Fumio Demura
| Fumio Demura | |
|---|---|
Demura in 2006 | |
| Born | September 15, 1938 Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | April 24, 2023 (aged 84) California, U.S. |
| Native name | 出村 文男 |
| Style | Shitō-ryū karate, Okinawan kobudō |
| Teachers | Ryusho Sakagami, Taira Shinken |
| Rank | 9th dan black belt |
| Other information | |
| Website | genbukai |
Fumio Demura (出村 文男, Demura Fumio; September 15, 1938 – April 24, 2023) was a Japanese–American karateka and kobudoka, based in the United States since the mid-1960s.[1][2] A 9th dan in Shitō-ryū karate,[2] he was Pat Morita's martial arts stunt double in the first, third and fourth Karate Kid films, and was one of the inspirations for the character Mr. Miyagi.[3]
Biography
Early years
Demura was born on September 15, 1938, in Yokohama, Japan.[2] At the age of 9 (1947/48), he began training in karate and kendo under an instructor named Asano.[2] At the age of 12 (1950/51) he started training under Ryusho Sakagami in Itosu-kai karate.[2] Demura received his 1st dan black belt in 1956,[2] and won the East Japan Championships in 1957.[2]
In 1959, he began training in kobudo, a style of traditional Okinawan weapons training, under the direction of Taira Shinken.[2][1] In 1963, he became acquainted with Kōga-ryū ninjutsu master Seiko Fujita. Demura met martial arts scholar Donn Draeger, who introduced him to Dan Ivan, who would eventually bring him to the United States as a karate instructor.[3]
United States
In 1965, Demura came to the United States, representing the Japan Karate-do Itosu-kai.[2] From his base in southern California, he became well known for his karate and kobudo skills.[3] In 1971, he was ranked 5th dan,[4] and he remained at that rank until at least 1982.[5] Through the 1970s and 1980s, Demura wrote several martial arts books, including: Shito-Ryu Karate (1971),[6] Advanced nunchaku (1976, co-authored),[7] Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense (1982),[8] Nunchaku: Karate weapon of self-defense (1986),[9] Bo: Karate weapon of self-defense (1987),[10] and Sai: Karate weapon of self-defense (1974).[11]
In 1986, Demura was promoted to 7th dan in Shito-ryū karate.[2] In 2005, he was promoted to 9th dan.[2] On July 13, 2022 he was promoted to 10th dan in traditional Karatedo by a collective group of senseis that represented the World Karate Association. He resided in Santa Ana, California, until his death.[12]
Karate Kid films
In the 1980s, Demura became involved in the Karate Kid series of films.[3] He was the stunt double for Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi.[3] The Karate Kid screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen stated that Mr. Miyagi was named after Chōjun Miyagi, the founder of the Goju-ryu karate style,[13] and that Fumio Demura was one of the inspirations for the character.[14]
Demura appeared in several films and documentaries, including: The Warrior within (1976),[15] The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part III (1989),[16] Shootfighter: Fight to the death (1992),[17] Rising Sun (1993),[18] The Next Karate Kid (1994),[19] Masters of the martial arts (1998, presented by Wesley Snipes),[20] Mystic origins of the martial arts (1998),[21] Modern Warriors (2002),[22] XMA: Xtreme Martial Arts (2003),[23] and Ninja (2009).[24]
Later years and death
Demura was the subject of the 2015 documentary The Real Miyagi.[25]
He died on April 24, 2023, at the age of 84.[26]
References
- ^ a b Clayton, B. D., Horowitz, R., & Pollard, E. (2004): Shotokan's secret: The hidden truth behind Karate's fighting origins (p. 108). Black Belt Books. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0144-6)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Japan Karate-Do Genbu-Kai International: Sensei Demura at a glance ... Archived 2009-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (c. 2007). Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e USA Dojo: Shihan Fumio Demura Archived 2010-08-08 at the Wayback Machine (c. 2009). Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
- ^ Demura, F. (1971): Shito-Ryu Karate (p. 4). Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0005-0)
- ^ Demura, F. (1982): Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense (p. 5). Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0080-7)
- ^ Demura, F. (1971): Shito-Ryu Karate. Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0005-0)
- ^ Demura, F., & Ivan, D. (1976): Advanced nunchaku. Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0021-0)
- ^ Demura, F. (1982): Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense. Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0080-7)
- ^ Demura, F. (1986): Nunchaku: Karate weapon of self-defense. Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0006-7)
- ^ Demura, F. (1987): Bo: Karate weapon of self-defense. Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 978-0-8975-0019-7)
- ^ Demura, F. (1974): Sai: Karate weapon of self-defense. Burbank, CA: Ohara. (ISBN 0-89750-010-5)
- ^ Demura, F. (2006): Fumio Demura resume Archived 2009-04-19 at the Wayback Machine (June 6, 2006). Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
- ^ Prewitt, Alex (May 1, 2018). "The Crane Kick Is Bogus: A Karate Kid Oral History". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Yamato, Jen (August 7, 2015). "The Real Mr. Miyagi". The Daily Beast – via www.thedailybeast.com.
- ^ IMDb: The Warrior within (1976) – Full cast and crew Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: The Karate Kid Part III (1989) – Full cast and crew Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: Shootfighter – Fight to the death (1992) – Full cast and crew Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: Rising Sun (1993) – Full cast and crew Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: The next Karate Kid (1994) – Full cast and crew Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: Masters of the martial arts (1998) Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: Mystic origins of the martial arts (1998) Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: Modern warriors (2002) Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: XMA – Xtreme Martial Arts (2003) Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ IMDb: Ninja (2009) – Full cast and crew Retrieved on March 4, 2010.
- ^ The Real Miyagi (2015) at IMDb
- ^ "In Memoriam: Fumio Demura (1938–2023)". Film Combat Syndicate. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.