News & Events

Rena “Rusty” Kanokogi Inducted 2010 Rusty is often called “the Mother of Women’s Judo”. She lived for judo. She was passionate about judo as a participant. Her entry into Judo was in 1959 when she disguised herself as a man to compete in the YMCA...

Ronda Rousey Inducted 2010 Born February 1, 1987 in Riverside County, California, Rousey qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, becoming the youngest competitor in those entire Games, at just 17. In that year she won a gold medal at the...

Sachio Ashida Inducted 1993 Dr. Sachio Ashida (Brockport, N.Y.) was an Olympic Coach at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Dr. Ashida served as a referee at the 1984 Olympic Games and was an A-Level kata judge. Born in Japan, Dr. Ashida began studying...

Ryozo Nakamura Inducted 1993 Ryozo Nakamura immigrated to the United States as an adult from Japan, in order to share his knowledge with the U.S. National Judo Team. It was in the States that he married and began his family. Ohio Judo's Hall of...

photo of Toshitaka Yamauchi from the West Clovis Dojo site Toshitaka Yamauchi Inducted 1993 Clovis Judo Club was started in the spring of 1956 by Professor Toshitaka Yamauchi, 7th Degree Black Belt from Japan (Later promoted to 8th Degree Black...

photo source: http://wwmaa.org/phil-porter/ Phil Porter Inducted 1993 Philip S. Porter began his Martial Arts career as a boxer in 1943 at age 18. He was later a member of the West Point Boxing Team; and in 1950, Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion...