Ayumi Uekusa (植草 歩, Uekusa Ayumi; born July 25, 1992) is a Japanese karateka. Competing in the +68 kg kumite division…Ayumi Uekusa (植草 歩, Uekusa Ayumi; born July 25, 1992) is a Japanese karateka. Competing in the +68 kg kumite division she won gold medals at the World Karate Federation's 2016 World Championships, 2017 and 2022 Asian Championships, and at the 2018 Asian Games. She has also won several bronze and silver medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships, and Asian Games. She won a gold medal at the 2023 Karate 1-Premier League Cairo in January, and after taking gold in the 2023 Karate 1-Premier League Dublin that September, she was awarded the title of "Grand Winner" in her weight division for the year — her fourth such award after 2017, 2018, and 2020.
Shokei Matsui (松井 章奎, Matsui Shokei (Akiyoshi); born January 15, 1963), also known by his Korean name of Moon Jang-gyu…Shokei Matsui (松井 章奎, Matsui Shokei (Akiyoshi); born January 15, 1963), also known by his Korean name of Moon Jang-gyu (Korean: 문장규; Hanja: 文章圭), is a South Korean martial artist in Japan. He is the master of Kyokushin karate and current Kancho (Director) of the International Karate Organization Kyokushin-kaikan, faction of the International Karate Organization (IKO) founded by Mas Oyama (1923–1994).
Miyuki Miura (三浦 美幸, Miura Miyuki; born October 21, 1949) is a prominent Japanese master of karate, first practising…Miyuki Miura (三浦 美幸, Miura Miyuki; born October 21, 1949) is a prominent Japanese master of karate, first practising Shotokan, then Kyokushin, then World Ōyama, and now operating independently.
Shinichi Chiba (Japanese: 千葉 真一, Hepburn: Chiba Shin'ichi; born Sadaho Maeda; 22 January 1939 – 19 August 2021) IPA…Shinichi Chiba (Japanese: 千葉 真一, Hepburn: Chiba Shin'ichi; born Sadaho Maeda; 22 January 1939 – 19 August 2021) IPA: [tɕiꜜba ɕiɰ̃itɕi], known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later to an international audience. Born in Fukuoka, Chiba played a variety of sports in high school, including baseball and volleyball. He also practiced gymnastics and participated at the National Sports Festival of Japan in his third year. When he was a university student, he learned martial arts, earning a black belt in Kyokushin Karate in 1965 and later receiving a fourth degree in 1984. Chiba's career began in the 1960s, when he starred in two tokusatsu superhero shows. In his first role, he replaced Susumu Wajima as the main character Kōtarō Ran/Seven Color Mask in Seven Color Mask (Nana-iro Kamen) in the second half of the series. However, his breakthrough role was in the 1974 film The Street Fighter. Before retiring, Chiba had also appeared in a number of English language American films, including Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). Chiba died of COVID-19 complications at the hospital in Tokyo on 19 August 2021, at the age of 82.