(NOAH) 100kg sandbag...Inamura takes on strongman training in the scorching heat, vowing to "conquer softness with strength"
Pro Wrestling DX
On the 2nd, Yoshiki Inamura, who will be competing in the soon to be opened N-1 VICTORY 2024, had a joint practice with Kenji Nakajima, Japan's leading strongman. He shouldered 100kg sandbags in the scorching heat and vowed to "conquer the strong with the soft", as he heads towards the peak of summer.
Two days before the start of the N-1, Inamura was in the garage of the Japan Strongman Union (JSU). "Strongman" is a tough sport, in which you lift and run with huge stones, tires, trucks, etc. In professional wrestling, weights and machine training are common ways to build up strength, but Inamura has adopted strongman-style training. Five years ago, he brought a giant 350kg tire to the Noah dojo, where he has been lifting and flipping it ever since. By handling odd shaped objects which are difficult to grasp. Inamura's signature moves are now his power moves, such as breaking through a moving opponent, forcibly lifting him up, and sometimes even switching his weight.
It was Nakajima, the representative of the Japan Strongman Association, who taught Inamura this strongman style training, and the giant tire was also given to him by Nakajima. During the joint training session, Inamura raised and lowered a log shaped device weighing about 100kg called a "log", and lifted a 100kg sandbag many times.
Inamura, dripping with sweat in a garage with temperatures approaching 40 degrees, responded to the interview with sparkling eyes saying, "I met Nakajima for the first time after returning from my trip to England, and even though it has been a while since we last met, he has gotten bigger and stronger. I've always followed his lead, so I thought, "it's cool to be big". Reuniting with his master, who is a size bigger than him, has ignited his strong man spirit. Inamura also wants to compete in the national strongman championships in the future, and Nakajima highly praised Inamura's potential saying, "Every time he comes to train, he gets stronger and improves. He's growing so fast that I think, "I'd be scared if he competed as a strongman athlete". As for the N-1, he encouraged Inamura by saying, "Your body is in shape after returning from England, but from what I felt today when we fought together, your power hasn't decreased at all, and I felt that you have a lot of refinement, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do in the future".
In the opening match at the Yokohama Budokan on August 4th, he will face former UFC fighter and current GHC National Champion, Ulka Sasaki. Inamura vowed to "make hard beat soft" rather than "soft beats hard" for the N-1, saying "That's the biggest reason why I asked Nakajima to train me this time. As you know, my opponent is a world-renowned fighter, who uses joint locks from below. When I actually faced him, I felt a strong desire to win against his techniques with power. That's why I wanted to hone my moves so I could break through people on the floor, so I asked Nakajima to train me today."
Inamura lost all his matches in last years N-1, which became his motivation to travel overseas. Now that he has evolved since returning to Japan, and has changed his ring name from YOICHI back to his real name, this will be the stage where he hopes to show his true potential again. But he declared, "On the other hand, if I lose even once this year, it will be just as frustrating as losing all my matches last year. Of course my goal is to win all my matches...". Then he added, "The new strongman-style moves will be kept top secret..." and with that, the two big men disappeared into the back of the garage.
Interview with Yoshiki Inamura and Kenji Nakajima
Q: After finishing training with Nakajima?
INAMURA: I met him for the first time after I returned from my tour of England, and even though it has been so long since we last met, Nakajima had gotten bigger and stronger. I've always looked up to him, and I thought, "It's cool to be big".
Q: How has strongman-style training helped you in wrestling?
INAMURA: I started this training in 2019, and it gave me a sense of centering in my trunk, the core of my body. From then on, movements of pushing and shoving opponents became much stronger. Movements like lifting and carrying people are difficult to improve through regular weight training.
Q: Nakajima, what do you think of Inamura's potential?
NAKAJIMA: Originally as a pro wrestler, he was good at carrying and lifting opponents from the beginning, and moreover, every time he comes to training he gets stronger and better. He's growing so fast that I think, "I'd be scared if he competed as a strongman athlete..." (laughs). He's in shape since coming back from England, but from what I saw when we worked together today, his power hasn't decreased at all, and I felt that he has a lot of refinement, so I am really looking forward to seeing what Inamura does in the future.
Q: Is there a high affinity between professional wrestling and strongman-style training?
NAKAJIMA: It's pretty high. The movement of holding an unstable object and lifting it above your head provides a stimulus that you will never find in regular bodybuilding training. I think that by using such special equipment, you can recreate the same sensations when fighting a human, and it has a very high affinity.
Q: You will face Ulka Sasaki in your first N-1 match?
INAMURA: This is the biggest one this time, and as you know, my opponent has world-class techniques and he uses joint locks and other techniques from below. When I actually faced him, I felt a strong desire to "beat this technique with power". That's why I wanted to hone the opening match at the Yokohama Budokan on August 4th, he will face former UFC fighter and current GHC National Champion, Ulka Sasaki. Inamura vowed to "make hard beat soft" rather than "soft beats hard" for the N-1, saying "That's the biggest reason why I asked Nakajima to train me this time. As you know, my opponent is a world-renowned fighter, who uses joint locks from below. When I actually faced him, I felt a strong desire to win against his techniques with power. That's why I wanted to hone my moves so I could break through people on the floor, so I asked Nakajima to train me today.
Q: They say that soft overcomes hard...
INAMURA: Hard overcomes soft, right?
Q: Last year you ended up losing all your matches, but this year people are looking at you differently.
INAMURA: On the other hand, if I lose even once this year, it will be just as frustrating as losing all my matches last year. Of course my goal is to win all my matches...". Then he added, "The new strongman-style moves will be kept top secret..
Q: There is also an Olympian wrestler (Tavion Heights) in the same block?
INAMURA: He's very big, very strong, and has superior wrestling techniques, so I'll go up against him with spirit and guts, even though they may be old fashioned. He might be the opponent in the same block that I want to throw the most.
Q: Since returning to Japan, you have been revealing new moves and techniques one after another, but will you do it in the N-1 as well?
INAMURA: Overseas athletes have an incredible number of ideas. I felt that strongly during my European tour, so I would like to use the inspiration I received there, and I will also be doing some new strongman-style moves, which will remain top secret...
Note about the "Soft overcomes hard" saying, this is a both a judo term, and a passage from a Chinese text, whereby something that that is soft can control someone who is hard and win. However, this does not translate very well.
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