About this episode
Michael Jay shares his experiences as the first foreign participant in the Soma Nomaoi, a traditional Japanese wild horse chase.
In 1977, Michael Jay from England becomes the first foreigner to take part in the Soma Nomaoi which celebrates classical martial arts and military horsemanship. The Soma wild horse chase in Japan is an annual three day event and dates back to the 10th Century. Michael participated for 17 years, earning the rank of group commander. He speaks to Jen Dale about the honour and challenges of taking part. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and…
People in this episode
Host: Jen Dale
Guest: Michael Jay
Topics covered
- martial arts
- history
- cultural events
- sports
- personal stories
Keywords
- Soma Nomaoi
- Michael Jay
- martial arts
- Japan
- sports history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC World Service
Places: Japan
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