Sam Hamai Inducted 1994 On January 27, 1994, the Judo community lost one of its leaders when Isamu (Sam) Hamai passed away at the age of 72 at his home in Palo Alto, California. Hamai Sensei was survived his wife Emiko, son Harold and wife Laura, and his two...

Mits Kimura Inducted 1993 Mitsuho Kimura was born in San Francisco in 1916. He was oldest of 8 children. About 1931, the family moved to the San Gabriel valley, in Southern California, and a few years later, Kimura graduated from El Monte High School, where he...

Takahiko Ishikawa Inducted 1993 Memories of My Sensei Takahiko Ishikawa, 9th Dan by Harold (Hal) E. Sharp I would like to share some of my experiences with you about my Sensei and dear friend, Takahiko Ishikawa, 9th Dan, who passed away at the age of 91 in June, 2008....

Vince Tamura Inducted 1994 Vince Tamura was born in Fife, Washington, one of eleven children. It was there in a Japanese-American community, that he first became interested in Judo. At the age of five, Vince stepped on Judo mat for the first time. After residing...

James Bregman Inducted 1993 James Steven (“Jim”) Bregman (born November 17, 1941, in Arlington, Virginia) was a member of the first American team to compete in judo in the Summer Olympics. Jim Bregman started his judo career when only 12 but he quickly became very...

Joey Wanag Inducted 2010 As a 1992 Olympian, he won a Silver Medal at the 1991 World Champion and Gold Medals at the 1990 World University Games and the 1991 Pan-Am Games. Joseph Paul Wanag (born August 2, 1966) is an American judoka. He trained under Kiyoshi Shiina....