Doug Tono, Class of 2023

Judo Biography

Douglas Tono was born in the United States on June 13, 1959. He started studying judo at the Midwest Buddhist Church at the age of ten years old,
under the instruction of Sensei Takayuki Yoshinaga. The Midwest Buddhist Church brought Sensei Yoshinaga over from Kokushikan University in Japan to teach Judo as part of their cultural/athletic program. Doug’s parents, Jack and Mary Tono enrolled him as soon as the Judo program started.

It was one of many activities of the church that Doug and his sisters all participated in. “We were always busy playing sports with the church,
like softball, basketball, volleyball, track and swim meets, in the Japanese American sports league called the Chicago Nisei Athletic Association. Those sports were all seasonal, but I practiced Judo all year round.† Years later the Judo dojo moved apart from the church and became Kokushikan Judo cademy. Tono was fortunate to have many strong dojos in the Chicago area, with many dedicated Judo instructors like, Sensei Henry Okamura, Sensei Kyung Shin, Sensei Dick Fukuyama, Sensei Ernie Hauser, and Sensei Dick Haberkorn, who allowed him to train at their dojos six days a week. In addition to practicing at his home dojo, Kokushikan Judo Academy, other dojos he trained at included Uptown Dojo, Military Arts Institute, Wright College, the Buddhist Temple of Chicago, Irving Park YMCA, and Oak Park YMCA.

Doug competed in many local, regional, and national tournaments as a junior competitor. At the time, Chicago was a powerhouse of very good Judoka and he early days of his competitions were very tough. Junior divisions back in those days (1970’s) were one age group, split into light weight and heavy weight only. “I was a very small kid and I took a lot of beatings in tournaments. It took a couple of years before I could win any matches.

I learned humility and perseverance early in my Judo career.â€, says Tono. Eventually he began to win matches and place in tournaments. The highlight of his junior career was winning the AAU National Jr. Olympic Championships twice, in 1974 and 1975. He also placed 3rd in the High School Nationals in 1976. To strengthen his judo skills in the senior ranks, his parents sent him to Japan to train at Kokushikan University in Setagaya, Tokyo for six months in 1979, right after his twentieth birthday. It was a huge awakening for Doug to be exposed to high level, serious judo training. The first week, I thought I was going to die, recalls Tono. I was very fortunate to train everyday with the World Champion, Sensei Yasuhiko
Moriwaki (-60kg), who taught me his Yoko-Tomoenage. I became good friends with Sensei Moriwaki, and I named my son after him (Trent Yasuhiko Tono).

I became lifelong friends with many of the Kokushikan University students and senseis, including the late Hitoshi Saito, Olympic Gold medalist.â€
explained Tono. His time in Japan was the toughest training Doug ever had, but also the most memorable.

Upon returning from Japan, Doug competed in the 1980 US Olympic Trials in Colorado Springs, where he finished in 3rd place. The 1980 Moscow Olympics was the year the US boycotted. The third place finish earned him a spot on the US Judo Team competing in the Dutch Open Championships, in Maastricht, Holland. This was Doug’s very first international tournament. There were over 100 other international judokas in the -60kg division to compete against, but he succeeded in winning the Gold Medal. He was the first American to ever win a gold medal in a European championship tournament. “I had no idea what to expect, nobody knew who I was, and I didn’t know who any of my competitors were. I remember Coach Paul Maruyama telling me I had a tough 4-man pool to fight out of, with the top Russian player, the Bulgarian Jr. World Champion, and the top Polish player. In my first match I lost to the Russian player by a wazari. Then I beat the Bulgarian and Polish players, with all my matches going the full five minutes. The Russian player came out of the pool as #1 and I came out as #2, so we were placed on opposite sides of a 64-man bracket. We both won our next five matches and ended up facing each other in the final match. But this time I was able to outscore him with a couple of yukos and kokas in the 7-minute final to win the Gold Medal.” explained Doug. “When I heard the National Anthem being played and all my teammates singing proudly, I couldn’t keep the tears from swelling up in my eyes and dripping down my face. I will always treasure that moment,” says Tono.

For the next eight years, Doug competed in numerous senior national and international tournaments around the world. He returned to Kokushikan University multiple times for more intense training to help prepare for more international tournaments.

In addition to being the head sensei at Tohkon Judo Academy, Doug continues to compete nationally and internationally in the Veterans tournaments
and in Kata tournaments. He won the gold medal at the 2010 World Master’s Championships in Montreal, CA, in Shiai (M5 -66kg) and in Kata (Goshin Jutsu – Men’s). He also won the gold medal at the 2019 Veteran’s World Championships in Marrakesh, Morocco, and the silver medal at the 2022 Veteran’s World Championships in Krakow, Poland. Tono says, “Being an active competitor in shiai and kata helps me be a better coach and sensei for all my students.” “I want to continue competing for as long as I can, for as long as my body will allow.”

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Competition History

1977–93 Competed annually in the US Senior National Championships resulting in 3 first place, 1 second place, and 6 third place finishes over a sixteen-year career.

1980–8 Member of the United States judo team representing the US in international competitions in numerous countries.

1990–2022 Competed in numerous National and International Veterans and Kata competitions.

National and International tournament results include

• • 1980 Dutch Open Championship – Maastricht, Holland – Gold Medal
    First European Gold Medal won by an American judo player)
  • 1980 US Olympic Trials – Bronze Medal   (Moscow, Olympics)
  • 1981 Dutch Open Championship – Bronze Medal – Maastricht, Holland
  • 1981 US World Championship Trials – Gold Medal
    US World Championship – Maastricht, Holland – Team Member
  • 1982 US Open Championships – Silver Medal
  • 1983 US World Championship Trials
  • 1984 US Olympic Trials – Gold Medal, Olympic Team Member – Los Angeles
    US Sr. National Championships – Gold Medal – Florida
  • 1985 US World Championship Trials
    US Sr. National Championships – Gold Medal – Michigan
    US Sr. National Championships – Best Technique Award
  • 1986 US Sr. National Championships – Gold Medal – Hawaii
  • 1988 US Olympic Trials
  • 1980–6 International Tournament Results
    Pan Am Championships – 2 Silver Medals – Cuba and Puerto Rico
    Pacific Rim Championships – Silver Medal – Tokyo, Japan
    Jose Ramon Rodriguez Championships – Silver Medal – Cuba
    Austrian Open, Belgium Open, British Open, Czech Open, German Open, Hungarian Cup, Paris Open, Quebec Open, Shoriki Cup, Tbilisi Championships, US Open International Invitational.
    1992 US Sr. National Championships – Silver Medal – Indiana
  • 1990–2022 U.S. Masters and Kata National Championships – Medalist
  • 2004 US National Kata Championships – Silver Medal – Nage No Kata
  • 2006 Pan American Kata Championships – Silver Medal – Juno Kata
  • 2007 US Sr. National Championships – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Gold Medal – Masters Competition – 66kg Silver Medal – Naga No Kata & Goshin Jutsu Bronze Medal – Juno Kata & Katame No Kata
  • 2008 US Sr. National Championships – Virginia Beach, VA Gold Medal – Masters Shiai -66kg Gold Medal – Mixed Goshin Jutsu
    Silver Medal – Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu, All Around Bronze Medal – Nage No Kata, Katame No Kata
  • 2008 1st Kata World Championships – Paris, France – 6th Place Goshin Jutsu
  • 2009 US Sr. National Championships – San Diego, CA Gold Medal – Goshin Jutsu Silver Medal – Mixed Goshin Jutsu, Master’s Shiai -73kg Bronze Medal – Mixed Juno Kata
  • 2009 World Masters Championships – Atlanta, GA Silver Medal – Goshin Jutsu and Masters -66kg

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• • 2009 Kata World Championships – Malta – Goshin Jutsu
  • 2010 US Sr. National Championships – Myrtle Beach, SC Silver Medal – Men’s Goshin Jutsu, Mixed Juno Kata, Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2010 World Masters Championships – Montreal, Canada Gold Medal – Men’s Goshin Jutsu, Mixed Goshin Jutsu, Master’s Shiai – 66kg
  • 2011 US Sr. National Championships – Orlando, FL Gold Medal – Mixed Goshin Jutsu, Juno Kata, Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Nage No Kata
  • 2011 Grand Masters World Championships – Frankfort, Germany Bronze Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Mixed Team Goshin Jutsu
  • 2011 USJF National Kata Conference Clinician – Fresno, CA
  • 2012 US Sr. National Championships – Irving, TX Gold Medal – Mixed Nage No Kata, Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu
  • 2012 Grand Masters World Championships – Miami, FL Silver Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Team Competition – Tohkon Team – Silver Medal
  • 2013 US Sr. National Championships – Virginia Beach, VA Gold Medal – Mixed Nage Juno Kata, Goshsin Jutsu, Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2013 USJF National Kata Conference Coordinator & Clinician – Chicago
  • 2013 Kata World Championships – Kyoto, Japan Mixed Team Goshin Jutsu
  • 2014 US Sr. National Championships – Reno, NV Gold Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Masters Shiai – 66kg
  • 2014 Grand Masters World Championships – Malaga, Spain Silver Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2015 US Sr. National Championships – Irving, TX Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu
  • 2015 USJF Joshi Camp – Coordinator – Chicago
  • 2016 US Sr. National Championships – Irving, TX Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu
  • 2016 Veteran’s World Championships – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • 2009 World Masters Championships – Atlanta, GA Silver Medal – Goshin Jutsu and Masters -66kg Bronze Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2009 Kata World Championships – Malta – Goshin Jutsu
  • 2010 US Sr. National Championships – Myrtle Beach, SC Silver Medal – Men’s Goshin Jutsu, Mixed Juno Kata, Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2010 World Masters Championships – Montreal, Canada Gold Medal – Men’s Goshin Jutsu, Mixed Goshin Jutsu, Master’s Shiai – 66kg
  • 2011 US Sr. National Championships – Orlando, FL old Medal – Mixed Goshin Jutsu, Juno Kata, Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Nage No Kata
  • 2011 Grand Masters World Championships – Frankfort, Germany Bronze Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Mixed Team Goshin Jutsu
  • 2011 USJF National Kata Conference Clinician – Fresno, CA
  • 2012 US Sr. National Championships – Irving, TX Gold Medal – Mixed Nage No Kata, Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu
  • 2012 Grand Masters World Championships – Miami, FL Silver Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Team Competition – Tohkon Team – Silver Medal

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• • 2013 US Sr. National Championships – Virginia Beach, VA Gold Medal – Mixed Nage Juno Kata, Goshsin Jutsu, Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2013 USJF National Kata Conference Coordinator & Clinician – Chicago 2013 Kata World Championships – Kyoto, Japan Mixed Team Goshin Jutsu
  • 2014 US Sr. National Championships – Reno, NV Gold Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Masters Shiai – 66kg
  • 2014 Grand Masters World Championships – Malaga, Spain Silver Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2015 US Sr. National Championships – Irving, TX Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu
  • 2015 USJF Joshi Camp – Coordinator – Chicago
  • 2016 US Sr. National Championships – Irving, TX Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata, Goshin Jutsu
  • 2016 Veteran’s World Championships – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bronze Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg
  • 2017 US Sr. National Championships – Salt Lake City, UT Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata
  • 2018 US Sr. National Championships – Round Rock, TX Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Bronze Medal – Goshin Jutsu 2018 Veteran’s World Championships – Cancun, Mexico Bronze Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Kata World Championships – Goshin Jutsu
  • 2019 US Sr. National Championships – Las Vegas, NV Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata
  • 2019 Veteran’s World Championships – Marrakesh, Morocco Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai -66kg

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• • 2021 US Sr. National Championships – Reno, NV
    Gold Medal – Master’s Shiai
    -66kg
  • 2022 US Sr. National Championships – Daytona Beach, FL
    Gold Medal – Master’s
    Shiai -66kg
    Gold Medal – Men’s Goshin Jutsu
    Silver Medal – Mixed Juno Kata
    Bronze
    Medal – Men’s Nage No Kata
  • 2022 Veteran’s World Championships – Krakow, Poland
    Silver Medal – Master’s
    Shiai -66kg
    Kata World Championships – Juno Kata

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Coaching History 

After retiring from senior competition, Doug remained active in judo and
in 1991 founded the Tohkon Judo Academy in Chicago. Thirty-two years later,
Tohkon Judo Academy continues to be the largest dojo in Illinois with over
200 members, producing many local, regional, national and international
shiai and kata competitors.

Every year since opening Tohkon Judo Academy, Doug hosted their annual
Kata Clinic under the guidance of Sensei Eiko Shepherd. Thousands of judoka
have been fortunate enough to learn and improve their Katas from Sensei
Eiko Shepherd. Including Tono who is a Certified “A Level” National Kata
Judge in Nage No Kata, Katame No Kata, Juno Kata, Kime No Kata, Goshin
Jutsu, and Itsutsu No Kata. He is also a Certified “B” Regional Kata Judge
in Koshiki No Kata. Doug also served as an Assistant Clinician at the 2011 and 2013 USJF National Kata Conference.

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Doug has served many years as the Head Coach for the Chicago Judo Black
Belt Association at the Junior National Championships, Junior Olympics,
U.S. Open, and Senior National Championships.

In 2005, Doug switched careers and made teaching judo a full-time job instead
of a hobby. From 2005 through 2018, he created and managed six “Afterschool
Judo Programs” and three “Visually Impaired Judo Programs” in Chicago Public
Elementary Schools, and six “At Risk Teens Judo Programs” in Chicago Public
High Schools. Through these neighborhood outreach programs Doug was able
to teach Judo to thousands of students throughout the Chicagoland area.

With many connections in the Judo community, Doug was fortunate to host
many clinics and camps at Tohkon Judo Academy with Olympic and World Championship
gold medalists and many international coaches and teams.

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In 2016 and 2017, Doug was fortunate enough to be part of the coaching
staff at the Sanix Tournament in Fukuoka, Japan. With Sensei Noboru Saito
as Head of the Delegation, many Tohkon junior high school students were
able to participate in a great training camps and clinics with Japan Olympic
Gold Medalist and World Champions. Plus compete in a team tournament with
hundreds of Japanese teams and international teams.

In recent years, Doug has served as the Head Clinician at the Veteran’s
Training Camps in Las Vegas, NV (2019 and 2021) and in Plano, TX (2022).
The USA Judo Veteran’s Committee Chair, Brad Daniels, organized these camps
to help all the US Veterans competitors prepare for the Veteran’s World
Championships.

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With the strong support of his Tohkon Judo Academy team, Doug has organized
the Tohkon Classic Tournament for 25 years. This tournament has become
one of the largest tournaments in the Midwest attracting judoka from all
over the world, including, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Czech Republic, Nigeria,
France, Germany, Spain, Romania, Poland, Japan, Canada, and Mexico. The
last three Tohkon Classics have been combined with the Komatsu Cup and
the Global Kids Judo Network (GKJN) Cup, featuring Olympic Gold medalists,
and World Class competitors as the Head Clinicians. These events have been
building strong relationships between Japan and the US judo communities.

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Tono remains vitally active in the Japanese American community and the
judo community. The Tohkon Judo Academy, preserves the Japanese culture
in their program by holding a traditional “Mochi Tsuki” (rice pounding)
festival every year, in conjunction with their “Kagami Biraki” (New Year’s
Celebration). They also host their Annual Picnic where they invite the
Japanese-American Community and the Japanese National Community to come
together with the Judo community every August. On the first Sunday of every
year, Tohkon Judo Academy kicks off the New Year with their “Kangeiko Training”,
running outside by Lake Michigan no matter what the weather conditions
are. “We are building true Budo spirit and developing mental and physical
toughness. Plus, we are having a lot of fun and building strong camaraderie
in our membership.”, explains Doug.

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Achievements

• • Tohkon Judo Academy – Founder, President, and Head Instructor
  • CJBBA President (Former)
  • CJBBA Vice-President (Former)
  • CJBBA Promotion Chair
  • USJF Director of Judo Development (Former)
  • USA Judo Referee Commission – Coaches Liaison (Former)
  • USA Judo Veteran’s Committee
  • 2014 – Promoted to Shichidan – USJF
  • 2014 – Illinois Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee
  • 2018 – Wisconsin Judo Hall of Fame Inductee

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