Dojos wishing to join the Renaissance Yawara organization can begin the AFFILIATE DOJO APPLICATION PROCESS.

TADAYUKI SATOH, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

Tadayuki Satoh began his study of Budo at an early age.  His father, Gohatiro Satoh, was a well known judo teacher in Shizuoka Prefecture and attained an 8th Dan.  Gohatiro was a peer of Jigoro Kano and a contemporary of such famous Judoka as Mifune, Nagaoka and Kenji Tomiki.  Satoh’s father sent Tadayuki to study at Waseda University and learn from Tomiki.  When he first enrolled in Waseda, Satoh trained in both Judo and Aikido, but in his second year of college made the decision to focus solely on Aikido.  From the time of his enrollment in Waseda until Tomiki’s death in 1979, Satoh sensei would spend Sundays having tea and training with Tomiki.  Satoh was appointed to be Shihan in Aikido of Waseda University in 2007 by the senior Tomiki Aikido Association of Japan, a post that had been vacant for over 20 years since the Tomiki’s death.

Due to Satoh Sensei’s unique history and connection to both the founder of judo as well as Tomiki Aikido, he is uniquely qualified to teach on the original tenets of each art as well as their historical and technical connections.

JOHN GAGE, VICE-PRESIDENT, ADMINISTRATION

John Gage Sensei is one of the world’s foremost non-Japanese leaders in traditional, heritage martial arts. He is the current head of the Nihon Jujutsu system founded by the late Sato-Shizuya Sensei (1929 – 2011), and is former Program Director at the US Embassy Judo Club in Tokyo, Japan. A lifelong passion for history, and things from faraway places, particularly the arts and culture of Japan, began at an early age for Gage Sensei. He started studying aikido at age seventeen and judo at nineteen.

In 1986, he moved to Japan in order to dedicate himself to the study of traditional Japanese martial arts. Upon arriving in Tokyo, Japan in 1986, Gage-Sensei joined the US Embassy Judo Club, under the direction of Sato Shizuya Sensei. He has also studied extensively at the Aikido Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, under the direction of the famed Shioda Gozo Sensei (1915 – 1994), Aikido Meijin 10th Dan.

Gage-Sensei spent many years honing his understanding of the Japanese martial arts. He joined the All Japan Judo Federation, coached judo at Japanese Junior high schools, traveled around the world as an assistant to Sato Sensei at martial arts seminars in Europe and North America, and participated in countless martial arts exhibitions, and competitions in Japan. In 2015, Gage-Sensei returned to Ann Arbor and joined JMAC as one of our Senior Instructors.

MICHAEL MARTYN, VICE-PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

Mr. Martyn began his martial arts training in 1981 and was a direct student of James R. Garrison for more than 30 years and during that time trained in a variety of complementary martial arts.  In 2012, Mr. Garrison presented Mr. Martyn with a katana and wakizashi from the Edo Period to signify the passing of the school and Pacific Rim’s tradition and heritage.

From 1994 to 2014, Mr. Martyn served in a variety of roles for the World Oriental Martial Arts Federation, including Director of the Judo and Jujutsu Divisions and most recently as Vice-President of North America.  During his time with WOMAF, Mr. Martyn received 3 Distinguished Service Awards, an Instructor of the Year Award in 2001, and a Master Instructor Appointment in 2011.

In 2012, Mr. Martyn joined the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF) as a Director for the Americas Division.  Headquartered in Tokyo, IMAF has established branches in 17 counties, with members throughout the world.  In his role, Mr. Martyn oversees all aspects of membership and operational coordination with headquarters in Japan.  

In 2017, Pacific Rim was chosen as the first International Training Center for USA Judo, and Mr. Martyn was named Director of the program.

ADVISORS

HAROLD SHARP, SENIOR ADVISOR

Sensei Sharp, 9th Dan (USA Judo, USJF & USJA), (1927-2021), was active in judo for more than 65 years, starting at the Kodokan Judo Institute where he earned the rank of Yodan through intensive competition.  During this period he co-authored two of the most popular books in judo, “Sport of Judo” and “Techniques of Judo” which have sold worldwide over 250,000 copies.

During the early 1950s while in Japan he excelled in judo photography both still and cinema. Photographing the techniques of many of the legends and champions of judo. Later in the 1990s he digitized these old cinema films creating DVDs and YouTube videos which are now popular throughout the world.  Since returning from Japan, Sharp sensei wrote two more books, ”Boy’s Judo” and “Boy’s & Girl’s Judo and Self-defense”, subtitled “Road to Blackbelt”. This last book is probably the most comprehensive book covering technical aspects of judo including 32 YouTube videos to supplement the writings. All of his books, including those written in the 1950s are currently sold throughout the world on Amazon.

In 1954, he won the title as “Japan Foreigner Judo Champion”. The tournament was conducted by Mifune sensei, 10th Dan, for the Prince of Japan. Y.Osawa, 10th Dan, was quoted as saying that, “Sharp sensei had classical judo skills” and that he “had a difficult time throwing him.”

In 2014, Sensei Sharp established a nonprofit “Hal “Sharp Judo Teachers Foundation”.  This also included the establishment of a website www.judo4teachers.  All of this material has been donated to the Kodokan library.  For 20 years, he was a technical advisor to the Gardena Judo Club and was voted in as a member of the Nanka Hall of Fame.  Sharp Sensei agreed to be a Senior Advisor for Renaissance Yawara in 2019.