In 2003, at the urging of a Washington, D.C., journalist for the Sankei Shinbun, Yoshisada (Yone) Yonezuka penned his autobiography, Yone, originally written and published in Japanese for their market.
In 2011, the book was translated into English and made available in the United States. Yone can be purchased at the website of Cranford Judo & Karate Center, http://cranfordjkc.com.
I assume this is the first review of the book in English. Yonezuka Sensei gave the book to my father at a recent judo tournament in Florida, who later came out to California and loaned it to me.
Though not customary, I’d like to share a little foreword for my review.
I first arrived at Yone's dojo as a six-year-old and stayed until my father opened his own dojo when I was around nine or 10 years old. More than 40 years down the road, I'm still in awe of Yone. His judo was as near perfection as I have ever witnessed.
Since my father was in the adult class and I was in the kids’, I had to stay after and watch the adults. During all that time I watched Yone handle men as though they were children. Allen Coage, Yone's student and 1976 Olympic bronze medalist, once said there was only one man that could really kick his butt, and it was Yone. Allen wasn't just paying homage. I got to watch it during a visit to Cranford JKC, shortly before the 1976 Olympics in which Allen won bronze. Yone commanded respect from everyone. Grown men on the mat shook their heads in disbelief like young kids watching from the bench.
I saw Yone do the spectacular countless times, and probably heard a thousand stories more. I doubt there is a black belt from New Jersey or New York who lived during that time and doesn't have at least a few stories.
So, I guess I write this review out of love. But I also want to approach it as I think Yone might—tough, but fair. Here goes. Maybe I can score a yuko in my review.
The book is titled Yone, with a cover shot taken when he was an Olympic coach in his mid-fifties, but looking more like his mid-thirties. A few words written by Yamashita, Yukimitsu Kano and Matsushita from the AJJF are below the picture. The back cover photo is taken from the USJF magazine of Yone and Allen around the time of the 1976 Olympics. The side binding is blank where the title of the book should be.
The book is a translation from the Japanese version and I think that is a weakness. I wish Yone had written a separate book for the USA market. I don't know if it is a cultural thing, but the chapters and stories didn't flow easily for me. Different time periods and tangents can be discussed within a few paragraphs then jump back, and I found myself a little lost at times. I also wish there were more pictures throughout the years to help with the telling of his life story.
I look at Yone's story as a compelling one, and probably best told with a definite beginning, middle and end. If I had to give the 15 second pitch for the movie it would be: "The story of a poor, fatherless child’s rise in war-torn Japan to the greatest ambassador to the United States for his sport, Judo." I think an American author could have helped Yone write that book and script.
Another criticism. There are several typos and bad translations of names (“Freeland” becomes “Freeman,” “Tommy” is printed as “Tammy” etc.). I wish it had been proofread a little better prior to publication. Maybe in the second or third printing it will be fixed.
The book begins with Yone's humble beginnings in Japan. His father passes away when he is one-year-old, and he is raised by his mother, Yae with help from his elder sisters, Teruko and Nobuko, along with older brothers Yoshie and Kaneharu. The family survives by his mother working the fields, fishing and during the cold winter months, bringing her work inside.
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