Yasuhiro Yamashita facts for kids
Yasuhiro Yamashita in 2005
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 1 June 1957 Yabe, Kumamoto, Japan |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | Not recognized as a date. Years must have 4 digits (use leading zeros for years < 1000). (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Judoka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Judo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | +95 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World finals |  (1979, 1981, 1981,1983) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals |  (1984) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated on 19 June 2023. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yasuhiro Yamashita (山下 泰裕, Yamashita Yasuhiro, born 1 June 1957) is a famous Japanese judoka. A judoka is someone who practices judo, a Japanese martial art. Many people believe he is the greatest judo athlete ever.
Yamashita retired from competing on June 17, 1985. He had an amazing career. He won five gold medals in big international contests. He also had an incredible winning streak. He won 203 matches in a row! He never lost to a non-Japanese wrestler in his whole career. On October 9, 1984, he received the Japanese National Prize of Honor. Today, he works as an instructor and advisor for many groups. These include Tokai University and the International Judo Federation.
Contents
His Amazing Judo Career
Yamashita started learning judo when he was in primary school. He was inspired by Kanō Jigorō, who created judo. By the time he was in junior high, he had already earned a black belt.
After high school, Yamashita continued his judo training. He learned from two Olympic medalists: Isao Inokuma and Nobuyuki Sato. His amazing winning streak of 203 matches began in October 1977. This was during a special match in the Soviet Union. His streak ended in April 1985. That's when he won the All-Japan judo championships for the ninth time in a row!
First Olympic Chance and Injury
In 1976, when he was just 19, Yamashita got his first chance to go to the Olympics. He was a replacement during his first year at Tōkai University. In 1977, he became the youngest judoka ever to win the open category at the All-Japan Judo Championships.
He won a gold medal at the 1979 World Judo Championships. This helped him get a spot on Japan's Olympic team. In 1980, he faced Sumio Endo in the All-Japan championships final. Endo used a move called Kani Basami. This move broke a bone in Yamashita's leg called the fibula. The match was called a draw because Yamashita was too hurt to continue. After this serious injury, officials decided to ban the Kani Basami move in international competitions.
Missing the 1980 Olympics
Japan decided not to send athletes to the 1980 Summer Olympics. This was to protest something that happened in Afghanistan. So, Yamashita had to watch the Olympics from home. He couldn't compete, even though he was one of the best.
He went on to win three more gold medals at the World Championships. Then, he qualified for the Olympics again in 1984. He was the only Japanese judo athlete from the 1980 boycott who also made it to the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Winning Gold at the 1984 Olympics
At his only Olympic appearance, Yamashita faced a challenge. In an early match against Arthur Schnabel, he tore a muscle in his right calf. This was a big problem because he used his right leg to pivot for his throws. Even with the injury, he won that match.
He was clearly limping during his next match against Laurent Del Colombo. Yamashita was thrown early in the match. But he fought back and won. In the final match, he faced Mohamed Ali Rashwan from Egypt. Yamashita won the gold medal despite his injury. Rashwan showed amazing sportsmanship. He did not try to attack Yamashita's injured leg. For this, Rashwan received an award for fair play.
Retirement
Yamashita remained undefeated in all his matches, both in Japan and internationally. He did have several draws with Hitoshi Saito, who won two Olympic gold medals. Yamashita and Saito met in the final of the All-Japan Judo Championships for three years in a row (1983-1985). Yamashita won every time.
After many injuries during his career, Yamashita decided to retire. He was only 28 years old when he stopped competing on June 17, 1985.
After Competing
After retiring, Yamashita became an instructor for many organizations. In September 2003, he became the Director of Education for the International Judo Federation. He was also the head coach for the Japanese judo team. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he strongly protested a controversial decision in a match.
Yamashita even made a judo instruction video with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin also has a black belt in judo. They first met in 2005 in Tokyo. Yamashita has also visited Putin's old judo school in St. Petersburg.
He is now the chairman of the Japanese Olympic Committee. On January 10, 2020, he was chosen to be a member of the International Olympic Committee. In 2022, he was promoted to the 9th dan, a very high rank in judo.
Yamashita's Judo Style
During his competing years, Yamashita was very strong. He was about 5 feet 11 inches tall (180 cm) and weighed over 280 pounds (127 kg). He used a left-handed stance. His best moves were the Osotogari and the Ouchi Gari. He used the Ouchi Gari very often because it was so effective for him.
He also found the Uchi mata move worked well against opponents from other countries. He used it a lot in his later years. Yamashita was also very good at ground fighting. Many of his wins came from hold or choke moves on the ground. Being skilled both standing up and on the ground helped him stay undefeated for over nine years.
Images for kids
-
Yamashita with President Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2003.
See also
In Spanish: Yasuhiro Yamashita para niños
