DOB - 1 June 1957
COUNTRY - Japan
WEIGHT - O95kg & Open

Favourite Techniques

Osoto-gari
Uchimata
Ouchi-gari
Yoko-shio-gatame
Okuri-eri-jime

Yasuhiro Yamashita is Japan’s most successful competitor, with an unbroken record of 203 wins. At 5ft 11ins and 127kg, he was not particularly tall for a heavyweight, and was frequently dwarfed by larger Europeans and Japanese. But his clear technical control and natural physical balance were allied to a remarkably determined spirit. Friendly and helpful in the dojo, even when a competitor, he was a different personality in competition – and sometimes in randori. He smiled a lot but he once said: ‘If people could tell from my face what was in my heart when I did judo no one would practice with me.’

Yamashita began judo at the age of 9, and his talent was spotted early. In fact, he went to live with his grandfather in Kumamoto city on the island of Kyushu where he led his school team to national honours. In 1973 he won the national high-school tournament for the first time and went on to join Tokai university, a key decision in his career. Here he trained under Nobuyuki Sato, who was to become one of the most successful of Japanese team managers.

In 1977, he won the All-Japan Championships for the first time. In 1978, when still only 19, Yamashita lost for the last time (in his whole competitive career he only lost 16 matches) – against Yoshioka on a split decision at the national championships. He recalls determining afterwards to ‘concentrate on giving all during the match,’ and never relying on a decision. This deep-rooted will to win resulted in 203 consecutive victories until his retirement in 1985.

By 1979 Yamashita had already started to make an impact on international judo, surprising everyone by winning the Tournoi de Paris while still a teenager and following it up with the world heavyweight title, in Paris again, the same year. But he broke his leg in the final of the All Japan weight category championships in 1980, against Sumio Endo (the match was recorded as a draw). As such he was not so affected by the Japanese boycott of the Moscow Olympics.

Three months after the accident he was back in training. In 1981, at the World Championships in Maastricht, Holland, he won both the heavyweight category and the Open. The way he did so demonstrated his equal capability in both Tachi-waza and Newaza. Though his tokui-waza was Osoto-gari, he found it increasingly difficult to throw larger European opponents with it- especially as they knew his attacking movements. But his combination of Ouchi-gari and Uchimata , and his Ashi-waza generally, combined with his mastery of gripping, gave him dominance in Tachi-waza and he was rarely seen to be under pressure. Similarly, his Newaza- especially his combination of Okuri-eri-jime and Yoko-shio-gatame- was equally commanding.

In the 1983 World Championships in Moscow, he won the heavyweight category again. While he was continuing to win abroad relatively easily, at home all eyes were on another strong heavyweight, Hitoshi Saito, who was emerging to challenge Yamashita’s control. In Moscow, Saito was given the Open category to defend, which he did successfully. Yamashita acknowledges that having Saito as a serious rival helped him continue through to the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 on top form.

Yamashita fought only in the Open event in Los Angeles. His victory was regarded as a foregone conclusion- and he didn’t seem to suffer from the pressure. But in the second round, against Arthur Schnabel of Germany, he pulled a muscle badly in his right leg, and limped out against Laurent Del Colombo (France). Colombo attacked with Ouchi-gari and Yamashita, overestimating his own mobility, was stumbled, conceding a koka. It was the first time a non Japanese fighter had scored against him.

Suddenly, I heard an inner voice saying “what’s wrong with you? Did you come to the Olympics to hurt your leg and lose the match?” When I heard that inner voice I was back to being the strong Yamashita.

He got up with his face set grimly and shortly afterwards, Colombo was thrown with Ouchi-gari for waza-ari, and held with Yoko-shio-gatame. In the final he crushed the Egyptian Mohammed Rashwan, countering and clamping on Yoko-shio-gatame to win the gold medal. Yamashita remembers:

The referee’s call of ippon seemed to come from far away. I stood in the middle of the loud cheers and I felt I was the happiest man in the world. I threw myself at Mr. Sato, just like when I became Japanese champion at 19.

Yamashita continued competing for one more year- winning the All Japan Championships for a record ninth consecutive time, and then retired. He was 28. After the Seoul Olympics, he became manager of the Japanese team, and saw it through Atlanta and then Sydney, with some excellent results. He helped guide the Japanese team to new training methods, incorporating modern ideas while keeping traditional methods which he felt were valuable.

Married with two children, Yamashita remains one of the most well-known and respected figures in Japan. In The Fighting Spirit of Judo, his autobiography, and an account of his whole view of judo (Ippon books 1993) he has written.

My Record of 528 wins, 16 defeats and 15 draws, which surprises me even today, can be put down to the following factors:

1. I was never satisfied with my achievements, so I was striving for a better result all the time.

2. I was determined to realise my childhood dream to win the Olympic Games.

3. I was fortunate to have the right associates and circumstances.

4. I was very healthy and strong.