Grace Talusan
4th degree black belt
Grace is a highly experienced judo instructor and competitor with extensive involvement in judo education and event management within the midwest.
Prior to opening Kokushi Midwest Judo in 2016, she was at the helm of the Illini Judo Club at the University of Illinois for 8 years. She has completed three levels of the prestigious IJF Academy - Instructor, Coach and Judo Manager, as well as serving on the board of the Chicago Judo Black Belt Association as president (2020 - 23). She is currently on the board of examiners in the Konan Yudanshakai.
Grace has Level B certifications in Nage No Kata, Katame No Kata, Ju No Kata and Kime No Kata. She has organized numerous seminars featuring prominent judo icons such as Neil Adams MBE, Keiji Suzuki, Satoshi Ishii, Jimmy Pedro and Shinjiro Sasaki. She also served as tournament director for the Chicago Open and the Midwest Collegiate Judo Championships.
Grace competed in various national and international judo competitions, achieving notable placements including gold medals at the 2024 Pan-American Master Games, 2017 USA Judo Senior Nationals and various state championships. She was also the bronze medalist at the IJF Veteran World Championship in 2016.
In 2016, 2017, 2023, she was also ranked #1 Veteran’s athlete with USA Judo.
