Goki Tajima, World Champion but still not the top Japanese

Goki Tajima (JPN) has a very unusual throwing style. He does have some pretty classical throws like sode-tsurikomi-goshi and kouchi-makikomi but he also does things like one-handed seoi and front uchimata, which are not so common (especially the latter, among Japanese players).

Tajima became World Champion in 2024 but is still not the top Japanese in his weight class (that honor belongs to Olympic silver medalist, Sanshiro Murao).

Tajima kicked off his international career really well, winning gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Zagreb. There, he showcased his very unique one-handed sode, which he used to throw many of his opponents, including Rober Florentino (DOM), whom he met in the final. Interestingly, he doesn't use this technique that much these days.

At the senior level, he didn't make it to the World team until 2024 (although he did participate in a few World Mixed Teams) until 2024, when he defeated former World Champion Nemanja Majdov in the final.

Tajima may be the reigning World Champion but he is ranked No 23 in the IJF World rankings. Way ahead of him is Murao, who comes in at No 2 in the IJF World Rankings.

Interestingly, in Japanese domestic tournaments, Goki usually beats Murao and always with the same technique: kouchi. But Murao, though younger, is more accomplished internationally. According to our website, Murao has fought 108 international matches. In contrast, Tajima has fought 47.

Watch Tajima defeat Murao with kouchi three times in domestic tournaments.

Murao has won the Asian Championships twice and has 6 gold medals from the IJF World Tour. Tajima is World Champion, of course, but he has no IJF World Tour golds to his name.

It's tough to be a top player in Japan. With Murao having done so well in the Olympics, it will be difficult for Tajima to unseat him as the top dog in Japan's -90kg scene. Murao will get more opportunities to compete internationally. Still, as the reigning World Champion, Tajima is likely to be given enough opportunities to prove himself in the coming year.