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View Full Version : Yokota Strongman Challenge videos (Fussa, Japan) 8/22/10



HIGA MONSTER
08-22-10, 2:52 pm
It was a HOT day in Japan for the contest. The high was 91 degrees, but with the humidity at 70% it made the heat index 99 degrees. IMO the hottest I have ever experienced out here for this contest.

We had 10 competitors (8 japanese and 2 USA). One of the USA guys was Shukin! I had convinced him to compete since he had traveled all the way from Hokkaido and that this was a once in a lifetime experience that he may want to do it again.

Corey St Clair was not taking the humidity too well. Its not this humid in the Pacific Northwest, so it was a challenge for him.
I wasn't affected by it at first, but it got to me mid-contest.

Here are some videos:

We got a chance to meet AKEBONO before the contest. He was making an appearance at the "Son's of Hawaii" food booth. This was a fuckin awesome experience for me cause he is a Hawaiian guy that was the first non-Japanese person to reach "Yokozuna" status in sumo. When he stood up, he dwarfed Corey St Clair and Muto-san!
A big mahalo to Uncle Darren that let us cut to the front of the line so that we could see him first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV93jmFdS48

Corey and I being introduced to the crowd:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op7Kfbn--m0

HIGA doing a Farmers Walk demo. These handles sucked! Someone made them, but they were too fuckin short. You couldn't fit 45 lb plates on there cause then you couldn't fit in b/w. The handle was great cause it was almost 2" diameter but the length SUCKED.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvpCINqI7Vk

Corey St Clair doing a Log clean & press demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMiHUjNnz6c

Shukin finishing the Tire Flip and was proudly sporting the Animal gear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8PRYSrkG8

HIGA MONSTER doing a Yoke Walk demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6ekfLYuP5g

Shukin doing the Trap-bar deadlift for reps. He tore all of his callouses on this, and so did a couple of other guys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1m8n5t0q4M

HIGA MONSTER doing a bus pull with 44 people inside of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXkpmyEj5Vc

Corey St Clair doing the bus pull with 46 people inside of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gO6VyMVwaM

We saw this small car at dinner that was LOADED with so much speakers in it, I don't know how the driver fit in his car.
Come to find out, the guy's name is Oscar and he worked at the Chili's on base and competed in the "Central Japan Bodybuilding Championship" before. He was proud to show it off to us. What a frickin crazy nut this guy is!
Look at all the amps he has on his roof...and he only uses 2 batteries to power this whole system! I got 2 different videos of this car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJxNIFijFNk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3sN1QBMATk

Other than the heat, it was a great contest again. This is the only strongman contest that happens in Japan. 3 guys took a 5 hour train ride from Osaka to compete, so you can see that they are willing to do it.

Shukin was amazing! I was honored to meet this guy cause he is a cool dude and we got to hang out alot with him and share stories/training styles.
He was unsure if he should compete, but I told him to try it. He manned up and was hooked!
If any of you Animals are in Hokkaido, please look him up. He owns a Pizza Parlor there and is a real genuine guy. Two of his friends came all the way from Tokyo to cheer him on!

I got ALOT of pictures. I will upload them when I get back to stateside. We leave for the airport in 6 hours.

Thanks to my boy Christian Coronato for sending a great care package of swag for the ABC. Everyone loved the shirts and I hooked Shukin up with alot of those sample products. I even threw out 2 shirts to the audience in b/w events during the Strongman contest.

Sayonara,
HIGA MONSTER

G Diesel
08-23-10, 8:49 am
Awesome vids, Higa. The farmers walk and bus pull were CRAZY.

Much respect as always bro.

Peace, G

HIGA MONSTER
08-23-10, 3:28 pm
Awesome vids, Higa. The farmers walk and bus pull were CRAZY.
Much respect as always bro.

Peace, G

Thanks G! Just got home an hour ago.

Shukin was the man! He flew all the way for the ABC and competed in a Strongman contest with no experience and placed 7th out of 10 competitors!
It was an honor to meet him and know that there is an ANIMAL living in Hokkaido, Japan training in conditions that he can make the best of.

HIGA MONSTER

C.Coronato
08-23-10, 3:38 pm
Glad it turned out well my man, im not sure whats crazier, that dudes car, or the bus pull haha. Awesome vids HIGA.

HIGA MONSTER
08-23-10, 3:44 pm
Glad it turned out well my man, im not sure whats crazier, that dudes car, or the bus pull haha. Awesome vids HIGA.

Oscar's car was WHACK! I swear that crazy Japanese guy just drops all of his paychecks into his car's sound system!
Some of those amps were bigger than the rims on his car!

HIGA MONSTER

Aggression
08-23-10, 3:46 pm
Damn, Higa. You made that bus look like it was a cake-walk! Sick work, my man.

HIGA MONSTER
08-23-10, 4:57 pm
Damn, Higa. You made that bus look like it was a cake-walk! Sick work, my man.

Thanks bro. Its always a hit with the fans there in Japan. Kids love to tell their friends and family that "I was in this bus and a guy was pulling it!"

HIGA MONSTER

HIGA MONSTER
08-23-10, 5:17 pm
http://www.yokota.af.mil/news/video/index.asp

ANIMAL being represented in Japan baby!

HIGA MONSTER

wedge
08-23-10, 5:22 pm
Nice videos Higa. Thanks for posting them.

HIGA MONSTER
08-24-10, 10:43 am
Nice videos Higa. Thanks for posting them.

Thanks wedge.
Its pretty cool that the ANIMAL logo on my shirt is being shown all over the Western Pacific Armed Forces network.
That little military video clip might be seen by military personnel that wants to use Animal products and will be convinced that our shit is for real.

HIGA MONSTER

Shukin
08-24-10, 7:33 pm
Glad it turned out well my man, im not sure whats crazier, that dudes car, or the bus pull haha. Awesome vids HIGA.
If you watch the Video Shukin (Dumbbell Muscle snatch circuit) on Higa's Japan ABC video posts, Oscar is the guy doing the dumbbell presses in the back round. When we were sitting at the bar at chillies and he came up to buss our dishes I could see the gleam in his eyes that he wanted to talk with Corey and Higamonster.......

HIGA MONSTER
08-24-10, 11:23 pm
If you watch the Video Shukin (Dumbbell Muscle snatch circuit) on Higa's Japan ABC video posts, Oscar is the guy doing the dumbbell presses in the back round. When we were sitting at the bar at chillies and he came up to buss our dishes I could see the gleam in his eyes that he wanted to talk with Corey and Higamonster.......

I thought he looked familiar!
That guy was kinda ripped. He wore a tank top while we did the ABC, right?

HIGA MONSTER

FITGYM
08-25-10, 1:26 am
Those videos are great. That bus looked like it was trying to catch up...great work Higa

HIGA MONSTER
08-25-10, 1:40 am
Those videos are great. That bus looked like it was trying to catch up...great work Higa

Thanks man.

Usually, I pull it twice. Last year, we had 96 people in the bus all standing in the aisle.
However, it was too frickin HOT to do another bus pull. Corey and I were really trying to hard to stay hydrated.

HIGA

Shukin
08-25-10, 4:56 am
I thought he looked familiar!
That guy was kinda ripped. He wore a tank top while we did the ABC, right?

HIGA MONSTER

Yep, that was him, moving some big weight as well.
At work now, but when I get home tonight I want to write a bit here about "my Experience" with You and Corey and his lovely wife, and we can't forget McMillan....

Be well,
S

Shukin
08-26-10, 8:56 am
For whomever is interested I would like to share my gratitude and experience of the Japan ABC and the Yokota strongman challenge. Those of you who have checked the Japan Animals thread will notice that Higamonster reached out and offered to work out together during his trip to Japan, I jumped at that chance. We corresponded here on the forvm and arranged to meet along with his close friend and fellow strongman pro Corey St. Clair. After agreeing, I searched both of them on Youtube, and well, I shit myself! These guys are way out of my league, I thought! However, I already committed. Long story short I found myself on an elevator with 2 300 pound plus monsters, heading to ground level to work out...... I felt so little next to them in stature, however, they met me face to face. We went into the gym and worked out, shot the shit, and sweat tons. I asked Corey his philosophy on wearing a belt, he pounded his waist and said "Build you own belt!" He and Higa coached me through various exercises, showing me proper technique.... it was more than I had dreamed of.
The thing that struck me most, was how positive Higamonster is, I said to someone yesterday that he is probably the most positive person I have ever met. He and Corey didn't judge any one in the gym or out on the street for that mater, they spoke of the persons strong attributes, and that was it, true professionals, guys for me to look up to, literally as well, Corey is like 6' 5".
I learned from them in and out of the gym, it was so refreshing.
Higa somehow convinced me to enter the strongman challenge. I had no idea what I was doing but he and Corey coached whenever possible... It was hellishly hot there, and RedBull and water were provided for us, and a bit of shade. Corey came up to me and whispered to me "Yo, you should drink like 6 RedBull", I thought, great, insider advices. A little while later he comes back for a water and asks "are you keeping hydrated?" I just had 5 redbull I replied."5 redbull?" he said... Yea, you told me to drink 6,"dude- I was joking". We burst out laughing... I was so Jacked, I had a pump, torrent zero, big ant drink, 5 redbull, and grape BCAA stack...
I would not trade the experience I had with these guys for anything... Much respect, much gratitude.
Animal made a wise choice signing Higa, they should consider Corey St. Clair as well, he is a down to earth guy and has great showmanship...

Thanks Animal, Thanks Higa, Thanks Corey, Thanks Forvm.


In gratitude,
Shukin

HIGA MONSTER
08-26-10, 11:02 am
For whomever is interested I would like to share my gratitude and experience of the Japan ABC and the Yokota strongman challenge. Those of you who have checked the Japan Animals thread will notice that Higamonster reached out and offered to work out together during his trip to Japan, I jumped at that chance. We corresponded here on the forvm and arranged to meet along with his close friend and fellow strongman pro Corey St. Clair. After agreeing, I searched both of them on Youtube, and well, I shit myself! These guys are way out of my league, I thought! However, I already committed. Long story short I found myself on an elevator with 2 300 pound plus monsters, heading to ground level to work out...... I felt so little next to them in stature, however, they met me face to face. We went into the gym and worked out, shot the shit, and sweat tons. I asked Corey his philosophy on wearing a belt, he pounded his waist and said "Build you own belt!" He and Higa coached me through various exercises, showing me proper technique.... it was more than I had dreamed of.
The thing that struck me most, was how positive Higamonster is, I said to someone yesterday that he is probably the most positive person I have ever met. He and Corey didn't judge any one in the gym or out on the street for that mater, they spoke of the persons strong attributes, and that was it, true professionals, guys for me to look up to, literally as well, Corey is like 6' 5".
I learned from them in and out of the gym, it was so refreshing.
Higa somehow convinced me to enter the strongman challenge. I had no idea what I was doing but he and Corey coached whenever possible... It was hellishly hot there, and RedBull and water were provided for us, and a bit of shade. Corey came up to me and whispered to me "Yo, you should drink like 6 RedBull", I thought, great, insider advices. A little while later he comes back for a water and asks "are you keeping hydrated?" I just had 5 redbull I replied."5 redbull?" he said... Yea, you told me to drink 6,"dude- I was joking". We burst out laughing... I was so Jacked, I had a pump, torrent zero, big ant drink, 5 redbull, and grape BCAA stack...
I would not trade the experience I had with these guys for anything... Much respect, much gratitude.
Animal made a wise choice signing Higa, they should consider Corey St. Clair as well, he is a down to earth guy and has great showmanship...

Thanks Animal, Thanks Higa, Thanks Corey, Thanks Forvm.

In gratitude,
Shukin

Shukin,
The honor was mine. I tip my hat to you because you made the commitment to fly to Tokyo to meet us for the ABC. I know that cost money and time, but that was irrelevant to you. You wanted the experience, and not many guys would sacrifice like that.

Everyone, Shukin flew an hour and 15 minute flight to Tokyo. Then had a SUCKY 2 hour train ride to his hotel. THEN caught maybe a 20 minute train to Yokota and went to the wrong gate to enter the air base.
Eventually, we got him on the base and McMillan brought him to our apartment. The rest is history...

The way I see it, Shukin is a true Animal. Willing to risk flying to Tokyo to train with me and Corey sight unseen. And to compete in a Strongman contest with no experience whatsoever and place 7th out of 10 guys.
You truly represented the shirt you wore on contest day Shukin. "Shut up and train" No excuses...just lift.

Much respect cuz,
HIGA MONSTER

HIGA MONSTER
08-26-10, 11:04 am
And I still can't believe you drank 5 RED BULLS!!
HAHAHAHAHA!

HIGA

HIGA MONSTER
08-27-10, 3:10 am
This guy from Japan sent these to me too.

Intros:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmd5YaOKals

Higa & Corey Farmers Walk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2hMcGgk1X0

Yoke Walk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNb_w03sjCA

Before Corey did the Log Press:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzz4bDEpdPc

Log Press for reps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TnUL77NbuE

Bus pull:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaY1Rv_y3GY

Pretty cool cause they are different views and I didn't have a video of my Log Press.

FYI, the handle of the Log was SCALDING hot when we had to do the Log. I felt sorry for the first guy!

HIGA MONSTER