President Qayoumi surprises judo legend Yoshihiro Uchida with a medallion commemorating his 65 years of service to SJSU, with friend Jan Masuda Cougill and Provost Ellen Junn (Robert Bain photo).

article from the SJSU Today

Outside of work, Bill was active in Judo for nearly 50 years holding the rank of Godan 5th Degree Black Belt. He was President of the Southern Pacific Judo Yudanshakai of the U.S. Judo Federation for numerous years up until his passing and was a longtime member of the Long Beach Judo Dojo since the early 1960s.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Genevieve; four children, William “Billy” Castro, Jr. of Laguna Niguel, SandraLee McNece of Long Beach, Brenda Caplinger and her husband, Michael of Port Hueneme, and Edward Castro of Redlands; three grandchildren, Matthew McNece, Andrew Castro and Lauren Castro; two great-grandchildren, Matthew McNece and Dylan McNece; and a step-granddaughter, Carrie Caplinger. He is also survived by his sister, Shirley-Ann Medeiros of Nevada and many nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, May 16th, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon with a graveside service and reception to follow at All Souls Mortuary, 4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, (562) 424-8601. Please sign the guest book.

Place of birth: Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawaii
Place of death: Harbor City, California
Created By: His loving daughter, Brenda Castro Caplinger

original article

The dates for the camp are July 12 through 20. The students will have to fund their own airfare and spending money. The hosting High School will provide room and board, domestic transportation, and sightseeing opportunities.

The USJF High School team will leave the US on Friday July 12, arriving in Seoul, Korea on Saturday July 13. The team will leave Seoul on Saturday July 20, arriving back in the US on the same day. Students will be required to bring two judogi (both white, or one blue and one white).

If you are interested in this opportunity, please email the following information to Mr. Joon Chi at jkchi@msn.com:

• Student’s name
• Address
• Height
• Weight
• Judo Rank
• Parent’s Name
• Home and Cell Phone Number (for both student and parent if applicable)
• Judo Club Name
• Sensei’s Name
• Date of Birth
• Email address (for both student and parent)

Please submit your information as soon as possible, so we can confirm eligibility in order for you to get a low airfare (NOTE: Each student will travel from their home city to Seoul (Incheon Airport) Korea directly).

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Joon Chi by email.

Mr Paul Kuniaki Maruyama

The Consulate-General of Japan in Denver is pleased to announce that Mr Paul Kuniaki MARUYAMA, President of the Japan America Society of Southern Colorado, has been named as one of the recipients this year of the Japan Imperial Decoration, The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

Mr Maruyama has been contributing to the promotion of cultural exchange between our two countries for a long time, and is a founding member of the Japan America Society of Southern Colorado and the John Manjiro Whitfield Foundation in the USA. He has made personal contributions toward mutual understanding between our people through teaching as well, as an instructor of Japanese language and Judo. He was the first Japanese language instructor at the US Air Force Academy and still teaches at Colorado College. As an athlete, he accomplished this also as a member of the US Judo team at the Tokyo Olympics and taught Judo as a national team coach.

A conferment ceremony for the award will be held at the Residence of the Consul General in Denver in due course. The Consulate-General of Japan at Denver is honored to offer its sincere congratulations to Mr Maruyama for this deserved recognition of his long service.

Source: http://www.denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/culture/topics/2013/04292013.html

If you visit the story entitled, Sharpening the Warrior Spirit, you will see how two people use judo to better themselves and the Navy. The first part of the story is about Robert Turnquest, as an IT instructor with his status as a competitor on the Armed Forces Judo Team. The second part of this story, from the US Navy All-Hands Magazine, is about Edwin Takemori, head coach of the Armed Forces Judo Team and West Point professor.

The award winning documentary “directed and produced by Mrs. Yuriko Gamo Romer” had its international premiere in Moscow in recent days. Mrs. Romer and her producer Mr. Marc Smolowitz are in attendance at the Festival, and they will be present to receive the award at a special ceremony tonight at the Illusion Theatre in Moscow.

Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful tells the unique life story of Keiko Fukuda, the world renown Judo master who was also the highest ranking female in the history of the sport. Ms. Fukuda passed away in San Francisco on February 9th, 2013 at the age of 99. Her life was memorialized in obituaries across the world‚s most prominent media outlets. See her New York Times obituary here.

Mr. Stas Tomski, the General Manager of the International Festival of Sports Movies, offered the following comment regarding the 2013 Jury Award for Best Documentary. “Yuriko Gamo Romer’s Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful is a moving testament to the legacy of one of the world’s most important sports figures, Keiko Fukuda.” He added, “Members of our 2013 international jury found Mrs. Romer’s film to be one of the highest quality cinematic selections in this year’s competition, and we’re very pleased to honor Fukuda’s life and memory with the 2013 Best Documentary Award at the International Festival of Sports Movies.

Prior to its international premiere this week in Moscow, Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful has screened in 15 film festivals around the United States, including the prestigious Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Guam International Film Festival, and CAAM Festival 2012 in San Francisco where the film had its world premiere.

Please join us in congratulating filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer and everyone who made this film possible in winning this fantastic award. We are all honored to have worked on a film bringing to light Fukuda Sensei’s amazing life and achievements.

He was a life-long member of the US Judo community. He has been a member and contributing senior instructor of Sacramento Judo Club, a member of the Sacramento Judo Club Board of Directors serving as its Secretary for many years and a member of Hokka Yudanshakai since 1986. He was also an active member of the United States Judo Federation and USA Judo. He has been a Nationally Licensed Referee since 1993 frequently officiated at Judo Competitions throughout California and a certified National coach.

The day before he died, he conducted a Saturday class at Sacramento Judo Club.

He started judo in 1960 as a teenager in Hayward, California at the Hayward Judo Club under Instructors C. Temple and Jack Turrentine. While enlisted in the US Army and afterward, Victor worked in many locations within and outside the United States. He obtained his shodan in Judo from the Korea Judo Association while he was stationed there. Where ever he went he found a judo dojo to train at. Where they did not exist, he would start one like at Fort Hood and Fort Belvior when he was enlisted in the US Army. He appreciated and studied the history of Kodokan and Olympic Judo. He wrote an article on “The Four Pillars of Judo” which can be found on the internet.

Victor Elon Anderson was born on April 12, 1945, in Bend, Oregon. He died suddenly on Sunday, March 31, 2013, peacefully in his sleep. He has been a resident in Elk Grove, CA since 1986. He was a retired Health Physicist. He is survived by his wife Lois, six children, five grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

A memorial service to share in the celebration of his life will be held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 9085 Calvine Road, Sacramento CA at 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary’s Memorial Fund.

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