A martial arts student's perspective on Exceedraft E13

My own training in historical fencing or Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) has informed much of my analysis of the martial arts fights in Exceedraft E13. HEMA involves recreating techniques from historical manuscripts of European origin.

As of 2026, I've been training in a club specialising in the teachings of fencing masters from medieval Germany. Being used to interpreting texts about martial arts techniques that were written from the 13th to 15th century, it's not so strange for me to closely analyse what happens in a Japanese special effects superhero show from 1992.

I've analysed Ken's signature move, the 'Great Whirlwind Kick ,' in a manner similar to how HEMA fencers analyse techniques preserved in fightbooks.

German martial arts is naturally shaped by German language and culture. It's a foreign culture to me, just like the language and culture of Japanese society which Japanese tokusatsu media is created from and for. In developing my interests, I've tried to understand the foreign context inextricable from the cultural works that have spread to my corner of the world (or the internet). It has inspired my essays on the use of Japanese language in the newspaper article for relating Ken's backstory and also in the multiple interpretations of Exceedraft E13's title .

The protective gear for HEMA is also remarkably similar to the components of Exceedraft's Try Jacket. Even while learning to perform the techniques for German unarmored fencing (bloßfechten), it's crucial to wear the appropriate gear for safety when drilling or sparring with steel weapons. At the very least, students or club members have to wear a fencing mask to protect their heads.

Moving about and fighting in the full HEMA kit often gets hot and tiring. When the instructor says "mask off" or "gear off", I know the physical relief when Rescue Police heroes take their helmets off. It's also easy to imagine Ken's greater range of motion and capability when he brings to bear the full force of his fighting prowess after shedding every piece of his Try Jacket for his final fight in Exceedraft E13.

Karate and HEMA tournaments are alike in requiring competitors to not only focus on their opponents, but also on non-fighters positioned close to them during their match. These non-fighters take on the role of referee or judge, and their presence ensures compliance with rules for fairness and safety. While acting as official staff, they're like spectators qualified and empowered to influence a fighter's advancement in a tournament.

Here's a screenshot of an official karate match at which the referee, judges and fighters position themselves according to regulations set by the World Karate Federation.

Here's an illustration from Joachim Meyer's fencing treatise (1570) features a judge announcing the outcome of a longsword match.

The influence of non-fighters' judgement on tournament fights differentiates them from other kinds of fights for which victory or loss is determined just by the trading of blows between fighters. To truly win in an official match, fighters must be conscious of who they're fighting and who's watching their fight. There arises a performative quality to tournament fights even if entertainment lies outside their purpose. If what tournament fighters perform appear less like what would work in an actual fight, the martial arts would then be seen as "sportified".

I've participated in my HEMA club's tournaments as a fighter and as an assistant judge. As a fighter, it's discouraging to work hard to land a blow, which is then deemed unconvincing by the head judge. Greater mental and physical strength is called for to perform techniques on my opponents and which the judges would take as valid hits. But my participation has enabled me to better act as an assistant judge in pointing out the head judge when my friends and fellow clubmates have done well during their fights.

Because of my (minimal) tournament experience, I became really interested in Exceedraft E13's presentation of the spectators' influence in the physical and mental games that Ken plays . When the episode turns to Ken's inability to succeed with immense skill and strength alone, I appreciate that its delivery is more subtle than blunter messages about friendship and teamwork common in tokusatsu shows aimed at children. It instead rings true to the experience of those who undertake martial arts training like myself and perhaps others too.

Speaking as a member of a martial arts club and a Hyrox-affiliated gym, I also appreciate the realism in Toei's portrayal of athletes who practise martial arts and those who don't . Based on my personal observation, the defined muscles and lean physiques typically linked to athleticism are far more common among those training for fitness challenges like Hyrox and road races than among members in a martial arts club. Some with 'dad bods' display a level of skill, strength and agility that make them tough opponents during sparring. It's then fitting for Toei to downplay the bodies of martial arts fighters with the layered clothes put on them in Exceedraft E13, and in contrast emphasise the sculpted physique that distinguish triathlon athletes in Blue SWAT, which like Exceedraft is a Metal Hero show with Miyashita Junichi as head scriptwriter.

The meaning behind the clashes in Exceedraft E13 are retroactively enriched by the divine war between the forces of God and the devil which unfolds in Exceedraft's latter half. Just as the show invokes divine forces, so does an important poetic treatise on German historical fencing.

Johannes Liechtenauer, of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer, writes the Zettel in which the first lines are:

"Young knight, learn
to love God and revere women;
thus your honor will grow."

There's an eternal emphasis on the forces and presences that shape and influence a fight, that clarifies what is being fought for and against. Driven by the fighting spirit to close in on others, the fighter invites the world to close in on them, enabling them to rediscover who they truly are.