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Police in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, have arrested a 32-year-old fireman on suspicion of assault after he injured a 49-year-old man with a judo throw. The man had been trying to break up a quarrel between the fireman and a third party.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police said the suspect, Yusuke Sakai, was drinking in a pub with three friends when he started arguing loudly with one of them.
When the victim, who didn’t know Sakai, tried to break up the argument, Sakai took him outside and hurled him with a shoulder throw. The incident was captured on a street surveillance camera.
After his arrest, Sakai was quoted by police as saying he got angry with the victim for trying to interfere in something that was none of his business.
The victim was taken to hospital where doctors found he had suffered a cervical spine fracture.
Police said Sakai, who was intoxicated at the time of his arrest, holds a 2nd dan rank in judo.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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factchecker
He now holds a 1st class rank as a loser
simon g
2nd dan blackbelt Judoka should know better. He'll be lucky to keep his job.
foreignbrotherhoodarmy
He was drunk and didn’t know he was doing. That’s usually the excuse right?
simon g
Not for martial artists it's not.
Fighto!
Firemen in Japan are sadly often in the news for crimes such as assault and rape. It seems the recruitment for them should include more rigorous psychological assessment. It is probably the most stressful job, and many go off the rails under extreme pressure.
Kobe White Bar Owner
a reminder to those of use who know martial arts to never use them as the aggressor or it will be used against you.
RINFO
"he got angry with the victim for trying to interfere in something that was none of his business."
never interfere, especially if you are non japanese in Japan, its bad enough if you are defending yourself, unless you are on base or embassy property, then you can call the base police.
wanderlust
The incident was captured on a street surveillance camera.
Another incident just a few days ago was also captured on surveillance camera.
It's getting more common to see these words in crime reports nowadays.
nakanoguy01
I reckon you're new to Japan because he'll get his pay docked a month continue, say a few gomenasai, and continue working as if nothing ever happened.
ebisen
He should be striped of his rank, he's not worthy of representing any martial art anywhere.. ooh wait, I forgot this is judo.
Peeping_Tom
I remember a "few" JT experts (not so long ago) claiming that Judo is totally ineffective.
Wat a gwan?
Jimizo
Why? Does doing judo prevent you from being a knob?
I’ve come across plenty of knobs who do martial arts. I used to box. Plenty of knobs box.
Jtsnose
Judo (柔道, jūdō, Japanese pronunciation: [dʑɯꜜːdoː], lit. "gentle way"),
from Internet Wikipedia.
garypen
I'm sure he'll also have to pay a fair amount of yen to the victim, in addition to covering his medical costs.