2019 World’s Strongman Man (WSM) champion Martins Licis traveled across Japan on his first solo trip without his cameraman, Romark Weiss. Despite his absence, Weiss challenged Licis to speak Japanese to locate the nation’s most fascinating strength athletes.
Early in his quest, Licis met a strength team known as “The Chicken Legs,” during their preparation for an Official Strongman Games (OSG) qualifier in Osaka and Kobe in February 2025. It fueled Licis’s passion for empowering the sport strongman in Asia.
“I want to grow my favorite sport of strongman everywhere. Asian countries have a lot of untapped potential, especially in lighter weight classes,” Licis shared.
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Meeting the Ninja Warrior Legend
Through Chicken Legs, Licis was introduced to 59-year-old Ninja Warrior icon Katsumi Yamada, who’s been competing in Japan’s televised Ninja Warrior tournaments since the inaugural contest in 1997, earning the nickname “Mr. Sasuke.” Yamada built his own backyard ninja-inspired obstacle course, reminding Licis of a “Steampunk Rube Goldberg Machine.”
When asked about his strategies for strength, Mr. Yamada replied, “I simply had Ninja Warrior on my mind from the minute I woke up to the time I went to sleep every day.” Yamada doesn’t believe the obstacles are difficult on their own. He feels “the hardest part is the mental aspect.”
Like a kid in a candy store, Licis took a shot at the salmon ladder, where he hung from a bar, and jumped to higher notches on the apparatus using pull-up momentum. Though he missed the first few, Licis eventually conquered the first level, earning praise for his strength. “I’m surprised he can do that at his weight. It’s amazing,” Licis overheard of his feat.
Encounters With Hidden Strength
After some fun on the strength playground, Licis continued his travels to Sapporo, north of Hokkaido. He found the adventure more fulfilling than the assignment that inspired his journey. Licis met Yuki, Japan’s top bench presser and left-handed arm wrestler.
They started with a few pointers on the arm wrestling table, of which Licis got the better of exchanges with his right arm. Licis suffered defeat with his left arm, marveling at his sparring partner’s “speed demon” technique. “I’m glad he’s deloading because it could have been a different outcome if he was fresh,” Licis confessed.
To conclude his voyage, Licis joined Yuki for a bench press session. Having never pressed with a bench press suit (a.k.a. equipped), which restricts movement for rigid form, Licis couldn’t lower the bar to his chest, admitting, “It was a surreal feeling.”
By the end of his voyage, Licis reflected on the universal language of strength. “Our monetary currency and spoken language may differ, but our iron and strength currency is always the same.”
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Featured image: @martinslicis on Instagram
