© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
James Baker
Rosemarie Tamura Knudsen wrote a short reminiscence about his life in Judo:
In 1957–60, Jim joined the San Jose Judo Team while he was attending College and in 1960 he became the Captain.
While practicing judo, he injured his back at San Jose State but persisted to further his education in Japan 1961–3 to receive his Master’s degree. As part of a San Jose-Okayama Sister City program, Jim practiced with the Okayama University Judo Team, a school known for its newaza. While in Japan he continued practicing judo at the Japan Police Academy also.
In 1964, when he returned to the States, he opened up a judo house for Yosh Uchida and ran a judo club in the garage. They had a concrete floor covered with sawdust and a canvas tarp for tatami. Students vividly remember how the sawdust shifted and they ended up falling on the concrete. In 1964–5 he was also an assistant coach for SJSU Judo.
Cupertino Students’ group photo First Place at the Sensei Memorial Tournament
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
He also sponsored several recent graduates from Kyoto’s Donshisha University, a school with a strong newaza tradition. They helped with his judo classes at SJSU. During this time Jim placed at one of the Senior Nationals.
Throughout the years 1964–2007, Jim was the head instructor at Bellarmine College Preparatory School, Berkeley Judo Club, Gilroy Judo Club
He shared many words of wisdom to shape his students’ lives outside of judo. He would tell his students, “It’s the parent’s job to tell the child what to do, and it’s the child’s job to do it.” He would ask “How many of you have thanked your parents for taking you to judo today?” He stressed, “This dojo is successful, not because we have good students, but because we have good parents.”
He would often let the more advanced students teach the younger students or beginners. He would stress their responsibility by saying, “It’s not his (the kohai’s) fault that he is doing it wrong. It’s your (the sempai’s) fault because you didn’t show him how to do it correctly." He would always state that it was okay for the little guy to make the big guy cry, but it was unacceptable for the big guy to make the little guy cry.
During his head instruction at the Cupertino Judo Club, Jim helped Christine Pennick (a champion judoka, who took First Place at Worlds during the first year of competition for women), several Triple Crowners (among whom are Winston Wey, Alex Ma and Andy Ma) and numerous National and California State winners (for instance, Brian Nitta, Stuart Yamatake, Kenji Juda, Yuichi Kurosawa, David Knudsen, Kenrick Kin, Charlie Hung, Daniel Hung, Kevin Chen, Kevn Wu, Aaron Wu, Victor Wong, Colm Pruvot, Dara Woo, Sam Kang, Matt Kang, Kim Knudsen, Ron Belman, Bryant Chen, Kathrine Woodruff, Satoshi Ueda). The Junior National Team of 2001 took First Place in the USJF Team Tournament with four of the five members on the team. During those years at Cupertino Judo Club, the club took First Place in points at the Sensei Memorial Tournament where 600–800 competitors competed. Cupertino Judo Club won the perpetual trophy 17 out of the 24 years it was in existence.
Jim always encouraged his students to be excellent students rather than chase after dreams in judo. ”Education is important. You could win the Olympics in judo, but drive a garbage truck for a living.” We had graduates from Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Notre Dame to name a few.
Celebrating 40th Anniversary
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
He ran Kangeiko Practices throughout his years of running the club. Many remember invaluable lessons from the winter break sessions. Each year the students were required to make goals for themselves, by formulating their own individual goals. Many students remember the challenge to work hard and the encouragement to “keep fighting” in order to achieve those goals. Students concentrated and were determined to do their best when doing uchi komi and randori.
James Baker made uchimata the tokui waza of the club.
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
James Baker made uchimata the tokui waza of the club.
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
Black belts after Kangeiko practice
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
The Club participated in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival with two days of judo demonstrations, while running a food booth at the event. We would often prepare 400 pounds of chicken and countless cartons of udon. It was a lot of work, but everyone did it because they appreciated everything Jim had sacrificed for judo.
At many tournaments, people have stopped to ask if Mr. Baker is still alive and to confess how he had changed their lives for the better. He was not just a judo instructor, but an example of life-long striving within oneself to be physically fit and strong, especially when taking on the battle of life fighting to do the best in all things.
Listening to one of the student’s speeches at a banquet
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.
He is fondly remembered and respected.
He always felt that young students were special.
© 2025 James Baker, all rights reserved.