is a Japanese karateka. She won a Gold medal in individual kata at the 2012 World Karate Championships after previously winning Bronze at the 2010 Championships. She also won Gold in the same category at the 2010 Asian Games. , Usami is coaching the karate team at Kokushikan University.Usami, Rika: coach, class of 2007, the 43rd alumna : .
Early life Usami was born on February 20, 1986, in Tokyo, Japan. She had said in an interview that she started karate when she was 10 years old by joining a Goju-ryu-style dojo located near her family's house in Tokyo, after seeing a female fighter on television. Her older brother had been practicing karate and let Usami wear his karate gi on occasions, resulting in helping her a lot when she decided to eventually start practicing karate herself.
Usami's first karate tournament was when she was a green belt at 12 years old in elementary school. Usami did not participate in major tournaments until age 15 and won her first tournament at 17 years old at the All Japan High School Karatedo Championships.
Achievements
Year Competition Venue RankEvent200330th Japan National High School Karatedo Championships Sasebo 1st20054th World Junior & Cadet Karatedo Championships Cyprus 1st20068th Asian Junior & Cadet Karatedo ChampionshipsSingapore 1st200735th 1st Individual kata200751st All Japan Universities' Karatedo Championship 1st Individual kata200736th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships 2nd Individual kata200837th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships 1st Individual kata2009 Asian Karate Championships Foshan, China 1st Individual kata201038th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships 1st Individual kata201139th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships 1st Individual kata201240th Japan Cup Karatedo Championships Japan 1st Individual kata201221st World ChampionshipsParis, France 1stIndividual kata
Publications Usami, Rika. "Interview 2011 ", . vol.65 no.14 (March 2011): pp. 3–6. , . Japan best players-the medalist of the 21st WKF Paris. vol.2 "Kata." Tokyo : CHAMP. DVD video. . . Tokyo : CHAMP, DVD video. . Usami, Rika. , Baseball Magazine Co., Ltd. , . "", Coaching clinic, vol. 28 no.2 (February 2014) pp. 28–31. . Usami, Rika; Waranabe, Yusuke (渡邊祐介). "", Matsushita Kōnosuke Juku, vol.21, January 2015, pp. 26–29. . Usami, Rika; . . Tokyo : CHAMP, Blu-ray disc. . Usami, Rika. , Tokyo : CHAMP, Blu-ray disc. 2018. . Usami, Rika. (2019) , Tokyo : CHAMP, Blu-ray disc. .
References
External links Interview with Rika Usami 2012 final championships video Rika Usami In the spotlight: Rika Usami - The Queen of Kata