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Karate Champ Atsuko Wakai posted on 10/30/2014

Born September 12, 1971, Atsuko Wakai is a fifth dan black belt karate practitioner, who has won numerous honors and awards in kata competitions. She has won many titles consecutively in All Japan Karatedo and World Karate Federation championships. She trains is Seigokan Goju-ryu karate, which she started when she was six years old. Her parents enrolled her into karate training at that age because they felt it would help her regain her coordination and strength from the serious injuries she suffered in an automobile accident when she was four years old.

Even though she trained in karate throughout her school, she took up competing seriously when she was in university. Initially she took part in sparring (kumite) and pattern (kata) competitions, but when she was ranked third in kata at the All Japan championships, she began to focus mainly on this aspect of karate. However, Wakai was selected into the national karate team of Japan only after she had graduated. Wakai was highly inspired by Suzuko Hamasaki, who was the first woman who won the World Kata Championships in 1980. Wakai's coaches include Yoshimi Inoue and Akira Shiomi.

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