Mashu Baker

2.1. Childhood and Introduction to Judo

Mashu Baker was born on September 25, 1994, in Chiyoda, Tokyo. His father is American, and his parents divorced when he was young, leading to him being raised by his Japanese mother in Japan. Baker initially took piano lessons. However, his piano teacher, noticing his poor posture, recommended judo as a suitable means to correct it through seiza (formal kneeling). Consequently, Baker began practicing judo at the age of six at the Kasuga Judo Club located within the Kodokan in Tokyo. Notable judokas like Wolf Aron (one year his junior) and Sara Asahina (two years his junior) also trained at the same club. During his fifth year of elementary school, Baker participated in the National Elementary School Grade-Specific Judo Tournament in the 40 kg division but was defeated in the first round of the final tournament by Yuma Oshima, representing Tokushima Prefecture. He attended an international school until fifth grade before transferring to a public school. According to his club instructor, Motohiro Mukai, Baker struggled from the sixth grade of elementary school onwards, failing to keep pace with his peers in the same club. This led to him performing half-heartedly in training until the second year of junior high school. However, a defeat in a particular match spurred his recovery. By his third year of junior high, he achieved a second-place finish in the Tokyo prefectural preliminaries and a third-place finish in the Kanto tournament.

2.2. Junior and High School Career

Upon entering Tokai University Urayasu Junior & Senior High School, Baker initially competed as a 146 lb ^{(66 kg)} judoka. To prepare for team competitions, he followed his coach Toru Takeuchi's instructions, consuming seven meals a day and engaging in weight training. This regimen led to him moving up in weight classes, first to 179 lb ^{(81 kg)} then to 198 lb ^{(90 kg)}. In his second year, he secured a third-place finish in the individual competition at the National High School General Athletic Meet Judo Tournament. After further increasing his weight to the 90 kg class, Baker achieved significant success. In the National High School Judo Championships, he won the individual competition with all victories by ippon. In the team competition, he played a crucial role as the team captain, contributing significantly to the team's first championship alongside his junior, Wolf Aron. In his third year, he won the Kinshuki in July. In August, he won the individual competition at the Inter-High School tournament, accumulating a series of ippon victories, though his consecutive ippon streak was broken at 46 in the first match against Takahiro Omachi. He continued to secure ippon victories and also won the team competition, achieving the prestigious high school triple crown (National High School Championships, Kinshuki, and Inter-High School Tournament). His rapid and sudden growth from the latter half of his second year led some to describe him as an "alien" who "suddenly descended from a completely different world into the value system of high school judo." However, in the All Japan Junior Judo Weight Class Championships in September, he suffered a loss in the semifinals to Yosuke Kobayashi of University of Tsukuba by Uchi Mata, experiencing a rare defeat. In October, he contributed to Chiba's victory in the boys' division of the National Sports Festival. In the Kodokan Cup in November, he lost to All Japan Champion Hirotaka Kato of Chiba Prefectural Police by Kosoto Gake in the quarterfinals but fought through the repechage to secure a third-place finish.

2.3. University and Early Senior Career

In 2013, Baker enrolled in Tokai University. During his first year, he lost to Hirotaka Kato by Tomoe Nage in the first round of the All Japan Selected Judo Weight Class Championships in May. However, he contributed to his team's victory in the All Japan Student Judo Championships in June. In the Kodokan Cup in November, he defeated Daiki Nishiyama, a former world silver medalist from Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, by Yoko Shiho Gatame in the semifinals. In the final, however, he suffered a decisive defeat to Kato, who scored a waza-ari, two yuko, and two shido, and then an ippon via Deashi Harai. He then competed in his first senior international tournament, the Grand Slam Tokyo. In the semifinals, he trailed Varlam Liparteliani of Georgia by a waza-ari but rallied to win with an Ouchi Gari. In the final, he defeated former world champion Lee Kyu-won of Korea by a yuko, securing his first Grand Slam title. In February 2014, at the Grand Slam Paris, he reached the semifinals but lost to Lee Kyu-won by three shido, finishing in third place.

In his second year at university, in April 2014, he lost to his senior, Yuya Yoshida of Asahi Kasei, by two yuko in the final of the All Japan Selected Weight Class Championships. Despite the loss, he was selected to represent Japan at the 2014 World Judo Championships. In June, he contributed to his team's seventh consecutive victory in the All Japan Student Judo Championships. In August, at the World Championships, he suffered an unexpected defeat in the second round, losing to Portugal's Célio Dias by Osoto Gari. However, he contributed to Japan's victory in the World Judo Team Championships final by securing an ippon against a local Russian opponent. In October, he also helped his team win the All Japan Student Judo Weight Class Team Championships. In December, at the Grand Slam Tokyo, he lost to Gwak Dong-han of South Korea by three shido in the semifinals, finishing third and failing to win the tournament for the second consecutive year. In February 2015, he won the European Open Rome.

In his third year, in April 2015, he defeated Yuya Yoshida by a waza-ari in the final of the All Japan Selected Weight Class Championships, securing his first title and earning selection for the 2015 World Judo Championships. In May, at the Grand Slam Baku, he achieved all ippon victories up to the final, where he defeated Noël van 't End of the Netherlands by a yuko to win the gold medal. In June, his team finished second in the All Japan Student Judo Championships, missing their chance for an eighth consecutive title. In July, at the Grand Slam Tyumen, he won his second consecutive Grand Slam title by defeating a local Russian opponent in the final. In August, at the World Championships, he lost to Beka Gviniashvili by a yuko from an osaekomi in the quarterfinals but fought through the repechage to secure a bronze medal. In October, he led his team to victory in the All Japan Student Judo Weight Class Team Championships. In December, at the Grand Slam Tokyo, he defeated world champion Gwak Dong-han by Yoko Shiho Gatame in Golden Score (GS) in the semifinals. In the final, he defeated former world champion Asley González of Cuba by two shido, securing his second Grand Slam Tokyo title and his third Grand Slam victory of the year. Following this victory, Baker expressed his aspiration for the Olympics, stating, "The Olympics are a stage I admire, and I believe they are a judoka's dream. Since I saw coach Kosei Inoue win at the Sydney Olympics, I've always admired him, and I want to win in the same way on that grand stage." He did not compete in any European tournaments in the winter of 2016.

In his fourth year at university, in April 2016, he finished second after losing to Daiki Nishiyama by one shido in the final of the All Japan Selected Weight Class Championships. Despite this, he was selected for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics based on his achievements. At the time, he remarked, "I want to turn all my feelings into strength. Seeing Coach Inoue win a gold medal [at the Sydney Olympics] made me admire the Olympics." In May, he participated in the World Masters, a tournament featuring top-ranked judokas. Despite dislocating his right shoulder in the quarterfinals, he won by a waza-ari. In the semifinals, he defeated Ilias Iliadis of Greece, whom he admired, by scoring a waza-ari and a yuko. In the final, he was trailing Khasan Khalmurzaev of Russia by three shido but caught up just before the end and then won by a yuko in Golden Score (GS). As of 2016, he remained undefeated in matches that went into Golden Score, demonstrating his strength in close contests. This result elevated his world ranking to first place, making him the top seed for the Olympics, and granting him the privilege of always wearing a white judogi. However, Baker had experienced multiple subluxations of his left shoulder since the beginning of 2016, and his right shoulder also subluxed at the World Masters. Due to these injuries, he was unable to engage in full-scale training and withdrew from the championship scheduled for June. His shoulder conditions reportedly improved after a training camp in Spain in early July.

3.1. 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics

Baker approached the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in excellent form, reportedly even eating steak on the morning of his competition. In his opening match, the second round, he defeated Marc Odenthal of Germany with a Seoi Otoshi. In the third round, he overcame Aleksandar Kukol of Serbia with an Awase-waza, and in the quarterfinals, he defeated Alexandre Iddir of France with the same technique. In the semifinals, he fell behind to Cheng Xunzhao of China by a shido late in the match but immediately reversed the situation with an Ouchi Gari that scored a yuko, followed by a Kesa Gatame for the win. Despite vomiting three times before the final, he defeated Varlam Liparteliani of Georgia by a yuko, securing his first Olympic gold medal.

Immediately after the match, Baker commented, "I always kept in mind that I should fight as if it were a normal international tournament, and surprisingly, it worked. I wanted to finish as coolly as Coach Inoue with his Uchi Mata, but I couldn't quite do that." His coach, Kosei Inoue, praised Baker, stating, "Mashu Baker is formidable. Strong opponents fell one after another, perhaps because of the aura he exudes. He is a new type of athlete for the Japanese national team. He possesses unique flexibility and power that others don't, making him a difficult opponent."

3.2. Post-Olympic Career and Injuries (2017-2021)

In contrast to Shohei Ono's dominant victory in the 73 kg category, Baker's performance in the final, where he adopted a defensive posture and focused on kumi-kata (grip fighting) after taking the lead, drew some criticism for appearing to "run away." Baker, however, refuted this, stating, "It's too risky to make a decisive move late in the match when you're leading, so there's no need to make such a choice. That was the ideal tactic in that situation, so I feel it's unfair to say I was running away."

From April 2017, Baker became affiliated with the JRA. However, he did not fix his training base at JRA but rather engaged in extensive off-site training at various universities and corporate teams. His first match since the Olympics, eight months later, was at the All Japan Selected Judo Weight Class Championships. In the first round, he faced Yosuke Kobayashi of Asahi Kasei but injured his old right shoulder in Golden Score and was forced to withdraw, marking his first loss in a Golden Score match. After the match, he indicated the possibility of a long-term hiatus, stating, "It was a complete dislocation for the first time. If I aim for the Tokyo Olympics, I'm considering having surgery and taking a year off." Subsequent examinations diagnosed him with "right traumatic shoulder joint dislocation," leading him to decide on surgery. Consequently, he withdrew from the All Japan Judo Championships and the 2017 World Judo Championships, for which he had qualified by winning the Olympics. His recovery was expected to take eight months.

Upon his return from injury in February 2018, competing in the Grand Slam Düsseldorf, his first international tournament in a year and a half, he reached the final but lost to Mikhail Igolnikov of Russia by an Osoto Gari for ippon, finishing in second place. In the All Japan Selected Judo Weight Class Championships in April, he defeated Shoichiro Mukai of Sohgo Security Services by a waza-ari in the semifinals but lost to Kenta Nagasawa of Park24 (a year his senior at university) by a waza-ari from an Uchi Mata in Golden Score, finishing second. Although he was not selected for the 2018 World Judo Championships, he was chosen for the 2018 Asian Games. In May, at the Grand Prix Hohhot, he won against world champion Nemanja Majdov of Serbia by an Osoto Gari for ippon in Golden Score in the quarterfinals but injured his hip and withdrew from subsequent matches, finishing in fifth place. In August, at the Asian Games, he lost to Gwak Dong-han by a hansoku-make (disqualification) in the semifinals, earning a bronze medal. In November, at the Kodokan Cup, he defeated Takeshi Tajima of University of Tsukuba (a third-year student) in the final, overcoming an initial waza-ari deficit to win by awase-waza in Golden Score. After the match, he commented, "It was my tenacity in the end. I am happier than winning the Rio Olympics gold medal." However, in November's Grand Slam Osaka, he lost in the third round to Ushangi Margiani of Georgia by Uki Otoshi. In April 2019, he finished third in the All Japan Selected Judo Weight Class Championships after losing to Nagasawa by hansoku-make in the semifinals. In June, he made his first appearance at the All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament, contributing to his team's victory after a two-year hiatus. In July, at the Grand Prix Montreal, he defeated Colton Brown of the United States by a waza-ari from a Tani Otoshi to win the gold medal. In September, at the Grand Prix Tashkent, he lost to Marcus Nyman of Sweden by an Sumigaeshi for ippon in the quarterfinals but won his bronze medal match against world junior champion Lasha Bekauri of Georgia by Yoko Shiho Gatame. In November, at the Kodokan Cup, he finished second after losing to his university junior, Sanshiro Murao of Tokai University, by a waza-ari from an Uchi Mata in the final. At the Grand Slam Osaka, he was defeated in the third round.

3.3. Recent Competitions (2022-Present)

In May 2022, at the All Japan Reinforced Athlete Selection Meeting, he finished second, losing to Takeshi Tajima of Park24 by a waza-ari in the final. In October, at the Kodokan Cup, he defeated Tajima by hansoku-make in the semifinals and then defeated Shoichiro Mukai by Yoko Shiho Gatame in the final, securing his second title after a four-year interval. In December, at the Grand Slam Tokyo, he lost to Eduard Trippel, a silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, in the quarterfinals, and subsequently lost his bronze medal match to Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri by hansoku-make, finishing in fifth place. In April 2023, he finished second in the All Japan Selected Judo Weight Class Championships, losing to Takeshi Tajima by a waza-ari in the final. In February 2025, at the All Japan Senior Judo Weight Class Championships, he finished second after losing to Ken Sasaya of Asahi Kasei by hansoku-make in the final.

5.1. Overall Record

As of December 4, 2015, Mashu Baker's competitive record in judo is as follows:

5.2. World Ranking Progression

The annual progression of Mashu Baker's world ranking in judo is shown in the table below:

5.3. Head-to-Head Records

Mashu Baker's competitive outcomes against some prominent judokas are detailed below:

5.4. Tournament Results

Mashu Baker's major tournament results throughout his career include:

• 2011 - Inter-High 3rd place (81 kg class)
• 2012 - High School Championships Individual 1st place, Team 1st place
• 2012 - Kinshuki 1st place
• 2012 - Inter-High Individual 1st place, Team 1st place
• 2012 - All Japan Junior 3rd place
• 2012 - National Sports Festival Boys' Division 1st place
• 2012 - Kodokan Cup 3rd place
• 2012 - Aix-en-Provence Junior International 1st place
• 2013 - Bremen Junior International 1st place
• 2013 - All Japan Student Judo Championships 1st place
• 2013 - All Japan Student Judo Weight Class Team Championships 2nd place
• 2013 - Kodokan Cup 2nd place
• 2013 - Grand Slam Tokyo 1st place
• 2014 - Grand Slam Paris 3rd place
• 2014 - Weight Class 2nd place
• 2014 - All Japan Student Judo Championships 1st place
• 2014 - World Team Championships 1st place
• 2014 - Weight Class Team Championships 1st place
• 2014 - Grand Slam Tokyo 3rd place
• 2015 - European Open Rome 1st place
• 2015 - Weight Class 1st place
• 2015 - Grand Slam Baku 1st place
• 2015 - All Japan Student Judo Championships 2nd place
• 2015 - Grand Slam Tyumen 1st place
• 2015 - World Championships 3rd place
• 2015 - Weight Class Team Championships 1st place
• 2015 - Grand Slam Tokyo 1st place
• 2016 - Weight Class 2nd place
• 2016 - World Masters 1st place
• 2016 - Rio de Janeiro Olympics 1st place
• 2018 - Grand Slam Düsseldorf 2nd place
• 2018 - Weight Class 2nd place
• 2018 - Grand Prix Hohhot 5th place
• 2018 - Asian Games 3rd place
• 2018 - Kodokan Cup 1st place
• 2019 - Weight Class 3rd place
• 2019 - Business Group Team 1st place
• 2019 - Grand Prix Montreal 1st place
• 2019 - Grand Prix Tashkent 3rd place
• 2019 - Kodokan Cup 2nd place
• 2022 - All Japan Reinforced Athlete Selection Meeting 2nd place
• 2022 - Business Group Team 2nd place
• 2022 - Business Individual Championships 3rd place
• 2022 - Kodokan Cup 1st place
• 2022 - Grand Slam Tokyo 5th place
• 2023 - Weight Class 2nd place
• 2025 - Senior Weight Class 2nd place