Naohisa Takato

Naohisa Takato
高藤直寿
Born 30 May 1993 (age 23)
Shimotsuke, Japan
Native name 高藤直寿
Nationality Japanese
Height 160 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Weight 60kg (132lb)
Division Extra-lightweight
Style Judo
Fighting out of Tokyo, Japan
Team All Japan National Team
Park 24
Trainer Minoru Konegawa
Rank 2nd degree black belt in Judo
University Tokai University
Naohisa Takato
Medal record
Men's Judo
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
2016 Rio de Janeiro –60 kg
World Championships
2013 Rio de Janeiro –60 kg
2014 Chelyabinsk –60 kg

Naohisa Takato (高藤直寿 Takatō Naohisa, born 30 May 1993) is a Japanese judoka.

Takato became one of judo's most prominent fighters by winning the 2013 World Championships.[1] In the same year, he also won the Masters in Tyumen,[2] and the prestigious Grand Slams in Paris,[3] Tokyo[4] and Moscow.[5] With these successes, Takato was ranked No. 1 in the world in 2013 and 2014.[6][7][8] He had an all-win record in 2013.[9] Specializing in drop kata guruma, his physical and technical fighting style has become iconic in judo.[10][11]

Outside the mat, Takato was one of the most searched judokas in 2015,[12] and the top earning male judoka on the IJF circuit since 2012.[13]

Takato has been chosen as Japan's extra-lightweight representative at the 2016 Olympics.[14][15]

Early life

Takato began judo at the age of 7. He joined Nogi-machi judo club as an elementary school student, which was also attended by future teammate Masashi Ebinuma. He had won in various weight divisions throughout elementary and middle school.

An alma mater of Sagami junior high and high school,[16] he won several national titles representing the school as well as the world cadet championships. He started attending Tokai University in 2012, and had graduated in 2016.[17]

Fighting style

He is known for having a more modern style of fighting than traditional Japanese judo, with kata guruma being one of his favorite techniques.[18]

Rivalries

Takato's international rivals include Dashdavaagiin Amartüvshin, Kim Won-jin, Yeldos Smetov, Ganbatyn Boldbaatar and Beslan Mudranov. He has competed against them a total of twenty times.

Competitive record

Judo record[19]
Total 70
Wins 63
by Ippon 43
Losses 7
by Ippon 5

(as of 4 December 2015)

Medal record

2009
1st, gold medalist(s) World U17 Championships -60 kg, Budapest
2011
1st, gold medalist(s) World U20 Championships -60 kg, Cape Town
2nd, silver medalist(s) Grand Prix -60 kg, Qingdao
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Grand Slam -60 kg, Tokyo
2012
1st, gold medalist(s) Grand Slam -60 kg, Moscow
1st, gold medalist(s) Grand Slam -60 kg, Tokyo
1st, gold medalist(s) World Cup -60 kg, Tashkent
2013
1st, gold medalist(s) Grand Slam -60 kg, Paris
1st, gold medalist(s) Masters -60 kg, Tyumen
1st, gold medalist(s) World Championships -60 kg, Rio de Janeiro

References

  1. "World Championships Rio de Janeiro, Event, JudoInside". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  2. "IJF World Masters Tyumen, Event, JudoInside". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  3. "Grand Slam Paris, Event, JudoInside". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  4. "Grand Slam Tokyo, Event, JudoInside". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  5. "IJF Grand Slam Moscow, Event, JudoInside". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  6. "International Judo Federation". www.intjudo.eu. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  7. "International Judo Federation". www.intjudo.eu. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  8. "IJF World Rankings 2014" (PDF). International Judo Federation. Retrieved 1 Jan 2014.
  9. "Naohisa Takato, Judoka, JudoInside". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  10. "JudoInside - News - Naohisa Takato back at the top U60kg". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  11. "JudoInside - News - Naohisa Takato back at highest platform with Masters victory". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  12. "JudoInside - News - Who are the most searched judoka on the planet?". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  13. "JudoInside - News - Who are the most searched judoka on the planet?". www.judoinside.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  14. Nagatsuka, Kaz (2016-05-02). "Inoue determined to help Japan keep pace in judo". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  15. "Japan announces team for Rio, Ono is in". www.100judo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  16. "Friday 11th February: Are we being honest with our judo players?". Mick's Judo Blog. 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  17. "東海大学体育会柔道部 | 男子部員". www.tokai-judo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  18. "Judo Crazy: Naohisa Takato's evolving kata-guruma". www.judocrazy.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  19. "Judobase.org". www.judobase.org. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
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