Research showing that an average of four children die each year during judo lessons in Japan has alarmed some parents as the country prepares to introduce martial arts as a compulsory school sport.
Yoshihiro Murakawa is one of those concerned about the government’s plan, because he is convinced his 12-year-old nephew died in a reckless judo practice.
The Japan Judo Accident Victims Association, which Murakawa helped create with other families last March, has urged the government to set safety guidelines for judo at school.
“Many factors are involved here,” Murakawa said of his nephew Koji’s death during judo club training. “First of all, many judo instructors at Japanese schools are too ignorant about what to do when a serious incident occurs.”
Murakawa also criticized some judo club instructors at Japanese schools for neglecting safety measures, such as letting children rest properly.
Koji’s mother had asked for special attention to be paid to him when he joined the judo club at a middle school in central Shiga Prefecture, because he had an asthma problem, but one afternoon in July 2009, Koji was still tackling older students and the instructor in the freestyle “randori” training, despite being exhausted, Murakawa quoted students as saying.
After a final throw, Koji lost consciousness and fell into a coma before dying a month later, Murakawa said.
At least 110 children have been killed in school judo practice over 27 years from 1983, according to research by Ryo Uchida, an assistant professor at Aichi University of Education.
“In judo, the number of cases in which trainees die due to techniques unique to the sport such as throwing is significantly high,” Uchida said.
In 2009 and last year alone, 13 children have died and the latest case, involving a six-year-old boy, occurred in November, a local newspaper reported.
Parents have been alarmed by the statistics because Japan plans to introduce traditional martial arts, including judo, as a required subject not only for boys, but also girls at middle schools from next year. Middle school pupils are aged between 12 and 15.
Yasuhiko and Keiko Kobayashi, whose youngest son suffered a grave brain injury when he was 15, also questioned whether the government was fully prepared, saying there had been a lack of thorough investigation into the causes of serious judo incidents.
“With so many children dying, there was no single case taken to a court for a criminal charge,” Yasuhiko Kobayashi said. “No one has taken responsibility.”
Murakawa criticized what he called a “military-like” judo culture that tolerates “beating and kicking” in the name of discipline for young trainees.
“Children, afraid of getting beaten up, must obey the coach and cannot ask for a rest, no matter what,” he said.
Sports doctor Yuzo Shinbara, who is a member of the medical science panel under the All Japan Judo Federation, rejected the argument that there was a mentality among judo trainers that justified tough initiation practices.
The sports association, which recognizes 56 grave judo incidents, has published its own safety guidelines and is studying the risk of head injuries with medical experts, he said.
However, the Japanese government has not provided official safety guidelines for judo lessons at schools.
Uchida warned that more children would be exposed to a risk of serious injuries when judo became part of the official curriculum.
“Judo is an inspiring sport and very educative to one’s mind, but schools must have a safety guideline,” Uchida said.
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