it’s the freakin’ Hang Move

Koji is well on his way, and I can already guess he’ll be known as Mr. Orange Pants in this universe. Let’s see how he’ll do in the tournament where the All-Stars’ dominance began, Sasuke 3.

SASUKE 3

After improving on his first performance and reaching the final obstacle of the grueling Third Stage, 25 year old Kōji Yamada has the sole goal of Kanzenseiha on his mind for the third SASUKE tournament. He receives an invite due to his past performances, however he isn't given a very high number as the producers still weren't sure how to spread out the competitors. He's put at #58, but he doesn't mind. The only number that matters to him is the time on the clock while he's ascending Midoriyama's final challenge.

First Stage

The brand new Rolling Maruta has caused havoc across the first half of the field, eliminating many of the competitors who have dared to take it on. By the time Yamada's run has arrived, only six people had beaten this challenging stage, including three of the people who made it to the Pipe Slider with him in the previous tournament. As Yamada steps up to the start line, he is introduced by announcer Keisuke Hatsuta, cheered on by the crowd, and his run starts as the three beeps and one boop are heard.

As usual, Yamada has no trouble with the Maruta Nobori, but now he must face the dreaded Rolling Maruta. Not shaken by all the failures before him, Yamada grips the log with all his might, and manages to hold on through the four dizzying revolutions. His challenge does not end there however, as he must attempt the newly relocated Yureru Hashi. He takes about three seconds to shake off the dizziness before leaping across the bridge as if it had springs beneath it.

Next up is the Maruta Kudari, and once again Yamada is able to jump right across the murky water pit below and land safely at the base of the Sosoritatsu Kabe. Although it would later take out fellow rescuer Norio Onuki, Yamada has no trouble with the green hill, scampering to the top and hopping down to face the two other new obstacles of this stage, the Tarzan Rope and Rope Climb.

Yamada slaps some chalk on and grabs the lifeline to the other side, swinging across and gracefully bouncing off the base of the Rope Climb as he starts his ascent. Being a firefighter in training, Yamada of course has no issues with climbing a rope, and has one of the fastest Rope Climbs of the tournament, as he reaches the top and bows to the crowd before hitting the red button with 13.77 seconds left, advancing to Stage 2 for the third time.

Second Stage

The Second Stage is once again unchanged, and the competitors' experience has been showing, as four out of six have cleared and only rookies have fallen victim to this stage so far. With the confidence building inside him, Yamada smiles as he steps to the base of the Spider Walk, which he blazed through previously. He is introduced and his run starts, as he ventures into the Second Stage.

Like last tournament, Yamada starts off with an incredible pace through the Spider Walk, which would only be matched by the other Yamada, Katsumi, later on. He has to duck under the top of the Ugokukabe, but shows no signs of struggle as he rhythmically ascends the Spider Climb and makes it to his old friend, the fireman's pole.

Sliding down with 28 seconds left, he luckily does not have to pause for the Goren Hammer, he sees his moment immediately and dashes through the horrible hammers. Going full steam ahead into the Gyakusō Conveyor, Yamada can't help but smile as he knows he's going back to the Third Stage. He exits the tunnel, smile still on his face, as he begins throwing the heavy walls over his head. 30, 40, 50 kilos are all no match for the soon-to-be firefighter, as he runs through the gates with a very solid 09.28 remaining.


Third Stage

If Yamada wasn't given enough confidence in the Second Stage, seeing three out of four competitors clear the stage that took him and seven others, including two of the three that have cleared, out last time, has certainly inspired him. However, this is not the same stage he previously faced. There is one new obstacle to contend with, the Pole Jump. Luckily, it is right at the start, and Yamada tells the reporter in his interview beforehand that he feels if he makes it through that, he's home free.

Yamada ascends the steps to begin his quest for his first ever Final Stage trip, and tests the pole's properties before nodding and running up to it to begin his run, taking hold of the pole and leaping right over the gap. Yamada breathes a sigh of relief as he looks over at the Third Stage's goal mat, confident he can get there this time.

Next up, he has to face the Propeller Untei. He made a mistake here previously, but this time he watches all three bars to see if they're all lined up, and once they are, he begins. He has to push the first bar forward to reach the second one in time, but makes the transition nonetheless. Unlike his previous run however, his transition to the third bar is smooth as butter, and he's able to touch down soon after, shaking his arms out.

After walking across the pathway to the Pipe Slider, announcer Ichiro Furutachi begins the talk about how it defeated him last time. This only gives the 24 year old more motivation however, as after taking his thirty seconds, he starts his final trip over the swamp. Pushing the pipe along the tracks with ease, he's able to make it to the green resting bar, his final point of being in friendly territory before going back to war.

After shaking his arms out once again, Yamada reaches down for the second pipe, and begins sliding it along. He doesn't use the mixed grip that his fellow Yamada would show off later on, but he still makes progress. The orange pipe rattles along the track as Yamada gets closer and closer to the goal mat, and this time, his arms do not give out as he is easily able to touch down safely, clearing the Third Stage with a double fist pump as the smoke goes off around him!

Final Stage

An unprecedented six challengers made it here, including Yamada himself, and are ready to take on their final challenge. In his interview, Yamada says he feels confident thanks to his rope climbing training, but also mentions that his arms are feeling fatigued and hopes they can give him the push he needs. Unlike the Second and Third Stages, Yamada can only watch failure before him, as Yamamotos Shingo and Tatsuya both come up short, along with Minoru Matsumoto.

It is Yamada's turn now, and announcer Ichiro Furutachi gives the audience a recap of his run and introduces him as he is strapped into the safety harness, and sits down at the base of his last enemy that stands between him and Kanzenseiha. Furutachi finishes his introduction as Yamada takes a deep breath, prepared to ascend his final challenge and achieve his destiny.

Boom...

Boom...

BOOM!

As Yamada hears the starting gun, he springs up and powers up the first few meters of the rope, going exactly at the pace he needs as he reaches the five meter mark with 20 seconds left. He just needs to find that final reserve of strength in his limbs, and he looks to be doing so as he grimaces while his hands and feet continue to grab further up on the rope. He's got a steady pace, but it looks like it might not be enough as he reaches the ten meter mark with just eight seconds!

He keeps climbing with all his strength, as 7, 6, 5, the seconds mercilessly tick down! He gets his first glance of the final button, but time is not on his side, and he can only make a desperate reach for the top before the gunshot goes off and the rope is cut, sending Yamada plummeting back down to Earth after falling about a meter and a half short. He is still given a round of applause by the crowd and his fellow competitors, with his performance being the best they'd seen so far on the Final Stage. After he expresses his gratitude to his comrades and gives them advice, he is handed a microphone as he will now get his first interview with the man himself, Ichiro Furutachi.

Ichiro: Yamada-san, very valiant effort, but unfortunately you weren't able to make it all the way today. We hope you won't give up though.

Kōji: I definitely won't, I know I can make it. I just need more training and endurance, my arms got the best of me again.

I: Well, you get training then, we'll see you back here soon. Thank you for coming out.

K: Thank you for having me.

Yamada waves to the clapping crowd as he walks off to join his fellow defeated finalists and watch Katsumi Yamada and Akira Ōmori try the beast that has defeated everyone so far. In the end, only Katsumi gets close, but still nobody has been able to hit that button. Yamada is determined though, and will stop at nothing to eventually achieve his ultimate goal. He knows his time is coming, it's just a matter of when.

[hatkun]

Ah man, so close yet so far! Still, a great effort overall and one to be proud of. Now, the 1st era is about to come to an end. Let’s see what he does in Sasuke 4.

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 29, 2023 2:48:07 GMT -5 darthvaderlim said:

Sasuke 21, will he avenge the Salmon Ladder ?

SASUKE 21

Coming off a tragic defeat at the hands of the Flying Chute, 34 year old Kōji Yamada returns for his 21st appearance at SASUKE, still looking to get revenge on the Salmon Ladder that ended his run and the tournament in SASUKE 19. He is once again put right after Yūji Washimi and given #90, a sign that despite his recent struggles, the producers still have a lot of faith in him.

First Stage

Yamada watches from the sidelines as he talks with his fellow competitors about how to attack the Flying Chute, as it's the only thing that worries him. He receives some advice from Grand Champion Makoto Nagano, and Shingo Yamamoto whom himself met his defeat there less than an hour ago. His nerves are only heightened by watching Washimi go down there directly before his run, but still, despite these failures, four competitors have cleared before Yamada.

He steps up to the start line to be introduced by Keisuke Hatsuta, and a VTR is shown of him training the Salmon Ladder and telling the cameraman that before he can set his mind on Kanzenseiha, he needs to defeat the Salmon Ladder first. He waits for the starting beeps, then begins his run as the crowd cheers him on. Hopping through the Rokudantobi with ease, he gets to the first actual challenge of this grueling course, the Log Grip. Having attempted it thrice before and something like it many times in practice, he easily holds on through the drops and advances to the Pole Maze.

Yamada gets a good run-up and almost overshoots the pole with his left hand, but manages to grip it and recover. Not shaken, he gets through the maze like it was a paper maze on the back of a Denny's menu, and prepares to face the Jumping Spider. He takes a moment, then runs up to the mini-tramp and gets a good bounce, nailing the landing as smoothly as Nagano would, and his Spider Walk experience helps him fly through that section, as he dismounts with a healthy 74 seconds left.

Next up, the obstacle that was essentially responsible for his defeat last time, the Half-Pipe Attack. He'd told himself before his run that he was only taking one swing no matter what, not wanting to get into time trouble again. He runs up the wall, leaps and grabs the rope, and swings out over the abyss, but this time, he does dismount safely in one swing, keeping his promise and doing a small fist pump afterwards as he runs to the Soritatsu Kabe with a minute left.

Having not had trouble with the monstrous wall for over four years, it surprises nobody when Yamada runs right up to the top of the 5.2 meter hurdle, and pulls himself over to face his new nemesis, the Flying Chute. Taking note of Tomoya Haga's rather painful-looking fail before him, Yamada only speeds up at the very end of the chute, and is able to safely grab the rope, but now he reaches the part that felled him six months ago, grabbing the cargo net of safety.

Yamada opts to not go for the net on his first swing, instead getting into a more comfortable position to do so while being careful not to lose momentum. This strategy works, and he's easily able to grab the lifeline with his right hand, then his left, and he can breath a sigh of relief as Hatsuta mentions that he still has a safe 37 seconds left while he runs to the Tarzan Rope.

Grasping hold of his best friend in SASUKE, the rope, he swings across gracefully and grabs hold of the Rope Ladder to begin his final ascent. With time not an issue, Yamada can smile as he pulls himself on top of the net, and strolls across the bridge to hit the finish button with 15.70 seconds remaining, advancing to the Second Stage once again to a huge round of applause. A relieved Yamada then told the reporter how happy he was to be back in the winners' circle, then went to the sidelines once again as he watched half of the last ten, including his fellow fireman Toshihiro Takeda, clear after him.

Second Stage

Things were certainly taking a turn for the worse in the Second Stage, as four out of four before Yamada had failed, with Lee En-Chih being the only one to make it past the dreaded Salmon Ladder and All-Star Bunpei Shiratori even going out on the first obstacle. Yamada can't focus on the failures before him though, he has to defeat his nemesis, and that's exactly what he plans to do as he steps up to the Downhill Jump.

He is introduced to another round of applause, and the crowd's hopes are high that he will be the one to break through. His run starts right after the applause stops, and he is able to keep his balance on the board, grabbing the rope and landing safely on the mat to meet his nemesis. There's the Red Sox and the Yankees. There's Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. There's Brazil and Argentina. There's Xbox and PlayStation. And then, there's Kōji Yamada and the Salmon Ladder.

He grabs hold of the bar with a look of pure determination, and easily powers up the first few levels like Yoshiyuki Okuyama did just one tournament prior. However, once he reached the final gap, the crowd held their breath as he pulled the bar up, and...

He made it! With one more hop onto the Stick Slider, he successfully defeated his greatest rival and couldn't help but smile with joy, but he wasn't done yet. Next was the Swing Ladder, which nobody over the age of 7 should have trouble with, and Yamada clears it with ease. After that though, the obstacle that stopped him in his tracks in SASUKE 17, the Metal Spin.

Taking a look at the clock and seeing that he has plenty of time, Yamada pauses to get ready before running up, leaping and... Grabbing the chain! He spins across the other side with a sigh of relief, and immediately starts throwing the heavy walls up like they weighed 3, 4, and 5 kilos! The lenient time limit means he cleared with a career-best 22.41 seconds remaining, making it back to the Third Stage! Not only that, but he got to watch as Daisuke Miyazaki, Takeda and Nagano joined him, meaning he wouldn't be alone in his challenge of Midoriyama's most grueling set of obstacles.

Third Stage

Yamada is no stranger to this position of being the first to attempt the Third Stage, having done so five years ago in SASUKE 12. He is however, a stranger to these obstacles sans the Arm Ring and Jumping Bars. The audience claps for him as he walks up to the start line and begins his quest, grabbing the metal rings and muscling them over the bumps in a little under ten seconds, not having his strength sapped too much by this first test. Next up though, the Kudari Lamp Grasper.

Yamada uses his experience from the original Lamp Grasper to easily descend the glowing blue bulbs, making it down one by one until he managed to reach safe ground once again. He knows he was just starting the real challenges though, the first of which being the deceivingly easy looking Devil Steps, which would later take out Miyazaki. For someone with Yamada's grip and endurance however, these steps would turn out to be as little of a problem as the first two obstacles, as Yamada ascends and descends the staircase from Hell with the perfect form, touching down to face the Shin-Cliffhanger, which ended two of the previous three tournaments.

He takes his thirty seconds to get advice from Nagano and Kenji Takahashi, the two Japanese competitors present who had tried the beast before. After listening carefully and shaking his arms out, he gets ready and grabs the ledge, moving smoothly across the first and up the second ledge, to reach what has become the focal point of the Third Stage, the jump of the Shin-Cliffhanger. He swings once, twice, he gets ready and jumps his hands over, and is able to grab the third ledge with his right hand...

But sadly, not his left, as it misses by a few centimetres if that, and Yamada plummets into Midoriyama's muddy lake. His fellow competitors are as disappointed as he is, but Yamada is still happy he got there in the first place and knows he'll be back for revenge. He is interviewed by Keisuke Hatsuta soon after on how he felt about this new Third Stage.

Hatsuta: Yamada-san, what did you think of the redesigned course?

Kōji: Definitely harder. It's a lot more precise making that ledge jump, you have to be perfect.

H: Well, nonetheless, congratulations on beating the Salmon Ladder. I presume we'll see you back here again?

K: Indeed you will, and thank you.

Yamada then waves to the cheering crowd and tells his fellow Third Stagers about his experience, but the run is not a total loss, as he gets to see his fellow fireman Takeda defeat the Shin-Cliffhanger! Ultimately, he and Nagano both fall short, but they definitely have sparked hope in the competitors' hearts, including Yamada.

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 29, 2023 5:13:23 GMT -5 dakohosu said:

Let's go with Sasuke 11, because he did run in the trials for that tourney.

SASUKE 11

After running in the Monkey Bar Trials prior to the tournament, 29 year old fireman Kōji Yamada arrives to SASUKE 11 feeling more prepared than ever, and feels this could finally be the day he defeats the beast known as Midoriyama. He is grouped closely with the other strong competitors and given #94.

First Stage

Just like SASUKE 10, the early and middle parts of the First Stage have not gone well, with only five people clearing and two of them doing so for the first time. However, Yamada looks to lead the charge for the six very strong competitors behind him, with Daisuke Nakata, Nagano, Takeda, Yamamoto, Kazuhiko Akiyama and Katsumi Yamada all having Third Stage experience in the past. He is introduced by Ichiro Furutachi as he walks up to the start line, and a VTR is shown of his Monkey Bar Trials performance. After that short clip ends, the four beeps are heard and Yamada starts his run.

Having plenty of experience with the Godantobi, he has no trouble with it as he hops across the steps and climbs the steps to face his first big challenge, the Rolling Maruta. Earlier, it took out Kenichi Arai, who made the Second Stage in the previous tournament, but this doesn't worry the firefighter as he has as much experience with the log as anybody. Taking off after getting into position, he rolls down the track with ease and safely dismounts, getting up to face a new obstacle, the Balance Bridge.

A redesigned version of the first seven tournaments' Yureru Hashi, it hasn't done much damage at all, only taking out Kimihiro Akiyama and Yasukata Suzuki. It proves to be no challenge for Yamada as he crosses it as easily as he did its predecessor, and hops down to face the big killer of the last tournament, the Jump Hang. Yamada's friends and family can only watch as he ran up to the trampoline, jumped and... Grabbed the net! Yamada then chooses to take the safe route and go over the top, wasting a few seconds, but he looks to make them up on the Soritatsu Kabe.

Being a veteran of this obstacle, Yamada knows how to approach it. He runs forward, then back, building up momentum before sprinting up the 5-metre wall and grabbing hold of the top, pulling himself over as a quick glance at the timer shows 23 seconds left. He hops down and quickly applies chalk before gripping the first Tarzan Rope, holding on tight and swinging across to the third, then the final Rope Climb as easily as a fireman should. One quick ascent later, Yamada was home and dry as he hit the button with a decent 07.45 left.

In an interview afterwards, Yamada expressed that he hoped his run would open the floodgates for the strong competitors after him, and that's exactly what it did. The aforementioned six all cleared to close out the First Stage, meaning 12 would advance to take on the Second Stage and potentially beyond.

Second Stage

Just like the previous stage, not a lot of cheering has been done before Yamada's run, as only two of five have cleared so far. However, just before him, Shinji Kobayashi did set a record for the fastest ever Second Stage time, so there is reason to have hope. In his pre-run interview, Yamada explains that he is not at all worried about the time limit, he just has to focus on getting through the obstacles one by one and not make a foolish mistake. He is given advice from Nagano and Katsumi before his run, then steps up to the Chain Reaction.

The crowd applauds for Yamada as the starting beeps are heard, and he takes off into the metallic maze of chains. After going down the first one, he takes an extra swing to be safe before transferring over to chain two, and getting a good kick off the wall to smoothly glide to the landing platform, where he safely touches down and removes his gloves before scaling the Brick Climb using careful placement of his limbs. Yamada has a smooth pace so far, but next up is the always feared Spider Walk.

After applying a bit of spray to his hands and shoes, Yamada begins the ascent up the Spider Walk, moving through the first three panels steadily before traversing sideways like he's gotten so used to doing from the early tournaments. Now the tricky part, the descent. Yamada makes sure to not rush, going rather slow but steady, and he makes it down to the bar safely, grabbing hold of it and exiting the Spider Walk to meet the obstacle that would soon take out the other Yamada, the Balance Tank.

Yamada takes a breath and hops on the log, rolling it carefully and making sure not to let it go too fast, and he reaches the end of the track shortly after and dives into the Gyakusō Conveyor with 19 seconds left. He's able to crawl through without any slips, and all that's left on his path to the Third Stage is the Wall Lifting. One, two, three, the heavy walls are lifted up, and Yamada smiles as he slams the button with 06.39 left, advancing to the Third Stage and once again opening the floodgates, as five out of five clear after him before Katsumi's shock Balance Tank fail. Nevertheless, Yamada will try to avenge him and the other 91 fallen athletes in the Third Stage.

Third Stage

With the stage virtually unchanged from the previous two tournaments, Yamada has had plenty of time to train on the obstacles and prepare for his battle. He watches first as Naoki Iketani and Kobayashi fail before him, however the latter has once again provided hope by making it all the way to the Pipe Slider. In his interview, Yamada states that he has trained hard for the Pipe Slider after watching Katsumi's tragic fail the previous tournament.

Ascending the steps to the Rumbling Dice, Yamada is cheered on by the crowd and his friends before they quiet down as he starts the obstacle. In the quiet Midoriyama night, the metallic clanking can be heard all the way from the First Stage's start line, and the dice repeatedly bang along the track as Yamada keeps a steady pace, pulling the obstacle do the end before discounting safely. His first challenge is done.

Next up however, is a much tricker obstacle, the Body Prop. It has taken out many strong competitors in its six-tournament lifespan, including both Shane and Kane Kosugi, Takeda, and most recently, Hiroyuki Asaoka. Yamada gets into position after taking his thirty seconds and starts the grueling test of arm and leg strength, slowly inching his way sideways across the void.

Halfway through however, Yamada is visibly shaking, his hands are sliding down just a tiny bit, and his legs seem like they're about to give out. Sure enough, as Yamada reaches his left hand out across the gap, his right hand can't support his weight and slips, giving Yamada a cold bath and ending his run well before he'd have liked. Although he ends up doing the worst of the Third Stage contenders that day, Yamada states in his interview that he feels he can build on his performance and that he needs to be more well-rounded with his training.

After the sideline reporter and Furutachi wish him luck, Yamada watches the rest of the tournament unfold, and gets to see the true potential of Makoto Nagano, as he breaks through and makes the Final Stage, though he would ultimately come up short. Nevertheless, this has been a tournament of hope for Yamada, and he knows he'll come back stronger in SASUKE 12 to defeat the Body Prop.

[YourResidentKojiFan]

Apr 29, 2023 9:52:07 GMT -5 hatkun said:

Ah man, so close yet so far! Still, a great effort overall and one to be proud of. Now, the 1st era is about to come to an end. Let’s see what he does in Sasuke 4.

(Apologies for the delay)

SASUKE 4

After improving every time he's competed in SASUKE, 25 year old Kōji Yamada has plenty to be excited about as he arrives at SASUKE 4. Not only was he given the #98 by the producers, but he was also recently promoted to a full-time firefighter and rescuer in his Gujō fire department. He also, for the first time ever, gets an interview before his run even starts, along with the other competitors expected to go far today. In said interview, he states that if he can make in back to the Final Stage, it'll be a breeze as he's trained endurance and rope climbing after other strength-draining activities.

First Stage

With the Stage being unchanged from the previous tournament, Yamada's hopes for today are only heightened by a whopping 36 challengers clearing before him. However, a slight rain came to his parade when his fellow SASUKE 3 finalist, Shingo Yamamoto, was felled by the normally harmless Yureru Hashi. Nevertheless, Yamada must put that in the back of his mind as he steps up to the start line. A small VTR is shown of his Final Stage attempt and interview afterwards, then he is introduced. Announcer Ichiro Furutachi mentions his promotion as well, and Yamada bows as the crowd claps for him before his run starts.

Like the previous three tournaments, the Maruta Nobori is not an issue for Yamada as he gets up it in two simple jumps. Now however, comes the first real challenge, the Rolling Maruta. Though Yamada nor anyone else has any clue at the time, this obstacle would soon cause arguably the biggest shock fail in SASUKE history by taking out three-time finalist Akira Ōmori directly after him. Yamada would not be taken out by the dreaded log however, as after getting a good position and wrapping his limbs around the wooden obstacle, he survives one, two, three, four spins and is able to safely dismount right after.

Now however, comes the Yureru Hashi that took out Yamamoto less than five minutes ago. Yamada is able to avenge his defeat though, bounding across the bridge in three steps, and using his momentum to jump right down the Maruta Kudari to safety. Yamada is wasting no time today after seeing Shane Kosugi time out just three runs prior, and so without hesitation he runs right up the Sosoritatsu Kabe. Barely even needing to grab the sides, he runs easily to the top and sees that a clear is all but guaranteed as he still has 27 seconds left.

Yamada can't help but smile as he knows he's through, and quickly puts some chalk on before he grabs hold of the Tarzan Rope. He swings across to the base of the Rope Climb and goes up it as if he was riding an elevator, getting to the top with little effort and hitting the button with 13.88 seconds left to become the 37th of 38 challengers that day to advance to the Second Stage. In his interview, he says that he's just happy to get through the First Stage after seeing the shock fails before him.

Second Stage

The Second Stage has remained the exact same since the very beginning, so Yamada feels confident that he can best it as he has in the previous two tournaments. He watches as 10 out of 36 clear, but the Second Stage has been the thinner of the herd, so he's not worried. All he's focusing on today is getting back to the Third Stage and besting it in order to have another shot at Midoriyama's final challenge. 

He steps up to the start line after Kane Kosugi clears, and is introduced by Furutachi again. Afterwards, he begins his run and hops into the familiar Spider Walk, which he has had plenty of time to train on and master. Yamada looks like the seasoned veteran he is as he traverses through the panels, including the moving one, with no issues at all. Keeping his steady rhythm, he's able to maneuver up the Spider Climb and down the fireman's pole easily, and at his usual pace as there's 29 seconds left by the time he reaches the Goren Hammer.

Picking his moment carefully, he dashes through the hammers and safely makes it to the other side. The Gyakusō Conveyor is no problem as usual, and Yamada sees that he'll be safely through as the clock shows 17 seconds once he reaches the other side. All that's left is the Wall Lifting, and as usual, one, two, three go the walls over the fireman's head, and he walks through the gates with the fastest known time of the day, 08.51 seconds remaining. In his interview, Yamada says that he feels confident and is ready to take on the Third Stage, saying he's "excited for the new challenges".

Third Stage

Turns out, one of the new challenges would turn out to become one of if not Ninja's most difficult obstacle. The Cliffhanger made its first appearance in the Third Stage this tournament, and so far, it has done damage like only the Pipe Slider has before it, as it has already taken out Takayuki Kawashima, who was the first to ever clear the Third Stage, Takuyu Ueda, Yoshizaki Hiroaki, and most shockingly, Kane Kosugi. In fact, out of the ten that have tried the Stage so far, only Kazuhiko Akiyama has cleared. Yamada looks to join him, and get a rematch with the 15-metre rope that acts as the final path to Kanzenseiha.

The first obstacle is a familiar one, the Pole Jump. Unlike SASUKE 3, it did take out one competitor today, so Yamada must make sure to not overshoot. He takes a breath, then runs up to the pole, grabs hold of it, and swings across to the other side, landing safely on the mat. He breathes a sigh of relief as he moves on to his next opponent, the Propeller Untei. Though it hasn't taken anyone out, it can be a strength drainer if you have to hold on for too many rotations.

Yamada however, does not have to do this. He times it up and after twenty seconds, takes hold of the first bar and hangs over the swamp. He easily transfers from the first bar to the second, then the second to the third. He touches down and prepares for the first of the two new obstacles, the Arm Bike.

...

What do you want me to say here? It's the Arm Bike. What could I possibly say here? I can't add any movie-like detail, he just... Does it. Arms move, obstacle moves, he clears. Woo-hoo. I look forward to SASUKE 9 so I don't have to do this anymore. (apologies to thegreatluigi if you're reading this, I do like the Arm Bike, it's just I literally can't do anything with it for these posts lol)

Now Yamada must face his biggest hurdle yet, the dreaded Cliffhanger. Its effect has already been felt, and it would also take out Katsumi Yamada right after Kōji's run as well. Yamada takes his thirty seconds of resting time to shake out his arms before reaching up and grabbing hold of the ledge. He moves across the first one and reaches over to the second ledge, keeping his arms bent at a 90-degree angle the best he can, but they're starting to straighten out. He pauses momentarily before he reaches to the third ledge, though he misses at first with his right hand...

And that's all it takes. Yamada's left hand slips and he plunges down into the pit that would later take out countless athletes and other strong competitors, and his SASUKE 4 effort ends at the beast known as the Cliffhanger. In his interview, Yamada states that he feels disappointed about faltering that late into the course, but promised he'd be back stronger and ready to take on the Cliffhanger once again.

Yamada heads to the sideline to a round of applause, and watches and cheers with everyone else in attendance as Akiyama achieves Kanzenseiha later that night. Little does Yamada know, the course is about to fight back. SASUKE won't be giving any free passes anymore, things are about to get tough.

[hatkun]

Just like Katsumi, who met the same fate on the dreaded new obstacle, this may have been his best chance to Kanzen. But, I haven’t lost faith in you, Kōji. Let’s see how you handle the renewal in Sasuke 5 (which will also see the debut of a certain other firefighter…)

[Sasuke Mania]

Alright I'm kinda interested by these now lol
Let's keep going in order ig, Hatkun said 5 so I'm gonna say Sasuke 6?

[darthvaderlim]

Sasuke 23, will he join the All-Stars and Kongu in their comeback

[YourResidentKojiFan]

May 2, 2023 22:43:17 GMT -5 hatkun said:

Just like Katsumi, who met the same fate on the dreaded new obstacle, this may have been his best chance to Kanzen. But, I haven’t lost faith in you, Kōji. Let’s see how you handle the renewal in Sasuke 5 (which will also see the debut of a certain other firefighter…)

SASUKE 5

After the Kanzenseiha of Kazuhiko Akiyama the previous year, for the first time, the course has underwent major changes with five new obstacles added across the stages, four of which would become staples of SASUKE, and the other... Well, the less said about it, the better. Nonetheless, despite these changes, 100 determined competitors have again come to take on Midoriyama and try to follow in Akiyama's footsteps. Among them, 26 year old firefighter from Gifu, Kōji Yamada. Thanks to his 100% First Stage clear record and deep runs, he is given #97 by the producers, only behind fellow finalists Yamamoto, Ōmori and Katsumi.

In his interview before the tournament starts, Yamada states that while he has trained for the Cliffhanger, he is worried about even getting there as the two new First Stage obstacles seem very tricky.

First Stage

Unlike the previous four tournaments, the First Stage has drastically cut the field so far. Only one man, coincidentally also a mid-20s fireman from Gifu, Toshihiro Takeda, has broken through the yellow gates that seemed to be all but glued shut before. The other 95 challengers, including strong competitors like Eiichi Miura, Travis Allen Schroeder, Naoki Iketani, Shūsuke Satō, and Hiroyuki Asaoka, have all either fallen in the muddy pits or ran out of time. Yamada looks to avenge them and become the second person, and second rescuer from Gifu, to clear the ruthless First Stage.

Yamada is introduced to cheers from the crowd, who are hopeful that the four strong competitors rounding out the run order can end the First Stage on a high note. He starts his run once he hears the fourth beep, and like the previous four tournaments, the Maruta Nobori poses no problems, and Yamada as always is able to leap right up it. However, the Rolling Maruta has been a formidable foe during its short lifespan so far, as in just under three tournaments it's managed to take out Hikaru Tanaka, Ōmori, Tadao Itō, and though he wasn't well-known at the time, future Finalist Kenji "Kongu" Takahashi.

Yamada wraps his limbs around the log and holds on like a scared five year old holding a stuffed animal, and pushes off the down the track. One, two, three, four spins later, he can safely dismount the first true test in the First Stage. Next is a bit of a breather, the Yureru Hashi. Aside from Yamamoto's fail the previous tournament, the obstacle has done minimal damage and has only taken out Kiowa Kachofu (I'll give you a virtual high-five if you can tell me his age, home and job without looking it up) so far. Yamada easily crosses the tilting bridge and hops down to face the first of the two new killers, the Jump Hang.

This obstacle needs no introduction, but I'll give it one anyway. Simple in concept, just a jump and a hang as the name implies, this beastly duo of tramp and net would go on to take out almost every strong competitor that attempted it at least once, including every All-Star except Bunpei Shiratori, Ōmori twice, Miura a whopping four times, Asaoka thrice, and James Okada. (if we can call him a strong competitor lol) This was its first of 14 tournaments, and it had already played a massive role in this bloodbath of a First Stage. Not only that, it also caused me to write an entire paragraph about it. GG, Jump Hang.

Yamada takes a breath to size up the obstacle, then runs, jumps, reaches out and... Safely grabs the net, hooking his hands on to the middle of the net and traversing downwards, generally the faster but riskier way. Yamada manages to keep his feet out of the water as he moves down the net and eventually hits the green mat of safety, but he's nowhere near done. Because next up, is an even bigger challenge, figuratively and literally. It is to SASUKE what Babe Ruth is to baseball, what Daniel Negreanu is to poker, what PewDiePie is to YouTube, what Muhammad Ali is to- Okay, you get the point. It is... The Warped Wall. dramatic sound effect

Known in Japan as the Soritatsu Kabe, this five-metre tall wall would go on to stop countless competitors in their tracks. These include every All-Star except Yamamoto, every Grand Champion, Yoshizaki Hiroaki, Shane Kosugi, Iketani, future stars Ryo Matachi, Kazuma Asa, Kōji Hashimoto, and Yoshiyuki Okuyama, as well as Yamada himself in SASUKE 14. Right now however, Yamada is determined as he takes a run-up, reaches for the top of the wall...

And misses! Yamada slides back down to regroup himself and take a second chance, but this isn't too much of a cause for concern as Takeda took two tries and still beat it. However, Yamada's second attempt doesn't fare any better, as he can't get his hands on the top again! The crowd and Furutachi are stunned as Yamada tries a third time, but still can't reach the summit as the ten-second warning klaxon sounds. Though his run is all but over, Yamada takes a fourth run at the mountain-like wall, just for kicks...

And as the klaxon goes off again, a little hope is sparked in the crowd as Yamada is finally able to grab the top, pulling himself onto the wall just as time expires. Though he couldn't clear today, Yamada has shown that he has the potential to, and is still satisfied with what would turn out to be the sixth-best performance of SASUKE 5. In his interview, Yamada says that he probably needed to build up more momentum rather than just running headfirst at the wall, but states he'll be back and wishes the three remaining challengers luck as he heads to the sidelines.

As for the tournament itself, it would become the first one to not have a Final Stage attempt. While Yamamoto and Katsumi would clear soon after, only Yamamoto would make the Third Stage as Takeda and Katsumi were both felled by the Spider Walk. Probably due to his taped up shoulder, Yamamoto's run would end on the Pipe Slider, bringing SASUKE 5 to a close in heartbreaking fashion. Regardless, Yamada knows he'll be back as do the three that broke through, and their accomplishments are far from done.

[thegreatluigi]

May 2, 2023 15:21:12 GMT -5 YourResidentKojiFan said:

(apologies to thegreatluigi if you're reading this, I do like the Arm Bike, it's just I literally can't do anything with it for these posts lol)

No apology needed. If you actually had him struggle on the Arm Bike, I would have complained about your lack of realism. To be honest, considering how rarely I contribute to these boards (my last post was July 2022, and I made a total of 4 posts that year), I'm actually slightly surprised you even remembered me.

While I'm here, can I nominate Sasuke 18 please? I've always wondered how he would have done if he hadn't skipped that one.