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The Sport in Japan

Discussion in 'Sports & Activities' started by kiwidogman, Jul 9, 2018.

  1. kiwidogman

    kiwidogman Top Dog

    Basics on Sporting in Japan by Andrew Ishikawa
    This entry was posted in Interviews on 20 de June de 2015 by admin
    I’m not a writer but I did want to share with you guys a brief history on the sport in Japan. I had the opportunity to visit Japan frequently while I was stationed in South Korea and for that I am very grateful.

    For those of you that are unaware, Japan is the ONLY first-world country where the sport is legal still to this very day. If some of you are familiar with the TV show “Whale Wars, it is clearly apparent that the Japanese honestly could care less about American tree hugging animal ball washers like PETA and other organizations. They fight dogs and kill Shamu and they don’t hide it, and don’t care what anyone thinks about it. Some animal rights groups are convinced Japan will follow suit and outlaw the sport, hopefully this will help you all understand why it will never be outlawed. Long ago, well before the founding of the 13 original colonies of our country dog fighting was already an alive and well established sport in Japan. It went back as far as the first samurai.

    The sport was used to keep the samurai with a warrior mindset in times of peace. Shoguns often kept dogs to compete as well. Of course our breed was not in use in those days but that is where it started. It was passed down from generation to generation. In which to not get too much into Japanese culture, traditions are formed and expectations are put in place for not just one individual but through and entire family’s lineage. Myself, my daddy, my daddy’s daddy all infantry soldiers. All first born sons. There’s a pattern in Japanese families. When you have deep cultural roots in certain things, you don’t change them just to appease a small group of people in a different country.
    As far as the sport today in Japan. It’s a way of life for some as I’m sure some of you can relate. The shows will draw anywhere from 10 to a couple thousand spectators, some shows are televised depending on the relevance of the cards. Everything you would expect if it were legal here. The Tosa is still used as a fighting dog today but they also use the APBT, they generally keep them breed specific matches though. As far as Japanese bloodlines go, they got their APBTs from the US obviously so you will find their bloodlines are our bloodlines however, in some cases they took a different path from their US counterparts.
     
  2. who

    who Top Dog

    I think its not legal to fight non tosa dogs any more... And getting in to the tosa game is not for normal people... Think You have to come from certain families
     
    david63 likes this.
  3. Fl0w

    Fl0w Pup

    You mostly have to be rich because you have to pay a license for each dog you want to use if I remember well... Guess there is another thread somewhere here about the Tosa game in Japan.
     
  4. F.W.K.

    F.W.K. CH Dog

    The Toza Inu by The Norseman

    Japan has been the developmental home for a number of breeds, many of which are unknown in this country. On the whole they comprise of Spitz type dogs used as hunting and companion dogs. The types are very similar to look at and their size determines their function. Smaller types such as the Shiba Inu take on the role of terriers, while the Akita takes on the role of "catch" dogs. With a history similar to that of early hunting mastiffs, the Tosa itself stands out among the other types by being the only one of the mastiff type created by crossing the indigenous Japanese breeds with western mastiff types.
    The Akita was a muscular dog employed to pursue quarry such as bear, large deer or wild cattle. Despite Japan's isolation from the rest of the world, the Akita developed in an almost identical set of circumstances as those of the Alunt, a forerunner to the early mastiffs who were the ancestors of the Fighting Bull Dog. The instinct that both the Alunt and early Akita's had to bite and hold, coupled with their great strength and tenacity, meant that it wasn't long before owners, wanting to see who had the toughest dog, would pit them against each other. This in all probability took place if there was little hunting to be done or maybe even in the close season, as the dogs, if they received great injuries would need time to recuperate before the rigours of the hunt began again.

    Japan was an isolated island and the spitz-type dogs that were there, had no competition from other western breeds of dog. Those owners that had little interest in hunting, but that enjoyed using their dogs for fighting, began to develop a larger type of dog, less suited to pursuing prey animals, but more suited to fighting equally large opponents. Akita's were used against each other and continued to thrive during the time that Japan remained isolated from the rest of the world. Famous dogs, or those that were held in particular esteem by their owners, were skinned upon their death and their skins proudly displayed on the walls of the family home.

    The Samurai warriors were particularly keen on their fighting dogs and their prowess. To own a top fighter would boost one's standing within the Samurai community. The dogs, just like the rest of this oriental society had to observe certain rules. The Japanese obsession for size, large and small, led to their dogs taking on the huge proportions of their Sumo wrestlers. Also, in accordance with Japanese culture female Akita's were not used as fighters, only males were combat dogs, with bitches used as companions or guard dogs. The dogs, just like the rest of this well ordered oriental society had to observe strict rules, and rules applied then, still apply to modern Japanese dog fights. It was important that the dogs maintained their dignity and fought in silence, any sound uttered was cause for disqualification. Bouts were timed and took place then, as now, within a bamboo fighting pit, with the referee and owners perched on the side of the pit wall, (the dogs were so huge there wasn't much too room inside). A museum exists in Tosa province, solely dedicated to Tosa transporters, large decorative wooden crates with a handle at each corner, used to carry the contestants to the fighting arena.

    As the fighting Akita developed, they began to get larger, losing the original form of the hunting breed and becoming almost unrecognisable from the original breed (this was to such a degree, that in 1931 the Akita was given the status of Government protected animal). Japan's policy of national isolation ended in 1858 and with the western traders, keen to get an economic foothold in the Far East, came their dogs. Among them were the Mastiffs and fighting Bulldogges whose history had been so similar to that of the Akita. The purveyors of dog fighting began to use these newly imported Mastiffs which were vastly superior to the fighting Akita. The Japanese were to be commended however, as they didn't discard their own native breed of dog as many nations would have done (and still do. See how Britain own working dogs, the Bull Mastiff and the Airedale were discarded by the British in favour of the GSD) Instead the Japanese began to blend the western dogs with their own fighting Akita types and from this the Tosa was born.

    The name "Tosa" comes from a region on the island of Shikoku in Kochi province, where the new type of fighting dog was developed, in very much the same way that Boston in America was an early centre for Pit Bull evolution. The early Tosa's looked quite different to the way they do today. Despite the infusion of western fighting dogs, they still had tightly curled tailsand erect ears in keeping with their Spitz ancestary. The infusion of Mastiff, Great Dane, fighting Bulldogge, Bull Mastiff and the Dogue De Bordeaux were used to create the dog now known as the Tosa. It is generally accepted that the Tosa developed during the Meiji period of Japanese history, between the years 1868 to 1912.

    The breed became very rare during the Second World War, as it was thought to be unpatriotic to keep such a large dog which required a lot of food, particularly when the country had trouble feeding its own people. The Japanese Emperor it was alleged kept a number of specimens within his palace, some of which were taken to the battle fronts, where fights were held for the entertainment of the troops. This was also in the hope that the dogs courage would inspire the soldiers in the battles ahead. Tosa's are fought according to weight and Champion dogs are adorned with ceremonial garb. This impressive array of garments consists of a huge rope collar, over a thick leather collar on which medals are hung. Silk robes are then draped over the dog, with a large heavily embroided apron hanging in front of the warrior, which is held on by two leads. There are a number of stories which have appeared in the Pit Bull press and in a couple of Richard Stratton's books, outlining how Tosa's have been "whipped" by pitbulls only a third of their size. Tosa's are large and tough and I find it hard to believe that in every instance, the pitbull being far smaller, has triumphed.

    The Tosa of today is a large breed by any standards. Generally being around 27-30 inches tall and weighing 100-150lbs, with some reaching over 200lbs. They show none of the problems of other giant breeds such as the Mastiff or the Neapolitan Mastiff. They come in a range of colours, with red being the most common, but white and black dogs are not uncommon. They are a very quiet dog, for obvious reasons and resemble what the English Mastiff must have looked like before the exhibition fraternity began breeding for bulk, foregoing any requirement for athleticism. Banned in Britain due to a round of hysteria by the tabloid press, the breed never had a chance. It arrived just as the American Pit Bull Terrier was at the height of its notoriety and the Tosa as a "fighting" breed was quickly thrown into the fray.

    I have been fortunate enough to handle the only Tosa in the UK. He resembles a very large pitbull, not surprising really as they have been bred for similar tasks. For such a big dog, he was tightly muscled and able to move with ease and grace. He certainly didn't lumber and it was easy to feel how powerful he was when holding him on the leash. Information on the Tosa is hard to come by. Although it is a recognised show dog in Europe and registered with the FCI, it is still very rare. It is slowly becoming more popular in the United States, where its size and quietness make it an excellent home guardian and manstopper.
     
  5. Akitas were always debated as better than a tosa it is just the rules are geared toward their winning. The no time limit rules seem to be when the Akita won, many people debated over which breeds were better. The best Akita wrecked the best Tosa sometimes as well. A Tosa is not going to last with an Akita and Akita today are part of the big three of gamebred dogs if you have fighting lines.
     
  6. Box Bulldog

    Box Bulldog Top Dog

    Akita is not a game bred dog. There a 15 minute wall jumping mangy cur. Your on the wrong site.
     
  7. Wow....Akitas?
    you are a fuking nut.
     
    Box Bulldog, david63 and Hazko like this.
  8. F.W.K.

    F.W.K. CH Dog

    [​IMG]
    Emperor Teisho in 1899 with his Akitas.

    The history of the Akita is rich and eventful. The origin of the breed lies in the Akita prefecture in northern Japan where the Akita was used as a hunting dog for the Yezo bear and the wild boar. Over the centuries, the best Samurai also had an Akita as their permanent companion and combat partner.
    Dog fights were very popular at the beginning of 1900 and to give the Akita even more power in the ring the Tosa Inu (also a Japanese dog-like dog) was crossed in to create more body. When the dog fights were banned in 1909, the breed had since changed from a few decades before.
    The Akita almost died out during the Second World War. Due to scarcity of food and the use of the Akita's coat to keep the soldiers warm, only a few dozen (hidden) Akitas have remained. The many American Soldiers present, however, had fallen for the Akita and took it back to their home country.

    The old type of Akita was slowly gaining popularity in Japan and the black masks had to make way for the so-called fox's head (less coarse and a white mask, except for the brindle-colored dog), much to the regret of some Japanese breeders, who thought it was prefer to see a slightly coarser dog.

    The American pit bull terrier is the most proven game dog in the world. That is an established fact.
    But the history of the ancient Akitas also appeals to the imagination.
     
  9. corvettedex

    corvettedex CH Dog

    Correct me if I'm wrong here, I read the The Akita was the oldest pure breed dog on the planet. Going back about 4000 years...
     
  10. Oh i quite agree,eventful history indeed..
    it was actully used for about three hundred years as a fighting dog.
    according to Hancock(and he has a reputation for being right with all history on all breeds of dog)in the Kamakura period witch was 1185-1333 AD.a regent called Hojo Takatoki promoted mass dog fighting,in witch involved hundreds of vicious dogs split into two teams and set against each other...im not sure were Hancock come up with that..but storys of this nature from this part of the world are common-if one looks into it all that is.
    Hancock goes on to say that from sometime between 1333 and 1568 AD(witch was known as the Muromachi period)large foreign breeds of dog were imported into Japan from Europe,known as Kara Inu.he says these were Mastiff type dogs used by warlords for hunting....he then goes on to mention from the Tokugawa to the Taisho era(1603-1925)the native breed of Akita was used both as a hunting dog and fighting dog.....
    he also makes mention of the Tosa.and says it was originally called a Kochi(a stain of Akita perhaps?)that was improved with Mastiff,Bullmastiff,Bulldog(probably the ancester of the APBT perhaps?)Bullterrier(probaly similare to Bulldogs?) and Great Dane(not sure why?)to produce a combat dog in the Meiji era, witch was between 1868 and 1912.
    Im indabated to Hancock for that..i really am.

    Thanks for getting the history talk rolling out of this thread.

    All the best mate.
    have a good weekend.
     
  11. @ FWK
     
    F.W.K. likes this.
  12. Not sure on that lol...
    but i was told a spitz type dog was the oldest found.at 10.000 years ago i think?....
    ive seen the carving and it could be a spitz type or a collie/sheepdog type..
    its obviously the first attempt at demestocting wild sort of dogs..perhaps wolves?
    it could hardly be called a breed at that time.but a dog yes.
     
    david63 likes this.
  13. AGK

    AGK Super duper pooper scooper Administrator

    Lol before I got into bulldogs I almost got into Akitas. So glad I didn't. Too large and too much hair. That and the fact they are 1 person type dogs. I didn't have kids at the time so I wasn't really thinking about that part then. I like all dogs and I do like the look of a proper Akita but I would never really want one after owning APBTs.

    For the person saying they'd whoop an APBT there is a good story about a match between the 2 in one of Strattons books. The one with the kid on the cover.
    The Akita got spanked in short order. I've seen matches when smart kennels site was still around and them dogs were getting the brakes beat off em with overweight petbulls. They wouldn't stand a chance against an real APBT unless it managed to kill it in under 10 to 15 minutes. After that, they are not scratching back, they are going be looking for a fast exit like most any other breed.
     
  14. corvettedex

    corvettedex CH Dog

    An old dog man mr. Kirby rest in peace used to breed Akitas he told me did he stop breeding them because he had a male get into the pen with a couple of German Rottweilers he purchased from Germany and kill them both. He said they were eerily silent if they didn't bark growl or make any noise. There's an old movie with Richard Gere in it called Hachi based on a true story if you hadn't seen it is very well worth watching. I would like to own a well-bred Japanese Akita for protection dog but I don't want no garbage and that's about all I see locally around here in my neck of the woods.
     
    david63 likes this.
  15. The japanese culture fascinate me, i hope that one day i could visit this country. :D
     
    FrozenEli likes this.
  16. corvettedex

    corvettedex CH Dog

    AGK , you certainly did your homework on the Akita. There are said to be a one mans dog. Not a family pet. I read an old book many years ago , "The World of Fighting Dogs" by Dr Carl Semencic. He mentioned several different breeds.
     
    david63 likes this.
  17. Box Bulldog

    Box Bulldog Top Dog

    I know the Bully Kutta from India (Indian Mastiff) has been around for a very long time as well. Who really knows how old breeds are and how much they have changed.
     
    david63 likes this.
  18. The big body makes them overheat easily. That's why most Tosa dogs that (I've) seen didn't go over 40 minutes. If they did, they'd risk overheating. They also are very quiet, making them the winner in most "rings" IF cajun rules aren't present, since you are disqualified if your dog is noisy/makes noise.
     
  19. QuinneA

    QuinneA Pup

    Reading all the information here I really learned a lot of new things I didn't know about until now and I really thank you for that. In general, I always love to have as much information as possible from various fields because in this way I develop multilaterally. I also know a lot about sports because there was a time when I was super interested in it, especially about the most popular spin bikes that I studied a lot about because I was particularly interested.
     

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