Elite Japanese female wrestlers featured at Kintaro World Team Gold Medal Camp

Even more interesting was the Olympic gold medalist, her coach, and the other two clinicians were from Japan.

The unique Kintaro World Team Gold Medal Camp for girls was held at the Billings Skyview lower gym this past week, concluding on Saturday. The three-day event drew approximately 20 girls ranging from ages 9 to 18, with a majority of the participants from Montana.

One of the campers was from the Canada, another from Idaho, and one from Utah.

All seemed interested in learning at the camp on Saturday and as the event wrapped up several approached the Japanese female wrestlers for autographs.

The clinicians from Japan included 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Mayu Shidochi, her personal coach and husband Shota Shidochi and Japan senior national team members Yasuha Matsuyuki and Naruha Matsuyuki.

Organizers, including camp director Travis Carpenter of Billings and American Kintaro World Teams founder and director Bob Charette of Billings, arranged for their Japanese guests to visit Yellowstone National Park, Pompeys Pillar, Cooke City and the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Wyoming.

The wrestlers arrived from Japan on Tuesday and were set to depart on Aug. 9. They’ve also enjoyed barbecues, and were to go to the Little Bighorn Battlefield and shopping. A game of dodge ball and another social was to occur later Saturday.

But, even with all of the cultural-exchange opportunities Mayu Shidochi said her favorite part of the camp was working with the young wrestlers.

“Of course, they took us sightseeing, but more fun was the camp,” Mayu Shidochi said through a translator. “It seems they are enjoying it and having fun at the camp. I learned a lot from them. It was a good experience.”

Shidochi said the wrestlers’ skill levels were solid and she appreciated the energy they brought to the mat.

Shota Shidochi said that while there was a language barrier between himself, the Japanese wrestlers and the females attending the camp, they were able to overcome that in demonstrating the wrestling moves slowly and multiple times.

He said that the wrestlers and himself enjoyed working with the campers and “if you invite us, I would love to come back again.”

Like his wife, Shota Shidochi said he enjoyed the interaction with those he met.

“Everything, but especially meeting the new people and talking to them,” Shota Shidochi said through the interpreter of what he liked about the experience.

Carpenter said the focus of the camp was on freestyle technique.

“It’s not often we are able to bring over a higher-level caliber wrestler, let alone an Olympic gold medalist,” he said.

Kassidee Savaria, who will be a senior at Billings Skyview when school begins later this month, is a two-time undefeated state champion for the Falcons. She said working out with the Japanese national team members will help her achieve her goal of winning a third straight state title.

“I’m here to get better and learn from Olympic athletes,” she said. “I’m here because it teaches me different techniques and ways to think about stuff.”

Over the past two high school seasons, Savaria is 38-0 with all of her wins by fall. She has won the state 205-pound title the past two seasons. Savaria said there were opportunities for her to wrestle against the Japanese national team members at the camp.

“It sounds weird, but it’s been fun getting a harder match and beat up a little bit,” she said. “It pushes me to go harder.”

KyLee Lindsley will be a sophomore at Belgrade during the 2022-23 school year. She said the opportunity to learn from elite Japanese wrestlers drew her to the camp.

“It’s a really cool experience,” she said. “It’s not every day people come from so far away to help us. It is really cool, there are a lot of younger kids here.”

Like Savaria, Lindsley said she also wrestled against the Japanese athletes during the camp.

“It is crazy, I didn’t think in my life I’d be wrestling with an Olympic gold medalist,” she said. “It’s insane and crazy.

“It’s crazy I’ve been wrestling with them. It’s definitely fun.”