Matsumura Sensei 8th dan

It is being reported on Facebook today that Matsumura Sensei, the noted Kodokan 8th Dan newaza expert, has passed away on his 92nd birthday. If this is true it is a great loss - Matsumura Sensei was a true highlight of working at the Kodokan, and his spirit, fingers and smile were always welcome to anyone who wanted to learn Judo.

Lurker wrote:It is being reported on Facebook today that Matsumura Sensei, the noted Kodokan 8th Dan newaza expert, has passed away on his 92nd birthday. If this is true it is a great loss - Matsumura Sensei was a true highlight of working at the Kodokan, and his spirit, fingers and smile were always welcome to anyone who wanted to learn Judo.

If this is really true, it would be a very sad loss for judo. I personally feel very privileged, that I could meet him on the tatami and enjoy his fascinating and inspiring instruction.

I have seen a 'tribute', accompanied by a photo of what is supposedly his hands floating around facebook today. If it is true, what a loss.

Great teacher. His like will not be seen again.

Dave McFall, editor of Judo Quarterly, had just posted a number of pics of Matsumura sensei at this year's kangeiko at the Kodokan.
https://www.facebook.com/david.mcfall.33?fref=nf
I just exchanged pleasantries with him earlier this year.

Quite a gent. RIP.

The funeral is to be held tomorrow at 1200 noon in Toride City near his home. He lived near the lake Teganuma, near actually the Villa Jigoro Kano had. Matsumura-sensei lost his wife last year. His instruction days had been set already, so asked if he could still make it. His answer on the phone was, she`d be glad that I do it up there.

Regularly I used to meet him to fix his schedule, and he used to ask me a bit hesitantly "Shall we now go for that!" It was a modest menu, a bottle of beer and "itawasa". As a Japanese custom, if you have someone near you died in the year, you`d send out the cards saying that "please allow me that I don`t send you the New Year Card as xxx died xxx." I received the same card from Matsumura-sensei, and then a few days later he sent me "A HappyNew Year to You... I`ll be sure to be at the Kodokan on those dates you had earlier indicated". These are Apr21 & May12 for Katame-No-Kata. These dates used to be much later in Summer but many of his students, not himself, wished to have the lessons in the cooler season! Which I had asked him earlier...

Another anecdote about him, when I was having a session with him to discuss what to teach and how, I brought a small booklet written by Kanemitsu-sensei in Okayama. There I found kids demonstrating Sankakujime and when he saw it, he said "Oh, it`s me!" He was so glad that I still cherished it.

Last November, I met him while watching the performances at All Japan Kata Championships. Most of the time he was asleep as if mumbling to himself "My God, that`s not Kata!"

Sorry, tears to my eyes to recall whenever he came to me and ask "Was my instruction alright?" RIP