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Rikako Yuasa

Rikako Yuasa is a black belt and instructor whose lasso guard accompanied four consecutive black-belt world titles from 2015 to 2018.

Biography

Rikako Yuasa is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and instructor whose lasso guard became the clearest technical thread in a four-year run of black-belt world titles. The guard also marks her lineage: Yuasa identified Yukinori Sasa as the professor who taught it to her at Paraestra Shinagawa. GRABAKA's instructor profile records that Yuasa was born in Saitama in 1991. She began Brazilian jiu-jitsu at seventeen, first taking classes with Makoto Ikuta before developing under Ichiro Kaneko at Pogona Club Gym. As a brown belt, she joined Sasa at Paraestra. The first world title in this sequence belongs to a different belt chapter. Official IBJJF results place Yuasa first in the adult women's brown-belt light-featherweight division at the 2014 World Championship, representing Paraestra Shinagawa. She received her black belt from Sasa on June 7 that year. Her four consecutive black-belt world titles then ran from 2015 through 2018. Yuasa described winning at light featherweight in 2015, moving down to roosterweight for 2016 and 2017, and completing the fourth title in 2018. The official 2016 results provide a precise midpoint: first place in the adult women's black-belt roosterweight division for Paraestra Shinagawa. It was therefore not one uninterrupted division run, even though the black-belt titles were consecutive. GRABAKA lists Yuasa among its instructors and describes a broader background spanning Brazilian jiu-jitsu, grappling, judo, and wrestling, with armlocks and chokes among her signature techniques. Within that range, the lasso guard remains the most specific link between teacher, academy, and competitive style.

Sources for this profile

  • GRABAKA, Instructor(opens in a new tab)

    • GRABAKA's instructor page says Rikako Yuasa was born in Saitama on April 12, 1991.

      Where in the source: Instructor roster — Rikako Yuasa entry, biographical bullets.

      Accessed:

    • The GRABAKA profile lists Yuasa as a world champion at light featherweight in 2014 and 2015 and at roosterweight in 2016 and 2017.

      Where in the source: Instructor roster — Rikako Yuasa entry, titles list.

      Accessed:

    • GRABAKA lists Yuasa among its instructors and describes her background as including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, grappling, judo and wrestling, with armlocks and chokes among her signature techniques.

      Where in the source: Instructor roster — Rikako Yuasa entry, martial-arts history and signature move.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, Rikako Yuasa(opens in a new tab)

    • Yuasa began Brazilian jiu-jitsu at age seventeen after joining a gym, first taking classes with Makoto Ikuta and then developing under Ichiro Kaneko at Pogona Club Gym.

      Where in the source: Biography — opening training-history paragraphs.

      Accessed:

    • She joined Yukinori Sasa at Paraestra as a brown belt, won the 2014 world title at that rank, and received her black belt from Sasa on June 7, 2014.

      Where in the source: Biography — Paraestra, 2014 world title and promotion paragraphs.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes describes Yuasa as a light-featherweight Paraestra competitor whose open guard relies heavily on the lasso guard, a style associated with her teacher Yukinori Sasa.

      Where in the source: Profile introduction, nickname note and favorite-position field.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2014 results(opens in a new tab)

    • The official 2014 IBJJF World Championship results place Rikako Yuasa first in the adult women's brown-belt light-featherweight division for Paraestra Shinagawa.

      Where in the source: Athletes Results By Category — Adult / Female / Brown / Light-Feather, complete placement block.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016 results(opens in a new tab)

    • The official 2016 IBJJF World Championship results place Rikako Yuasa first in the adult women's black-belt roosterweight division for Paraestra Shinagawa.

      Where in the source: Athletes Results By Category — Adult / Female / Black / Rooster, complete placement block.

      Accessed:

  • Myprotein Japan, Rikako Yuasa interview, part two(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2018 interview, Yuasa described winning at light featherweight in 2015, moving down to roosterweight for 2016 and 2017, and completing a fourth consecutive black-belt world title in 2018.

      Where in the source: Interview middle part — opening section on becoming champion and changing divisions.

      Accessed:

  • Jiu-Jitsu Times interview republished by Senso Jiu Jitsu, June 20, 2017(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2017 interview, Yuasa identified Paraestra Shinagawa as her home academy, Yukinori Sasa as her professor, and the lasso guard as a technique he taught her.

      Where in the source: Interview — first answer on home academy, training history and instructors.

      Accessed:

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