BLACK BELT - HEAD INSTRUCTOR

Professor Nobuo Yagai has been studying martial arts since he was six years old, beginning his training with Kendo, or Samurai swordsmanship. At 16, he began to study full-contact karate under world Kyokushin champion Makato Nakameura. In order to deepen his study and understanding of karate, he traveled throughout Asia, training with some of the world’s top martial arts experts, including a world-champion boxer, a Muay Thai champion, and a police kung fu instructor. He used this expertise to become the 1997 Japanese National Sanda (shoot boxing) Full- Contact Kung Fu Champion.

After graduating from university in 2000 with a BA in law and international relations, Karate brought Nobuo to the United States, where he trained and served as a full-time Karate apprentice at the elite Full Contact Karate International headquarters. He was teaching and trained for two years, gaining life-changing insights into the importance of attitude and discipline in the practice of martial arts.

During his apprenticeship, a challenger entered the dojo who Nobu was forced to fight. The fight quickly ended up on the ground. After the fight, and upon reflection, he came to realize the importance of ground defense skills, or grappling.  He had already been introduced to submission techniques, such as joint locks, by his university professor and instructor of Aiki jiu-jitsu, Kiyokazu Maebayashi . These insights led him naturally to the study of jiu jitsu.

With the addition of jiu jitsu and these ground grappling moves, he filled in the last piece of his fighting game and transformed himself into the martial artist he is today. He has gone on to win many championships and his talent is highly respected by many professional fighters.

In addition to teaching martial arts, Nobuo is a certified Master trainer at the gym where he trains a wide variety of clientele with varying needs and goals. He has trained professional athletes, celebrities, military and police officers, bouncers, personal trainers and MMA fighters… as well as moms looking to get back in shape, weekend warriors, grandmas and kids.  Nobuo teaches his clients “functional fitness” whereby clients learn movement patterns that are powerful, efficient and that mitigate the risk of injury- in other words, how to optimally use their bodies. His broad range of techniques gleaned from both his study of fitness and martial arts, allows him to uniquely tailor his personal training for each client and their needs.  He has a wide range of references and testimonials which speak to his results.

Instructor Certification Rigan Machado Jiu Jitsu 3rd degree Black Belt, Behavior Change Specialization (BCS), AFAA (aerobics and Fitness Association of America) NCSF (National Council on Strength & Fitness) NASM (National Academy of sports medicine) NASM CES (Corrective Exercise specialist) NASM PES (Performance EnhancementSpecialist) CPR, AED ( American Heart Association), SafeSport certified (The U.S. Center for SafeSport is designated under federal law) 

IBJJF Certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt 3rd degree under Master Rigan Machado, 

Enshin Karate Black Belt 2nd degree, 

Kodokan Judo Black Belt, 

USA Judo 2nd degree Black belt

BA in Law and International Relations.

Click here to learn more about Nobuo's book, WARRIOR IN THE GARDEN. 

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ACHIEVEMENTS:

2023 USA Judo American National Master Champion

IJF Abu Dhabi World Judo Veterans 7th place 

2022 USA Judo American National Senior 5th place  (The senior devision is the highest level of competition in USA Judo for athletes above age 17)

2021 USA Judo American National Master championship Silver medal

2017 IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu Championship Light Feather weight Bronze medal

2016 Fight to Win Pro 4 Super Fight vs Baret Yoshida

2016 Fight to Win Pro 2 Super Fight vs Pablo Silva

2015 JJWL International Mr.Olympia BJJ Championship Champion

2015 IBJJF American national Jiu Jitsu Championship Bronze medal

2015 The 1st Jiu Jitsu World League Black Belt Adult Light Feather Champion

2014 Vegas Summer Open International Black Belt Adult Silver Medal Light Feather

2014 World Pro Jiu Jitsu Canada Trial Black Belt Adult Silver Medal Light Feather

2012 Long Beach International Open IBJJF championship Black Belt Adult Light Feather Silver medal

2011 Pan-American Jiu Jitsu championship Light Featherweight Bronze Medalist

2006 National Cup Jiu Jitsu tournament Feather weight 3rd place

2006 Pancrase U.S. National Flyweight Submission Wrestling 2nd place

2005 Pan-American Jiu Jitsu championship Featherweight Bronze Medalist

2004 Pancrase U.S. National Flyweight Submission Wrestling Champion

2004 AFC Submission Wrestling Invitational Competitor

2003 Pan-American Submission Wrestling Finalist

2003 ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil Competitor

2003 Pancrase U.S. National Flyweight Submission Wrestling 2nd place

2002 CKA Colorado State Lightweight champion

2002 World Full Contact Karate Sabaki Challenge Lightweight Semi-Finalist

2001 NE Region Full Contact Karate Lightweight Sabaki Challenge 2nd Place

2000 Enshin Tournament Black Belt Challenge Lightweight 2nd Place

1997 Japanese National Sanda Champion Open weight

1997 All Japan Kyokushin Full-Contact Karate Championships Lightweight Best 16