News & Events

It is with great regret to inform you of the passing of our head instructor Sam S. Imoto Sensei, who established the Visalia Judo Club in 1965. It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Sam S. Imoto Sensei on April 29, 2020 after a...

On April 10, 2020, Kinya Sakamoto, Sensei, 8th dan, passed away at the age of 96. Sensei retired as a successful landscaper. He is survived by two sons, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Sensei Sakamoto started judo at the age of 13 at...

It is with great sadness that I make this announcement. On April 9, 2020 Kodokan master instructor, Sensei Murata, 8th Dan, passed away from complications with his heart. He was living in Japan. Many of us in the United States were fortunate to...

Here is a link to an obituary for Haruo Makimoto first published in The Sacramento Bee on Mar. 11, 2020. See his entry in the USJF Judo Hall of Fame