<p>I found an unusual practice called &#8220;Tate&#8221; on Stoaca, a platform that connects people who want to learn with people who want to teach. It seems to be popular among middle-aged men in their 40s and 50s. As an old man reporter, I was curious. So I went to A&amp;C Studio Kotonoha in Sugamo, which is one of the most popular in the &#8220;Theater and Acting&#8221; section of STOACA, to experience what it has to offer.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_348171" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348171" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dd38e022"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/56b41a06a8a3b636b515bc62d2cb4e01.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348171" class="wp-caption-text"> An old man in his fifties with a sore shoulder, he tried the &#8220;Tate&#8221; training, which is slowly becoming a hot topic.</figcaption></figure>
<h2> What are the benefits besides stress relief and exercise?</h2>
<p> When you hear the word &#8220;kiryu-jime,&#8221; you may think of hard movements and fierce battles with enemies, but in fact, the most important thing is &#8220;communication&#8221; with the opponent in front of you. Killing is also a &#8220;collaborative work&#8221; with your partner.</p>
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<p> Takuro Munakata, the representative of &#8220;A&amp;C Studio Kotonoha&#8221; and a swordsmith, says, &#8220;When I heard this story, I was very surprised.</p>
<p> I was very surprised when I heard this story. I was very surprised when I heard this story, because I had never had that image in my mind before I came here. When I was told that, I thought I would be able to enjoy the process from start to finish without worrying about winning or losing.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The sword fighting industry is like that, but there are actually more female members than male members. The largest age group is in their 30s, followed by 40s and 50s. I think it is easier for women and inexperienced people to take the plunge because it is not like sports or martial arts where you have to be in real physical contact with other people, so there is no fear. In addition, I think that the fact that you can fulfill your desire to be cool and swift with a sword like the actors you admire at an early stage is also popular,&#8221; says Munakata.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_348176" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348176" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e737e1b1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/5832248af1570e457ff32cbca91e57d6.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348176" class="wp-caption-text"> One of the reasons why it is so easy to become a couple is that you and your partner work together to complete a sword fight.</figcaption></figure>
<p> At A&amp;C Studio Kotoha, students are taught how to perform sword fighting based on their weapon requests, such as sword, spear, naginata, and two swords. If they have a favorite scene from a stage or movie, they can recreate it.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348172" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348172" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="325339b3"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/5c8c83ddda910fa13df23785c9b7eac0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348172" class="wp-caption-text"> Students feel the weight of the sword with a wooden sword, then switch to a Japanese sword (which, unlike the real thing, is light without cutting) and begin to learn the techniques.</figcaption></figure>
<p> On the other hand, what are the reasons for male participants like myself?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I think they will find it a good way to relieve lack of exercise, correct their posture, and relieve stress. Also, men in their 40s and 50s seem to find it interesting that they can create a work of art together through their hobby in a community of people of different generations,&#8221; said Munakata.</span></p>
<p> As a freelance reporter who does not usually have much contact with people outside of work, this is a story I can relate to.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348175" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348175" style="width: 1479px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="da104de6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/fa72000a7109e7f6ae80282fec8725d5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348175" class="wp-caption-text"> As an old freelance reporter who usually has little contact with people outside of work, I can relate to this story.</figcaption></figure>

<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The lesson starts just like the real thing...!"></div>
<h2>Age difference as much as 10 years! Killing practice with a high marriage rate</h2>
<p> The instructor encouraged us to take a trial lesson, saying, &#8220;Let&#8217;s give it a try anyway.</p>
<p> The course this time was a 60-minute trial lesson. The fee is 3,000 yen from the studio&#8217;s website, but if you sign up through StoreAccounts, you can try it for 1,000 yen less. There are several courses available when joining, but beginner adult males usually choose the &#8220;regular class&#8221; to learn the basics and full-fledged sword fighting practice (3,000 yen per lesson or 10,000 yen per month).</p>
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<p> First, with the teacher&#8217;s help, you change into a kimono and hakama (formal kimono and hakama). Looking in the mirror, I felt like I was being dressed in clothes because I was not used to wearing them. The trial lesson includes a costume, but after joining the class, you can wear clothes that are easy to move in, even if you are not wearing a kimono. The kimono itself can be found for about 2,000 yen in second-hand clothing.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348179" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348179" style="width: 3024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="21525090"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/e4ea0605ae0bbe0ebfe814d4c905a0c3.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348179" class="wp-caption-text"> A somewhat embarrassed reporter being dressed in a kimono.</figcaption></figure>
<p> Next, we learned the basic kata. The series of movements, such as holding the sword at the waist, the blue-eye stance, and the head-on slash, gradually became more and more enjoyable. He was praised by the instructor for his good technique, which motivated him to continue.</p>
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<p> Switching from sword to wooden sword, we next practiced against other people. Since it was the first time for him to practice against others, he was a little awkward at first, but after the second practice, he was able to say, &#8220;Ei! Hey! and he was able to get the rhythm and timing of exchanging swords with the teacher smoothly. He had a frozen shoulder, but it didn&#8217;t bother him.</p>
<p> This is how you communicate with your partner,&#8221; he said. I was beginning to get the hang of it. If you work with the teacher, it takes about one month (four times) to get around smoothly.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348182" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348182" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ab9f43d7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/5a0ea80b166aa44a28438989545893f8.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348182" class="wp-caption-text"> At first, it was awkward. &#8230;&#8230;</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348183" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348183" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9d1a269d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/814942fd11fe84ebcbb2a6207ddf431d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348183" class="wp-caption-text"> Reporter becomes motivated by praise</figcaption></figure>
<p> The last part of the lesson was a simulated stage performance, in which the actor stood in front of an enemy. Using Mr. Munakata&#8217;s action as a model, they repeated the exercise twice while confirming the flow of the action. After that, background music was played, and Mr. Munakata called out &#8220;Action! and the performance began.</p>
<p> Looking up at the sky, the teacher playing the villain slowly approaches, glaring at us. Feeling it at his back, he gradually turns to face his opponent and draws his sword. To catch him off guard, he lowers his sword and dodges the oncoming sword once. It only takes about 30 seconds, but it is difficult to remember the sequence of actions. The sword is then exchanged with the opponent two or three times, and finally the sword is finished off with a katakana. is given as a signal, I feel strangely satisfied.</p>
<figure id="attachment_348185" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348185" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d657c835"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/bdfefe8ba75fac4e8a0db4d68796b9ff.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348185" class="wp-caption-text"> The performance lasts about 30 seconds, as if it were a real performance on stage.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348186" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348186" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="54cd1847"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/8d284f942ac421870970df50d1e13603.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348186" class="wp-caption-text"> The enemy tries to cut you down and you go head-to-head with him!</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348187" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348187" style="width: 4032px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ec8f3d6d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/6ccf3aa6154de061a3068f3bf548a781.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348187" class="wp-caption-text"> The enemy collapses in the end. &#8230;&#8230; You can feel like a fake hero!</figcaption></figure>
<p> This short performance alone will make you feel like a hero, something you don&#8217;t get to experience in everyday life. I can see why my uncle is so into this game. There are a lot of movements to remember, so it may also help prevent dementia.</p>
<p> Also, the members become romantically involved with each other, and the marriage rate is high. When we asked Mr. Munakata for more details, he said</p>
<p> I think the premise of the killing game is that you look the other person in the eye and move together. When you match your movements, you can see the other person&#8217;s personality. Even a woman who usually seems quiet may attack aggressively when she holds a sword. Through the sword fight, you can see their true feelings and their true intentions, so I think that if you get together with them, you will end up making a goal.</p>
<p> He said.</p>
<p> It is surprising to hear that even a difference in age of more than 10 years can lead to a relationship. Marriage activity through sword fighting&#8221; &#8211; it may be a bargain practice that is attractive to all, as it allows you to meet new people and kill three birds with one stone.</p>


 Tadakazu Nishitani

 I found an unusual practice called "Tate" on Stoaca, a platform that connects people who want to learn with people who want to teach. It seems to be popular among 40- and 50-year-olds.

Killing practice&#8221; popular among middle-aged men not only relieves stress and corrects posture, but is also popular because of its &#8220;marriage rate.

Killing practice” popular among middle-aged men not only relieves stress and corrects posture, but is also popular because of its “marriage rate.

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