# Koji Shibamoto

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## Overview

**Name:** Koji Shibamoto

**Date of Birth:** August 23, 1980 (age 46)


## Bio

A former elite Judo competitor for Tokai University and a Japan national team representative, Koji Shibamoto transitioned to jiu-jitsu in 2004 after discovering Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa’s instructional DVD, joining the Tri-Force gym. Winning the All Japan blue belt division within a year, he quit his job to pursue the art full-time and capped his brown belt run by taking the 2010 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, earning his black belt from Hayakawa that June after just over five and a half years of training. His competitive resume includes notable matches against Todd Kalani Tanak and Kazuyoshi Okamura.

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/koji-shibamoto)