大山倍達
Satake began practicing karate after being inspired by the publications of Mas Oyama in junior high school. After graduating from Kansai University with a major in English, he turned down a job at a television studio in order to practice martial arts full-time. Within three years, he was fighting professionally at the national level, placing fourth in the 3rd All Japan Karate Championships of 1984. Half a decade later, he was regularly placing first in Japan's largest tournaments and ranked among the country's most successful karateka.