General Yuzuru Chat

[MrPudding]

 

[Fay]

1 minute ago, Sombreuil said:

As someone who has suffered a lot from elderly relatives in the past 12 months I now realise there is one thing to be thankful for - none of them are likely to get any media interest in their views on the younger generation.

 

Oh gosh, I'm so thankful my relatives also don't get to give interviews on me too! LOL But they'd probably never diss me in public.

[五十嵐 美幸]

39 minutes ago, Yatagarasu said:

It's not exactly new, this idea that Japanese skaters should stick to Japan. I've seen fans of certain Japanese skater diss those who have left Japan (yes, Yuzuru) because that is some morally terrible thing, or basically insert whatever nonsense they can think of, while their faves skate to Western music, in a sport that was originated in the West. It's basically your typical hypocrisy because the root of it all is just trying to prop up the one you root for. I know she in particular is an older woman but she's an older woman who still has power and influence, so I do not hand-wave those comments.

 

Not that anybody is asking me, and I was once told I was committing a heinous moral 'crime' by suggesting it, but Shoma Uno should have packed his suitcases a while ago and left the current coaching team for foreign waters. A week here or there with Alex isn't really that helpful, this requires systematic work and should have been done when he was way younger. Too late now I am afraid.
One thing I do care about, is for next season for the judges to actually make those UR/wrong edge calls, and not twiddle their thumbs. Yes, I know, let me dream...

 

BTW I don't think it's a bad idea at all to have foreign coaches help out in Japan, but very few are willing to subject themselves to restrictive conditions. On the other hand, JSF does have the option of sending out young coaches abroad too - it's done in many sports so this would hardly be a new thing, to learn and acquire modern techniques of coaching. With a mix of those two, they would probably benefit the most plus using the experience of all the great r****d and current skaters. Of course, a dedicate facility or few wouldn't be amiss. Yes it's an investment but it would pay off. 

 

Actually, while I agree that bringing foreign coaches to Japan could be a good idea, I think that's an idea far easily promoted than implemented.

 

For one thing, if JSF functions like other federations - which admittedly I don't know if that is the case - then every club or skater that who pays any kind of dues to the federation would have the same right of access to the coach, not just top skaters and the best young potential competition material skaters and that, aside from a logistic nightmare, would also be a really stupid waste of resources, money in particular, for the federation.

 

And what foreign top coach would take such a deal anyhow?

 

The big clubs, who are industry sponsored anyhow, could far better bring coaches over on their own, but even then that's not without problems, first and foremost the language barrier. Of course there is hiring an interpreter, but anyone who any time at all has done some interpreting or translating themselves will know not only the difficulties inherently in translating as such, but also how easily a translation can be not quite accurate while also not exactly wrong or worse,  intentionally manipulated. (And I'm pretty sure, not that I'll name any names - - that there are people who would happily manipulated or arrange for manipulation if it would serve their own ends.)

 

That aside again, would it really make sense for top coaches who really care for training the best, regardless where they are from, to limit themselves to one Japanese club? Unless the club would allow them to have other students as well - which they might or not - but how many of those would in turn go to Japan?

 

So Madam Machiko can promote her ideas as long and as loudly as she likes, unless she can come up with a viable system how to implement them, that bird won't fly.

 

[Altie]

that's funny, because my parents are 73 and they're still awesome, and as sharp as ever :)

They also look much younger. I guess I should count myself lucky ?

[五十嵐 美幸]

27 minutes ago, ralucutzagy said:

LOL 

 

 

Well, saying "please come to me shows again" is a usual formula in the "the show is over and good night" kind of talk... realisation might be a totally different issue...

[ralucutzagy]

Oral B must pay Yuzu his weight in gold!! 

[fluffypooh]

I love Dmitri's words, yuzu "kills". People r afraid to look him in the eye before competition lol

[Yuazz]

13 minutes ago, fluffypooh said:

I love Dmitri's words, yuzu "kills". People r afraid to look him in the eye before competition lol

His stare at WTT 2017 during SP warm-up was scary... 

[asiacheetah]

20 minutes ago, fluffypooh said:

I love Dmitri's words, yuzu "kills". People r afraid to look him in the eye before competition lol

Emoticon is the perfect representation of the Yuzu look. We KNEW he was a warlock. It's not just (sorry forget the name) older gentleman that goes to competitions with him.

[xeyra]

21 minutes ago, fluffypooh said:

I love Dmitri's words, yuzu "kills". People r afraid to look him in the eye before competition lol

 

I hadn't seen those comments from Dmitri before. Really interesting to think that to some Yuzuru is both intimidating and fascinating, a goal to reach but also one that seems unachievable. But it's also kind of a little sad that people feel that intimidated by him they can't even look him in the eye lest they feel demoralized. Then again, Yuzu does sometimes come to the rink during competitions as if he's going to murder whoever breathes on him so can't really fault them. 

 

Also,   at Miki championing Yuzu's right to be himself and react as he damn well pleases.

[Lynnie]

27 minutes ago, ralucutzagy said:

Oral B must pay Yuzu his weight in gold!! 

Or maybe even more, given his weight 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Hola! No, I didn't think I'd be back talking so soon either. But here's another's one of my admittedly rather long and tiresome input. I know none of you asked for it but here it is anyway:

 

For Japanese coaches in general who are serious about wanting to become better coaches, I honestly don't think doing it on Japanese soil is the answer. The Japanese, as a people, have never minded traveling to gain skills to bring back to their country, and I think perhaps having foreign coaches come to you instead of you to them may be counter-productive. 

 

Because I'm not sure if coaching technique is all they're lacking. Most North American and European coaches, from what I gather, are good at what they do because their coaching style is more organic. Coaching is a form of teaching and it goes beyond imparting skill and knowledge, and for most Western coaches, the root of their style is in their culture. Western culture generally encourages independence, especially mentally.  Unbound by traditional hierarchal values that Asian cultures tend to be, skaters are free to grow into themselves and come into their own. Students growing to an extent where they exceed their coaches is actively and blatantly encouraged.* Downside to this is Western kids do generally tend to get more easily full of themselves compared to Asian ones but they do soar to great heights, unfettered by societal rules.

 

That's likely also something Hanyu may have realized way back when, which was likely why, aside from wanting better quads (something he probably wouldn't have gotten in Japan beyond what he already had back then**) and facilities, even though his original ideal was to be 100% homegrown, the more mulish and prideful part of himself had to cave and eat humble pie™ (recommended by nutritionists, dieticians and the truest of champions everywhere) and seek help overseas, knowing that's the only way someone with his kind of outspoken character (generally frowned upon in Asian societies) can thrive.***  In the end, he chose to do exactly that and, well, hasn't looked back since. 

 

He reemerged as the best of both worlds. Hanyu became a perfect blend of skills that are Western-honed, which have enabled him to soar as high, if not higher, than even his Western counterparts, and deep-seated Asian roots, good upbringing as well as natural great character that keep the cockiness at bay, all of which makes him a perfect combo of pluses-with-no-minuses, as well as one-of-a-kind.#

 

Anywho, I dunno if Japan's culture allows for the kind of growth that enables them to pit 100% locally-trained skaters against internationally-trained ones on the international circuit---and emerge triumphant in a fair and decisive manner. As much as I love the country, its people and its culture, it does have a bit of a hive mind syndrome. And while reverence is a beautiful thing, it can get excessive in a culture like Japan's and sometimes get in the way of growth that allows a skater to soar--truly soar--and then keep gliding at great heights beyond international borders. I do apologize if all these seem incredibly rude of me to point out but it's honestly what I think.

 

*Naturally, I'm excluding the Russians from this particular topic because theirs is a bit of a paradox, what with their Western sort of mentality but their skating culture being more rigid with a unique system all of its own.

 

**Abe and Tsuduki are to be commended here. They not only did all they could for him skating-wise, they have done right by him by teaching him and helping him hone a very solid basic jumping technique. Ultimately though, I think the switch from Abe was necessary because she is more naturally a choreographer (which was good for Hanyu's early artistic development) and the kid--given his tender age back then--needed solid guidance from technical specialists to develop to his fullest potential. I think Hanyu was a fluke for her, seeing as she didn't seem to have any competitive skater before Hanyu## nor does she seem to have any still after. He's probably a bit of a fluke even for good ol' Orser, too. [ed. 6/02] Actually the guy's whole existence is a fluke. Period.

 

Added 6/02: ***This is, at least, how I choose to read into it. His reasoning may have been simpler and the whole thriving due to a more open and accepting culture thing could just have been a wonderful side benefit, but I wouldn't put it past his young but sharp mind to have factored it in from the get-go. The move was a huge and life-changing one, and would affect those around him heavily, after all. And he seems the type to acknowledge things like that and make his decisions only after thoroughly weighing them through.

 

#Not saying he can do no wrong. Like most people, he likely has a ton of nasty habits and character flaws but they don't really factor into his life as a professional athlete and worldwide role model. Guy handles publicity like he was born to do it--right alongside skating. Plays the media and the audience like a fiddle, this one. And probably doesn't even mean to do it.

 

Added 6/02: ##@misheyxxxooohas reminded me that Abe had coached Shizuka Arakawa once. Does anyone know if she coached her far enough to accompany her to the competition rinkside? Regardless, she's got two OGMs to her name now. Whodathunk it of this quiet, unassuming lady who shuns the limelight? Maybe she sprinkled some fairy dust for winning on these two.

 

Sorry again for the length. Which only seemed to have gotten longer...

 

13 時間前, Lynnie said:

Or maybe even more, given his weight 

 

Lol!

[beki]

Sometimes I wonder if champions from different cultures have more in common with each other than they do with regular people from their own cultures. Champion mentality is special. For sure, hard work, a killer instinct, turning negatives into positives, and taking responsibility for yourself are some of the ingredients.

[b138oo]

32 minutes ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

Because I'm not sure if coaching technique is all they're lacking. Most North American or European coaches, from what I gather, are good at what they do because their coaching style is more organic. Coaching is a form of teaching and it goes beyond imparting skill and knowledge, and for most Western coaches, the root of their style is in their culture. Western culture generally encourages independence, especially mentally.  Unbound by traditional hierarchal values that Asian cultures tend to be, skaters are free to grow into themselves and come into their own.

I agree with this, Western coaches are more flexible to feedbacks and new training methods than Asian coaches. This is my observation based on my own tennis competitive career. I lived in Asia and spent my childhood there. I practiced tennis with Asian coaches. Some of them were very rigid of their ideals. I needed to change coaches several times bc when you grew older, competition got harder and you needed to improve by a lot. The same old training regimens, most of the times, didn't work anymore and you ended up stagnating. I changed to a coaching team, who was open minded and accepted feedbacks. They prioritzed communication. Every time some of the athletes, including me, went overseas for camps, they always asked what was different. They, then, incorporated that new training ideas into our practice. I realized they were different bc they all had experiences training abroad when they were still competing, they also had US coaching certificate, so their style was more westernized than others. And, believe me, their flexible, more organic style, worked so much better than a rigid coaching style. It helped the athletes to realize their own potential and could have their own style despite coming from the same tennis school. 

 

This being said, I am worried, just like some of you said here, that Shoma's effort to fix his jumps abroad wouldn't change his jumps so much. Bc if his coach acts like this, I am afraid when he gets back and tries to give feedback on how to make his jumps better, she will disregard him and tell him he's being mouthful. 

[Yuazz]

Doesn't it affect Shoma's jump if he tries to fix his lutz rn? You guys said yuzu has to fix his Flip in the past, how many years he needs to fix it (that now he seems fine to do Flip jump)?