Mr. Hiroshi Tanahashi “Accept pain with the pectoralis major” Tips for life in professional wrestling: Nikkei Cross Trends

Hiroshi Tanahashi, star player of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Self-proclaimed as “one in 100 years” and with mottos of “never get tired”, “never get depressed”, and “never give up”, he has an unexpected face “consultant concern consultation” for women’s web media “OTEKOMACHI “. There is In December 2022, Mr. Tanahashi a collection of answers, “Taking that worry with your pectoral muscles” (Chuokoron Shinsha). How did a professional wrestler with an extremely positive mindset challenge familiar life concerns such as work, love, and old age problems?

Professional wrestlers train their pectoral muscles to “catch”

── “Take that worry with your pectoral muscles” is a collection of answers to the consultations sent to the “Trouble Consultation” corner of the web media “OTEKOMACHI” for women in their 30s and 40s. Mr. Tanahashi is the only male counselor in the corner. How did you feel when you got the request?

How will a professional wrestler, who usually stands in the ring with his body stretched out, respond to familiar concerns at work or at home? I thought the fun of Gap would get people interested, and it would be an opportunity to expand the base of professional wrestling. Women tend to view professional wrestling as “painful and scary” and “what men watch”. It would be nice if we could give them a soft impression and feel familiar with them by giving them advice on their troubles.

It’s been almost 24 years since I became a professional wrestler, and there were times when I was able to perform great, but there were also times when it was difficult for me to receive recognition from professional wrestling fans. The things I kept thinking about without giving up in that process have accumulated inside me and become assets. I also wanted to not only keep it to myself, but also help everyone by consulting concerns.

Hiroshi Tanahashi “The trouble, take it with the pectoralis major muscle” (Chuokoron Shinsha)

Released in December 2022

── It’s a title with a strong impact.

I think it’s a good title that makes you feel the strength and power of a professional wrestler and matches the content. Professional wrestlers train their pectoral muscles especially compared to athletes in other sports. That’s because professional wrestling is also a sport where you grab your opponent’s chops and kicks with your pectoral muscles and set them with a stubborn attitude saying, “Your tricks won’t work!” With the pectoralis major muscles that have suffered such training pain, I am full of enthusiasm that I will accept any consultation.

In addition, the pectoralis major muscle becomes hard and strong when you apply force, but when it is relaxed, it is actually very soft. Therefore, it also has the meaning that the answer to the consultation is as soft as the pectoralis major muscle and overflows with kindness. I just thought about this (laughs).

A “concerned consultation” matches a tag with the consultant

──How do you find the answers to your troubles every time?

As you can see from the title, we start by acknowledging the concerns of our consultants. In order to get stronger in professional wrestling, it is essential to actually accept the opponent’s technique with your body. Find out how much damage you can withstand, and when you take damage you can’t stand, practice and take countermeasures to overcome it. Pro wrestlers can become stronger by accepting techniques and pain.

I had an epiphany that this stance is the same for consultations about concerns. In order to take everyone’s concerns head on, we start by reading the consultation text carefully. I became a professional wrestler straight out of university, so I have no experience working for a company, and in most cases I have little in common with the person I am consulting with gender, occupation, age, and relationship with people around. me First of all, read the sentence over and over again and try to stand in the counsellor’s position. Gradually, from the subtlety of the sentences, such as the small phrasing, the choice of words, and the difference in tension in some parts, the core of the trouble between the lines comes to light bit by bit.

── There is a suggestion in the text of the consultation itself.

As you read through the text, it may appear that you are discussing one problem, but in fact, many problems are intricately intertwined. For example, in the case of a woman who is worried that she wants to marry early but her boyfriend doesn’t want to, there are actually many obstacles such as impatience with age, anxiety about not knowing how much her boyfriend feel, and financial. There are many problems.

In that case, organize your concerns and think about priorities, think about several patterns of action options, think about what the more fundamental problem is causing those concerns, and try to make a mistake. How can I solve it, and if not, what are the alternatives? In the case of the woman I mentioned earlier, if she decides to break up with her boyfriend, there is also a future where she remains unmarried. After all, no matter which option you choose, there are pros and cons, and there is no 100-point answer to your concerns.

However, if you read the client’s text carefully, there are many cases where you will find that you have already found the answer, but are still at a loss to make a decision. Finding and presenting the answer and giving a little push on the back, I think of advice aiming for 80 or 85 points so that they reach the goal with a feeling of satisfaction that “this is good”. It’s like a game of tag where the person I consulted with cooperated and challenged an opponent called “Worry Mask” together (laughs).

Mr. Tanahashi, who responded to a remote interview from Hokkaido, where he was on an expedition