Ajax Ontario judo martial arts "martial arts" grappling "martial arts club" budokan "children's martial arts program" "camp budokan"

Steven Shigetaka Sasaki

Steven Shigetaka Sasaki

Steven Shigetaka Sasaki started his Judo studies at the age of 12 in Japan. Five years later he attained the rank of shodan. In 1922, Mr. Sasaki immigrated to Canada and two years later started the Vancouver Judo Club. During those first few years, Mr. Sasaki paid all dojo operating expenses and did not charge his students for lessons. In 1932 Mr. Sasaki became the first official judo instructor for the RCMP.

During 1936, Professor Jigaro Kano came to Vancouver and visited Mr. Sasaki's Vancouver Judo Club. "Products" of the dojo include instructors such as M. Umetsu, Kawano, Omori, T. Doi, T. Tamoto, F. Hatashita and many more.

During his stay, Professor Kano asked Mr. Sasaki to accompany him on a tour of North America and Europe. Countries covered on the tour included Canada, United States, England, France and Germany. During the tour, Prof. Kano promoted Mr. Sasaki to yodan (4th Dan).

In 1953, 1954 and 1955 Mr. Sasaki traveled to Toronto on many occasions, at his own expense to try and form a National Canadian Judo Organization. After three years of hard work, the Canadian Kodokan Black Belt (CKBBA) was formed. Today, it is known as Judo Canada.

In 1958, Mr. Sasaki flew to Tokyo to confer with the International Judo Federation (IJF) and was successful in receiving approval for the CKBBA to join. Mr. Sasaki was President of the CKBBA for three years, retiring from the position in 1959.

In 1971 Mr. Sasaki and Mr. Doi took over the Marpole Community Centre Judo Club. Kodokan promoted Mr. Sasaki to Shichidan (7th Dan) in 1975. Mr. Sasaki died in 1992.

Copied from http://www.judonl.ca/canhist.htm


	Ajax Budokan Ajax Recreation Centre 75 Centennial Rd. Ajax, Ontario L1S 4S4 We are a registered member of Judo Ontario and Judo Canada.