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I finally found a photo of Eiichi Miyazato doing Judo! I was a student and friend of his during my stay at Naha AB, Okinawa from around Jan 1961 until the end of July 1962. He was a lot of fun to randori with and a great Judoka. He was also President of the Okinawan Judo federation so the U.S. Air Force would invite him to accompany the Air Force Judo Team from Okinawa to Japan when we needed a coach. He was a Goju-ryu karate master. I remember once he drove me to the Miyagi Garden Dojo in north side of Naha and allowed me to train there for an hour or so, after we would weed the garden! After that I would go up once a week to train and learn from him. Goju is a very different type of karate that I was used to and I was usually drained of energy after practice. Miyazato sensei passed away in 1999.
Most of the Internet information on him is of his Gojuryu teaching, but I found a photo of him throwing someone in Judo:
He was a nice and funny sensei. He would invite me to the Miyagi Garden Dojo to help weed it out and then train in karate, and Judo on his wood floors!
This photo must have been made in the 1940's looking at Eiichi and Miyagi, who died in 1953, so he looked healthy enough there. I think Miyazato was born in 25 or 26, so he was in his mid-30's when I knew him.
Most of the Internet information on him is of his Gojuryu teaching, but I found a photo of him throwing someone in Judo:
He was a nice and funny sensei. He would invite me to the Miyagi Garden Dojo to help weed it out and then train in karate, and Judo on his wood floors!
This photo must have been made in the 1940's looking at Eiichi and Miyagi, who died in 1953, so he looked healthy enough there. I think Miyazato was born in 25 or 26, so he was in his mid-30's when I knew him.
The group photos I have had for years, but just can upon the throw image. It is quite amazing to me how the Japanese have erased the old Okinawa culture away, but it is getting very difficult to find Judo and Okinawa in the same sentence. Oh well, it is nice to share old stuff from back in the day. Miyazato was a great person and I never forgot him or his friendship.
