This is the news that has rocked the karate world in Japan. The 2016 world champion Ayumi Uekusa (+68 kg) has just appeal to the ethics committee of the JKF (Japanese Karate Federation) against Masao Kagawa, her professor at the Teikyo University for psychological harassment and hit with a Shinaï to the head.

By Florian Fournier / Photos : Kphotos et D.R

On Wednesday March 31, Ayumi Uekusa and Masao Kagawa found themselves before the Ethics Commission of the Japanese Karate Federation following an appeal filed by the 2016 world champion against her trainer at the Teikyo University. The latter complains of psychological harassment and a shinaï blow to the head.

It was during training that Masao Kagawa, Teikyo's head coach and head of JKS, used his shinaï to work on dodging with his athletes, including Ayumi Uekusa. As a result of this session, she complained that her eyes were weakened after a blow to the face by Kagawa, who denies this claim.

Added to this, the one who should defend Japan at the Olympics in +61 kg, states that Masao Kagawa would exert on her a strong psychological pressure, even violent, by judging her private life, by yelling at her, which would prevent her to train properly.

She said : “to meet my coach has become something difficult for me. It is with wet, almost tearful eyes that I go training. The atmosphere became so stifling and mentally stressful that I often stayed at home.”

After going to the ethics committee of the Japanese federation, Ayumi Uekusa told the Japanese press that she confided a lot and spoke in depth about this problem. On his side, Masao Kagawa denies the facts, saying in the press (that he) “would never do such a thing, hit an athlete in the face and injure him/her”.

The verdict of the ethics committee should be known in the coming days. In the meantime, Masao Kagawa has received the support of many athletes on social networks, especially that of Miyahara. The 2018 World champion (-50 kg ) wrote two posts on her Instagram in which she said that Kagawa was the one who made her better and who made her who she is today. She will have eternal gratitude for him and for his benevolence and gives him all her support.

Same speech from one of his former students, Shohei Toyama, ex-60 kg of the Japanese team, now coach of Cambodia and, moreover, friend with Uekusa. The latter, in a post relayed by Daisuke Watanabe (ex -75 kg of the national team), Hideyoshi Kagawa (+84 kg), Kazumasa Moto, Koji Arimoto, Chikashi Hayashida and Kayo Someya (-68 kg), said they don’t want to have a judgment on what happened, as they did not attend the scene but testifies his gratitude towards Kagawa. For him, Kagawa is an exceptional person, who is always kind to his students and who manages to take them to the highest level. Although the training is demanding, he has never seen Kagawa performing any act of violence towards any student and therefore gives him his full support.