Masao Takahashi facts for kids
Takahashi in 1950
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Mas |
| Born | 24 June 1929 Stave Falls, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | 14 February 2020 (aged 90) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Sport | |
| Country | Canada |
| Sport | Judo |
| Rank | Hachidan (8th dan) |
| Club | Takahashi Dojo |
Masao Takahashi (born June 24, 1929 – died February 14, 2020) was a famous Canadian judoka (a person who practices judo), writer, and coach. He started the Takahashi School of Martial Arts in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1969.
He practiced judo for over 70 years! He reached the rank of hachi-dan, which is an eighth-degree black belt. This made him one of the highest-ranked judo experts in Canada. In 2002, the Emperor of Japan gave him a special award called the Order of the Sacred Treasure. This was to thank him for helping Japanese Canadians and for spreading judo across Canada. He was even added to the Judo Canada Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2005, Masao Takahashi and his family wrote a book together called Mastering Judo.
His Life Story
Masao Takahashi was born in Stave Falls, British Columbia. In the late 1930s, his family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. His father worked in a saw mill, and his mother opened a day care. Masao was a great athlete in high school.
However, his activities became limited when World War II started. In March 1942, the government made his family give up their belongings and move. This was part of the Japanese Canadian internment. Many Japanese-Canadians were forced to move because of fears they might act against Canada. The Takahashis were sent to Raymond, Alberta. There, they had to work for low pay in the sugar beet fields. The family lived in a small house on a farm with no running water. The children were not allowed to go to school.
Even during these tough times, Masao and his friends kept practicing judo. They trained under Yoshio Katsuta at a small Japanese Buddhist church. After the war ended, Masao went back to high school and graduated in 1948. In 1949, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served there for 22 years. In 1969, he retired from the Air Force. Then, he started his second career by opening his own judo school (called a dojo) in Ottawa.
His Judo Family
Masao Takahashi's wife and four children are also very skilled judoka. They have all helped a lot with the growth of judo in Canada.
His wife, June Takahashi, was one of the first women in Canada to earn a black belt in judo. She is now ranked roku-dan, which is a sixth-degree black belt. This makes her one of the highest-ranked women in Canadian judo. She even coached a judoka from Cameroon, Françoise Nguele, who competed in the 2000 Olympic Games. June's judo style was greatly influenced by Keiko Fukuda, the highest-ranked female judoka ever.
Masao and June's children — Allyn, Phil Takahashi, Ray Takahashi, and Tina Takahashi — are all black belts. They have been very successful in competitions. Three of them have even been to the Olympics: Phil competed in judo, Tina coached in judo, and Ray competed in wrestling.
Special Awards
In 2002, Masao Takahashi received a special award from the Emperor of Japan. It was called the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette. This award recognized his hard work in helping Japanese Canadians. It also honored his lifelong dedication to promoting and developing Judo in Canada.
Famous Students
One of Masao Takahashi's most famous students was former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Trudeau started learning judo at Takahashi's dojo in the mid-1950s when he was in his thirties. By the end of that decade, he had earned an ik-kyū (brown belt).
Later, when Trudeau traveled to Japan as Prime Minister, he was promoted to sho-dan (first-degree black belt) by the Kodokan (the main judo organization). Before he left office, Masao Takahashi promoted him again to ni-dan (second-degree black belt). Trudeau's three sons (Justin Trudeau, Alexandre Trudeau, & Michel Trudeau) also took lessons at Takahashi's dojo. Even the children of his successor, Brian Mulroney, trained there.
See also
- Judo in Ontario
- Judo in Manitoba
- Judo in Alberta
- Judo in Canada
- List of Canadian judoka
