Death in Black Trunks: Yuki Ishikawa and Transience in Asian Art.
From there we move forward in history naturally into Japan’s feudal period and its iconic representative, the samurai.
It is easy and cliched to compare Japanese pro wrestlers to modern samurai so that metaphor won’t be further explored here, but the lineage is undeniable; the culture is permanent and pervasive.
“The samurai view and idea of death was shaped not so much, perhaps, from the ways of war as the realities of life,” write C. E. West and F. W. Seal in The Samurai Archives, continuing, “every aspect of Japanese life was tailored to suit an existence in a land that could be shockingly and suddenly cruel.” (5)
Ishikawa was shaped by the reality of his life, and he is shockingly cruel to Daisuke Ikeda in their match from 1996. Yuki takes him down, punches Ikeda as hard as he can right in the temple, then in the kidneys, then in the face. Poor doomed Ikeda crawls to his feet to be rewarded with a kick to the thigh, another takedown, and more face-punching. Ishikawa fails at an armbar attempt and Ikeda gets to the ropes.
Upon the reset Ikeda knocks Ishikawa cold with a right hand to the jaw that made a terrible sound. But unconsciousness, like all things, is temporary, and Ishikawa is soon awake and angry and kicking Ikeda straight into the demon realm.
Daisuke, though, may be Ishikawa’s greatest opponent other than a soul that insists upon staying static in a changing universe, and won’t stop fighting back. This is as violent of an eight minutes as art as ever produced and the sacrifice both men are making for it is tangible and real and needs to be appreciated.
Ishikawa eventually gets hold of Ikeda’s head and leg and uses the position to leverage a suplex and drop his enemy on his neck. From there he mounts him and punches him on the soft and easily bloodied and broken parts of the face until Ikeda gives up his back and gets choked out.
Victorious but badly hurt, Ishikawa holds on to his foe, holds him and sings this poem in attempts at revival:
I halted, at a loss for what to do.
There came then, galloping behind me, Ikeda,
shouting, "You will not escape my arm!"
At this he wheeled his mount
and swiftly, all undaunted, drew his sword.
We first exchanged a few rapid blows,
then, still on horseback, closed to grapple, fell,
and wrestled on, upon the wave-washed strand.
But you bested me, and I was slain.
They at last shall be reborn together
upon one lotus throne in paradise.
Daisuke Ikeda, you were no enemy of mine.
Pray for me, O pray for my release!
Pray for me, O pray for my release! (6)
It is easy and cliched to compare Japanese pro wrestlers to modern samurai so that metaphor won’t be further explored here, but the lineage is undeniable; the culture is permanent and pervasive.
“The samurai view and idea of death was shaped not so much, perhaps, from the ways of war as the realities of life,” write C. E. West and F. W. Seal in The Samurai Archives, continuing, “every aspect of Japanese life was tailored to suit an existence in a land that could be shockingly and suddenly cruel.” (5)
Ishikawa was shaped by the reality of his life, and he is shockingly cruel to Daisuke Ikeda in their match from 1996. Yuki takes him down, punches Ikeda as hard as he can right in the temple, then in the kidneys, then in the face. Poor doomed Ikeda crawls to his feet to be rewarded with a kick to the thigh, another takedown, and more face-punching. Ishikawa fails at an armbar attempt and Ikeda gets to the ropes.
Upon the reset Ikeda knocks Ishikawa cold with a right hand to the jaw that made a terrible sound. But unconsciousness, like all things, is temporary, and Ishikawa is soon awake and angry and kicking Ikeda straight into the demon realm.
Daisuke, though, may be Ishikawa’s greatest opponent other than a soul that insists upon staying static in a changing universe, and won’t stop fighting back. This is as violent of an eight minutes as art as ever produced and the sacrifice both men are making for it is tangible and real and needs to be appreciated.
Ishikawa eventually gets hold of Ikeda’s head and leg and uses the position to leverage a suplex and drop his enemy on his neck. From there he mounts him and punches him on the soft and easily bloodied and broken parts of the face until Ikeda gives up his back and gets choked out.
Victorious but badly hurt, Ishikawa holds on to his foe, holds him and sings this poem in attempts at revival:
I halted, at a loss for what to do.
There came then, galloping behind me, Ikeda,
shouting, "You will not escape my arm!"
At this he wheeled his mount
and swiftly, all undaunted, drew his sword.
We first exchanged a few rapid blows,
then, still on horseback, closed to grapple, fell,
and wrestled on, upon the wave-washed strand.
But you bested me, and I was slain.
They at last shall be reborn together
upon one lotus throne in paradise.
Daisuke Ikeda, you were no enemy of mine.
Pray for me, O pray for my release!
Pray for me, O pray for my release! (6)
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