Description

American martial artist, researcher, and author of The Kanō Chronicles. Director of the US Embassy Judo Club, Tokyo. Board Member of the Tokyo Judo Federation. Advisor to the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF). Certified judo instructor, All Japan Judo Federation. Former US Army political-military affairs officer and US State Department Foreign Service officer. Direct student of Sato Shizuya in Nihon Jujutsu for over 20 years. Also practices Shintō Musō ryū jōdō, Hapkidō, and Takeuchi ryū jūjutsu.

Teachers (1)

• 
  Shizuya Satō

  sports_martial_artsNihon Jujutsu Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Explicitly refers to Sato as 'my sensei' in his own writing on The Kanō Chronicles; also described as 'direct student of Sato Shizuya sensei' in independent sources

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  location_onUS Embassy Judo Club badge (1990–2011)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Explicitly refers to Sato as 'my sensei' in his own writing on The Kanō Chronicles; also described as 'direct student of Sato Shizuya sensei' in independent sources

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “My sensei, Satō Shizuya (1929–2011)”

  — Lance Gatling. (2026-02-02). Tomiki Kenji sensei on the future of budō. The Kano Chronicleslink history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “My sensei was a graduate of Meiji [...] So, he taught there from 1957 until he died five years ago, and at the time I was taking Judo there, Judo and Jujutsu, Nihon Jujutsu, his style.”

  — Budo, a way of life [2] — Lance Gatling [Nihon Jujutsu, Judo & Jodo]link info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “I came here in 1986 and I was a member of this dojo since 1990”

  — Budo tourism: what do the budoka think? Lance Gatling, Sandro Furzi and Michael Reinhardtlink info

  “Lance Gatling was a direct student of Sato Shizuya sensei, the founder and 10dan Nihon Jujutsu, Director, International Martial Arts Federation, for over 20 years.”

  — Judo Forum - Lance Gatling Nihon Jujutsu link

Ranks (2)

• sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech3 dan Probable

  Probable

  The US Embassy Judo Club's own bilingual rank graphic for its director names him 3rd dan judo; the club's page text alone does not state member ranks, so this is cited to an archived snapshot of the graphic rather than the live, replaceable image URL

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Kodokan

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  The US Embassy Judo Club's own bilingual rank graphic for its director names him 3rd dan judo; the club's page text alone does not state member ranks, so this is cited to an archived snapshot of the graphic rather than the live, replaceable image URL

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Lance Gatling 3dan jūdō [...] 柔道三段”

  — US Embassy Judo Club — Lance Gatling rank graphic link history info
• sports_martial_artsNihon Jujutsu

  military_tech5 dan Probable

  Probable

  The US Embassy Judo Club's own bilingual rank graphic for its director names him 5th dan Nihon Jujutsu; the club's page text alone does not state member ranks, so this is cited to an archived snapshot of the graphic rather than the live, replaceable image URL

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Kokusai Budoin, International Martial Arts Federation

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  The US Embassy Judo Club's own bilingual rank graphic for its director names him 5th dan Nihon Jujutsu; the club's page text alone does not state member ranks, so this is cited to an archived snapshot of the graphic rather than the live, replaceable image URL

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “5dan Nihon Jūjutsu [...] 日本柔術五段”

  — US Embassy Judo Club — Lance Gatling rank graphic link history info

Sources