Swimmers create calligraphy while treading water in Kumamoto on August 12.
14:12 JST, August 31, 2024
KUMAMOTO — A group of swimmers recently demonstrated a traditional swimming technique, passed down since about 1700, at a high school pool in Kumamoto.
It is believed that this technique was developed about 300 years ago in the Shirakawa River, which flows through the city of Kumamoto, as a skill that samurai could use in water-based battles.
About 20 members of the Kobori School of Treading Water Society performed the water-treading technique at Seiseiko High School on August 12. The group is the heir to the swimming technique, one of many passed down from generation to generation in Japan.
They showed off their skills during a ceremony to dedicate the results of their swimming training to the spirit of their previous swimming masters. The swimmers, who had been practicing since July, followed the ritual by taking turns performing Japanese calligraphy or drinking sake while swimming.
They also swam in samurai armor and helmets weighing a total of over 10 kilograms, demonstrating a number of different swimming styles to the enthusiastically applauded audience.
A Kobori School staff member said they were happy that their exercise had really paid off.
