Japanese Men's Rhythmic Gymnastics

[SparkleSalad]

17 minutes ago, vcq17 said:

 

Kansaki Seimei HS:

 

 

This is my favourite of the three. I love the folding fan choreography(or whatever it is)! Seimei is fast becomig a mark of excellece. 

 

Ahh, I'm in heaven! Thanks to you for sharing all this with us! I've gone from a sport disliker to a rabid fan of two disciplines in less than a year!

[SparkleSalad]

11 minutes ago, vcq17 said:

The DVD  documentary is well worth purchasing, it includes interviews with the Aomori gymnasts, coaches and creative team as well as the full performance. It is also subtitled in English! 

 

FLYING BODIES [DVD] https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00QUUXA9W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kIjCzb81ED2Z3

 

(It is region 2 but will play on computer or region-free player)

 

Oh no! Oh nooo! My wallet! It's dying! And how rare for a Japanese DVD to have subtitles! I actually have a DVD of a collaboration artist Kenji Yanobe did with Issey Miyaki that I bough about 10 years ago and only just remembered owning! I haven't watched it since I stared learning Japanese. I wonder if I can understand it now. 

[vcq17]

12 minutes ago, SparkleSalad said:

 

This is my favourite of the three. I love the folding fan choreography(or whatever it is)! Seimei is fast becomig a mark of excellece. 

 

Ahh, I'm in heaven! Thanks to you for sharing all this with us! I've gone from a sport disliker to a rabid fan of two disciplines in less than a year!

 

This is the only time I have ever seen that move performed in competition… This performance includes some incredible elements.  I believe they were one of the 28 teams I saw perform at this year's Sasaki Cup,  I'm also going to try and attend All-Japan in October.

[vcq17]

I'm trying to spread the word about MRG on social media as well; please follow me on Twitter for MRG news at @MRGSuperfan.

 

And I'm new to Tumblr, but know there is a very large Yuzuru audience...can someone give me pointers how to reach a large audience on Tumblr? It seems like a great way to network and reach a younger audience!! I've set up an account at mensrhythmicgymnastics and would appreciate help! Thank you :-)

[yuzuangel]

On 7/21/2017 at 1:55 PM, vcq17 said:

I'm trying to spread the word about MRG on social media as well; please follow me on Twitter for MRG news at @MRGSuperfan.

 

And I'm new to Tumblr, but know there is a very large Yuzuru audience...can someone give me pointers how to reach a large audience on Tumblr? It seems like a great way to network and reach a younger audience!! I've set up an account at mensrhythmicgymnastics and would appreciate help! Thank you :-)

Sorry for the late response, just saw this. That's so interesting! I think on Tumblr, adding a lot of hashtags and making gifs and pretty graphics helps People seem to like that, hahaha. 

[vcq17]

Good morning from Japan!

 

It's been a rather exciting few weeks...my article about men's rhythmic gymnastics is finally in print (you can read online in English / Japanese here; https://japan.stripes.com/news/made-japan-men’s-rhythmic-gymnastics), the All-Japan Inter-High and Inter-College yielded some rather stunning upsets (Kanzaki Seimei won Inter-High with an outstanding performance, while last year's champions Ibara placed nearly dead last). At Inter-College, my friends from Kokushikan placed FIRST on the first evening and I cried for joy; they VERY nearly broke Aomori's 16-year winning streak during the final performance and the team and Coach Yamada were crying after their performance thinking they had finally recaptured first place. The difference in final scores between Aomori and Kokushikan was only .3 points! I will likely go to see the All-Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics finals in October to cheer on my friends at Kokushikan and to meet / talk with coaches from other teams that I'm friends with on FB (Aomori Yamada, Ibara, etc.). 

 

Aomori University's winning performance: 

Kokushikan's performance: 

 

 

Thank you to all the readers who have taken the time to watch MRG videos and experience / support this amazing sport; I feel like in order for MRG to continue to survive as a separate discipline (and possibly spread overseas), it needs the support / awareness of overseas fans outside of Japan. Even here in Japan, it is a very minor sport not known by many people; in my prefecture of Kanazawa (next to Tokyo), there is only ONE high school with an MRG team. 

[yuzuangel]

42 minutes ago, vcq17 said:

Good morning from Japan!

 

It's been a rather exciting few weeks...my article about men's rhythmic gymnastics is finally in print (you can read online in English / Japanese here; https://japan.stripes.com/news/made-japan-men’s-rhythmic-gymnastics), the All-Japan Inter-High and Inter-College yielded some rather stunning upsets (Kanzaki Seimei won Inter-High with an outstanding performance, while last year's champions Ibara placed nearly dead last). At Inter-College, my friends from Kokushikan placed FIRST on the first evening and I cried for joy; they VERY nearly broke Aomori's 16-year winning streak during the final performance and the team and Coach Yamada were crying after their performance thinking they had finally recaptured first place. The difference in final scores between Aomori and Kokushikan was only .3 points! I will likely go to see the All-Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics finals in October to cheer on my friends at Kokushikan and to meet / talk with coaches from other teams that I'm friends with on FB (Aomori Yamada, Ibara, etc.). 

 

Aomori University's winning performance: 

Kokushikan's performance: 

 

 

Thank you to all the readers who have taken the time to watch MRG videos and experience / support this amazing sport; I feel like in order for MRG to continue to survive as a separate discipline (and possibly spread overseas), it needs the support / awareness of overseas fans outside of Japan. Even here in Japan, it is a very minor sport not known by many people; in my prefecture of Kanazawa (next to Tokyo), there is only ONE high school with an MRG team. 

 

Thank you for the update  

[Deliverpooh]

 Winnie_20 referred to this topic in the Rhythmic Gymnastics thread

 

I had no idea it was such a big thing in Japan. I hope it will become bigger internationally as well.

[kelly]

I stumbled upon this video and apparently men rhythmic gymnastics are also held in Spain 

 

[Deliverpooh]

On 7/18/2018 at 12:50 AM, kelly said:

I stumbled upon this video and apparently men rhythmic gymnastics are also held in Spain 

 

Thank you! Can't wait for this to become an Olympic sport.

[dheu]

Just stumbling across this thread because of the link from the other Rhythmic Gymnastics thread too.

 

The Kansaki Seimei HS video is really impressive and mesmerizing.  It is a good sign if there are other countries starting to get in on MRG.  I wonder how difficult it is to get a sport like this recognized and included in the Olympics?  Why wouldn't it be, especially if there is already an equivalent event for the women? 

[vcq17]

On 7/18/2018 at 7:50 AM, kelly said:

I stumbled upon this video and apparently men rhythmic gymnastics are also held in Spain 

 

 

Hi dheu, thank you for your comment! :-) Yes, Spain also has MRG with one VERY important difference: the Spanish (and some French) gymnasts such as Rubén Orihuela  are performing WOMEN's RG routines with WOMEN'S RG apparatus.

 

Here in Japan, the routines, scoring, elements, and most importantly, apparatus (and even allowable costumes - you may find it funny that the Japanese men are "more covered" than the women's gymnasts and are wearing full-coverage embellished unitards and stirrup pants that go from neck to wrist to ankle) are TOTALLY different. For example, Spanish RG Ruben Orhuella performs with ribbon and hoop - you will NEVER see this in Japan. Instead, we have four apparatus for men: rings (two each, smaller diameter), rope (instead of ribbon), clubs (different from the women's clubs), and stick. 

 

More and more countries are embracing / discovering Japanese MRG - we recently had a visit here in Japan from a Slovenian coach interested in starting an MRG program in Slovenia, there are also clubs in Canada (Vancouver) and US (Boston) but MRG is still largely limited to Japan and Russia - which explains lack of Olympic representation as well - there are a little under 2,000 men's rhythmic gymnasts in Japan currently.

 

If you would like to chat / learn more about Japanese MRG, please check out OUEN MRG channel on YouTube, we are making a great effort to subtitle / put out information in English so International Fans can also enjoy :-) 

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElHe-VFFJ4EtVKXcTtSj8A

[vcq17]

On 8/15/2018 at 5:28 AM, Deliverpooh said:

Thank you! Can't wait for this to become an Olympic sport.

Deliverpooh, THANK YOU for your support of our Japanese MRG!! It is my dream and my friends' dream as well to finally see MRG recognized on the world stage :-)

[vcq17]

3 hours ago, dheu said:

Just stumbling across this thread because of the link from the other Rhythmic Gymnastics thread too.

 

The Kansaki Seimei HS video is really impressive and mesmerizing.  It is a good sign if there are other countries starting to get in on MRG.  I wonder how difficult it is to get a sport like this recognized and included in the Olympics?  Why wouldn't it be, especially if there is already an equivalent event for the women? 

 

Thanks dheu, Kanzaki Seimei won Inter-High again this year (2018) and will compete against ALL college / HS MRG teams in Japan next month in Chiba! Their routines are very impressive: 
 

 

[vcq17]

I know I've been absent for most of a year, but I want to say a sincere THANK YOU for your interest / support in our Japanese MRG - this year has opened many new doors, including appearances of MRG teams on international TV (Hanazono MRG team, led by Captain Kohei Ogawa, who just graduated in March from Hanazono, performed Ibara HS's famous routine choreographed by Coach Osada, Aomori University MRG alumni BLUE TOKYO were featured on America's Got Talent for several episodes, and there are others waiting in the wings...

In addition, my friends from Kokushikan (led by Coach Yamada) were a HUGE success at Festival del Sole 2018 in Italy.

 

MRG is spreading more and more, we need your support! Please follow OUEN MRG FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/ouenMRG/community/ 

 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElHe-VFFJ4EtVKXcTtSj8A

 

And most importantly, please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE on these MRG posts and videos so more teams / coaches see there is international interest!

 

(in my spare time, I assist with proofreading English translations on these videos and proofing Kokushikan's blog posts in English... MRG is my life. I am SO proud and honored to know many of the top HS and college coaches and am friends with many of the gymnasts on SNS (Instagram, Twitter, etc.). THese young men pour so much blood, sweat and tears into a 1.5 - 3-minute routine...I would love to finally see Japanese Men's RG become an Olympic Sport!