Visually impaired judoka Junko Hirose has turned to a former American football player to give her an edge as she chases a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Tuesday begins the six-month countdown until the Paralympics open. Since winning bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, Hirose has focused on improving her training -- including a full-fledged weight training routine – to take her judo to the next level.
"I don't lose grabbing good positions on the uniforms of opponents from overseas anymore," Hirose said.
One day in early February, Hirose's training centered on an exercise called the Bulgarian split squat, in which she places one leg behind and elevated on a bench and then squats down. This exercise mainly strengthens muscles around the hip, such as the buttocks and hamstrings. This exercise places a heavier burden on the front leg because it is harder to maintain balance compared with a regular squat, where both feet are positioned next to each other.
The key point is to keep the upper body facing forward while the hips are lowered toward the floor. When the body weight shifts forward, it places an extra burden on the front of the quadriceps muscle.
Trainer Shunsuke Fukuda, who went through grueling training during his days as an American football player, does not miss even the slightest mistakes. He gently touches Hirose on the shoulder or lower back to indicate the right technique. This is aimed at developing an instinctive muscle memory that will allow Hirose to quickly unleash strength from her core.
Hirose started going to a private fitness gym in Matsuyama in 2015, a year before the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. Her husband, Haruka, also competed at the Rio Games. Initially, Hirose used only weight machines, which allow movements in fixed directions. "There were limits to doing things my own way," she recalled.
In visually impaired judo, both judoka start with a grip on each other's uniform. Victory hinges on the difference between their muscular strength and endurance even more than it does for judoka without a disability, "because we can't see our opponent, so we keep straining to prevent them from trying a move," Hirose said.
Getting stronger was essential for Hirose. She approached Fukuda in the fall of 2017 after seeing a notice at the gym. Hirose was initially worried about using free weights because users must be aware of their posture and the trajectory of the weights. But after being convinced that judo involves "breaking down the other person's balance," Hirose now has a training routine featuring free weights to strengthen almost her entire body.
Fukuda, who also has been a trainer for athletes including professional golfer Hinako Shibuno, had never trained an athlete with a visual impairment. At first, Fukuda was hesitant about helping. Hirose lacks a central visual field in both eyes, so she cannot correct her form by watching herself in a mirror. Fukuda has had to teach Hirose each movement by using his hands.
While Hirose is unable to use her vision to keep her balance like a person with regular vision would, she apparently makes up for this with heightened sensation in her skin, muscles and tendons. "Completely blind athletes have even better sensations. I still have a long way to go," Hirose said.
With the belief that she has the potential to improve even further ahead of the Paralympics, Hirose is diligently lifting weights day in and day out.
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