NSW Wrestling in Japan

NSW Wrestling Team has been invited to attend Japan Open wrestling competition, held in Tokyo Japan on Oct 21, 2023. The team will participate in a 7 day training camp at Tosu Wrestling Club facilities in Fukuoka after the tournament. This is a rare and great opportunity to get exposure to a high level competition and get to learn from and train with some of the best wrestlers in the world.

The camp's lead instructor and team coach is Tsuchika Shimoyamada. During the camp, he will accompanied by other Japanese experienced and national level coaches who will be helping. 

Training partners will vary in different sessions. Mostly Japanese junior teams (who are very advanced). There will be visits from world/Olympic level athletes and ex-members of Japan national team in some of the sessions.

NSW Wrestling will be covering the cost of the competition entry fee, training camp and the basic accommodation offered at the training center. Athletes are required to self-fund all travel related costs (airfares, food etc.) to Japan and make necessary arrangements for the trip.

Key dates:

• 15/06/2023: Application form closes | 25/06/2023: Latest that successful applicants will be contacted and confirmed.
• Keep in mind registration date for Japan Open ends sometime at end of June. We cannot accommodate late registrations.
• 21/10/2023 - 22/10/2023: Japan Open Tournoment in Tokyo
• 23/10/2023 - 29/10/2023: Training Camp at Fukuoka

To express your interest to attend, please fill this form ASAP and no later than 20/06/2023.

Itinerary

Please note that the itinerary below is just to give you an overall idea of what the trip looks like. All dates, places and the information mentioned below are subject to change !

More information

We will look at holding an information/FAQ session closer to the date. Please stay tuned. In the meanwhile, please feel free to reachout to us at nsw@wrestling.com.au if you have any questions.

FAQ

How do I apply/express interest ?

To express your interest to attend, please fill this form ASAP and no later than 20/06/2023.

What is the level of the camp ?

The level of the camp is advanced with Australian standards. As an example, this is an ideal camp for competitive wrestlers who are ranked in top 3 in nationals or won the state titles. This camp is not ideal for beginners or people with less than 3 years of competitive experience.

What is the level of Japan Open tournoment ?

Japan Open is one of the largest wrestling tournoments held in Japan. Registeration is open for everyone in Japan. It usually has a few hundred participants. Levels vary from beginners to elite world/Olympic athletes.
In Japan, this tournoment is one of the qualifying events for Japan Nationals (and therefore World Championships).

What is the selection criteria ?

NSW Wrestling will select the successful applicants based on their application. We will primarily take the following into consideration:

• Comp results in the last 4 years (the primary factor)
• Level and frequency of activity / training
• Proven talent with high growth potential

What should I expect in terms of travel arrangements ?

We are offering the training camp - but making other arrangements is your own responsibilty. You are expected to be responsible and capable enough to travel in a foreign country. This is not a guided travel tour.

What do I need to pay for  ?

We ask that you pay and arrange your own airfares, travel insurance, transport, food etc. 

Is this open to both male and female athletes ?

Yes this training camp is open to both male and female athletes.

Is this camp open to juniors ?

Japan Open is only available to 18+.  The training camp is also generally for 18+ wrestlers. 

This is a trip to a foreign country and unfortunately we are not able to take responsibility for under 18s (or over 18s).  We can consider including exceptional, high potential junior wrestlers in the camp. They will have to be accompanied by a parent/legal-guardian throughout the entire trip.

Is this for Greco-Roman too ?

Yes, we will accept and encourage Greco-Roman wrestlers to apply too.

Do I have to attend the Japan Open tournament ?

Attending the tournament is optional. You can only come for the training camp if you wish.

How many athletes are attending the camp ?

We are looking at a team of maximum 12 (or less), accompanied by the coach (Tsuchika) and a team manager (NSW Wrestling official).

I am from another state. Can I apply ?

We will accept applications from high level athletes from other states, however priority will be given to NSW Wrestling members.

What is the accomedation like ?

You will be staying at Tosu Technical High School. The accomedation is very basic. You will be sleeping in shared rooms in traditional Japanese style (on mattress on the floor).

If you wish you stay elsewhere nearby, you are welcome to make your own arrangements at your own expense. There are several cheap options nearby. 

Is food covered ?

No, you will be responsible for food yourself. We have been told there are many options to eat out near where we will be staying at low cost.

Are we traveling as a group ?

NSW Wrestling does not have the resources to officially make arrangements to travel as a group. Attendees are welcome and strongly encouraged to make arrangements to communicate and travel as a group.

How do I get there ? How much would it cost ?

Athletes are responsible for making all necessary travel arrangements to get to the training facilities and back home including flights, trains etc.

Some of the team will be traveling on the following direct flights with Japan Airlines,

You can look into cheaper alternative options should you wish to do so. Some flights with longer duration/stopovers are as cheap as $~1000 at time of this writing.

What is the estimated out of pocket cost for this trip ?

Athletes are required to self-fund all travel related costs to Japan such as travel insurance, food, transport costs etc.

In addition to your airfare cost and travel insurance fees, we recommend budgeting $60-$100 per day during your stay in Japan to cover food and travel incidentals (transport, fun etc.).

Why doesn't the state cover the airfare cost for the athletes ?

As much as we would love to do something like this, NSW Wrestling is entiry ran by volunteers and operates on a very limited annual budget. Even the coach and the team manager are traveling as volunteers and on their own expenses.