On Tuesday, April 20th, I recieved an email from my Aikido Instructor, Sensei Fujiko Tamura Gardner, informing me of the passing of her brother Yoshito "Vince" Tamura (9th Dan - Judo). In honor of his memory and legacy, I write this Memorial.

Yoshito Tamura was born on July 25th,1929, in Fife,Washington, which at that time was a small farm community. He was the 9th of 11 children and the youngest son. He first stepped on the Judo tatami at age 5, and started down the path he would follow for the rest of his life. The classes at the Fife Dojo were taught by Sensei Ryoichi Iwakiri and Yoshito's eldest brother, Masato Tamura. In 1942, Yoshito, his parents, and several of his siblings, were caught up in the Japanese internment and placed in the Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho.

In June of 1945, he moved to Chicago to finish High School, continuing his Judo training at the Jiu-Jitsu Institute of America, which was owned and operated by his brother, Masato. It was around this time he adopted the name "Vince". After graduation, he enlisted in the Army, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division Combat Engineers. During the Korean War, he saw frontline duty as a rifleman, earning a Bronze Star, among other citations and awards. When his Division was relieved, he was rotated to Japan and spent the next 6 months studying at the Kodokan. When he was discharged from the Army, he returned to Chicago and began teaching Judo once again at his brother's Dojo, as well as attending Business College.

At his brother's insistance, he began competing in major Judo tournaments. From 1951 to 1959, competing at 180lbs., he never placed lower than 3rd, winning the U.S. National Championships in 1954, 1956, and 1959. In 1956, he represented the U.S. at the World Judo Championships in Tokyo, reaching the quarterfinals and competing against such legends as Anton Geesink of Holland. In 1964, he would return to Tokyo to serve as a referee and judge at the official debut of Judo as an Olympic sport.

In 1960, Vince moved to Dallas, Texas and opened the Tamura Judo Institute, where he continued to teach Judo, as well as Heike Ryu Jiu Jitsu, for the next 40 years. In 1974, along with Gene Shelton, he co-authored the martial arts classic "Common Sense Self Defense" which was published by Ohara Books. Shortly after his retirement from active teaching, the U.S. Judo Association awarded Vince the rank of Kudan (9th Dan) in recognition of his immense contribution to Judo in America.

To many of us in the Martial Arts community, the Tamura family is considered to be the "First Family" of Martial Arts in America. According to historian Joe Svinth, from the 1920's forward, six men (Masato, Hikaru, Hiroshi, Masaru, Mitsuru, and Yoshito) and one woman (Fujiko) have achieved the rank of 2nd Dan or higher in Judo and Aikido. Of the brothers, the most famous (other than Vince) was Masato Tamura. At the time of his death in 1982, he was ranked 8th Dan and had once been president of the U.S. Judo Federation. Fujiko Tamura Gardner founded the Tacoma AikiDojo in 1973, and was the first female Aikido instructor in the Pacific Northwest. The connection, contribution, and legacy of the Tamura family to the formation, foundation, and establishment of Martial Arts in America cannot be ignored or denied. We have lost another valuable connection to our past, and our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to the entire family