Leaders

4. Dan

Sensei Fujii is a distinguished full-contact karate practitioner from Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, and a prominent member of the Kyokushin Ken Bukai. He has achieved remarkable success, winning the Kyokushinkan Karate 4th, 6th, and 7th All-Japan Championships. In total, including the All-Japan weight division, he has secured six All-Japan championships.

Fujii began his karate journey in his second year of junior high school when he joined the Kyokushin Kaikan Jonan Kawasaki Branch Oimachi Dojo under the tutelage of Master Masahiro Kaneko, along with his younger brother Masaki Fujii, who later became the 8th All Japan Heavyweight Champion and the 2013-2014 All Japan Championship Champion.

After junior high, Fujii studied abroad in Queensland, Australia, where he trained with Master Cameron Quinn under the guidance of the Kyokushin Kaikan Australia Branch Chief. During this time, he continued his rigorous training in Kyokushin Karate as an uchi-deshi and worked alongside notable practitioners, including Birdman Garry O’Neill, who made waves at the 28th and 29th All Japan Tournaments.

In April 2006, at the age of 20, Fujii won the 4th All-Japan Weight Class Championship. Later that year, in November, at just 21 years and 4 days old, he claimed the 4th All-Japan Championship title, tying the record for the youngest winner in Kyokushin history with Hajime Kazumi and others.

During the Kyokushinkan 5th All Japan Weight-Based Tournament on April 29, 2007, Fujii participated in the first-ever manual face attack-free rule event in Kyokushin Karate history. However, due to an injury, he had to withdraw from the final and finished as the runner-up.

Since 2009, Fujii has been training in Moscow, Russia, to uncover the “secret of the strength of Russian Kyokushin Karate.” His dedication to mastering his craft culminated in 2013 when Quest Co., Ltd. released a technical DVD titled “Gyokushinkan Shusuke Fujii’s Kurutsu Kumite Techniques,” showcasing the advanced techniques he developed during his Russian training.

Sensei Fujii excels in a karate-like fighting style that emphasizes distance control and quick, hit-and-away tactics. Despite being a heavyweight, he possesses nimble footwork and impressive speed, reminiscent of a lightweight fighter. His powerful, long-distance thrusts and kicks, combined with his quick reactions, consistently place him among the top ranks in tournaments. Fujii’s unique approach to Kyokushin karate has earned him widespread acclaim, with experts noting that he has established his own distinctive style within the discipline.