Shigetaka (Steve) Sasaki – A Biography

Shigetaka Steve Sasaki has often been referred to as the "Father of Judo in Canada."

He came to Canada in 1922 in order to fish, after being invited by his aunt and uncle who owned a small bakery in Canada. He established the first amateur judo clubs in Canada in Vancouver, BC and the surrounding area.

Establishing his first judo club in Vancouver in 1924, he worked diligently to popularize judo and soon opened additional clubs in the Vancouver and Steveston. His first judo club, called Tai Iku, opened in 1924 on 500 Block Alexander Street in Vancouver, BC with the help of sponsor Ichiji Sasaki, a restaurant owner. A second location was later opened on Powell Street in Vancouver, BC and its chief benefactor was Etsuji Morii. Morii owned the Showa club at 380 Powell Street in Vancouver BC. The Showa club was an illegal gambling parlor and Mr Morii was known, by some, for criminal activity such as this. Another judo club was opened in Steveston, BC, a branch of Tai Iku, with two instructors, Tamoaki Doi and Takeshi Yamamoto. Shigetaka Sasaki helped out at this location twice a week.

In 1932, he attracted the attention of the RCMP commissioner, who, impressed by Sasaki's judo, requested that police boxing and wrestling training be replaced by judo. The request was granted. In the same year, Steve traveled to Japan to study judo and was promoted to 3rd dan and his judo club on Alexander Street in Vancouver, BC was visited by Dr Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, and he renamed Steve's Dojo Kidokan (House of Intrinsic Energy in English).

In 1936, Shigetaka Sasaki toured with Dr Jigoro Kano to promote judo for an Olympic bid.

Following Pearl Harbor and the forced closing of all judo clubs in British Columbia, Shigetaka Sasaki was interned in Tashme where he established the largest judoka among the internment camps, thereby keeping the sport alive during the internment years. He and Atsumu Kamino continued to teach judo to mostly young boys. The close relationship he forged with the RCMP helped Steve keep judo alive, not only in Tashme but also at many other internment camps where judo clubs were allowed to operate. Following the end of the war, Japanese internees trained in judo spread the sport to the rest of Canada, particularly Ontario and Quebec, thus shifting the organizational structure of judo in Canada.

In 1954 he became the first president of Canada's Kodokan Black Belt Association (known as Judo Canada today). He was inducted into the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

By 1975, Shigetaka Sasaki had risen to the rank of 7th dan black belt and reached 8th before his death.

References: Wikipedia Vernon Judo Club