Wrestling 101: What Is the Secret to Japan's Success in Women's Wrestling

RIO DE JANEIRO (August 03) – More women will have the chance to “wrestle like a girl” at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games than ever before with the addition of two more weight categories to the Olympic Program.

For the first time since the debut of women’s wrestling at the Athens 2004 Games, women will have a chance to wrestle for 24 medals in six weight categories.

But, while this means that more countries will have a chance to take home Olympic Games hardware, does it also mean that Japan will be able to extend its lead in gold medals?

Since 2004, Japanese wrestlers have won seven of the 12 gold medals on offer and 11 of all 44 medals awarded.

Of course, six of the gold medals have been won by Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN), who will be seeking at Rio 2016 to become the first wrestlers – male or female -- to win four gold medals.

But, even more than the Olympic Games, Japan enjoys a huge margin of success in the world championships over second place China in gold medals, 76 to 25, and in total medals, to the United States, 140 to 66,

Again, of course, Yoshida and Icho account for 23 of all of Japan’s gold medals at the world championships and London 2012 gold medalist Hitomi OBARA-SAKAMOTO (JPN) completed her career with eight world titles.

What may surprise wrestling fans is that this trio -- with seven Olympic Games gold medals and 31 world titles -- and all six of Japan’s Rio 2016 squad hail from Shigakkan University, formerly known as Chukyo Women’s University.

So, what is it about Shigakkan that has made it such a force in women’s wrestling?

When wrestling’s world governing body, FILA, began to discuss the promotion and development of female wrestling in the early 1980s, the Japanese Wrestling Federation saw this as a chance to revive its entire program and jumped on board.

The first world championships for women were held in 1987 and were dominated by France winning five of nine weight categories and grabbing seven medals overall. Japan also bagged seven medals, but without a champion.

About this time, Chukyo Women’s University near Nagoya created a wrestling club and a few years later hired former world bronze medalist Kazuhito SAKAE (JPN) as head coach for the team.

Sakae aggressively recruited the best wrestling talent from throughout Japan for CWU and its affiliate high school. Since many of the young wrestlers already had sound fundamentals, he began to tweak some of their technique to make it more effective.

He recognized that because of the physical differences between men and women – such as a lower center of gravity and greater flexibility in the upper body – some freestyle techniques and tactics needed to be adjusted for the women.

In addition to this, he also reasoned that since women react to wrestling situations differently than a man, most of the sparring and drilling should be woman-to-woman.

And, even though Yoshida, Icho and Obara have three distinctive styles of wrestling, the fundamentals of Sakae’s method are there – position and angles of attack over physical power, more movement and less contact.

So, while the U.S. promotion “Wrestle Like a Girl” is gaining in popularity in the lead-up to Rio 2016, the Japanese wrestlers will give the expression a whole new meaning that needs no translation.

(NOTE: Tables compiled by Ikuo Higuchi, Japan Wrestling Federation)


Women’s Wrestling

Medals won at the Olympic Games (Through London 2012)

                           G       S       B    Total

Japan                  7       2       2      11

China                  2       2       -        4

Canada               1       2       2       5

Russia                 1       2       1       4

Ukraine               1       -        1       2

Bulgaria              -        2       -        2

United States      -        1       3       4

Azerbaijan          -        1       2       3

Colombia             -        -        2       2

France                 -        -        2       2

Kazakhstan         -        -        2       2

Mongolia             -        -        1       1

Poland                -        -        1       1

Spain                  -        -        1       1

                           12     12     20     44    

 

Medals won at the world championships (Top 10, 1987-2015)

                             G       S       B     Total

Japan                  76     33     31     140

China                  25     17     20       62

France                 22     15     16       53

United States      14     29     23       66

Norway               11     12     20       43

Canada               10     12     17       39

Ukraine                 9       4     14       27

Russia*                 5     25     33       63

Sweden                5       9     14       28

Bulgaria                5       3       3       11

(In total, 39 countries have won medals in women’s wrestling.)

(*Includes medals won by the Soviet Union)