*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

Source: https://www.chichi.co.jp/web/20220719_matsuoka_hanyuu/

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20260915085519/https://www.chichi.co.jp/web/20220719_matsuoka_hanyuu/

Shuzo Matsuoka praises Yuzuru Hanyu's "ability to fail."

As the Japanese men’s figure skating representative, Yuzuru Hanyu has achieved remarkable success on the world stage, including winning back-to-back Olympic Winter Games titles. How was he able to overcome adverse circumstances, such as injuries and the spread of COVID-19, without giving in to them, and continue to inspire people? Shuzo Matsuoka, who watched over Hanyu’s achievements as his cheering squad leader, passionately shares his thoughts. (Excerpted and edited from the “How Should We Live in Our Twenties?” series in the July 2022 issue of Chichi magazine.)

Spoiler

Listening to the Voice Within

Matsuoka: When I look at young athletes who are making their mark on the world stage, I’m reminded of just how immature I was back then. Of course, there are injuries that are genuinely serious, so it goes without saying that you need the perspective to judge whether you are truly okay to continue. But as a way of developing the mental strength and resilience needed for this, I believe it is important to listen to your inner voice.

The voice within is very difficult to hear. As practice, I used to meditate for at least 30 minutes a day. By clearing away distracting thoughts and simplifying the mind, you gradually become able to distinguish your true inner voice. Through this repeated practice, I developed the ability to control myself.

Another approach is to write your thoughts down on a blank sheet of paper. I used to write my feelings in a diary and look back on them, but these days I write things down on a blank sheet of paper, such as, “What am I lacking right now?” and “What should I be doing?”

It takes only about 10 minutes a day, but putting your inner voice into words and writing it down sharpens your ability to think, make decisions, and come up with ideas, while eliminating those vague, “just because” actions. This isn’t something I do for anyone else to see—it is entirely a dialogue with myself, and it is something I continue to practice to this day.

Yuzuru Hanyu’s Failures and Successes

This time, I have been talking about failure as my main theme, but the point I want to emphasize most is “Don’t make it an all-or-nothing gamble.”

If you make a proper plan, simulate the outcome, and then fail after becoming confident that you can do it, that failure is extremely positive and necessary.

Take Yuzuru Hanyu in figure skating at the recent Beijing Winter Olympics as an example. His quadruple Axel was recognized for the first time in an international competition, but because he fell on the jump, Hanyu himself considered it a failure. It was precisely because he was the undisputed champion who had challenged himself to perform a jump that no one had ever landed in competition that he had the strength to say outright that the attempt had been a failure.

However, from my perspective, and from the perspective of the public, that challenge was anything but a failure—it was a huge success. What made it a success was everything that led up to it.

If his only concern had been “winning,” the quadruple Axel was an extremely difficult element that he would have been better off not attempting. On top of that, there were countless reasons for him to give up along the way, including injuries, COVID, and the absence of his coach. Yet Hanyu himself decided to take on the challenge, and he followed through. That strength and determination gave many people inspiration and courage.

Not only did he perfectly embody the three principles I mentioned at the beginning for competing on the world stage—master the fundamentals, have your own weapon, and don’t do what everyone else does—but he was someone who took these three qualities to an extraordinary level. That is Yuzuru Hanyu.

These days, when coaching junior athletes, I often tell them, “There’s no need to be afraid of failure.” I also emphasize the importance of “how you get through times when things aren’t going well.”

Anyone can give their best when things are going well. But when things get difficult and failures keep piling up, how do you respond? That is the dividing line between becoming a true champion and not becoming one.

The only way to develop the strength to persevere when things get tough is to overcome all kinds of failures.

So, although it may be difficult, I want you to avoid simply viewing failure as something negative and instead try to think of it positively. The experience of failure becomes nourishment for life and eventually leads to success. Once you learn to accept not only your strengths but also your weaknesses, that will inevitably lead to confidence.

Thank you for this. 🥰