Japanese Precision Walking Competition Group Action 2011

August 21, 2023 6:37 AM

集団行動　group action 2011年　Japanese Precision Walking Competition [14m] I won't even pretend to understand much of what is going on here. The introduction is long, and the real action begins around 1m42s. There's a grace and skill and wit on display here, and if you're around for the very end, they execute some maneuvers that even to my amateur eye look VERY amazing, as if they hadn't done enough before.
posted by hippybear (24 comments total)

There's probably some highly intelligent and insightful things to say about this style of performance embodying Japanese cultural ideals but did you see that animation frame thing they did?? That was SO COOL.

I can feel all the jokes/references I'm not understanding, being hopelessly American, but what an impressive and fun video regardless!
posted by Baethan at 7:05 AM on August 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

There's obviously an amazing amount of skill, practice, and dedication on display here, and I don't mean to detract, but amplify.

Imagine doing all those maneuvers and more, while playing a tuba, and you have Drum Corps International.
posted by Scienxe at 7:25 AM on August 21, 2023 [6 favorites]

Dammit, got a "video disabled by owner" message when I tried to watch it.
posted by slogger at 7:30 AM on August 21, 2023

I approve.

Am also a person who took my child to local college marching band PRACTICE sessions because of love of this shit. With drums and horns, preferably. People doing collective patterns with bodies are a joy.
posted by Silvery Fish at 7:39 AM on August 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

There's probably some highly intelligent and insightful things to say about this style of performance embodying Japanese cultural ideals but did you see that animation frame thing they did?? That was SO COOL.

Agreed - it was subtle and took me a second to catch onto (it starts around 7:30 or so and goes past 8m) but it was endlessly inventive.

Two other things stood out for me:

1) On the large "group" maneuvers where they make a sharp turn, it was incredible to see the outside members manage to speed up but stay on cadence to cover the longer paths they had to.

2) The last two "meshing" things they did in the last minute were nothing short of full on acrobatastic fucking amazing.
posted by Thistledown at 7:53 AM on August 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

Also, if you like this sort of thing, if any of you guys are ever in DC, look into seeing the evening parade at the USMC barracks on 8th and I.

That silent drill team is an amazing thing to see.
posted by Thistledown at 7:54 AM on August 21, 2023

If this is your cup of tea, the last DDR paradey-thing featured this sick move.
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 8:05 AM on August 21, 2023

Boot the horse sports and put this in the Olympics
posted by fluttering hellfire at 8:15 AM on August 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

Is this a routine that they have carefully practiced in all its pieces or is the guy calling things out telling them what to do? It is impressive either way, but if it is not pre-choreographed then my mind is blown.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:25 AM on August 21, 2023

Heywood Mogroot III, I was surprised, confused, and elated at the idea of a "DDR paradey-thing" but the video was cool even though it featured East Germany fancy military stuff instead
posted by Baethan at 8:29 AM on August 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

DDR = Deutche Demokratiche Republik = East Germany

DDR does also mean Dance Dance Revolution.
posted by hippybear at 8:44 AM on August 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

~ 7:28 for the freeze frame move.
~13:10 for the interleaving (and reverse interleaving) finale.

Here's a more recent exhibition where the flight attendant costumes have been done away with.

And here's a compilation of some great moves.
posted by xigxag at 9:21 AM on August 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

The coolest marching I've ever seen was at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo probably 20 years ago. This recent video is the best I could find but at 20:01 it has the move I remember most where two groups walked through each other at an off angle.

So satisfying that that's the finale of this performance, too! Though backwards (and in heels?)
posted by macrael at 11:01 AM on August 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

the mid-routine addition of the japanese version of snsd's gee was not what i was expecting, but it was a fun addition
posted by i used to be someone else at 11:26 AM on August 21, 2023

DDR?

Frage: Was sind die drei großen Nationen der Welt, beginnend mit "U"?
Antwort: USA, UdSSR, und unsere DDR.

on a different note, the sort of collective action has been adapted and used to wonderful effect by genki sudo's world order (previously)
posted by i used to be someone else at 11:37 AM on August 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

The whole DDR thing was weirdly political in the Eighties, too. Bundesrepublic Deutchland was NEVER referred to in the West as the BRD, although in the DDR, that's how they always referred to it.
posted by hippybear at 11:43 AM on August 21, 2023

Huh, this DDR thing is some kind of generational shibboleth because it never even occurred to me that it could mean anything but Dance Dance Revolution.
posted by star gentle uterus at 11:43 AM on August 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

This reminds me of navy boot camp, where we got weirdly competitive about doing sick marching moves that other companies couldn't do, while simultaneously knowing it was... of no practical use. The things people will do for bragging rights.

Although, that interleaving thing should be taught in schools, because it made me think of Yokohama station when it's busy.
posted by ctmf at 3:14 PM on August 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Speaking of coordinated group movements in Japan--Summer is when we have Obon, a major holiday when everyone travels back to their hometowns for family reunions.

A big part of the festivities is the Bon-odori (group folk dances for Obon), and a particularly famous example is the Awa Odori Festival. You can view the NHK livestream of the 2023 festival on Youtube here.

(Lots of notable moments, but a selection: the classic styles of onna-odori ("women's dance") here or here, or otoko-odori ("men's dance," though female dancers participate too) here; children's groups e.g. here; musicians parading along with the dancers e.g. here; an inter-weaving type move here; an international group from the Tokushima International Association here; some comic performers here here and here...)
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 4:34 PM on August 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

Could. Not. Stop. Watching.
posted by kozad at 7:18 PM on August 21, 2023

Of note, almost all the clips you will see of this (as in the ones already linked) are being done by students of the Nippon Sports Science University, which is what it says on the box, a university for sports - they produce athletes and sports educators. Gymnastics fans will note that several of Japan's Olympic medalists have graduated from there.

It's sort of a misnomer to call it a competition. It's actually part of the school annual exhibition. They're not competing against anyone else.

Here is a livestream of the 2021 event. The precision walking is towards the end. This past year is broken up into different videos.
posted by LostInUbe at 10:08 PM on August 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

Well, they're just about good enough to compete in New Zealand I suppose.

(I'm going to have to do the FPP about the sport of marching for girls and New Zealand, aren't I).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:22 PM on August 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

(I'm going to have to do the FPP about the sport of marching for girls and New Zealand, aren't I).

I can't think of anyone better.
posted by hippybear at 6:18 AM on August 22, 2023

Huh, this DDR thing is some kind of generational shibboleth because it never even occurred to me that it could mean anything but Dance Dance Revolution.

one could argue the marching thingy linked earlier is definitely DDR:

eine Deutsche Dance Revolution
posted by i used to be someone else at 1:19 PM on August 22, 2023 [2 favorites]