[A transcript of a think piece, posted to the NHK Sports website, page 5]
[OPINION] Okukawa-sensei turns to figure skating: Coaching the Junior National Champion, Katsuki Yuuri shows new things for the future of Japanese figure skating
It is an understatement to say that figure skating has been dominated by European and North American, currently led by the prodigal-genius of Russia's Viktor Nikiforov. Asia, in contrast, has failed to produce the greats that they once so heavily boasted back in the 1970s, with recently only China's Cao Bin-senshu medaling in the senior cycle. No country has felt this downturn trajectory more so than Japan.
Only a handful of Japanese female skaters have competed at ISU sanctioned events, even less so in the men's field. And then, five years ago, Japan produced one of it's finest figure skaters in the Junior scene. At age thirteen, Katsuki-senshu went on to medal at his first Junior Grand Prix Finals, and win silver at the Junior World Championship. It was Japan's first silver medal in the Junior field in over thirteen years.
Katsuki Yuuri was single handedly spearheading Japan's name within the figure skating circuit, and at such a young age.
Perhaps the pressure had gotten to him, but it seemed that by age fifteen, Katsuki-senshu's upward streak of brilliance began to dwindle. At least, that is what most people thought.
I, however, have always thought differently.
There are many naysayers in the country about Katsuki's ability to compete under pressure, that he is a beautiful skater, but his inability to land jumps consistently in this day and age in figure skating, is detrimental to his consistency. At first, I believed it to be a mental block he was unable to overcome, perhaps the pressure of being Japan's only athlete to medal at a major event was too much for the young teenager.
And then this year's Junior Championship changed everything.
The figure skating world was sent into shockwaves earlier this week when famed ballerina, Okukawa Minako, was rumoured to be coaching the junior National Champion, Katsuki Yuuri. When the All-Japan Junior Championships commenced in Sapporo, Hokkaido last night, those rumours were verified by Okukawa-sensei herself, as she and Katsuki-senshu walked into the rink together, amongst heightened media scrutiny.
At this event, Katsuki-senshu not only annihilated the other competitors, but showed a complete command over his own mindset.
With a new coach, he not only competed with completely brand new programs, but was also able to land every single one of his jumps within his routines. But it was not just the fact that he produced a clean program, but the manner in which he did so.
After the recent restructuring of the points system by the International Skating Union (ISU), jumps completed after the halfway point in a program are awarded an extra 10% bonus, in a bid to make programs more balanced, rather than the typical layout of completing all the jump passes at the beginning.
Katsuki-senshu employed this tactic within his program, backloading most of his hard jumping passes (which included a back-counter entry into a triple axel and triple-triple jumps, including a jaw-dropping triple salchow-euler-triple flip combination in his free program), when for most it would be difficult to complete one.
At a time when most skaters would be gasping for air on tired legs, just trying to get over each spin and step sequence, Katsuki-senshu showed incredible stamina and control as he landed every single one of his difficult jumping passes after the half-way mark.
The result was jaw-dropping.
Katsuki-senshu utilised all aspects that were thrown to him, and packaged such technical difficulty into a program that highlights his artistic integrity as a danser himself. No doubt inspired by his coach, Katsuki-senshu melded together the artistry of ballet with the physical demand of figure skating to create a moment on the ice.
After quite some difficulty, I was able to receive a quote from his esteemed coach, Okukawa-sensei:
"Yuuri-kun really had no other choice. After being let down for so long, I was the only sensei he trusted. The rest was up to him, he choreographed his pieces, he figured out the technical difficulties and how to make his jumping pattern consistent. After the betrayal we all felt earlier this season, it was truly Yuuri who dug deep within himself and gave up his blood, sweat and tears for this. I wouldn't expect any less, though, from the most hardworking and beloved of my students."
Okukawa-sensei's words were especially enlightening. It is within conceivable thought that perhaps Katsuki-senshu was not in the right environment when he had his sudden 'fall from grace'. It was evidently seen at the Junior Nationals, where he was able to perform triple axels with such efficiency that is yet to be seen in even the senior skating circuit. There has never been someone who has landed a back-counter entry into a triple axel from my knowledge. How could a skater like this have been performing double axels only months ago?
Only time will answer all questions, but from what has occurred during the Junior Nationals, I for one am extremely excited to watch Katsuki-senshu bloom under the right guidance. He is a fantastic athlete to watch, and I am hopeful for the future.
Written by もろおか ひさし [Morooka Hisahi],
figure skating commentator and sports journalist,
NHK Sports.
COMMENTS (12):
mihana: これは私が最初に考えたことを確認します-ノブはユウリを放棄しました。シーズンの途中でこれを行う恐ろしいコーチは何ですか？ [ This confirms what I originally thought - Nobu abandoned Yuuri. What a horrible coach, who does this in the middle of a season?]
サラ: ノブが最高のコーチではないことは知っていましたが、奥川先生は、ユリくんが自分で教えなければならなかったことを暗示していますか？性交。それは私を怒らせた。なぜ彼は自分自身をコーチと呼ぶのでしょうか？ [I knew that Nobu wasn't the best coach, but Okukawa-sensei implying that Yuuri-kun had to teach himself? Fuck off. That made me angry. Why would he even call himself a coach?]
メイ: クリエイティブな違いだと思いましたが、そうではないと思います[I thought it was creative differences, but I guess not.]
rina-k: さて、それは奥川先生がフィギュアスケート選手をコーチする理由に答えます。彼女はバレリーナです、なぜ彼女は彼女が経験のない場所に入るのですか？[Well it makes sense if Okukawa-sensei had to come in, she is a ballerina, why would she coach figure skating? That Nobu person must be a real piece of work.]
tadashi-yuki: それはとてもめちゃくちゃです [It's so fucked up]
mini-minato: しかし、それは理にかなっています。奥川先生と文字通りゆうりくんの見た目がとても気楽に見えます[It makes sense though. You can literally the way Yuuri-kun looks so at ease with Okukawa-sensei]
ミュウミュウ: ノブだったら二度と顔を出さないRIP [If I was Nobu, I'd never show my face again RIP]
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Hasetsu Higashi Senior High,
Hasetsu, Japan
Yuuri is going to die.
He only just stepped foot into Hasetsu Higashi, ready for another dreary day of slugging through school. Yuuri had forgotten how tiring it was to compete - it wasn't just the physical exhaustion he felt, but the mental fatigue of actually competing.
With the JSF's trust newly repaired, Yuuri had been thrown into so many meetings with the federation. Minako had taken control, it seemed that after getting over the initial shock of coaching, she settled into the commediaring role she always had. As expected of his favourite teacher, Yuuri had thought.
But that also meant press interviews, something Yuuri could deal without. No matter how much he thought about it, suddenly being able to pull off insane triple jumps after struggling all season - on top of competing with new programs - was a reporter's wet dream. Actually pulling it off made for an amazing story, the sort of underdog situation that people ate up - so Yuuri had been hounded ever since he left the rink after the short program.
Minako, in all her ever-knowing wisdom, whisked Yuuri away immediately, slipping out of an emergency exit with a black car waiting, ready to speed them back to the hotel like a James Bond movie.
It was even worse after he won - the press conference was tolerable, most of the questions were pre-picked so he didn't have to answer anything evasive. He only answered as vaguely as he could, giving away nothing, but also making sure that his newfound confidence came across, especially to his competitors.
Yuuri may not actually be confident, but he sure as hell could act like he was.
The highlight of everything though had to be when he randomly ran into Nobu during backstage warmups. The man barely even looked him in the eye, scuttling away amongst a crowd of what was definitely the Yamura School. He was carrying bags - guess the job wasn't as promising as he said it was.
After, in their shared hotel rooms, Yuuri and Minako had howled with laughter, with actual tears running down their faces. With a prompt call to Mari to deliver the news of their encounter, the two had risen the next day with newfound vigour to continue competing. The result was expected.
So, after completely draining himself of all energy, Yuuri was ready to return home and rest. He wasn't expecting this.
"Congratulations, Katsuki-senpai!"
"Senpai, I watched your competition! It was so cool!"
"Katsuki-san, well done on winning Nationals!"
It was like a swarm of bees - maybe wasps, Yuuri couldn't tell if they were being mean or not, so their tails may sting sooner or later. Most of them seemed to have earnest expressions and were giving actual congratulations, so all Yuuri could do was bow slightly in response and then run for the hills. The hills being his homeroom.
It didn't get any better after that.
Throughout his morning classes, Yuuri could feel the beady eyes of his classmates staring into him continuously. It didn't help that whenever there was a break in-between classes, their homeroom became an exhibition, with a herd of animals completely blocking off the exit with the amount of people clamouring to catch a glimpse of him.
It made Yuuri want to curl up in a hole and die .
Maybe it's a little dramatic of him, but after sending a text to Christophe about his predicament, the Swiss skater had sent to him one text in response - A valid reaction - which in itself made Yuuri want to throttle the man.
The morning progresses with Yuuri on edge the whole time. He dreads the moment that the bell starts to ring, signalling lunch. There would be no escaping. His only options were to stay inside the classroom, or try and escape. Neither would be easy.
All he wanted to do was rest - maybe he should've brought a game console or a book, something that could signal he was too busy for people to come up to him and strike up a conversation. Oh god, people will start talking to him.
How does he have a conversation again? What do kids these days talk about? Fuck, Yuuri's only friends are a married couple, how the hell does he interact with teenagers?
Maybe if he pretends to fall asleep, people will leave him alone. That could work- Yuuri muses, eyes trailing around the classroom. He turns towards his seatmate, prepared to see the same beady eyes zoning in on him, only to find the boy - Abe-san, Yuuri remembers - completely engrossed in a game.
Yuuri's eyes widen.
"Holy shit. Is that Kazeno ?!"
Yuuri's seatmate blinks once. Blinks twice. And then looks up at him. His mouth gapes open.
Yuuri squirms slightly in his seat. His feet knock against the gym bag underneath his desk. Subconsciously, he pushes his glasses back up his nose bridge - a nervous habit that always flares up whenever Yuuri is stressed.
The boy just stares, mouth slack, at Yuuri. "Wha-"
" Kazeno Fight ?" Yuuri rushes out, hoping to break whatever silent spell had struck his seatmate. "I recognise the monster. Which level are you on?"
If it's even more possible, his seatmate's jaw falls even lower. "..Er… thirteen."
At least he's actually answering Yuuri's question, and Yuuri almost takes this as a victory until he repeats the level back in his head. Level Thirteen. Wait… level thirteen?!
He can't stop the yelp that spits out of his mouth. He subconsciously recognises that his voice was way too loud, causing the whole classroom to fall silent and stare at him with the same shock as his seatmate. But what the fuck - Yuuri is so painfully jealous . He'd been stuck on level nine for the past month .
Since his return from the future, Yuuri had found ample time alone in his room, forced to rest on the weekends by both Minako and his parents. One thing that took his mind off of everything, especially when practice wasn't going his way, was to lose himself and spend hours playing video games.
His absolute favourite was Kazeno Fight - a typical fantasy RPG, but one that he distinctly remembers introducing Yura to. It was their thing , every Friday after practice, they would settle on top of Viktor's absurdly expensive coach, with Makkachin and Potya curled around their feet, and completely destroy demon guts.
It was both sentimental and addictive - it didn't take long for Yuuri to get hooked on it once again.
He had been stuck on level ten for over a month - granted, he didn't have as much time to play, what with all of his focus being entirely on training, but still . Level Thirteen was renowned - a hidden level created by the gamemakers, one that very few players were able to even unlock, let alone actually play.
Yuuri feels his insides curl . It's been so long since he's talked about the game before, he misses strategizing with Yura, staying up late until three in the morning to play with only Viktor being the boring person who forced them to go to sleep.
He can feel himself beginning to drivel, not even recognising the words he was sprouting, just letting out his excitement at seeing another person playing one of his favourite games.
It's at that moment when he hears someone else in the class squeak, and turns to find that the entire classes' eyes were on him.
Yuuri gapes, slamming a hand to cover his mouth. Eyes widening in embarrassment, he can feel heat travel up his spine and explode through his body. He probably looked like a tomato.
"I'm so sorry!" He cries out. If there truly was a god on this timeline, please, just put him out of his misery. "I must've distracted you from the level. I'm so sorry." He does the only thing that he does well, and that's bow down repeatedly, incredibly embarrassed.
There is another cry from somewhere else in the room, and then there is a huge uproar around him. Yuuri thinks he's going to die.
"There's nothing to apologise for, Yuuri-kun!"
"Yuuri-kun, don't bow down to anyone!"
"You can speak all you want!"
"No!" Yuuri's eyes widen at the voice coming from his seatmate, who has slammed down his console onto his desk. Everyone's eyes turn towards him, and he flushes bright red. "Please stop apologizing, you didn't distract me. I've already done this level before."
"No!" He clamps down on Yuuri's apologies, feeling the burn of his classmates' gaze. "It's fine. I've done this level already."
"You've finished the secret level?!" Yuuri positions his body so he's leaning over into Abe's space. There's another gasp sounding out from the classroom. "What's your rank?"
"Platinum."
" Damn , I'm only gold. What different weapons do you have?"
"I've got the machete, but if I finish this side-quest I can gain enough stars to build the star-sword."
"Woah! I've been trying to collect enough coins for the katana. If you need the materials, the side-quest from Harumaki Island gives double the amount than this one-" Yuuri points at the map, before realising what he's done.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry-"
"It's fine." Abe smiles. Katsuki's talking about games, and Abe can do games. "We can try it now? I can show you how to beat the hideout level."
His classmate looks up at him, and Yuuri can see the hesitation in his eyes. But then he nervously nods his head, a soft smile curling up. sides of his lips.
Yuuri sags in relief. "Yeah. That would be nice."
Yuuri's meeting with Fujiwara-sensei only takes ten minutes out of his time. The older man had taken one look at his grades, smiled reassuringly at Yuuri, and told him that he would personally process the week off Yuuri would need for the Beijing Finals.
Smiling at his homeroom teacher in thanks, Yuuri bows to the other teachers in the lounge room before walking down the deserted corridor back towards his homeroom. It was fourth period now, and whilst his class would usually have Physical Education, Yuuri himself was exempt for fear of injury.
His competitions more than enough filled in the criteria needed for the subject, so Yuuri was granted a free period, one that he utilised entirely for catch-up sessions with other teachers and to finish work in advance.
It was another thing that caused a chasm to stretch between Yuuri and his peers - but after spending the entirety of lunch with Abe-san, Yuuri could feel the tension slip within his homeroom.
Suddenly, people were coming up to Yuuri and asking about his day, or how his competition went. Rather than the overwhelming reception he had received when walking into school this morning, his classmates eased Yuuri into conversation, and even talked about themselves rather than forcing Yuuri to be at the center of the conversation, as if they knew he would shut down if they started to become overly enthusiastic.
Gratitude didn't even cover it. He was extremely thankful for the new environment, and there is a skip in Yuuri's step as he makes his way back to his empty classroom.
The Grand Prix final would take place in two weeks, and suddenly, the happiness at which Yuuri had fallen into after making new friends had ebbed away.
The Beijing event was the first time in history that the Grand Prix Final for both Juniors and Seniors would take place in the same week, at the same place. This would continue on for as long as Yuuri competed, with Juniors competing first before their senior counterparts.
Which meant that Viktor would be there.
Of course, there was no way that Viktor would even have Yuuri on his radar. He had only scraped into the Junior finals, not a single one of the reporters would be covering the Junior competition like they would the Seniors. There was no expectation for Yuuri to reach - yet why was his stomach churning at the thought.
A deep, cold feeling floods into Yuuri. He's nowhere near Viktor - why would the number one skater even think about him, a lowly Junior competitor?
Ever since the National championships, Yuuri had been feeling restless. He has no idea what had caused it. There was only so much that practice could take Yuuri's mind off things. Despite only creating the programs a month ago, Yuuri's body had settled into the routines as fluidly as ever.
Perhaps he was getting bored of training. He could probably do his routines in his sleep now - it didn't mean that he couldn't improve on them, but now there was a consistent run of Yuuri completing the programs cleanly that he had never encountered before during Juniors.
It was like there was a listless thrum of energy seeping through all of his pores. It wasn't until he was walking through an empty school corridor, that Yuuri understood what he was craving for.
Yuuri was itching to create - to compose, to choreograph, whatever form it took, Yuuri was bursting at the seams to build something from the ground up. He had touched the surface of it with his new programs, but Yuuri was used to creating four to five new programs a season, most of which were for the students under his and Viktor's coaching team.
He had boundless energy for it, he wanted to give something new .
In the future, Viktor and Yuuri had become the golden team within figure skating, a coaching-choreography team that people died for. And right now, Yuuri wanted to create, wanted to feel the heat of creativity burn through his body.
Or maybe, maybe he just wants to experience the same things he did when he was an equal to Viktor, when they were a team . It's not the same, choreographing without someone to bounce ideas with, but it's as close as Yuuri gets to how things use to be like. He would still pick out the beats of music, if there were lyrics, he would break down the storylines, if there weren't, he'd make his own. The process was the same, even if Viktor wasn't there.
Yuuri sighs heavily, feet stalling as he looks around the empty hallway. Discoloured club posters and a list of extracurricular activities are pasted all around the walls, and Yuuri turns towards one of the windows, resting his back against the wall.
It's a bright day out in Hasetsu, despite the turn of weather as November begins. Whilst the sun is beaming down, Yuuri can't help but tug his gakuen around his body tightly. Hasetsu will never live up to the cold breeze of Saint Petersburg, but maybe it's because of his melancholy state of mind, Yuuri can't help but feel freezing.
It's as he's closing his eyes, that a sudden string of notes floats through the cold air, setting a burn over Yuuri's frozen body.
Yuuri's breath catches.
It's sudden, breaking through the stifling silence with a sharpness that bursts through the air, stopping Yuuri entirely in his tracks. The instrument was something traditional, something that rings and breaks into a pattern that personifies the very essence of Hasetsu.
It's aching , a call for something, someone. It's like a hand is pulling out towards Yuuri, breaking a chasm within his heart, snapping it in two.
As he overlooks a window of the corridor and sees the evergreen landscape of Hasetsu from his place, Yuuri feels his body soak up the song, feeling it settle within his bones. It's a solo piece, until astonishingly, more instruments explode in harmonies, joining the solo piece in a cacophony of complete beauty. The loneliness thrums now, erupts into a melded symphony - they are all lonely, together .
Yuuri's heart starts to burst, beating with a sudden energy that explodes within him. His feet move without him knowing, a jostling walk, and then a sprint across the hallway, running towards the source of the music.
He's gasping for air by the time he reaches the door. He recognises the floor as the music wing of the school, and with no shame at all, he slams the door open, startling the sextet of musicians in a horrifying display of shock. One of them actually screams, falling back whilst another clasps their heart, eyes closed in fear. Yuuri finds that he couldn't care less about obviously startling them.
"The name." He cries, vehemently.
" Hai ?!"
" Katsuki -senpai?"
They all gawp up at him, a mixture of fear and reverence in their gaze.
"The name!" Yuuri repeats, his eyes maddingly feral, but his grin exuberant. "What is the name of the song?"
Okukawa Ballet Studio
Hasetsu, Japan
With two weeks left till the Grand Prix Finals, Yuuri finds himself on a one-track focus, moving relentlessly from training to training.
Following his dominating victory at Nationals, Ice Castle had found itself in a hubbub of activity. There had been numerous times when Nishigori had to smuggle Yuuri out for fear of reporters intruding in on his practice or overrunning the small ice rink. It was a health hazard waiting to happen.
All in all, it came to Yuuri having to book off hours on the rink in advance. Nishigori himself stood outside the entrance, a one-man detail of security, refusing to allow a single person in if they weren't already vetted by himself or Yuuko.
It had cut into his on-ice training immensely.
Grating at his nerves, Yuuri did not understand the sudden appeal in visiting Ice Castle and gawking at him whilst practicing. He suddenly missed the exclusivity of Detroit's university rink or the Sports Champions club.
At the end of the day, Ice Castle was a public rink. Yuuri couldn't exactly tell his friends to not book out times, especially when they were letting him practice on the rink for half the price as others.
Morning slots were still exclusively available to him, but it was the afternoon that made Yuuri wince. Usually averaging around three hours after school meant he'd have a total of twenty four hours of practice a week on the ice. With the sudden influx of people wanting lessons, Yuuri had to cut his time out immensely.
"Maybe it's a good thing, Yuuri." Minako sighs. "You, somehow , have melded your new programs into your body entirely. I'm sure you could do it in your sleep. You know both routines like the back of your hand, and you've tested them out in competition. Now, we work on conditioning."
So Yuuri's days were now spent in the studio or gym, building up muscles and his endurance in preparation for the competition. Finally, Yuuri cracked and told Minako about the piece he was working on.
"You want to work on a new program?" Yuuri does not know how Minako is able to show such an expression that looks as if it is in between both livid and awe-struck.
Before she can exhaust her definitive objection, Yuuri is quick to say, "It's not a program, it's an exhibition ."
"You have an exhibition."
"Not like the one I'm thinking of."
"Yuuri, exhibitions are just as challenging as programs, especially your exhibition pieces. You could throw in a few jumps and it'd be a winning piece."
"Sensei." Yuuri grasps his teacher's hand, eyes widen in childlike excitement. "Just please. Listen to the piece. You will understand that I have to."
He pulls out his phone, runs towards the bluetooth speaker and connects his music to the soundboard. Minako watches with pursed lips, until the first notes begin to ring.
She gapes, takes one look at the speaker and then back at Yuuri. There is a spark in her eyes, until she closes them and shakes her head.
"I need to stop listening to you. It's too much for my heart."
Yuuri pouts.
"Fine, you fucking problem child. We'll come up with a new exhibition piece, two weeks before the finals. I hate you." There is no coldness in her voice. Instead, the two look at each other with matching grins and engulf Minako's studio with enough ruckus of manic creativity to last a lifetime.
The day of Yuuri's eighteenth birthday creeps up on him without notice.
It's Mari who rudely reminds him, slamming into his room one early morning as Vicchan jumps up into his bed, showering him with puppy kisses. She starts screeching an off-key rendition of happy birthday that jolts Yuuri unceremoniously awake.
Eighteen. Yuuri flinches at the realisation. He's an adult in everything but experience. Yuuri's teen years had been marred by anxiety and self-doubt, and it wasn't until his late twenties that he was able to settle within his own body. It was a lot of hard work, and now, Yuuri finds himself in a position.
It was the little milestone that Yuuri had been waiting for - now, everything will change.
He's pulled out of his morning musing by Mari ruffles his hair, pinching his cheeks obnoxiously.
"My little otouto is a big man, now! You can learn how to drive now!"
" You don't know how to drive."
"All the more reason for my pretty little brother to. I need a chauffeur." Mari cackles as Yuuri lobs a pillow at her head. Vicchan yips at his side, snuggling into his side for a birthday hug.
"See, Vicchan knows how to wake up someone for their birthday."
"Aww, is this your way of saying you want a hug from your big ol' sister-"
"If you come anywhere near me, I will not be held responsible for the permanent damage I cause."
Mari snickers, but heeds to the warning, already halfway out of Yuuri's doorway. "Come on down, okaasan made your favourite for breakfast."
"Katsudon?"
"Katsudon."