While I was attending graduate school, I began participating in the university’s judo club. This was my first formal introduction to judo. I had taken several informal classes years before, but the club afforded me the opportunity to train regularly. This affiliation with the judo club ultimately led me to practice the Gentle Way in one of the more local schools that were directly connected to the Takahiko Ishikawa lineage. It was here that I became personally inspired to begin exploring Ishikawa’s life further.
Throughout my research, I found various pieces of information relating to Ishikawa, such as being a two-time All Japan Judo Tournament champion and the highest ranked judoka on the East Coast during his tenure in the US. However, much to be dismayed, what I found was scarce, conflicting, and often incomplete.
During the last four years, I have consulted many previously untapped sources and have spoken with a number of former students and family members to create the most definitive biography of this quiet judo master to date. The end result is a new book: Takahiko Ishikawa: Judo’s Quiet Master. I am very excited to have this book published soon.
In an effort to properly produce this book and to make it available to the public, I have created an Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign to offer readers and enthusiasts an opportunity to make contributions in support of this first-ever historical account of Takahiko Ishikawa. Follow this link to make your contribution.
Many thanks and gratitude,
Antonio Aloia
Editor-in-Chief of Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 