is a retired
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
ka and
kickboxer
Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...
.
Early life
After attending university, Kakuda opened a
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
dojo
A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...
in
Kobe
Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
but was forced to shut it down after two years. He subsequently worked as a
dishwasher
A dishwasher is a machine that is used to clean dishware, cookware, and cutlery automatically. Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies heavily on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, ...
,
ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle di ...
chef
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...
, and
construction worker
A construction worker is a worker employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure.
Definition
By some definitions, workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers; they may be sk ...
. At age 28, he was employed as a
bouncer
A bouncer (also known as a doorman or door supervisor) is a type of security guard, employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs, cabaret clubs, stripclubs, casinos, hotels, billiard halls, restaurants, sporting events, schools, concerts, or ...
at a
public bath
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
in
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...
, where he dodged knives thrown at him by local
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...
after denying them entry.
Career
Karate
Competitive
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
made up the longest portion of Kakuda's
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
career, beginning relatively early in his life as captain of his university's karate club. Less than a decade later, he was representing
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in international competition, fighting under
kyokushin
is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training.
Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 by Korean-Ja ...
and eventually
seidokaikan
is a traditional full contact karate derived from Kyokushin by Kazuyoshi Ishii. Seidokaikan organized the first professional full contact karate tournament named the Karate World Cup. The Karate World Cup had special extension rounds; if the j ...
rules. He retired following a loss to
Michael Thompson at the Seidokaikan Karate World Cup in 1993, but revisited the sport occasionally in later years. His most recent karate fight to date was a decision loss to
Hiroki Kurosawa
is a common masculine Japanese given name. It can be written in many ways. In the following lists, the kanji in parentheses are the individual's way of writing the name Hiroki.
Possible writings
Hiroki can be written using different kanji charac ...
at
Pride 6.
RINGS
From December 1991 to July 1993, Kakuda performed in
RINGS
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
, an organization which promoted
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
and
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
. Though his tenure was prior to the federation's official move to no-holds-barred competition, he competed in several shoot fights, including against
shootboxer Mitsuya Nagai
, better known as , is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and former kickboxer. He is known for his work in Fighting Network RINGS and later in professional wrestling companies like Battlarts and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJ ...
in a decision loss and
kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
legend
Rob Kaman
Rob "The Dutchman" Kaman (born 5 June 1960) is a Dutch retired 9-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. He is often called "Mr. Low Kick" because of his feared low kicks which he used to set up his devastating offensive attacks.
Biogr ...
, under mixed rules. He lost the fight when, in the third round, Kaman smashed his knee into his downed opponent's face and a
technical knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
was ruled.
Kickboxing
Kakuda's
kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
tenure began with a victory over fellow newcomer
Joe Son
Joseph Hyungmin Son ( ko, 손형민; born November 22, 1970) is a South Korean-born American convicted felon and a former mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and actor. Prior to his 2008 arrest, he was best known for his appe ...
at the
K-3 Grand Prix '95
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events ...
. After being knocked down early in the fight, Kakuda pummeled Son with unanswered punches and kicks to score a knockout win. His triumph was followed by a more sobering encounter with multi-time world champion
Stan Longinidis
Stan "The Man" Longinidis (born 25 June 1965) is an Australian retired heavyweight kickboxer and 8-time world kickboxing champion. Born in Melbourne of Greek ethnicity, Longinidis is one of the few fighters to win world titles in four differen ...
, who controlled the match with powerful combinations before defeating Kakuda with low kicks.
Kakuda rebounded with several consecutive wins, including a dominant victory over
wing chun
Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...
practitioner
Joe Sayah. The streak led to a shot at the vacant
WMTC Cruiserweight World Championship at
K-1 Braves '97 against legendary
Muay Thai
Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
fighter
Changpuek Kiatsongrit
Changpuek nglish: White ElephantKiatsongrit ( th, ช้างเผือก เกียรติทรงฤทธิ์; born October 13, 1966) is a Thai former Muay Thai fighter. He is credited as being one of the first Muay Thai fighters ...
. Kakuda's defensive strategy served him poorly against Kiatsongrit, who won by unanimous decision after controlling all five rounds.
Faring better in his following six matches, Kakuda endured no worse than a draw to
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
Ryūshi Yanagisawa
is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer. His real name is . As a martial artist, he competed in K-1, Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling (Pancrase) and Fighting Network RINGS. As a professional wrestler he competed in N ...
and gained his only victory over a world champion by defeating
Duncan Airlie James
Duncan Airlie James (born Duncan Campbell; 23 May 1961) is the uncle to Yoshi Takahashi and is a Scottish actor best known for his roles in ''Tomb Raider'' and '' ID2: Shadwell Army''. He is a former heavyweight kickboxer and was the first Sc ...
. However, after eight years as an active kickboxer, Kakuda sought retirement to focus on his other duties within K-1. What was to be his final match took place at the
K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Las Vegas
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events
...
against fellow
seidokaikan
is a traditional full contact karate derived from Kyokushin by Kazuyoshi Ishii. Seidokaikan organized the first professional full contact karate tournament named the Karate World Cup. The Karate World Cup had special extension rounds; if the j ...
stylist
Musashi. Kakuda endured four knockdowns in the final two rounds and lost via unanimous decision.
Kakuda returned from retirement to take part in the first kickboxing tournament of his career - the
K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events
...
. His first opponent in 19 months was ex-
sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
wrestler
Akebono Tarō
is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reach ...
. Despite being the match favorite due to Tarō's 0-5 kickboxing record, Kakuda found himself in trouble when the former
yokozuna
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the on ...
made use of his tremendous size advantage by swarming his opponent, wearing him down with knees and uppercuts. Kakuda was left with little opportunity (or room) to strike back and lost by unanimous decision.
Kakuda redeemed himself of the loss later that year with his most dominant win yet over
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
Mavrick Harvey. Within the first minute of fighting, Kakuda scored a one-hit knockout when he struck his opponent in the face, shattering Harvey's cheekbone. Kakuda's next match would mark his second retirement from kickboxing, taking place at the
K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Osaka – Final Elimination. His final opponent was K-1 newcomer George Longinidis, who defeated Kakuda via unanimous decision in a hard-fought battle.
Dutch a Treat at K-1 Final Elimination
/ref>
At the time of his second retirement in 2005, Kakuda was the oldest (44) and shortest (174 cm) participant in the K-1 tournaments. His association with K-1 continues as a regent, ringside judge, and referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
– positions he'd already held during his fighting career. He has also served as an executive producer for K-1 under the Fighting and Entertainment Group
Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) was the leading Japanese combat sport promoter founded on September 3, 2003. Its last president was Sadaharu Tanikawa and it was the parent company behind the now-defunct mixed martial arts series Dream and fo ...
.
Bodybuilding
On September 26, 2015, Kakuda entered the world of competitive bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...
by participating in the Japan-Guam Goodwill Bodybuilding Championship, where he placed third in the master class. The following summer, he earned second place at the Bodybuilding Fitness Championship Tournament in Osaka. The victory allowed him to advance to the 28th Japan Masters Championship Competition, where he earned second place.
Personal life
Kakuda has two children; he named his son Kenshiro (賢士朗) and daughter Yuria (友里亜) after characters of Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially colle ...
. He is a licensed high school instructor and speaks Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, French, Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
, and Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
. He is also superstitious, believing in ghosts and spirits and possessing a variety of charms, including a stone from the emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
's grave.[
Kakuda repeatedly set ]Guinness world records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for breaking the most wooden baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more than in length. Although histor ...
s with his shin in one minute: 27 bats in 2001, 33 in 2002, and 54 in 2009. His record was eventually beaten by German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
martial artist
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
Kerim Duygu, who managed to break 65 bats in 2017.
Fighting style
Kakuda is primarily a defensive fighter, his style and technique having been molded by his career in karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
. Able to absorb a lot of punishment, his plan of action has been to wait for an opening before attacking with high precision. This approach has especially advantaged him over inexperienced fighters who mistake his defensiveness for weakness and consequently fail to anticipate a counterattack. His punching power is considerable, as demonstrated by his single-strike victory over Mavrick Harvey.
Kakuda's technique isn't upset by an opponent's size alone, as he's repeatedly defeated fighters much taller and heavier than he. (An exception being the extraordinarily large Akebono.) Rather, the fighters who have defeated him tend to be both experienced and aggressive, wearing down his defenses while absorbing or negating his comeback strikes. Given his particular skill level, Kakuda often played the role of K-1's gatekeeper by testing the organization's new or junior fighters.
Titles
Karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
*1988 Satojyuku POINT & KO Japan Open Tournament - Runner-up
*1999 Satojyuku POINT & KO Japan Open Tournament - Runner-up
*7th Kyokushin Karate Tournament - 4th place (Heavyweight division)
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
*K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events
...
- Quarterfinalist
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...
*2015 Japan-Guam Goodwill Bodybuilding Championships - 3rd place
*2016 Osaka Bodybuilding Fitness Championship Tournament - 2nd place
*28th Japan Masters Championship - 2nd place
Kickboxing record
Karate record (incomplete)
Mixed martial arts record
Mixed rules
Filmography
Films
Television
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kakuda, Nobuaki
1961 births
Heavyweight kickboxers
Japanese male karateka
Japanese male kickboxers
Japanese male mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing Seidokaikan
Mixed martial artists utilizing Shorinji Kempo
K-1 executives
Kickboxing referees
Living people
People from Sakai, Osaka