Saturday’s Matsuri Battle at LA Boxing in Torrance was full of excitement, energy and taiko!
Definitely one of the most epic set-ups ever experienced - a single slant style taiko drum sat in the middle of the boxing ring with the ji-players, or rock-solids, positioned in the corner. Individuals and Taiko Teams duked it out in the ring, playing their hearts out and giving their all.
At the conclusion of each battle, the audience voted who they thought won by standing or kneeling.
The evening started with one vs one battle pitting Akihiro Ando against a Gorilla!
Next was Janelle You/Christine Truong vs. Yuta Kato/Jason Osajima.
Then, the first team vs. team battle, California State University Northridge’s Jishin Taiko vs. Loyola Marymount University’s Shin Kanarazu Daiko.
To close the evening, two community groups battled in epic proportions - West Los Angeles’s PROTA vs. San Diego’s Naruwan.
All the battles and soloists were fun, creative, and an inspiration to watch.
There were great surprises, cool new moves and even a one-armed push up competition surprise!
Be on the look out for videos and photos recapping the event, and join the next one in March!
(Photo of The Ring by Jack San of Naruwan, San Diego)