Judo in Yukon | |
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Country | Canada |
Governing body |
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National team(s) | Canadian Olympic team |
The Japanese martial art judo has been practised in Yukon, Canada since at least 1950.
Judo was introduced to Canada in the early twentieth century by Japanese migrants, and the first dojo was established in Vancouver by Shigetaka Sasaki in 1924. It was initially limited to British Columbia, but spread throughout the country following the forced expulsion, internment, and resettlement of Japanese-Canadians after Japan entered the Second World War in 1941. [1]
It is difficult to determine when judo was first introduced to Yukon, but it was taught to members of the Forest Girl Guards and Junior Forest Wardens as part of their physical education in 1950, [2] and courses were offered at the Whitehorse Gymnasium in 1953. [3] The first dedicated judo club was the Keno Hill Judo Club in Elsa, founded in 1960 by Laurie Wayman, who had earned his nidan (second dan) at the Budokwai in London, England, and received financial support from the Budokwai to purchase mats. [4] It is likely that Wayman was an employee of United Keno Hill Mines Ltd., given that many club members were employees and Wayman's successor as instructor, Fred Thode, was a Project Engineer for the company. At its peak, the club had 100 members. [5] [6] [7]
The Whitehorse Judo Club was established at the Takhini Recreation Centre by Mike Waddell for members of the armed forces who were stationed in the city. By 1961 George Takahashi, a student of Thode, was in charge of the club. Chuck MacKenzie, one of Takahashi's students, founded his own club at the Whitehorse Elementary School in 1964, and went on to be Yukon's most successful judoka: he won the 1963 Yukon Judo Championships in the junior heavyweight division, won two gold ulus at the 1972 Arctic Winter Games, and was the first judoka from the Yukon to compete in the Senior National Championships, with George Peary as his coach. [8] MacKenzie was inducted into the Sport Yukon Hall of Fame in 1982. [9]
The Yukon Kodokan Black Belt Association was established as the judo governing body for the territory in 1974, and was replaced by Judo Yukon in 1996. [10] [11]
The 1973 Canadian National Judo Championships were held in Whitehorse. [11]
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The Japanese martial art and combat sport judo has been practised in Canada for over a century. The first long-term judo dojo in Canada, Tai Iku Dojo, was established by a Japanese immigrant named Shigetaka "Steve" Sasaki in Vancouver in 1924. Sasaki and his students opened several branch schools in British Columbia and even trained RCMP officers until 1942, when Japanese Canadians were expelled from the Pacific coast and either interned or forced to move elsewhere in Canada due to fears that they were a threat to the country after Japan entered the Second World War. When the war was over, the government gave interned Japanese Canadians two options: resettle in Canada outside of British Columbia or emigrate to Japan.
Masao Takahashi was a Canadian judoka, author, coach, and founder of the Takahashi School of Martial Arts in Ottawa, Ontario. He was involved in judo for more than 70 years, and was ranked hachi-dan, making him one of the highest ranked Canadian judoka. In 2002 he was decorated by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette, in recognition of his service to improving the status of Japanese Canadians through his lifelong commitment to the promotion and development of Judo in Canada. He was inducted into the Judo Canada Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2005 Takahashi co-authored a book, Mastering Judo, with his family.
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The Japanese martial art and combat sport judo has been practised in the Canadian province of British Columbia since the early 1900s, and it was the only place in the country where judo was practised prior to the Second World War. The first long-term judo dojo in Canada, Tai Iku Dojo, was established by a Japanese immigrant named Shigetaka "Steve" Sasaki in Vancouver in 1924. Sasaki and his students opened several branch schools in British Columbia and even trained RCMP officers until 1942, when Japanese Canadians were expelled from the Pacific coast and either interned or forced to move elsewhere in Canada due to fears that they were a threat to the country after Japan entered the Second World War. When the war was over, the government gave interned Japanese Canadians two options: resettle in Canada outside of British Columbia or emigrate to Japan. Some returned to the Pacific coast after 1949, but most found new homes in other provinces. Those that did return, many of whom were fishermen, worked hard to rebuild the community that they had lost, and today there are about 50 judo clubs throughout the province.