Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa

Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa was born on September 21, 1975, in Japan, and grew up immersed in the country's rich martial arts culture. His early training through Seido Kaikan — a full-contact karate organization — instilled a foundational understanding of discipline and combat that translated naturally into grappling. That striking background sharpened his timing and physical conditioning, setting the stage for a seamless transition to submission wrestling.

In 1996, Hayakawa began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Naoyuki Taira, one of the early pioneers of the art in Japan. Training within Taira's forward-thinking environment during a period when BJJ was still establishing its foothold in the country, Hayakawa developed rapidly as a competitor and distinguished himself as one of the more promising young grapplers in the Japanese scene during the late 1990s.

Dominating the All Japan BJJ Open

Hayakawa's competitive edge was evident from the start. Competing in the Pena weight division (70kg/154lbs), he captured the All Japan BJJ Open title three times — in 1998, 1999, and 2002 — affirming his standing as one of Japan's premier grapplers across multiple years. The 2002 edition carried particular weight, with Hayakawa reportedly defeating Yuki Nakai in the final, a significant result given Nakai's stature in Japanese grappling.

Training at Alliance in Brazil

Beginning in 2000, Hayakawa took the decisive step of traveling to Brazil to train and compete at a higher level. He joined Alliance in Rio de Janeiro under the guidance of Alexandre Paiva — widely known as "Gigi" — one of the most respected instructors within the Alliance system. Exposure to elite Brazilian competition sharpened his technical game considerably. In 2002, he validated that growth by winning the Rio de Janeiro State Championship, demonstrating the ability to compete and prevail against high-level opposition on their home soil.

In November 2002, Alexandre Paiva awarded Hayakawa his black belt — a moment that carried significance well beyond personal achievement. Hayakawa became the first Japanese practitioner to earn a black belt under Paiva, marking a landmark in the history of Japanese BJJ and in the international reach of the Alliance lineage.

Alliance's lineage carries exceptional prestige within the global BJJ community, tracing back through some of the most accomplished figures in the sport's history. Earning that recognition as the first Japanese athlete to do so under Paiva underscored both the depth of Hayakawa's commitment and the quality of his technical development — the product of years of disciplined work split between Japan and Brazil.

After returning to Japan, Hayakawa founded Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu in Tokyo in 2004, realizing his vision of teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu professionally and full-time. The academy grew steadily in both size and reputation, becoming one of the most respected BJJ institutions in Japan. His emphasis on technical depth and competitive preparation transformed Tri-Force into a genuine center of excellence for the art across Asia.

Hayakawa stands as one of Japan's leading grappling coaches, and his academy has played a meaningful role in the broader development and spread of BJJ throughout the country. Through Tri-Force, he has produced a new generation of Japanese grapplers — continuing the pioneering work that figures like Naoyuki Taira began in the sport's earliest days in Japan.