HARUO IMAMURA

Sensei Haruo Imamura began his study of judo at the age of 10 in Tamana, Japan under Nishi Sensei. He was recruited by Tenri University and from 1952 to 1957 he was the captain of the Tenri University Judo Team. In 1955 he visited the United States as a member of the All Japan Intercollegiate Judo Team. The team won the Japanese National Collegiate Championships in 1956.  In 1958 he returned to the United States as an exchange student and attended Fresno City College. In 1960 he competed in United States Senior National Championships in Tampa, Florida and became the 180 Pound Division Champion.  Each division champion then competes for the Grand Championship, the over-all tournament Champion.  Sensei Imamura won the Grand Champion title in 1960. Sensei Imamura again competed in the United States Senior National Championships in 1962 and again won the 180 Pound Division.

Sensei Imamura has been the head instructor of Fresno Judo Club since 1962 and he has been the Fresno State Judo team coach since 1982. He has led the Fresno State Judo Team to National Championships in 1985 and 1988.  He has taught judo at Fresno State since 1980, first as an extension course and later as a regular physical education class.

He has coached USA National Judo teams in countries such as the former Soviet Union, Japan, Austria, Cuba, etc. He has been a consultant to the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan translating Sensei Daigo’s judo technique lessons from Japanese to English and he has served on the Kodokan’s Foreign Advisory Committee since the early 1990’s. Mr. Imamura’s autobiography was recently published as a series in the Kindai Judo magazine in Japan.

In 2006 Sensei Imamura was awarded Coach of the Year by the California Judo, Inc.

Sensei Imamura holds the rank of Kodokan 8^th Dan and USJF 9^th Dan.  2008 will mark his 50^th year of teaching judo in the United States.