Akinori Hosaka and Yoshisada Yonezuka

Best friends at University, Akinori Hosaka and Yoshisada Yonezuka travelling on a train to a weekend Judo contest, Japan c.1956 Image copyright/permission Yonezuka-Hosaka

After graduating from university and working as Police Judo instructor in Sendai, North Japan, Akinori Hosaka departed for England in 1962 on a one year contract with the British Judo Association. He remained resident in the UK for the rest of his life. However, he did make frequent visits to his best friend Yoshisada Yonezuka who left Japan a few years after Hosaka to start a new life teaching Judo in New Jersey, USA.

Super Sally Conway

Sally Conway, Rio Olympics 2016 Judo Bronze

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Sally Conway, Olympic 2016 Bronze medalist.  Every time I photographed Sally she always had a huge smile, defining her totally positive attitude.  She was even smiling after tough final prep randori.  But I was so please to see her with the biggest smile ever winning Olympic Bronze medal.  As Neil Adams said In his commentary, "Sally works so hard, she trains so hard, all the time"  and "this could not be won by a nicer person, Sally Conway..."  And great to see Billy Cusack being one of the first to congratulate one of his own.   Great for Sally Conway, great for the GB Judo squad, great for British Judo.  Years and years of hard work paid dividends on the worlds biggest stage.  

Ebony Drysdale-Daley

Ebony Drysdale-Daley GB Judoka -70kg, photographed at British Judo Centre of Excellence, Walsall, 19/07/16

London Prepares

From the archives, Matt Purssey waits for his fight in the London Prepares JUDO test event December 2011