Daisuke Shiraki

Born on October 12, 1980, in Japan, Daisuke Shiraki's path to becoming one of his country's most accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors was forged through the Japanese national school system. Like many Japanese martial artists of his generation, Shiraki entered grappling through judo, joining his middle school's judo club and continuing to compete at Toho High School. The discipline and foundational grappling principles he absorbed through judo would later serve as a natural springboard into combat sports.

Around the age of 18, Shiraki transitioned into mixed martial arts, drawn by the emerging MMA scene captivating Japan during that era. It was through MMA that he first encountered Brazilian jiu-jitsu, beginning his training at the Alive dojo in Nagoya. Coaches Yoichi Suzuki and Tadashi Shigure shaped his early development on the mats, guiding him through the foundational stages of his jiu-jitsu education up to the blue belt level.

Shraki's MMA career gave his jiu-jitsu development a competitive edge from the outset, blending his judo base with the rapidly evolving techniques he absorbed on the mats. As he climbed the BJJ ranks, his aptitude for both learning and teaching the art became evident at an unusually early stage — by 2003, still a purple belt, he had already begun coaching BJJ, demonstrating a level of technical understanding that far outpaced his years of training.

A pivotal shift in his development came through his relationship with Yuki Nakai, one of Japan's most respected figures in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Training under Nakai elevated Shiraki's game to the highest level, and in 2005 he earned his black belt — a milestone that coincided with his signing to the prestigious Pride FC organization. Competing in MMA under the Pride FC banner while simultaneously developing as a black belt competitor placed Shiraki among the elite of Japanese combat sports during one of the sport's most celebrated eras in the country.

With his black belt earned in 2005 under Yuki Nakai's guidance, Shiraki wasted no time announcing himself on the international BJJ circuit. That same year, he claimed a 3rd place finish at the IBJJF Pan Championship in the Peso Leve division (76 kg / 168 lbs) — a result all the more notable given he faced seasoned competitors as a freshly promoted black belt.

The years that followed demonstrated his consistency at the highest levels of international competition. In 2009, Shiraki reached the final of the IBJJF European Open, finishing in 2nd place — a result that underscored his ability to perform on European soil against a deep and competitive field. Nakai's mentorship had transformed him from a promising MMA fighter with a judo foundation into one of Japan's most credible representatives on the global jiu-jitsu stage.

In 2010, Shiraki married, and following the wedding he legally changed his name from Daisuke Sugie to Daisuke Shiraki. Two years later, in 2012, he made a significant institutional move by joining Carpe Diem, one of Japan's most prominent and successful BJJ organizations. The affiliation deepened his connection to the highest level of Japanese jiu-jitsu and provided a platform for the next phase of his career.

Opening CARPE DIEM HOPE in Gifu

Shiraki channeled that momentum into building the sport locally, opening his own branch — CARPE DIEM HOPE — in Gifu city. The academy expanded the Carpe Diem network into a region where his competitive reputation could inspire a new generation of practitioners, becoming a symbol of his commitment to developing BJJ beyond Japan's major metropolitan centers.

Sustained Excellence in Competition

Far from stepping back after establishing his academy, Shiraki produced some of his finest results well into his thirties. In 2016 and 2017, he captured IBJJF Japanese National Championship gold, affirming his standing as one of Japan's premier domestic competitors. During this same period, he earned 3rd place finishes at the IBJJF World Masters Championship in both 2016 and 2017 in the Master 2 division, demonstrating that his technical and competitive edge remained sharp at the elite level. His nickname 'Amazon' — earned through years of fierce competition — reflected the relentless intensity he brought to every match.

Shiraki's record across the Asian and global competition circuits stands as one of the most consistent produced by a Japanese competitor of his era. His dominance on the Asian circuit was most clearly expressed through three IBJJF Asian Open Championship titles, claimed in 2006, 2008, and 2013 — victories spread across nearly a decade that speak to sustained excellence rather than a single competitive peak.

His trajectory at the IBJJF Pan Championship illustrated the speed of his development: a 2nd place finish at colored belt in 2004 was followed just one year later by a 3rd place result at black belt in 2005, a rapid progression that few competitors achieve. In 2017, he added a 2nd place finish at the IBJJF Manila Open to his record, competing across Asia's growing BJJ landscape well into the later stages of his career.

Perhaps no competition series better captured his longevity than the UAEJJF Grand Slam Tokyo, where Shiraki reached the podium in 2016, 2017, and 2018 — claiming 2nd place on all three occasions. This run of consecutive podium finishes at a high-level international event cemented his reputation as one of Japan's most enduring and decorated ambassadors for Brazilian jiu-jitsu on the world stage.