Kosei Inoue – See Britain film

Japanese Judo champion Kosei Inoue is widely considered to be the best 'Judoka' of his generation and is celebrated across the Judo world. In the short film below, he talks about his experience in the UK, the UK’s multicultural nature and its passion for sport, and the similarities between Britain and Japan.

Kosei became hooked on Judo when as a five year old he visited his local dojo to watch his father fight. He started to train and compete, going on to have an illustrious judo career. He won the Olympic Gold in Sydney in 2000 and gold medals at three World Championships. These achievements required tremendous commitment, and at the peak of his career he was training for 7-8 hours a day..

Since retiring from the sport in 2008, Kosei has become a global ambassador for Judo. He’s taught in many parts of the world and is currently coaching at the famous Budokwai centre in London - the oldest judo club in continuous existence in Europe. This is part of a two year stint in the UK that began with six months in Edinburgh.  

Kosei has two key objectives whilst he is in Britain: to coach Judo and learn English. He enjoys sharing his experience and knowledge with UK-based Judo enthusiasts, and also coaches the Japanese national team.

Kosei will be part of the Japanese coaching team for London 2012, and believes the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games give an excellent opportunity for people all over the world to discover more about the UK. He describes winning Olympic Gold as a childhood dream. How many people will realise their dreams in London in 2012?