Yuto Honda Reaches Round of 16 at Student Weight Championships

Yuto Honda reached the round of 16 in the men’s 66kg division at the All Japan Student Weight-Class Championships at the Nippon Budokan on September 26.

Opening Matches and Hard-Fought Victories at Nippon Budokan

The tournament opened with a stern test against a third-place finisher from Tokyo students. Honda fell behind early, conceding two shido penalties as his opponent applied intense pressure. Rather than retreat, Honda kept his composure and pushed the pace. “I went in with the mindset that I had to throw him, no matter what,” Honda said of his approach. After three minutes of golden score extra time, Honda capitalized on a brief opening to score a decisive point, advancing to the second round.

In the second round, Honda established firm control over the match. Just one minute into the contest, he capitalized on an off-balance opponent to transition into ne-waza ground combat. Though his initial hold was broken, Honda secured a second hold down and maintained control for 20 seconds to claim an ippon victory, sealing his place in the top 16.

Third-Round Exit Against the Tournament Runner-Up

Honda’s run for the title ended in the third round against an opponent who set a rapid offensive pace from the opening bell. Despite initiating a flurry of foot techniques in a late bid to overturn the deficit, Honda could not find the score he needed and exited the competition.

“My goal was to definitely reach the top eight, which would secure qualification for the Kodokan Cup, and since I was entering, I wanted to win it all,” Honda reflected on his tournament performance. While the championship pursuit ended prematurely, the young judoka demonstrated advanced tactical game-management against top collegiate competition.

Looking Ahead to Next Season

With a top-16 finish secured in his second year, Honda has already established clear benchmarks for his training cycle. “Next year, I definitely want to achieve a result of top eight or better,” he said. The experience gained at the Nippon Budokan serves as foundational preparation as he targets higher finishes at national collegiate events.