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SG: It seems like judo has, all through your experience, since you were a little kid, all through your adult life, judo has been an important part of your life. Can you tell me more about how, what role judo has played in your life?

JO: Well that's why I help, our Oakland Club has a good reputation, and I believe in discipline, and the customs and stuff, what we people have to go through, what we went through, and that's what we teach in judo. Our club, to me, our club is different, and they all know that. When they walk in our club, we always teach to be good discipline student, and they are. Otherwise, I don't, I don't really, people, you know, it's hard to change people, some of the people. We do have some problems sometimes, and we have to teach to respect others and Isseis especially. And we got Issei or, of course, all the Isseis are gone. We used to have Isseis. You have to respect the Isseis. They're the people that, we got some judo people passed away recently. Their help in eighth and ninth degrees, they're gone, and I see to it, I go to their service when possible. Last one died, Mr. Kuniyuki in Los Angeles. They said the plane fare was five hundred dollar. I just said, I had to just send him a flower to show, to respect. I knew him pretty well. But those people, Mr. Kimura from San Francisco passed away. You know, that only leaves me. It leaves me just about the oldest judo people in the United States.

SG: How long have you been doing judo for?

JO: About seventy years. When I started in eight year old or something, you know, I'm pushing eighty-five. You know, I've been in judo over seventy years.

SG: And you're still going.

JO: I'm still going there. Every two, twice a week. I see to it, everything in order because I have seen other clubs that seem to can't get along. I tried, I don't want to, I like to delegate the job, and they seem to working out good. Otherwise, sometimes, some club, one gets ahead too much, and then you're stepping on their toes, you know, and they'll quit. And our kids, we have quite a few young instructors are still there because I see to that they don't step each other's toe. If they don't get along, I say I got to know some reason for it. So they're all there according to the rank.

SG: Can you tell me more about the award you got from the Emperor of Japan?

JO: Well, that's mostly being in judo and contribution and support and doing just, keeping the community, I think. The Okuan been here for over seventy-five years, and that's about the only club in Portland continually going, and that was my still, my still goal is to get a club somewhere, our own, you know. So I'm looking for some people that would help me out somewhere.

SG: And the Japanese government or the emperor recognized you for this?

JO: Yeah. Through the consul general over here recognized me and how much time I spent and locally and nationally. So that is how they recognized me, all the recognition I got through judolike awards from various tournament I've been to.

SG: Well, Mr. Onchi, I think we were getting, was there anything else? We're getting towards the end of the interview, probably getting a little tired. Is there anything else you would like to add that we might have missed, any questions?

JO: Well, another thing too, like I said, that the last get together, our members gave me a party. Another thing, in judo, I don't just teach judo. I study people also. To me, I do, throughout the whole United States, people, City of Portland, in fact, who people are, how you are, how Tim is, and I kind of study the attitude which is very important to me. You know, some people are different. They think, same as judo, if they're higher rank, they got to come down to the people's rank and teach, you know. You don't go up there and high and start dominating people, you know. And that's what I do, and that's what I want to see people like that in judo. You know, you want to get up there and start dominating people, the kids are not going to learn nothing. You're going to hate him, you know. I want them to get along with any teacher or senseis, and I do that to all nationally too, out of all the nationally that judopeople, high ranking, and that's the way I rate them accordingly. I'm one of the Northwest people here representing Kodukan commission. I'm on the United States Kodukan committee here in the United States. I'm one of the four. And I even go to Japan, talk to Sensei Daigo who is the head of the Kodukan headquarter. I tell him, he's younger than I am see. So I tell him, I kind of tell him what I want to do, what they should do, but I know I shouldn't. But I did tell him something like that because I believe in Kodukan, and that's why I teach the Kodukan way of judo that you always respect others and to get along.

SG: Do you have any message you would like to give to the future generations?

JO: That is my, that is my future is to teach to kids, and I'm hoping that Okuan will live forever. That's what I told our club members here. To me until now, I don't think I have any people that resent what I do or teach to my knowledge. If I'm wrong, well, I hope they will tell me or something.

SG: Well, thanks so much, Mr. Onchi.

JO: Okay, whatever.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.