Our Town Inagi 2016: Ryuto Akatsu

Aiming for the "World Champion" in Karate

Mr. Akatsu, who dedicates himself to daily karate practice, is a third-grade student attending Wakabadai Elementary School. He achieved fourth place in the second-grade category at the 3rd All Japan Junior Championship Karate Tournament held last November. He is also set to participate in the World Championship of Sōgokushin Karate (friendly match) taking place this October.
Sōgokushin Karate is an organization established by those who wish to practice the mainstream of Kyokushin Karate after it branched into various factions. At the Sōgokushin Shiyukai Inagi Dojo, where Mr. Akatsu belongs, classes are divided by age, and people from 4 to 60 years old sweat it out every day.

Mr. Akatsu's encounter with karate began at the age of 4 when he was taken to observe by his older brother, who had already joined the dojo. He is currently practicing full-contact karate, which is a form of karate that involves direct strikes, aiming for physical conditioning, skill improvement, and mental training, with training sessions three times a week.
In a tournament last year where he placed 4th, he was able to improve his ranking by utilizing his specialty, the roundhouse kick. When the match starts, he constantly thinks about "what technique to use, what techniques might come" while engaging with his opponent. He mentioned that even when techniques landed, they didn't hurt much, reflecting the results of his training.
In October 2016, Mr. Akatsu will participate in the world championship. He spoke passionately about wanting to perform like the karate athletes he admires. Let's look forward to seeing Mr. Akatsu shine at the world championship and support him.