Newspaper articles of judo injuries resulting in death: 1984 – 2010
Newspaper articles of judo injuries resulting in death: 1984 – 2010
Japan Judo Accident Victims Association (JJAVA) has been providing information on judo injuries in both Japanese and English, particularly focusing on those that involved junior high school and high school children, since the start of our activities in 2010. In addition we have held seminars and attended meetings with government officials, All Japan Judo Federation (AJJF) and school representatives to disseminate the risk of injuries and to seek their prevention. These activities have promoted AJJF to recognize the need to strengthen safe teaching of judo, and as a result death and severe injuries in the past 10 years have been reduced.
Prior to 2010, however, AJJF had not taken serious measures to prevent serious judo injuries. Many children died or had permanent disabilities. AJJF, however, was not seriously concerned with those children’s death and injuries. The record at Japan Sports Council shows that 115 children (12-18) died between 1983 and 2010.
The injuries resulting in death between 1984 and 2010 in the following list are the ones reported in Japanese newspapers. These articles will be translated and provided in this section on a regular basis.
We are working on a list of serious judo injuries between 2011 and the present, which will be reported later.
List of Judo Injuries Resulting in Death: 1984 – 2010
Date of Injury/ School year /Gender / Name of school /Cause of death (2nd row)
JH=Junior High School (12-15), H=High School (16-18), E=Elementary School
Example: JH2 = 2nd year junior high school, H1 = 1styear high school
E1 = 1st year elementary school
[1] 08/24/1984 JH2* / Male / Hada Junior High School
Acute heart failure after stranglehold by teacher
[2] 08/05/1986 JH1 / Male / Junior high school in Yaizu
Fell by osoto-gari throw, hit his head and died of acute subdural hematoma
[3] 06/23/1987 JH3 / Male / Nanryo Junior High School
Fell by opponent’s technique, hit his head & died of subdural hematoma
[4] 07/25/1987 H1* / Male / Koiwa High School
Heat stroke during summer training camp
[5] 05/01/1989 H2 / Male / Seinan Gakuin High School
Thrown by opponent, hit his head, lost consciousness and died
[6] 07/16/1989 JH2 / Male / Toride Daini Junior High School
Cardiac arrest after throwing opponent at competition
[7] 10/30/1989/ H1 / Male / Tokiwa High School
Died of high body temperature (40.3℃) at training camp
[8] 01/20/1990 H2 / Male / Sakushin Gakuin High School
Opponent lost balance, threw him from low posture; he hit his head
[9] 04/22/1990 JH2 / Male / Imaike Junior High School
Hit his head after thrown with taiotoshi; died of brain contusion
[10] 07/14/1990 H1 / Male / Asake High School
Fell on his back when thrown with osoto-gari, hit his head; died of acute subdural hematoma
[11] 07/14/1990 JH1 / Male / Daisan Junior High School
Hit his heart in osoto-gari throw by opponents during rigorous practice by six members who found out he would leave club; died of acute subdural hematoma.
[12] 07/07/1991 JH2 / Male / Midorigaoka Junior High School
Hit his head in randori (free sparring) during joint practice at another school
[13] 07/28/1992 H2 / Male / Minobe High School
Collapsed during practice of heat stroke
[14] 08/10/1992 H2 / Male / Teikyo High School
Lost consciousness during practice; died of acute subdural hematoma
[15] 09/04/1992 JH1 / Male / Kitaosaka Korean Primary and Junior High School
Thrown during joint summer practice with other schools; hit his head and died of acute subdural hematoma
[16] 05/12/1994 H3 / Male / Yanagigaura High School
Collapsed during newaza (groundwork) practice in PE (physical education)
[17] 08/11/1994 H2 / Male / Aizu High School
Had pain and numbness in legs while running with limited water at judo summer camp; died of heat stroke and rhabdomyolysis
[18] xx/yy/1994 JH1 / Male / Myoukou Junior High School
Hit his head during judo practice
[19] 08/30/1995 JH1 / Male / Kaho Junior High School
Thrown by opponent who used harai–goshi(sweeping hip throw), hit his head and died of ASH
[20] 04/13/1996 H2 / Male
The student became ill during judo practice; thedoctor who saw him found nothing unusual, but he died at home the next day of right ventricular dysplasia
[21] 06/19/1996 JH1 / Male / Kurokawa Junior High School
Thrown by senior students many times during practice; hit his head and died of ASH
[22] 06/24/1996 H1 / Male / Oumi High School
Died of brain hemorrhage after thrown 4 or 5 times during practice
[23] 07/06/1996 JH2 / Male / Kamijou Junior High School
Fell down and hit back of head during judo practice at junior sport club; died of cerebral hemorrhage
[24] 09/01/1996 JH2 / Male / Mitaki Junior High School
Died of heat stroke after running during summer training camp
[25] 11/09/1996 H2 / Male / Oofuna Technical High School
Fell down and became unconscious during judo class; died of acute heart failure
[26] 12/19/1996 H1 / Male / Sendai Daini High School
Died of suffocation after judo practice at PE; had asthma
[27] 05/18/1997 H1 / Male / Hobara High School
Hit his head hard when thrown at match by opponent who used shoulder throw
[28] 09/17/1997 H3 / Male / Kyushu Electronical Institution High School
Collapsed after judo practice in PE; died of heart failure
[29] 08/14/1998 H1 / Female / Izumo-Nishi High School
Fell unconscious when practicing newaza(ground grappling) with judo club teacher; died of suffocation
[30] 08/19/1998 JH2 / Male / Tonan Junior High School
Fell unconscious after randori practice; died of multiple organ dysfunctions due to heat stroke
[31] 09/07/1998 H2 / Male / Prefectural High School in Yokkaichi city
Fell unconscious during judo practice in PE; died of ventricular fibrillation
[32] 06/23/2000 JH1 / Male / Kashima Junior High School
Collapsed after falling forward during judo practice; cause of death is undetermined
[33] 08/03/2001 H1 / Male / Kojima High School
Collapsed when returning home riding bicycle during hot day after judo club practice; died of acute subdural hematoma
[34] 01/30/2002 JH2 / Male / Tobihata Junior High School
Hit his head hard twice during practice with opponent 1.7 times heavier; lost consciousness and died of acute subdural hematoma
[35] 09/15/2002 JH1 / Male / Chijiwa Junior High School
Lost balance during randori practice, fell backwards, hit head and died of acute subdural hematoma
[36] 07/04/2003 JH1 / Female / Ushioda Junior High School
Fell and hit head hard; died of acute subdural hematoma
[37] 07/22/2003 H1 / Male / Omagari Agricultural High School
Collapsed and lost consciousness during practice with coach; died of acute heart failure
[38] 07/10/2004 H2 / Male / Nigata Technical High School
Collapsed after judo practice in PE; cause of death is unknown
[39] 07/14/2005 JH3 / Male / Ichihasama Junior High School
Felt sick while resting after judo practice, lost consciousness and died of acute subdural hematoma
[40] 07/16/2005 H1 / Male / Nishiyamato GakuenHigh School
Found dead in locker room of the judo club early that morning; died of cerebral hemorrhage due to head injury during practice day before
[41] 08/02/2005 JH1 / Male / Mikage Junior High School
Slapped and kicked by the teacher for improper performance during club summer camp; died of acute heart failure due to heat stroke
[42] 10/07/2005 H2 / Male / Kounodai High School
Lost consciousness after being held down with a newaza called yoko-shihou-gatame (shoulders and hips are pinned) during PE class; died of heart concussion
[43] 06/xx/2007 JH1 / Male / Kawaguchi Dojo
Hit his head during throwing practice; died two weeks later from acute subdural hematoma; head of dojo, Mr. Kawaguchi, is a gold medalist from 1972 Munich Olymmpics
[44] 08/05/2008 H2 / Male / Saijo High School
Collapsed and fell unconscious after morning practice at joint judo training camp organized by Ehime Prefecture High School Athletic Association; died a week later from heat stroke
[45] 05/27/2009 JH1 / Male / Fujisaki High School
Unable to receive when thrown by senior student, hit his head and died
[46] 07/26/2009 H2 / Male / Nissei Gakkuen DaisanHigh School
Felt sick during receiving practice and lost consciousness, died of acute subdural hematoma; a beginner who joined club day before.
[47] 08/24/2009 JH1 / Male / Hatasho Junior High School
Fell and lost consciousness after long period of randori with coach and 2 or 3 throws by him; died 3 weeks later of acute subdural hematoma; was a beginner with asthma
[48] 08/xx/2009 H1 / Male / a private high school in Kanto area
Fell down during oikomi (chasing technique) practice in the afternoon; died of ASH
[49] 05/01/2010 H3 / Male / Oita Technical High School
Collapsed after thrown by opponent who used osogo-gari; died of acute subdural hematoma
[50] 07/03/2010 E1*/ Male / dojo in Kodocho
Lost consciousness during randori practice with other elementary school students; died of acute subdural hematoma
[51] 07/06/2010 JH1 / Male / Kannami Junior High School
Fell unconscious during receiving practice and died of brain contusion: had hit his head in May when thrown with osoto-gari
[52] 11/10/2010 E1 / Male / Judo Club operated by Yamasaki Osteopathic Clinic
A child of 3 month of judo experience died of brain swelling after coach used ashibarai(tripping) for 20 minutes
JH=Junior High School (12-15), H=High School (16-18), E = Elementary School (6-11)
Example: JH2 = 2nd year junior high school
H1 = 1st year high school
E1 = 1st year elementary school