Hayward Nishioka is a

Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

community college physical education instructor and former

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

competitor.

Early life

Nishioka was born in 1942, and lived some of his early years in the

Manzanar Manzanar is the site of one of ten American concentration camps, where more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II from March 1942 to November 1945. Although it had over 10,000 inmates at its peak, it was one ...

internment camp. He started to learn judo at age 13 from his step father Dan Oka.

Career

Nishioka competed in Kata in the 1962 All-Japan National Championship. Nishioka won a Gold Medal for judo at the 1967 Pan American Games. He won five consecutive national championships from 1965 to 1970. He ranked 5th in the world in 1965 and 1967. He is a former world team member and world team coach for judo. He is known for his gripping skills and techniques. Nishioka currently teaches Judo at

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campu ...

. On January 13, 1987, Rorion, Royler and Rickson Gracie came to Nishioka's judo school. Nishioka, at the age of 44, demonstrated to

Rickson Gracie Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1958) is a Brazilian 9th-degree red belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Grac ...

(age 28) a number of judo throws. One of his students was

Yuji Okumoto is an American actor of Japanese descent. He is best known for his role as Chozen Toguchi in The Karate Kid (franchise), ''The Karate Kid'' franchise. He has also appeared in such films as ''Real Genius'' (1985), ''True Believer (1989 film), Tru ...

, who is known as ''

Chozen Toguchi Chozen Toguchi is a fictional character who appears as the central antagonist in the motion picture ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986), and a hero (beginning with Cobra Kai (season 3), Season 3) of the series ''Cobra Kai'' (2021). He is portrayed ...

'' in

The Karate Kid Part II ''The Karate Kid Part II'' is a 1986 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the second installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise and the sequel to the 1984 film '' The Karate Kid'' ...

and

Cobra Kai ''Cobra Kai'' is an American martial arts comedy-drama television series and a sequel to the original ''The Karate Kid'' films by Robert Mark Kamen. The series was created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and is distributed ...

. Nishioka earned a black belt in Karate under trainer Tsutomu Oshima.HAYWARD NISHIOKA Bio in USA Dojo
/ref> He is a two-time Black Belt Hall of Fame member. He is a 9th degree black belt in judo. Nishioka is a Class A rated national coach and a Class A rated International Judo Federation referee.

Media

In the movie, ''

Best of the Best 2 ''Best of the Best II'' is a 1993 martial arts film directed by Robert Radler, and starring Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee. It is the first sequel to the 1989 film ''Best of the Best''. The plot follows four of the characters from the original ...

'', Nishioka played the Korean, Sae-jin Kwon. He also appeared in the movie ''Ulterior Motives''. He interviewed celebrities and author articles for

Black Belt Magazine ''Black Belt'' is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports. The magazine is based in Valencia, California, and is one of the oldest titles dedicated to martial arts in the United States. History and profile The magazine w ...

including Russia's controversial judoka. Nishioka is the author books including ''Training for Competition: Judo – Coaching, Strategy and the Science for Success'', ''The Judo Textbook'' and ''Judo Heart and Soul''. He made 38 instructional tapes on judo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nishioka, Hayward Judoka trainers 1942 births Living people American male judoka American people of Japanese descent Japanese-American internees Pan American Games medalists in judo Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Judoka at the 1967 Pan American Games Judo referees Medalists at the 1967 Pan American Games