A participant at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Percival began judo in Samoa at the age of 13, inspired by his older brother Iosefa. His first coach, Saeko Matsuura, was teaching the Samoan police as well as children’s classes around the country. Many years later, Matsuura is now his sister-in-law, while his older brother coached him at his debut Olympic Games in Tokyo. For Percival, judo is truly a family affair.
With a Samoan father and American mother, Percival spent time studying at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, U.S.A. where he continued his judo journey. His biggest development stemmed from spending significant periods living in Japan, where he trained at a small dojo in Osaka and the renowned Tenri University.
Despite his extensive travels, Percival refers to Samoa as home and is deeply passionate about growing judo there. Determined to increase his capacity to support the sport’s development and young judoka in Samoa, he registered for the IJF Academy undergraduate judo instructor course. When he arrived in Tokyo for the practical component, he felt both nervous and excited. Reflecting on the week in Tokyo, Percival shared, “The IJF Academy was of course very challenging mentally. I felt a lot of pressure to perform in front of the great teachers there. It was truly an honour to share the tatami with so many legends of judo. At the end of the week, I was so relieved but mostly looking forward to teaching everything I learned when I get back home.”
With the completion of the practical course, Percival is determined to use this experience to make a difference back home, “I am spending a lot of my time teaching and promoting judo in Samoa in my newly established dojo. It is currently the only active dojo in Samoa. Now that I have my IJF coaching licence, I hope to fill the role as coach for Samoan judo athletes someday. I hope I can help young Samoan judoka have some of the experiences that judo has provided for me.”
Despite his passion for giving back to the next generation of Samoan judoka, Percival is determined to earn a second Olympic selection by qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, “I have many friends and family members who are on this journey with me and I don’t want to let them down; I can’t give up! It’s a very challenging road ahead and I have to train hard but I want to try my best”
Percival hopes to return to the IJF World Judo Tour in 2026 and continue to chase his dreams.
The IJF Academy now has over 3400 alumni worldwide and provides a fantastic opportunity for judoka from all around the world to receive coach education from IJF Academy experts, an unparalleled experience.