Hamada mounts Matsumoto

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Yeah, I bet you clicked on here because your curiosity got the better of you.

Good.

Looks like a slow news day for FA; and since no one has posted anything new up since yesterday, and since it’s the weekend, here’s a frivolous post that might amuse you. No politics.

I know what you’re thinking: “WtF is up with that post title”? Well, for anyone who is into MMA or (Brazilian) jiujitsu, this might amuse you; actually, it might amuse anyone; then again….

The Japanese have some pretty crazy game shows; and are absolutely weird! I’ve known this all my life, having traveled to Japan in my youth during summer vacations a number of times.

I remember one time (I think I was in the 8th grade), we were flying space-A from Osan, Korea to Yokota, AFB. While waiting for our flight in the terminal, they had a Japanese game show playing on the big television set. Everyone in the room was riveted to the tube. Midway through, they shut off the tv as it was time to board our flight. A huge groan of disappointment went up throughout the four corners of the room. Embarrassing to admit, but it was that entertaining, at the time. This was back in the 80s.

Recently, I watched one of these types of game shows on YouTube….then started clicking around on the sidebar vids…and somehow finally ended up on this video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8HNRlCblfM[/youtube]

The program is called “Downtown“, starring the comedy team of Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada.

Beyond this, I don’t know anything about them or the programs they’ve hosted.

But you can find quite a bit of this (along with crazy game shows) on YouTube.

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I’m a long time resident of Japan. I wouldn’t really call this a game show – it’s more of a comedy / variety show. Even what is normally called “game shows” are just the variety show staff torturing lower tier professional comedians for laughs.

This particular video looks to be just a comedy routine from the two hosts in response to a viewer question. “if someone got on top of you and you were powerless, what could you do?” Needless to say, Matsumoto was trying to explain that if someone is on top of you or “mounted” in Japanese/English, you are powerless and can’t do anything. Japanese people often use English for a particular meaning that may be separate and distinct from the original English.

Got ya. Love what you guys do here, btw. Not much of a comment person. I mainly just post what I like from here to twitter.

For those who have played the “game,” the innuendo has been lost during the hundreds of hours it takes to become proficient in the two positions and many variations of mount and guard.

When an opponent in the “superior” position is in the “guard” (between the legs) of the wrestler on the mat, he is in a vulnerable position for the application of a triangle choke or arm bar. Rarely does the opponent escape from these two holds, he taps out or is choked into unconsciousness or has his arm broken. Again the sexual innuendo of submission from tapping out comes into play, but when you are applying the holds or receiving them, sexual innuendo is the last thing you are considering.

If the wrestler on top is above the legs of the down wrestler, the wrestler on the mat is in trouble and needs to scramble to escape or put the other wrestler into a form of the guard.

The Japanese have called jiujitsu the gentle art; indeed, some masters can move with effortless ease, but most MMA fighters are moving with aggression and speed.

Brazilian jiujitsu came about after several masters of the gentle art emigrated to Brazil and taught their brand of wrestling to young Brazilians. The Brazilians loved the sport and it became a national sport; now, they are a dominant group in MMA fighting.

It’s a great spectator sport if you understand the “science” of the “moves and holds.” I miss the sport and hope to be in a position to try it once again, before I am too old.

It was fun working with the young guys. I was affectionately called “Papa Bear” because of my age and strength. They said it was like grabbing ahold of a bear, when they grabbed ahold of me, not that any of them had ever been close to a bear. Several of the young guys asked, “How come you country “boys” are always so strong?”

I replied, “If you stack two thousand bales a day, it won’t be long and you’ll will be strong too.” LOL (Working out muscles and work muscles are two different cats.)

It was great fun, and I like working out with the youngsters.

Japanese TV is kind of wild, it is not unusual for them to get hurt playing the games. They obviously have no pretensions about the “nanny” situation. Their game shows are in third place for me, just behind MMA fights and movies. The obstacle course races are top drawer.