Meet Nori of Bunasawa-kai Jukken Judo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nori.

Hi Nori, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
A Life Swept Forward: From Judo Mats to Movie Sets to a new martial art

I was born in Saitama, a city just north of Tokyo, Japan. As a child, I was drawn to painting, baseball, and judo. At age ten, I placed third in a national painting competition—an early taste of creative success. Two years later, following in the footsteps of my two older brothers, I began practicing judo. The early days were difficult, and I wanted to quit, but my parents wisely encouraged me to continue.

In junior high, I was one of the smallest competitors on my team. During one tournament, I faced an opponent three times my size and won with a perfectly timed footsweep. That single throw changed my life. From that moment, I was hooked.

The Rise Through the Ranks

In high school, I devoted myself to earning my black belt, excelling in tournaments, and succeeding academically. One of my dreams was to someday appear on national television, competing in Japan’s prestigious judo tournaments.

At fifteen, I tested for my first-degree black belt by facing five police officers in succession—and passed. I then began training with the university team where my older brother competed, to prepare for my own high school championships. By my final year, I had become a state champion and placed among the top eight judoka in the nation.

Waseda Years and National Glory

After graduation, I entered Waseda University, one of Japan’s most prestigious institutions—and home to a powerful judo tradition. My freshman year was humbling; I was thrown countless times but never gave up. By my junior year, I had the chance to spar with 1964 Olympic gold medalist Takehide Nakatani—and I threw him. That moment proved to me that I could compete with anyone.

My competition results soon qualified me for Japan’s national championships. In 1969, my dream came true: I appeared on national television. I defeated former world champion Hirofumi Matsuda and reached the finals against reigning world champion Hiroshi Minatoya. Though I initially scored with a shoulder throw, inexperience cost me the match, and I finished with a silver medal at just nineteen years old.

My performance earned me an invitation to the national training camp for the 1969 World Championships in Mexico City. Although I wasn’t ultimately selected to compete, I continued to train with unshaken determination.

A New Chapter in America

After graduating from Waseda, I traveled to the United States to study medicine, settling first in Huntington Beach, California. In 1972, I coached two judoka from Orange County Kodokan who went on to compete at the Munich Olympics and the 1975 World Championships in Vienna.

Thanks to my judo record in Japan, I received athletic scholarships to coach while studying. I began at Edinboro State University, where I coached the judo team and conducted clinics across the country. Later, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, two life-changing opportunities came my way: a film offer to star in martial arts action movies following Bruce Lee’s death, and an invitation from businessman Willard Robertson to coach at his new Ichiban Sports facility in Arkansas.

I declined the private jet Robertson offered, preferring to arrive on my own terms. His facility amazed me—complete with a judo dojo, tennis courts, gymnastic halls, and restaurants. I accepted the coaching position and spent three productive years there, training the U.S. team for the 1975 World Championships in Vienna. Impressed with my work, Robertson even offered me a house on five acres, a business operation, and a sports car to persuade me to compete for the U.S. in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Building Judo in America

In 1978, I returned to California, founding Judo Journal, one of the first American newspapers dedicated to the sport. I also taught at the Orange County Kodokan and Tustin Judo Club. By 1982, I was pursuing acting and signed with an agent.

In 1985, I was offered an action film contract with Cannon Films, then home to Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Sylvester Stallone. Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt before my films could be produced. Still, I later appeared in Martial Marshal (1990) and had a small role in Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)—an experience that deepened my appreciation for storytelling.

A Researcher and Innovator

As mixed martial arts rose in popularity, I renamed my publication Judo Jiujitsu Pro-Fighting Journal to reflect the evolving landscape. From 1991 to 2007, I researched the roots of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the legendary career of Mitsuyo Maeda, the Japanese judoka whose teachings shaped modern MMA.

My findings inspired a series of short stories that I later compiled into the novel The Toughest Man Who Ever Lived, co-authored with my student John Murray and published in 2007.

In 2000, I founded Jukkendo, a martial art designed to preserve Maeda’s combat philosophy and Jigoro Kano’s original vision of judo as a practical system of self-defense. While judo became an Olympic sport, I felt its original purpose—real-world applicability—had been overshadowed. Jukkendo integrates techniques from MMA, traditional judo, and Maeda’s legacy to make martial arts relevant for everyday self-defense.

Film Adaptation and Later Years

In 2019, I was contacted by a production company representing José Padilha, director of RoboCop and Narcos. After meeting with him, I signed a contract to adapt my novel into a film. In 2023, Padilha joined Endeavor Group Holdings—the parent company of the UFC—which began facilitating funding for the project.

In 2024, at the age of seventy-six, I returned to the mat to compete in the Veterans World Judo Championships in Las Vegas, earning a bronze medal.

By August 2025, Paramount Pictures and David Ellison secured exclusive U.S. media rights to UFC events under TKO Group Holdings, signaling a potential tie-in between my film project and the sport’s global narrative.

Carrying the Torch Forward

Today, I continue to teach and develop Jukkendo, committed to bringing martial arts back to their roots in self-defense and personal discipline. In contrast to the controlled environment of MMA, real-world encounters involve everyday people—often untrained, dressed in normal clothes, and facing unpredictable circumstances. My goal is to provide them with techniques that work outside the cage, in life itself.

Looking back, I see a life shaped by opportunities—some seized, some missed, and others rediscovered. What I’ve learned is simple: if you follow your passion, refuse to quit, and keep moving forward, new doors will always open.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The synthesis of martial arts techniques that is tailored to an individual person. Finding a person’s personal attributes and goals, and developing their techniques in line with their personal goals.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Class info: (2025 year)
This Year Schedules:
BunasawaKai regular sessions classes will be on Tue and Fri, -2025

Fee is $105 a month and members register through BunasawaKai.Com.

1. 4:45-6:00 Kinder & parents, Jr Judo all level (Tu /Fr).

2. 6:25-7:00 Jukkendo (Old Judo and M. Maeda concept Self-defense).
Jr and Sr. all levels (Tu /Fr).

3. 7:00-8:00 Adult Judo all levels. Basic & technical & Competition skills sessions (Tu/ Fr).

4. 8:00-9:00 Open Mats Judo all levels (Tu/Fr).

Pricing:

• $105 per month

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bunasawakai.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bunasawakai/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bunasawakai/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BKIjukkendo211