judo

Akinori Hosaka and Yoshisada Yonezuka

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Best friends at University, Akinori Hosaka and Yoshisada Yonezuka travelling on a train to a weekend Judo contest, Japan c.1956 Image copyright/permission Yonezuka-Hosaka

After graduating from university and working as Police Judo instructor in Sendai, North Japan, Akinori Hosaka departed for England in 1962 on a one year contract with the British Judo Association. He remained resident in the UK for the rest of his life. However, he did make frequent visits to his best friend Yoshisada Yonezuka who left Japan a few years after Hosaka to start a new life teaching Judo in New Jersey, USA.

 

Super Sally Conway

Sally Conway, Rio Olympics 2016 Judo Bronze

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Sally Conway, Olympic 2016 Bronze medalist.  Every time I photographed Sally she always had a huge smile, defining her totally positive attitude.  She was even smiling after tough final prep randori.  But I was so please to see her with the biggest smile ever winning Olympic Bronze medal.  As Neil Adams said In his commentary, "Sally works so hard, she trains so hard, all the time"  and "this could not be won by a nicer person, Sally Conway..."  And great to see Billy Cusack being one of the first to congratulate one of his own.   Great for Sally Conway, great for the GB Judo squad, great for British Judo.  Years and years of hard work paid dividends on the worlds biggest stage.  

Yuko Nakano Fuji

Yuko Nakano Fuji, photographed at Dartford, Aug 2011.

Yuko Nakano Fuji, photographed at Dartford, Aug 2011.

Spotted Yuko Nakano Fuji former GB judo coach with the  London 2012 squad on NHK World documentary about the Brazilian Judo team.  The programme features Charles Chibana, a 26-year-old judoka, is a 3rd-generation Japanese-Brazilian seeking Olympic glory. His family has practiced judo for generations, and his father still teaches it to the children in their 40-person household. Charles' grandparents left Okinawa for South America after World War II, leaving a home that had become a war zone and raising their children while maintaining their Japanese heritage. This program focuses on the achievements, hopes and dreams of this remarkable family.

Have a look for the full programme on NHK World, on Sky TV, news section, channel 507
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/special/201607/30.html