Yamada, SASUKE 23
Yamada Katsumi (山田 克己) is a SASUKE All-Star who first competed in SASUKE 1, making it to the Second Stage but ultimately failing the Goren Hammer. He would go on to compete 20 more times, missing only SASUKE 13. He was given the nickname "Mr. SASUKE" because he was once thought to be the most likely competitor to clear all four stages.
Personal History
Yamada's home course, © tomo-CR さん
He is particularly notable for his unusual devotion to SASUKE. He has sworn to retire several times after failing to complete the 1st Stage, but the draw of kanzenseiha is too great for him and he always manages to resurface again. Earlier on, he competed with the support of his family, but after he lost his job prior to the 6th competition because the factory where he worked (as a propane tank delivery driver) was closed, he did nothing but train for SASUKE, alienating his family in the process. He continues to train at his home even today. He has constructed several SASUKE obstacles and trains there daily.
He has held various jobs over the years, including delivering propane tanks and working in the steel industry, but he now devotes all his time to SASUKE training, only holding a part-time job. He has also vowed to retire several times (after SASUKE 8 and SASUKE 17, for example), but has only missed one tournament.
SASUKE History
Yamada failing the Final Stage in SASUKE 3
Yamada was one of the strongest competitors in the early competitions. After making his debut in SASUKE 1, he would clear the First Stage in every tournament through SASUKE 6. In that time, he failed the Second Stage 3 times (in SASUKE 1, SASUKE 2, and SASUKE 5) and the Third Stage twice (in SASUKE 4 on the Cliff Hanger and SASUKE 6's Pipe Slider). In SASUKE 3, Yamada was one of five men to reach the Final Stage. Of those five, Yamada did best, being only about a foot short of kenzenseiha.
SASUKE 7 was the first time that Yamada was unable to clear the First Stage. Before the 8th competition, Yamada had announced his retirement. He took on the 1st Stage, and ran out of time on the Soritatsu Kabe. Clearly emotional, Yamada just stood there in defeat for a few seconds. Then unexpectedly, he ran and climbed over the wall with ease and completed the Rope Climb quickly. It was a very emotional moment in SASUKE.
Yamada's retirement did not last long; he returned for SASUKE 9 and reached the Second Stage, only to time out (see below). In the 10th Competition, Yamada was the only All-Star to complete the First Stage and the only one who made it to the Pipe Slider, however he failed the Pipe Slider and since then hasn't returned to the Third Stage. His emotional interview after his failure prompted him to say one of the most famous lines in the history of the show, "俺には…、SASUKEしかないんですよ" which literally means, "For me, there is nothing else except SASUKE."
He would clear the First Stage in SASUKE 11 and SASUKE 12, but would fail the Second Stage both times. Yamada would not compete in the 13th SASUKE, even though he earned a spot during the SASUKE 13 Trials, but would re-appear at SASUKE 14. However, since his return in that competition, he has yet to clear the First Stage.
Failures
Yamada has failed in some interesting, surprising, and painful ways over the years.
In the 5th competition, while attempting the Rolling Maruta, the log fell of the track and he almost got disqualified for touching the water. In the second stage, his left leg slipped while on the Spider Walk, which results in failure.
In the 6th competition, he made the swing from the Pipe Slider to the mat but lost his balance and rolled off the side onto the ground.
In the 9th competition, Yamada timed out on the 2nd Stage on the Wall Lifting obstacle. This can be attributed to his spending nearly 20 seconds removing tape he applied to his shoes for stickiness rather then applying sticky spray to his hands in preparation for the Spider Walk.
In the 11th competition, Yamada fell on the Balance Tank, landing with one leg on each side (in effect straddling the Tank) before being rolled into the water.
In the 12th competition, Yamada failed to remove his gloves after completing the Chain Reaction, a mental error which disqualified him, even though he did complete the Second Stage in time. (See main article, Yamada Katsumi's Glove Disqualification)
In SASUKE 14, Yamada failed the Jump Hang, an obstacle that had rarely given him any trouble in the past. In SASUKE 15, Yamada would clear the Cross Bridge obstacle, but would come off it with too much momentum, lose his balance, and fall off the course.
Results
| SASUKE | # | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 92 | Failed Goren Hammer (Second Stage) | |
| 2 | 91 | Failed Spider Walk (Second Stage) | |
| 3 | 89 | Failed Rope Climb (Final Stage) | Time Out. 14.5m up. Last Man Standing. |
| 4 | 100 | Failed Cliff Hanger (Third Stage) | |
| 5 | 100 | Failed Spider Walk (Second Stage) | |
| 6 | 99 | Failed Pipe Slider (Third Stage) | Yamada landed poorly on the finish mat and toppled sideways onto the ground. Last Man Standing |
| 7 | 100 | Failed Rope Climb (First Stage) | Time Out |
| 8 | 100 | Failed Soritatsu Kabe (First Stage) | Time Out. |
| 9 | 99 | Failed Wall Lifting (Second Stage) | Time Out. |
| 10 | 1000 | Failed Pipe Slider (Third Stage) | Last Man Standing |
| 11 | 100 | Failed Balance Tank (Second Stage) | |
| 12 | 98 | Failed Spider Walk (Second Stage) | See Yamada Katsumi's Glove Disqualification |
| 14 | 99 | Failed Jump Hang (First Stage) | |
| 15 | 99 | Failed Cross Bridge (First Stage) | He cleared the bridge, but then lost his balance immediately thereafter and fell off the course. |
| 16 | 99 | Failed Rope Climb (First Stage) | Time Out |
| 17 | 100 | Failed Soritatsu Kabe (First Stage) | Time Out. Was at the top as time expired. |
| 18 | 73 | Failed Rope Ladder (First Stage) | Time Out |
| 19 | 91 | Failed Jumping Spider (First Stage) | |
| 20 | 1999 | Failed Jumping Spider (First Stage) | |
| 21 | 96 | Failed Soritatsu Kabe (First Stage) | Time Out |
| 22 | 81 | Failed Jumping Spider (First Stage) | |
| 23 | 71 | Failed Slider Jump (First Stage) |
External Links
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