Akira Masuda

Akira Masuda
Akira Masuda presiding at Ko Ryu Jiai (Tournament), Japan, 3 November 2003
Born	May 22, 1962 Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan
Residence	Japan
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	85.5 kg (188 lb; 13.46 st)
Style	Kyokushin Karate
Teacher(s)	Masutatsu Oyama

Akira Masuda^[1] (増田 章 Masuda Akira) (born May 22, 1962) is a Japanese Kyokushin kaikan karateka. In March 1991 he completed the 100 man kumite supervised by Mas Oyama.^[2]

He was born in 1962 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. In junior high school he was captain of the school judo club.^[3] When he was 16 years old he joined Kyokushin Kaikan Ishikawa Dojo. At 19 years old he made his debut in his first All Japan Tournament.

He remained a top athlete in Kyokushin All Japan Tournaments, going on to beat Michel Wedel, Gerard Gordeau and Michael Thompson.^[4] He fought and lost to Andy Hug^[5] however Hug was unable to walk after the fight.^[6]

In 1990 he won a gold medal in the 22nd All Japan Kyokushin Tournament.^[7] and in 1991 he placed second in the 5th World Karate Tournament.^[8]

He is the shihan of Kyokushin Kaikan Masuda Dojo.^[9] In 2007 Masuda published the book "Freestyle Karate"^[10] and in 2009 he published "Masuda Akira - Go, Budojin toshite Ikiru".^[11]

References

1. Note on Japanese names: Family names go before given names, so in Japan he is known as Masuda Akira, while in the west he is usually referred to as Akira Masuda
2. masutatsuoyama.com: "100 Man Kumite - Akira Masuda (March, 1991)"
3. primary source: biography Masuda, Akira "Freestyle Karate" ISBN 978-4-902535-03-7, Novelpress, August 2007
4. kyokushinresults.freeserve.co.uk
   14th All Japan - 1982, 8th place: Akira Masuda;
   15th All Japan - 1983, 5th place: Akira Masuda;
   17th All Japan, 1985, 3rd place: Akira Masuda;
   18th All Japan, 1986, 2nd place: Akira Masuda;
   21st All Japan, 1989, 4th place: Akira Masuda;
   22nd All Japan, 1990, 1st place: Akira Masuda
5. andyhug.com
6. kyokushinresults.freeserve.co.uk: "Fighter Profiles Japan"
7. kyokushinresults.freeserve.co.uk: "All Japan Champions: 1990 Champion Akira Masuda"
8. kyokushincanada.com : "November 2-4, 1991, Tokyo. 2nd place : Akira Masuda, Japan"
9. Kyokushin Kaikan Masuda Dojo (in Japanese)
10. Masuda, Akira 'Freestyle Karate' ISBN 978-4-902535-03-7, Novelpress, August 2007
11. Masuda, Akira 'Masuda Akira - Go, Budojin toshite Ikiru' ISBN 978-4-8094-0768-0, Budo-ra Books, February 2009