*This article has been updated after the lecture.

We invited former All Japan Judo player and Los Angeles Olympic Judo gold medalist, Mr. Yasuhiro Yamashita, to Tokushinkai Quartz Tower to hold the "Itto Juku" seminar. This was the fifth Itto Juku seminar with Mr. Yamashita, and he gave a lecture on the theme of "Talking about my Judo life."

Report

Professor Yamashita's "mentor"

What was particularly impressive was that he spent much of his time in the lecture expressing his gratitude to his teachers who had helped him and his consideration for others. He said that he had learned a lot not only from the teachers who had taught him judo, but also from the education of problematic students and his own second son, who has autism.

The power of dreams and the importance of hope

His talk about the power of dreams and the importance of passion left a strong impression on me. He said that people can mysteriously meet people with the same thoughts and aspirations, and that these unexpected encounters enrich and color our lives. I was reminded of the importance of having strong passion.

Summary

From this lecture, I strongly felt that the spirit of Judo's founder, Kano Jigoro, who aimed to popularize judo, "Apply what you learn from judo to your daily life and make society a better place," is deeply rooted in Yamashita Sensei's heart.