Yatoji: a star with rare kata-kumite double

Takamasa Yatoji of Japan became the name everyone was talking at the Karate 1-Youth League in Venice.

The 15-year-old Japanese karateka delivered one of the most impressive performances of the event, winning gold in both kata and kumite. With athletes usually focusing on one discipline in today’s karate scene, Yatoji broke that trend in style, taking two titles within minutes.

“I am very, very happy! I’m delighted that all my training has paid off in this result,” the young karateka said after taking the two gold medals.

Yatoji’s day began in the Cadet Male Kata competition. There, he beat Corsin Dion Lüthy of Switzerland 23.60 to 22.00, followed by a 23.50 to 20.40 win over Andrej Kistner of Germany. He closed the early rounds with a 23.60 to 22.40 victory against David Faic of Croatia. 

In the quarterfinals, he delivered another upset, defeating Romania’s George Florea Razvan 24.70 to 24.00. He then powered through the semifinals by beating Ireland’s Calvin Mc Cann 25.00 to 23.70. In the gold-medal match, Yatoji produced his best score of the day, overcoming Edmond Zhuo of the United States 25.80 to 24.30.

“Personally, I prefer sparring, but kata is important too. I practise kata and sparring every day,” said the Japanese future star who competed in the finals of both Kata and Kumite within minutes.

Yatoji began practising karate when he was seven years old. His calm focus in Venice showed the maturity of someone far beyond his age. His accomplishment is even more impressive given that he had already claimed gold in both Kata and Kumite at the opening event of the season in the Karate 1-Youth League in Fujairah.

“One day I would like to become world champion in both kata and kumite,” he said with the two gold medals in hand.

In Venice, at the most massive event of the year, he took a big step toward that dream.

In the Cadet Kumite -63 kg division. He opened with a strong 9–1 win over Milan Fejer of Hungary. He stayed sharp in the next matches, beating Kyrylo Tada of Ukraine 10–2 and then Miguel Mourão of Portugal 4–0 in the pool round. In the semifinals, he kept full control and earned an 8–0 victory against Spain’s Rodrigo Garcia. In the final, he upset Latvia’s Marks Zakmans 6–3 to claim his first gold of the day.

Meanwhile, the championships closed with the Under-14 competitions.

 U14 Kumite Female -42 kg: Emmanouela Foteini Vasilopoulou Claims Gold

Greece’s Emmanouela Foteini Vasilopoulou won an action-packed final in the -42 kg category. She defeated Ukraine’s Yeva Kholod 8–6 in a fast match where both traded points until the last seconds.

U14 Kumite Female -47 kg: Fatima Azahra Chakir Triumphs at Home

Italy’s Fatima Azahra Chakir delighted the local crowd with a strong 9–4 win over Romania’s Miruna Coman. Chakir controlled the bout early and kept the distance well.

U14 Kumite Female -52 kg: Ivanna Sotnikova Takes the Crown

Ukraine’s Ivanna Sotnikova earned a clean 2–0 victory against Luxembourg’s Lena El Meskiri. Sotnikova scored early and then held her ground to claim the title.

U14 Kumite Female +52 kg: Tesa Balog Dominates for Gold

Croatia’s Tesa Balog delivered one of the strongest performances of the day. She defeated the United States’ Victoria Morris-Zutler 8–0 with speed and accuracy.

U14 Kumite Male -40 kg: Norik Makaryan Secures the Title

Armenia’s Norik Makaryan won the -40 kg final with a 4–1 victory over Turkmenistan’s Muhammetoraz Gulov. Makaryan stayed in control throughout the match and used well-timed counters to earn the win.

U14 Kumite Male -45 kg: Oleksandr Shmidov Wins with Authority

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Shmidov claimed a clear 6–0 win over Danylo Hrebenozhko. Shmidov’s control made the difference in a one-sided final.

U14 Kumite Male -50 kg: Bohdan Marysenko Prevails by Decision

In a tense and tactical bout, Ukraine’s Bohdan Marysenko defeated compatriot Nikita Molchanov by hantei after a 0–0 draw.

U14 Kumite Male -55 kg: Vuk Dragojevic Dominates His Final

Montenegro’s Vuk Dragojevic produced a powerful performance to beat Greece’s Michail Kampanos 9–1. Dragojevic’s pace and offensive rhythm proved too much for his opponent.

U14 Kumite Male +55 kg: Petar Filipovic Earns Solid Victory

Croatia’s Petar Filipovic took the +55 kg title with a 4–0 win against Ukraine’s Anatolii Ustinov. Filipovic controlled the tempo and scored with clean techniques.

U14 Kata Female: Uxía Folgueira González Wins with Precision

Spain’s Uxía Folgueira González claimed the kata crown after scoring 25.2 against Portugal’s Carolina Cardoso, who finished with 23.9. Folgueira González displayed sharp stances and strong rhythm.

U14 Kata Male: Jorge Lleó de Smet Takes All-Spain Final

Spain dominated again as Jorge Lleó de Smet won the male kata final with 24.9 points. Fellow Spaniard Iván Aguilar Pérez followed at 23.7. Lleó de Smet impressed with control and clean execution.