By Andrew Overton

   Until I have come to Japan, I’ve never had any formal table tennis training. In the US, it can be hard to find table tennis lessons, and when you do find them, they can be up to $70/hour. In many cities, table tennis clubs are virtually non-existent. In Japan, it’s a totally different story. I played table tennis at local gyms, attended weekly tournaments in local community centers, and trained at an elite table tennis dojo. At the end of the day, I would watch the evening table tennis training show with Japan’s women’s champion, “Ai-chan.”

   Table tennis in Japan is very popular and very formal; even if it’s at a local gym around the corner. The gym, “Megalos,” in Koganei-shi, suburb of Tokyo, has weekly table tennis club meetings. In order to play, I had to sign up a day in advance and arrive promptly for the warm-up and stretching. Stretching must be done with the rest of the group. If you come late, you are not allowed to play, period. You also have to wear inside shoes and be a member of the fitness club, which is not a bad deal, considering there is a pool, massage chairs, sauna/spa, steam room, tanning, and free smoothie samples. There are also a number of other programs like dancing, aerobics, and personal training. The staff members are all very friendly and outgoing. Each time we met, they would greet me and bow.

   The local Koganei City Table Tennis club is less friendly, but not less formal. In addition to wearing inside shoes and signing up in advance, you are not allowed to stand on the gym floor and are required to sit and watch on the bleachers if you do not have permission to play. The club is open every day from morning to evening. The skill level at this club is noticeably higher and the players are a lot more serious than at the Megalos gym. They even wear club uniforms of white jerseys, shorts, and special table tennis shoes. As a trend, many of them wear head bands. On weekends, the club holds large tournaments. On Saturday, I walked in on a huge city-wide doubles tournament. I’ve never seen so many people playing table tennis before. There were over 20 tables on the floor with a referee in a white shirt and tie sitting in front of each table, keeping track of the score. All the players were dressed in matching team uniforms. Most of them were in middle age. Often a husband and wife would be on the same doubles team playing against another pair. However, there was a sizeable minority of young people in the tournament as well, who would often pose for their special game stances. The skill level was very high and the rallies were always very quick. Another community center that I visited is located not far from Tokkyu station. It has a permanent daily facility for table tennis with 10 tables. During the day, people come here to play and in the evenings, there are programs for youth. I went there with my good friends who I met back in Seattle, the Ishii family. Ryusuke brought his friend Himi over and we practiced at the gym. I found out from them that there are formal lessons in the evenings and even special table tennis training workshops on weekends.

   While community centers are fun to visit, I got the most from my trip by attending the Mitaka ITS Table Tennis Dojo. Dojo, is Japanese word for any club with a training facility. The first table tennis dojo I have seen was in the movie “Ping Pong”, where Smile and Peco first met and learned how to play. The ITS Dojo is one of the most prestigious and renown table tennis clubs in Japan. It has a fascinating history. Legend has it that it was formerly the home of one of Japan’s top table tennis players, who, being well-off, left it to the table tennis club. It is a three story facility with 6-7 tables on each floor. In addition to tables, there is a robot training area, weight room, dining room, locker rooms, and all you can drink delicious green tea. The facility is very clean, organized, and professionally maintained. For almost a week, I spent most of my day there from 9 AM to 10 PM. In the mornings there are classes with seniors and housewives, in the afternoons there are more classes for different groups, and in the evenings, it’s time for the junior team training. Each group has 10-12 people.

   Before even touching the racket, it’s necessary to do about 10 minutes worth of stretching exercises. As you can imagine, I felt pretty sore at the end of the day. After the stretching, I worked on at least 3 drills and rotated around the room to each table. That way, I had a chance to meet a number of people who had different skill levels and styles. Each drill consisted of about 3 steps and then followed open rallying. It takes a lot of concentration and practice to master the steps of each drill. A common drill that I worked on was to return an under-spin serve, return your opponent’s drive with a chop, and then smash. Another drill was moving and continuously hitting backhands and forehands from the left and right corners of the table.

   During the youth classes, everyone has individual progress reports where the coaches marked off a set of drills that we had completed. In the first class, the kids ranged from 6-10 years old, but the skill level was already very high. There were also a large number of girls compared to boys in this group. I got through about 4 basic forehand and backhand drills where I had to hit the ball 10 times across. The drills got more and more complex with each step in the progress report. I got stuck when I had to do a backhand from the left corner, a turn and a forehand, a forehand from center, a forehand from right, a turn and a backhand from right, a backhand from center, and then start over. The key point in these drills is practicing and mastering not only the basic strokes, but being able to move quickly and consistently around the table. In fact, movement is the main difference between table tennis and ping pong. If you move by running and jumping, you can send the ball to more places, and you can return the ball from more places, too. You can also get a real work out and significantly improve your health.

   In each class there are 2 coaches. The coaches are very friendly, polite, professional, and helpful. The head coach, Mr. Oribe-san, speaks English fluently. He is a top player in Japan and competed with table tennis legends like Jan-Ove Waldner, who was the last foreigner to enter the club before me. As he demonstrates the techniques, he does it a few times with both shake hand and pen hold. It is amazing to see his mastery of both grips. In between training sessions, he likes to tell anecdotes and do tricks. One time, he showed a few illegal serves with strong spins which, if done right, are practically impossible to return. I stood stunned in silence after watching the assistant coaches try to helplessly return them. These serves are well known to international level players and are considered illegal at world-class competitions. He is so good, that he can smash and know where the ball is going to land even after it leaves the table. On one occasion, with a strong blow, the ball knocked off my empty soda can from the stool after one bounce on the table. Ace! He quipped that I wasn’t supposed to bring soda into the room. It reminds me of a tale that I read about a legendary army officer who spends his free time lying on his couch with a revolver and shooting flies. After taking down the fly, he would say to his cat, “Dinner is served.”

   The coaches monitor you closely and let you know when you are doing something wrong. One time, I was hitting backhands with Coach Satoru Onuma. He was frowning the whole time, and I asked myself, “Did I say something wrong?” Unfortunately, besides Mr. Oribe, the coaches do not get a lot of practice speaking English, and most often I had to explain myself with my very limited Japanese vocabulary. Satoru stopped the drill and took me aside to a chalkboard, got a piece of chalk and started drawing a big circle. I wondered, “Whoa, what the heck is this guy doing?” On top of the circle he drew a stick figure and a down arrow pointing towards the center of the circle. He said, “You Americans...” and then I was like, “Oh oh, now I am really going to get it.” It turns out that in Japan, there is this traditional dance where people duck by bending their knees and then standing up again. The circle indicated the earth and the down arrow meant gravity. It was an analogy, because in table tennis, before hitting the ball, you are supposed to turn, duck, and then raise your body upwards as you hit the ball. The upward motion of your body, lifts the ball and guides its motion as it flies quickly and accurately to its target.

   In the evening, I trained with the more advanced youth groups, where the age range was from 10 years the early 20’s. It was pretty hard to keep up with these guys. Not only did they have ‘mad’ skills, but the training was more intense with more jogging, pushups, sit-ups, squats, and a totally new exercise - laps around the table. I had to do laps from one side of the net to the other and beat my opponent who was on the other side of the table. The first person to do 20 laps wins. On Wednesdays, the club holds open junior tournaments, with some of the best juniors participating. One guy was only 11 years old and he was already on Japan’s junior national team. I have never seen anybody so small with so much attitude. With his national team jersey and bleached hair, the tot would double pump his tiny fist, stomp his foot, jump up and down, wave his paddle, and yell “Cho!” after winning every point. If he had to lose, he would step away from a table, and give one of the longest rants, which I would be terrified to translate. Upon returning, he would finish up games in short, methodical steps, always ahead of his opponent. It was like watching a Samurai version of Mini-Me from “Austin Powers” at work.

   Moreover, there are table tennis lessons on TV. The show is absolutely amazing with cool animations and professional actors. Of course, the main actor is the head coach, “Ai-chan”, who is one of the best women’s players in the world, and the top player in Japan. It is fun to watch how Ai-chan teaches beginners how to play . It would be nice to have a similar show in the United States. This way more people would be exposed to the sport and learn about the right technique and equipment.

   Looking back at my time in Japan, I wish that I would have trained in the Dojo a little longer. Though, in one week in Japan, I learned more about table tennis than I had over a year of playing the sport in local clubs in the US. Real coaching can make a major difference. Learning from an international level player like Mr. Oribe, who has truly mastered the sport , is an experience that is truly unforgettable. I will remember Mr. Oribe and his assistant coaches when I hit backhands, forehands, and do chops. This memory will always be with me.

   In the United States, many people develop their skills at clubs and give each other advice.

   I would eagerly take advice, but I have to stress that myself, like most people who play table tennis, really need lessons, before being able to take that advice and do something good with it. Lessons enable you to master technique and obtain consistency. Consistency and technique are very as important in table tennis. I remember very well the day when the head coach, Mr. Oribe told me, “Table tennis is a very intellectual sport.” After being exposed to tricky serves, spins, movements, and countless positions at the dojo, I came closer to appreciating that fact.

   I fully comprehend that my table tennis experience in Japan was truly an exceptional once-in-a-life time event. I want to sincerely thank all the folks from Butterfly, Mr. Oribe-san, the Ishii family, the players from Koganei Club, and the coaches from Mitaka Dojo, Satoru Onuma, Kazu, and Oska-san, who made me feel like I was at home. It was truly an honor to be around such wonderful people. Surprisingly, the intense training and such a sudden exposure to table tennis has also helped me realize that table tennis is not just about competition, but it is about staying in shape, meeting new people and having a good time together. A common question I get from people is “what is the main difference between table tennis in US and Japan?” They wonder about the skill level, strategy, any special moves, or styles. For me, the biggest difference is the community centered approach. At the training sessions, people would rotate from table to table, so you could play people from different skill levels. That way, people can learn from each other, adapt to different styles, and more importantly, get to know each other. In Japan, table tennis is treated as much more of a social, team-oriented activity, whereas in the United States, especially in Seattle, it seems to be sort of an individual thing that people like to do. This, I think, is an important difference. Without strong support even good players can be broken and will have to leave the sport. In the movie “Ping Pong” where would Peco be without the support of his best friend Smile, his coach Butterfly Joe, and his school’s table tennis team? Of course, there are many factors to consider, such as the more advanced development of the sport in Japan and its community-oriented culture. Nevertheless, I feel that it is a strong sense of community and solidarity that drives the juniors in ITS Mitaka to excel and even those Japanese grandmothers to take lessons and talk about them over lunch. It’s a fun sport that brings people together to stay fit, have a good time, and socialize. In the end, that’s what really matters.