San Jose State's 101-Year-Old Judo Coach at the Helm of Olympic Powerhouse

In the satellite of Olympic judo, the spotlight often gets trained connected San Jose State, location to 1 of the United States' astir prestigious judo programs and a motorboat pad for galore Olympic judokas representing a multitude of nations. 

But it's intolerable to speech astir the school's judo programme without mentioning successful the aforesaid enactment its coach, Yosh Uchida, 101, who has served arsenic its shepherd since the 1940s. 

He took the programme to caller heights and has turned retired immoderate 20 Olympians who person brought location 4 medals. The database lone swells erstwhile you flip its publication of Olympic coaches, nationalist champions and different planetary competitions. 

Uchida, who grew up successful Calexico successful confederate Imperial County, learned judo astatine the property of 10 astatine the urging of his mother. 

"My parent told me, 'Look, you’re a Japanese," Uchida said, settling into his seat successful his Saratoga home. "You should cognize thing astir it." 

Uchida's vocation arsenic a judo teacher began somewhat unceremoniously successful the 1940s portion helium was a pupil astatine San Jose State. The school's diversion manager saw him connected field 1 time and asked if helium could manager judo. 

"I conjecture helium saw that I was a Japanese," helium said. "So, helium says, 'Do I cognize judo?' And I said, 'A small bit.'" 

Uchida's caller coaching vocation was soon interrupted by World War II. He was drafted into the subject portion his household was being sent to Japanese internment camps. After the war, helium needed a occupation and resumed his coaching post. He was moving to make value divisions and found judo arsenic a competitory athletics successful the U.S. 

In 1964, helium led the archetypal U.S. judo squad to the Olympics successful Tokyo, Japan – the birthplace of judo. His squad included Japan-born Paul Maruyama, which was important due to the fact that conscionable implicit 20 years earlier, Uchida's household was segregated from the remainder of the federation successful the camps. Now, 2 men of Japanese ancestry were representing the U.S. successful the world's astir prestigious sporting event 

"I was precise arrogant of that occasion, that we were capable to bash thing cipher other had been capable to do," Uchida said.

When asked astir the item of his 70-year career, Uchida volition archer the communicative of Bobby Berland, a San Jose State judoka who competed successful the 1984 Olympics successful Los Angeles. A week earlier the games, Berland wounded his knee, which beauteous overmuch ended his chances of competing. But doctors told Uchida if Berland could get immoderate rigorous exercise, helium mightiness person a chance. 

Uchida took Berland into his location with his woman lording implicit Berland for the adjacent week, supervising his all-day workout sessions successful the family's pool. Berland made it to the games and won a metallic medal. 

"That was an incidental that I’ll astir apt retrieve for many, galore years to come," Uchida chuckled, his eyes alight with the memory. 

The ingredients that turned San Jose State into a judo powerhouse are many.  Uchida regularly brought successful coaches from Japan to rise the barroom of instruction. Uchida besides focused arsenic heavy connected academics arsenic overmuch arsenic athletics – often peppering his judokas astir their GPAs. 

Mike Swain, a five-time Olympian – 4 times arsenic a competitor, erstwhile arsenic a manager – said the powerfulness of Uchida's beingness is the lessons helium emphasized disconnected the mat. 

"Discipline, respect, however to beryllium a amended idiosyncratic successful society," described Swain, who inactive coaches astatine San Jose State. "When we traveled arsenic a team, we would ever person to deterioration a suit and tie." 

The program's latest Olympic disciple, Colton Brown, got to the circular of 16 astatine the Tokyo Olympics. Before the competition, helium reflected connected his clip astatine San Jose State. 

"When I was determination I had a batch of fun," Brown said. "I trained truly hard, but I besides had a batch of fun. And the relationships I made determination I inactive person to this day." 

Even astatine property 101, Uchida is inactive San Jose State's authoritative coach, though his relation these days is much arsenic a advisor and spiritual leader. His enthusiasm for the athletics hasn't seemed excessively dim with age. For a caller interview, helium donned a crisp bluish San Jose garment and jacket, his eyes lighting up arsenic helium reminisced implicit stories, imparting his look for turning retired an Olympic-caliber athlete. 

"If you enactment astatine it hard enough, thing bully tin travel retired of it," helium said.