History

The Lethbridge Kyodokan Judo Club was founded by Yoshio Senda in 1952 and has been active, with Sensei Senda as head instructor and coach up until his passing on September 9, 2009. The club has a proud history, of which we will add more later. If you would like to read about the club, you can read the book Kyodokan: The story of the Kyodokan Judo Club and the founder, Dr. Yoshio Senda edited by Jane Senda. It is available from the Lethbridge Public Library and other fine libraries and from Jane. For further reading on Sensei Senda and several other members of the club, as well as Canadian judo in general, try Judoka : the history of judo in Canada by Glynn Leyshon, available at the University of Lethbridge and other fine libraries.

Yosh and Flo Senda are the two longest-serving Senseis in the Lethbridge Judo Club.

The late Sensei Yoshio Senda was the highest ranked Judoka in Canada, having earned the first ever Kudan (9th degree black belt) awarded by the Dan grading committee of Judo Canada in July of 2006. Sensei Senda founded the Lethbridge Judo Club in 1952 and was the Head Instructor and Coach of the club until his death at the age of 87 on September 9, 2009. He was on the mats coaching until August of 2009 and despite his ill health, he travelled from the hospital to the dojo to watch his judoka take training from a visiting Japanese sensei. He was also the Head Instructor and Coach of the University of Lethbridge Judo Club since the University was formed in 1967. He won the Canadian Junior Championship in 1937 and achieved his shodan (first degree black belt) in 1939 at which time he started instructing judo as an assistant to Sensei Eichi Hashizume in Mission City, B.C. Sensei Senda was coach of the Canadian Olympic Judo Teams in 1980 and 1984 and Joe Meli's personal coach in the 1988 Olympics. Among the many honours Sensei Senda has received are:

  • Membership in the Lethbridge, University of Lethbridge, and Judo Canada Halls of Fame

  • An honorary Doctor of Laws degree granted by the University of Lethbridge

  • Decorated with `The Order of the Sacred Treasures, Gold and Silver Rays' conferred by His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan

  • Presented with a `Key to the City' of Lethbridge

  • and, most recently, appointment as a member of the Order of Canada

Dr. Yoshio Senda, C.M. and Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean

We will all miss Sensei Senda and will try our best to follow the path he laid down for us through his life in judo.

Sensei Florence Senda started into Judo relatively late, and didn't receive her shodan (first degree black belt) until 1974, after two of her sons (Ron in 1966 and Greg in 1972). Since then she has been actively involved in instructing the judoka in the Lethbridge Judo Club. She currently holds the rank of Godan (5th degree black belt) and can be found at the dojo whenever the beginners' class or the Kata class are meeting. She no longer has to sew the canvas covers for the tatami (judo mats) as she once did.