Ode to Coach
Yoshihiro Uchida
April 1, 1920 - June 27, 2024
For most of us, Mr. Uchida started coaching at SJSU long before we were born, and continued long after most of us went on to do other things with our lives. His passion and dedication to Judo, along with his longevity were unmatched. His program produced 22 Olympians (4 Olympic medals), the first US man to win the World Championships, countless National & Collegiate champions and Collegiate National titles for SJSU. Mr. Uchida was not just passionate about Judo, he was passionate about shaping young men and women into strong, successful people. He guided so many on their journeys to great places off the mat – A Senator, Doctors, Lawyers, Stockbrokers, Fortune 500 Executives, Federal Agents, Entrepreneurs… the list goes on and on.
Mr. Uchida had a tough exterior, often reminding us in his own little way to be humble. He taught us to face problems head on “face your opponent or he will crack you over the head with a beer bottle.” He taught us to learn from our mistakes “You learn by being thrown.” Many of these lessons weren’t truly understood until long after we retired from the sport. While he was tough on the outside, he was also very caring and kind. Opening his home to students every Thanksgiving, having BBQs, helping aspiring judoka get into SJSU, and helping them financially. He enjoyed seeing his pupils have success, both on and off the mat.
Mr. Uchida was also extremely generous with his time and finances. He was at practice regularly, even though he was very busy with his various businesses. He paid for coaches to travel from Japan to ensure we learned from the best. He funded the program as needed to ensure we could compete in various tournaments.
Mr. Uchida was recognized with numerous prestigious awards through his life, including the Order of the Sacred Treasure with Golden Rays in 1986 from the Japanese Emperor Hirohito. In 1996, he was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame. He has also received numerous awards from SJSU, including the school’s highest award, the Tower Award, and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2004. However, he was very humble with regards to his accolades, preferring to talk about the Judo program and the athletes.
The positive impact he made on so many individuals is beyond comprehension. On June 27th, 2024, we lost an amazing person, who was with us for more than 104 years. He trained us, inspired us, shaped us, and supported us, for that we are grateful.