Episode 173: Ace Nav

October 21, 2026

For a professional, "imagining the near future" is an extremely important ability. The method is simple: First, decide on the goal (target). Then, try drawing a line from that goal all the way back to your current location right now.

When you do that, the sense of distance to the goal (which is surprisingly hard to grasp) and questions like "How do I get there?", "What skills do I need to acquire?", and "What am I lacking?" reveal the precise things you ought to do.

It's not just foresight, but "line-sight"—insight from drawing lines! Kita Kore! (Boom, nailed it!)

Think of a map app on a smartphone. Even if you input a destination, if your current location is unknown, it won't display a route. Conversely, even if you know your current location, if you don't have a destination, it's just a casual stroll. Only when you have both the goal and your current location does the road become visible for the first time.

In my case, the Dojo entrance exam was exactly like that. The goal was "standing in a New Japan Pro-Wrestling ring." My current location was a man who had failed twice. Drawing the line back, what was lacking wasn't just physical size.

On my second entrance test, I got way too pumped up the day before. After training, I kept reading 1・2 no Sanshiro (a classic pro-wrestling manga) while drenched in sweat, and magnificently caught a cold.

What was lacking was self-management. Even with plenty of motivation, physical condition management couldn't keep up. And on my third try, I finally passed.

What's important here is not getting disheartened even when you see what you're lacking. That's not a reason to feel down; it means you've obtained a "To-Do List." What you see ahead on that line isn't points for self-reproach, but room for growth.

Of course, drawing a line doesn't mean you can instantly arrive at the goal. There are times when you take the wrong road along the way, and times when steep slopes continue far more than expected.

At times like that, you just check your current location once more and redraw the route. What matters is never stopping your steps forward.

And right now, the line I am drawing leads to the January 4th Tokyo Dome. The goal is a venue packed with a massive crowd of customers. The current location is the recently concluded Ryogoku show, where we felt a solid, definitive response.

However, the fact remains that there is another step beyond that. To measure this sense of distance, I first draw a line. The ones walking along that line are us. "Air on the G String"? No, "Gorilla on the G1 Line" (laughs).

From the very moment you draw that line, the goal is already drawing closer. Envisioning the target, knowing your current location, and stacking up the necessary steps one by one.

I believe that repeating that process is what turns the future into reality.

From the corporate office today as well, I will be supporting with everything I've got the wrestlers who carve out the future!