January 13, 2015 by Robert Fukuda

Obituary: George Koyama

George Koyama, head instructor for the Boise Valley Judo Club, passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2015.
Koyama Sensei’s obituary and service information can be found using this link.

Jigoro Kano said, "Don’t think about what to do after you become strong – I have repeatedly stressed that the ultimate goal of Judo is to perfect the self, and to make a contribution to society. In the old days, Jujutsu practitioners focused their efforts on becoming strong, and did not give too much consideration to how they could put that strength to use. Similarly, Judo practitioners of today do not make sufficient efforts to understand the ultimate objective of Judo. Too much emphasis is placed on the process rather than the objective, and many only desire to become strong and be able to defeat their opponents. Of course, I am not negating the importance of wanting to become strong or skilled. However, it must be remembered that this is just part of the process for a greater objective … The worth of all people is dependent on how they spend their life making contributions."