Ken Yasuda
Encyclopedia
Ken Yasuda (born May 2, 1971 in Kyoto
, Japan
) is a Japan
ese professional
bodybuilder. He was formerly a mixed martial arts
coach for the Tokyo Sabres
of the International Fight League
.
ese city of Kyoto
to a family that boasts 46 generations of samurai
warrior
s.
As a child Yasuda dreamed of becoming a pro baseball
player, and was drafted as a pitcher
by a major league
team after high school.
Yasuda chose instead to play baseball
at the University of Southern California
, where he developed a love of weight lifting and physical conditioning from fellow USC alum Mark McGwire
.
An injury to his pitching arm eventually forced Yasuda to abandon his dreams of pitching in the major leagues. Yasuda then picked up the pieces and became one of the world's top bodybuilders.
player. Despite being drafted by a major league team, he chose to earn a college degree at the University of Southern California
and play baseball there . Always considered to be too short to pitch in the U.S., Yasuda began to weight train to increase his strength. It was during this time that Yasuda met baseball great Mark McGwire
and began training with him. While at USC, Yasuda got a ligament
injury
to his pitching arm and could no longer play.
. He soon became the first Japanese
man to become a Musclemania
Professional Bodybuilder. He has been a finalist in top bodybuilding competitions like Excalibur
and Superbody World Championships. While competing he has beaten the current Mr. Universe
, Mr. USA, and Mr. France.
Yasuda is known for his uncommonly proportional
and symmetrical look.
(2001) and Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy (2006).
s Tokyo Sabres
. He focuses on strength and conditioning
training to help prevent injuries and maximize physical performance. In addition to the Tokyo Sabres
, he trains MMA
legends Don Frye
and Kazuyuki Fujita
. He now trains individual fighters of prominence and up and coming fighters as well. He has been called a great coach and strategist by many of the MMA world's top contenders.
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
bodybuilder. He was formerly a mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
coach for the Tokyo Sabres
Tokyo Sabres
The Tokyo Sabres are an International Fight League team based in Tokyo, Japan . The Sabres are coached by bodybuilder Ken Yasuda. Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki use to be a mentor to the Sabres but after their horrible 0-5 loss to the Los Angeles Anacondas Inoki broke all ties with the IFL...
of the International Fight League
International Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
.
Biography
Yasuda was born in the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese city of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
to a family that boasts 46 generations of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s.
As a child Yasuda dreamed of becoming a pro baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, and was drafted as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
by a major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team after high school.
Yasuda chose instead to play baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he developed a love of weight lifting and physical conditioning from fellow USC alum Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
.
An injury to his pitching arm eventually forced Yasuda to abandon his dreams of pitching in the major leagues. Yasuda then picked up the pieces and became one of the world's top bodybuilders.
Baseball
Because he grew up in Japan, Yasuda was an avid baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. Despite being drafted by a major league team, he chose to earn a college degree at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and play baseball there . Always considered to be too short to pitch in the U.S., Yasuda began to weight train to increase his strength. It was during this time that Yasuda met baseball great Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
and began training with him. While at USC, Yasuda got a ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
to his pitching arm and could no longer play.
Bodybuilding
After his arm injury, Yasuda focused full time on his new passion, bodybuildingBodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
. He soon became the first Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
man to become a Musclemania
Musclemania
Musclemania is a natural body building competition. It is the biggest natural bodybuilding competition of the world. There are two branches of Musclemania competitions. One is Musclemania World championship and other one is Musclemania America. Musclemania world championship is open to all the...
Professional Bodybuilder. He has been a finalist in top bodybuilding competitions like Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
and Superbody World Championships. While competing he has beaten the current Mr. Universe
Universe Championships
The Universe Championships are an annual bodybuilding event organised by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association . It has a number of competitions: NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe, Miss Figure, and Miss Toned Figure....
, Mr. USA, and Mr. France.
Yasuda is known for his uncommonly proportional
Body proportions
While there is significant variation in anatomical proportions between people, there are many references to body proportions that are intended to be canonical, either in art, measurement, or medicine....
and symmetrical look.
Acting
Yasuda has also appeared in several U.S. and Japanese films, including Cupid's MistakeCupid's Mistake
Cupid’s Mistake is a 2001 comedy film directed by Young Man Kang, a Korean-born filmmaker who made his U.S. directing debut with this production...
(2001) and Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy (2006).
MMA
Yasuda was the coach of the International Fight LeagueInternational Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
s Tokyo Sabres
Tokyo Sabres
The Tokyo Sabres are an International Fight League team based in Tokyo, Japan . The Sabres are coached by bodybuilder Ken Yasuda. Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki use to be a mentor to the Sabres but after their horrible 0-5 loss to the Los Angeles Anacondas Inoki broke all ties with the IFL...
. He focuses on strength and conditioning
Conditioning
Conditioning may refer to:* In psychology, the process of performing some particular action to directly influence an individual's learning; see education...
training to help prevent injuries and maximize physical performance. In addition to the Tokyo Sabres
Tokyo Sabres
The Tokyo Sabres are an International Fight League team based in Tokyo, Japan . The Sabres are coached by bodybuilder Ken Yasuda. Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki use to be a mentor to the Sabres but after their horrible 0-5 loss to the Los Angeles Anacondas Inoki broke all ties with the IFL...
, he trains MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
legends Don Frye
Don Frye
Donald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
and Kazuyuki Fujita
Kazuyuki Fujita
is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....
. He now trains individual fighters of prominence and up and coming fighters as well. He has been called a great coach and strategist by many of the MMA world's top contenders.