We have an interview with Tatsuyuki Kinoshita (scroll down to skip over), an 85kg weightlifter in Japan. Our interview took place in 2014, so this is a little outdated, however I believe it’s important for people to read some of his insights about weightlifting and his unique pulling/set up style called “Frog Style” or “Frog-Leg Style”, as there seems to be some confusion about what this style of pull is.
Quick History of the Frog (Leg) Style Pull?
A unique style pull that is credited to Yoshinobu Miyake of Japan who is a x3 Olympic medalist, x4 world champion, and set 25 official world records in the 56kg and 60kg class.
You may recognize the name Miyake, a very well respected family of weightlifters from Japan. Yoshinobu’s brother, Yoshiyuki Miyake, is also a very accomplished weightlifter who has a daughter Hiromi Miyake that is also an excellent weightlifter.
Notice that Hiromi lifts with a conventional setup and pull, so please note that this style of pull is not for everyone but some pieces of the style maybe of use for specific weightlifters.
Why Do the Frog (Leg) Style Pull?
The premise of this style of pull was to avoid the chest from dropping and the hips from shooting up, think RDL. The Frog (Leg) Style pull was also a way for the weightlifter to keep the bar closer to the body and potentially place more emphasis on the legs.
How to Do The Frog (Leg) Style Pull
- Start with your feet under the bar.
- Flare the toes out (roughly 45-60 degrees).
- As you get into your set up, your knees will point inline with your toes.
- Hip position will vary dependent on your body symmetry. As a starting point, I would suggest, doing the steps above, then squatting down while reaching with your arms to the bar, once your hands are able to grasp the bar, this will be your set up position (also known as “grab and go” except don’t go). This will give you a general set up position for your hip height, adjust as you can get more experience with this style.
Please note that this is a general “how to”. There will be adjustments for every weightlifter based on their body type, flexibility, strengths, tendencies, and comfort level. We also suggest that you have a base foundation in weightlifting before attempting this style of pull.
Frog Style Modifications
As stated earlier, this isn’t for everyone however for some lifters this can be useful for their snatch and/or and clean set up. Others may find it to be useful with some adjustments- example- feet positioning: wider-narrow feet stance, toes turned in or out more. You’ll have to play around with it and figure out what works best for your body type and abilities.
Takehiro Kasai (69kg) uses a “Frog” style set up/pull for his snatch but in the clean he has a “conventional” set up with the feet a little more narrow than typical.
If you choose to utilize the “Frog” style pull, you’re should have good timing and speed under, as you’ll have little time to move your feet into the squat position from the narrow stance.
Let’s jump to the interview:
Tatsuyuki power cleaning what he used to clean a 3 years back.
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita Weightlifting Interview
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to do this interview. We’re very excited to learn about how weightlifting is trained in Japan.
Fusion Weightlifting: To kick-start the interview, can you give us a little information about yourself and how you got into Olympic weightlifting? How old were you when you started?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: I started Olympic weightlifting when I was 16 in high school as a club activity. The reason I joined the club was that I had an inferiority complex being skinny and wanted to get bigger.
Fusion Weightlifting: When you first started what was your training like?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: At first I had a hard time getting in the set up position, so started learning by doing hangs. Over time I was able to get into the ideal set up posture thanks to a lot of stretching an squat positioning work.
Fusion Weightlifting: What is your current training like? Do you train multiple times a day? If so how do you break up your days?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: I have a part time job right now, so when I am off I train twice a day. I start the 1st weightlifting session around 10am-1pm then take a break. The 2nd sessions I do in the evening from from 5pm-8pm. I don’t do anything special during the break, just eat lunch and take a nap.
The training session really depends on my phase and what’s going in the my training, but I usually do snatches in the morning practice and clean and jerk in the evening practice.
Fusion Weightlifting: What are you current goals/aspirations in weightlifting?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: My goal is to become a part of Japanese National team and go to Olympics.
Fusion Weightlifting: You have a very unique pull, what we call “Frog style/stance” , developed by Yoshinobu Miyake. What made you choose this style of pull? Have you trained in the conventional style? If so what were your best numbers? What do you find is the advantage and disadvantage of this style of pull for you?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: When I first started lifting, I found out that there were two styles, conventional and frog style. For me, I found the frog stance style much easier and suited to build. I hardly do conventional style. I think lots of people do Frog Style in *Japan, I think this is because Japanese has shorter legs and suited to their body structure.
*Note: Some coaches modify the “frog style” set up for specific lifters but generally still favor conventional.
Fusion Weightlifting: You stated that you’re working on your jerk. What have you been doing to develop more consistency in this lift?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: I was disqualified for Jerk at the last competition I had in August. Because of this my training is heavily focused in training Jerk.
Fusion Weightlifting: Weightlifting is growing very rapidly in the US and our talent is significantly developing, particularly our young weightlifters at the Olympic Training Center (interview done before OTC closed) and many others clubs. What is the Olympic weightlifting culture like in Japan?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: Japanese Weightlifting Federation does not put much effort to expand weightlifting culture. It is still a minor sports and number of weightlifters are very little in Japan. I wish they could do something to advertise more about weightlifting.
*Fusion Weightlifting note: As of 2016 weightlifting is starting to get more of an emphasis in Japan, assuming because of the 2020 games.
Fusion Weightlifting: Does the Japanese weightlifting federation sponsor the weightlifters? If not how do the weightlifters support themselves while they train full time?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: I am not sure if the federation sponsors the weightlifters or not. Even if they do, I do not think the money will be used to something else, not to the lifters. As matter of fact, I have to do a part time job all the time.
*Fusion Weightlifting note: there are sponsorships through companies outside of the federation, such as ALSOK, which is a securities company.
Fusion Weightlifting: Is there such a thing as a Japanese weightlifting philosophy?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: There must have been some Japanese philosophy before, but nowadays, many coaches learn many things from outside of the country and adopt new skills/knowledge. We get new ideas all the time that I do not think is Japanese philosophy.
Fusion Weightlifting: Can you tell us a little bit about your coach and his general philosophy on developing a weightlifter?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: My current coach (*in 2014) is a guy who went to Munich Olympic as a lifter and was a coach for Japanese National Team at Sydney Olympic. He always says that you have to train harder than anybody else to win. He tells me not to give up and to have strong mind to achieve the goal.
Fusion Weightlifting: What do you believe is the most technical aspects to focus on for the snatch and clean and jerk?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: I am good at the clean but I don’t like the jerk. When I jerk, I try to take deep breath and hope for the best lol.
Fusion Weightlifting: Any final words you’d like to say for our audience?
Tatsuyuki Kinoshita: In Japan, the way of lifting varies by schools, teams, and coaches. Some people say “frog style/stance” is useless and others say it is fine. I don’t think there is a particular “Japanese Style” of lifting, so please take this interview as one opinion amongst many.
Conclusion
It’s important to note what Tatsuyuki ended with:
Some people say “frog style/stance” is useless and others say it is fine.
There is no one size fits all, it’s all relative to the weightlifters abilities, strength, body development, mind set, comfort level and so on that plays a role in their development. For us, we are neither for or against this style pull, our philosophy is to use what is beneficial for the athletes individual needs. Point being, don’t be dogmatic.
日本語翻訳
今回、私からの一方的なお願いにも関わらず、インタビューにご協力頂き、有り難うございます。日本ではウェィトリフティングに関しどの様な事に注力されているのか前々から興味があり、木下さんにお話を伺え、光栄です。
Fusion Weightlifting:
先ず始めに、木下さんご自身の事を紹介頂き、どの様な経緯でリフティングに興味を持たれたのかをご説明頂けますでしょうか。またリフティングは何歳から始められましたか？
木下さん:
私は高校に入学して高校のクラブ活動の一環でウエイトリフティングを始めました。ですから16歳から始めました。始めたきっかけは華奢な身体にコンプレックスがあり、身体を大きくしたいという思いで入部しました。
Fusion Weightlifting:
リフティングを始めた頃は、どの様なトレーニングをされていましたでしょうか？
木下さん:
私の場合は始めた当初、クリーンでしゃがむことが出来なかったので主にハイクリーンをしていました。あとはしゃがめるようにストレッチとスクワットをしていました。
Fusion Weightlifting:
現在のトレーニングの内容を教えて下さい。(もし1日に数回のトレーニングを行われる場合は、どの様に休憩を取られるのかもご説明下さい
木下さん:
私はアルバイトをしながら競技を続けており、アルバイトが入ってない日は基本は午前10時から午後1時頃まで、午後5時から午後8時頃までの2回に分けて練習をしております。 午前練習が終わった後は昼食をとり昼寝をしてから練習に向かいます。 日によってメニューは違いますが午前中にSnatch系の練習、午後にClean&Jerk系の練習になることが多いです。
Fusion Weightlifting:
リフティングに関し、現在の木下さんが何を目指されているのか、目標を教えて下さい。
木下さん:
目標は日本を代表する選手になってオリンピックに出場することです。
Fusion Weightlifting:
木下さんの重量挙げの際の足の形が非常にユニークです。アメリカでは”Frog Leg”と呼ぶのですが、三宅義信選手も同じスタイルでした。なぜこのスタイルを選ばれたのでしょうか。通常の足を広げたスタイルでも行いますでしょうか？通常の場合とFrog Styleのベストは何キロでしたでしょうか？また、それぞれの長所・短所を教えて下さい。
木下さん:
競技をはじめた際にflog styleと通常のスタイルと二つの方法があると知り、私はflog styleの方がやりやすいと感じたからそのスタイルにしました。基本、通常のスタイルでの練習はやりません。日本では多くの方がflog styleで競技をされています。 日本人の足の短い骨格にあったフォームだと思います。
Fusion Weightlifting:
木下さんは現在ジャークに集中したトレーニングをされていると伺いましたが、どの様な事に集中しトレーニングをされていますでしょうか。
木下さん:
8月に行われた試合でジャークで失格したのでジャークの強化に取り組んでいます。ひたすらJerk系の種目をやり続けています。
Fusion Weightlifting:
アメリカではウェイトリフティングの認知度と人口が増え、技量は日に日に向上していると感じております。特に若い世代の人口が増えております。日本ではウェイトリフティングとはどの様な存在なのでしょうか。
木下さん:
日本では協会が広報にあまり力を入れていないので認知度は低いままで、競技人口もさほど増えてはいません。選手達はもっと認知度を上げて欲しいと願っていると思います。
Fusion Weightlifting:
日本ウェイトリフティング協会は選手のスポンサーを行いますでしょうか？行わない場合は、選手はどの様な形でトレーニングなどの費用を賄うのでしょうか。
木下さん:
協会はスポンサーを行っているかわかりませんし、行っていたとしてもそのお金が選手まで届いておりません。私は現在アルバイトをしながら競技を続けております。
Fusion Weightlifting:
リフティングに関し、日本独特の哲学や日本人特有の考え方などはありますでしょうか。
木下さん:
日本独特の考えと言うのは昔にはあったかもしれませんが、最近は教えるコーチによって意見が全然違います。日本では選手が進学するにつれて指導者が変わり、全く違う指導をするので戸惑う人も多いです。
Fusion Weightlifting:
木下さんのコーチはどの様な方でしょうか。日本のコーチは選手を育てる為にどの様な点に注意されていますでしょうか。
木下さん:
私の現在のコーチはミュンヘンオリンピック代表選手でシドニーオリンピックの日本代表の監督を務めた人であり、元スナッチの世界記録保持者です。私のコーチはライバルよりも多く練習をやらないと勝てないと言います。失敗してもすぐに諦めるのではなく、絶対にとるという執念を持ってないとダメだといいます。
Fusion Weightlifting:
スナッチ・クリーン・ジャークに関し、木下さんは何を重点にされていますか？技術を上げる為の秘訣などがあれば、教えて下さい。
木下さん:
私はクリーンはできるのですが、Jerkが苦手なのでジャークの際には息を吸って胸をいっぱいに膨らませてからさしあげると言う事を意識しております。
Fusion Weightlifting:
上記質問以外で、他に何かご教授頂ける事があれば、ご説明下さい。
木下さん:
日本は学校やチームによって競技に関する考え方が全然違います。 frog styleがダメだという人もいればfrog styleじゃないとダメだという人もいて様々です。特に日本独特のまとまった意見というのはないので色々な日本人に聞いてみると面白いとおもいます。 更に詳しく聞きたいことがあれば 遠慮なくおっしゃって下さい。
