Ode to Coach

Yoshiro 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 created XX Olympians (zz medals). YY world team members (xx medals), the first US man to win the world championships, countless national & college champions, and XX of YY 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, Stock Brokers, 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 understand 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 kids 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 business. 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…. However, he was very humble with regards to his accolades, preferring to talk about the program and the athletes. He did great things for San Jose as well, including bringing the first Sumo tournament to San Jose in 1993.

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.