Bronx Judo and Martial Arts School

Sensei of Springfield judo club receives lifetime achievement award The Martial Maze, Sen-I Judo Club, and the Underground Alliance Martial Research Association hosted a red carpet gala.

Sensei Jerry Vessichio

Jerry Vessichio 97-year-old, World War II Purple Heart recipient veteran and a live long Martial Artist. Jerry is said to be the oldest Judo Competitor in the USA.

December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Jerry was 16 years old and in 1942 he enlisted into the US Marines with his mother’s consent. He attended Basic training in Parris Island, South Carolina, where he was introduced to hand-to-hand combat (AKA Jujutsu), by Col. Evan Carlson and Maj. Don Drager. After his basic training, Jerry was then assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Los Angeles area where he completed his training before being shipped to Hawaii. While he was in California, he was first introduced to Sport Judo, which later became his passion.

In 1944 Jerry was assigned to the U.S. 4th Marine Division and was deployed to his first combat duty in the Marshall Islands which was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, In the campaigns of 1943 and the first half of 1944, the Allies had captured the Solomon Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Papuan Peninsula of New Guinea.

Jerry fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands in 1944 as part of Operation Forager. It has been referred to as the "Pacific D-Day". In the Battle of Saipan is where Jerry was wounded by a mortar shell. A mortar shell landed a few yards from him, and a piece of shrapnel pierced his helmet hitting Jerry in the forehead and knocked him semi-unconscious. All he could remember was falling to his face and waking up in a stretcher.

Jerry also witnessed his first sergeant get his lower leg ripped to pieces by a mortar shell. The sergeant bled out because the medics were unable to reach him, due to heavy mortar fire. And his sergeant like so many soldiers refused a tourniquet to stop the bleeding for fear of gangrene.

Jerry was awarded a Purple Heart, for his injury and along with a Unit Presidential Citation, or the Pacific campaign. But Jerry like so many of our heroes was not officially recognized for saving the lives of several of his fellow Marines.

While under fire, and not being a marksman was able to take out an enemy machine gun bunker. There is no record of his bravery, mainly because his OIC (and only witness) was killed while transporting other wounded Marines to medical care and was never able to file his report of the incident.

Seeing so much carnage, Jerry quickly realized that war is hell, one man killing another for political or economic or cultural reasons solves nothing. War is inhumane, and barbaric. He will never support a war for any reason. That is why he feels Judo is the only civilized form of combat.
After his honorable discharge from the US Marines, he went back home to New York, and obtain a B.S. of Physical Education, while continuing to study judo, jujutsu, and boxing.

Sensei Nori Yasu Kudo:
Through my training and personal relationship, I have come to know Sensei Kudo as a lifetime Martial Artist with a multitude of achievements, In Judo, Sumo, Karate, and Kendo. Sensei Noriyasu Kudo is a master instructor, training students of all ranks, and nationalities in the Way of technical application, and in competition for more than 60 years. Sensei’s methods, systems and its techniques are hundreds of years old and classical, but the “secrets” are his hidden jewels. We should all bow deeply and humbly to our sensei Kudo, the one that knows “Seiryoko Zenyo.”

Some of Sensei Kudo’s lifetime accomplishments were:

• He graduated from Meiji University, in 1962 with a degree in economics.
• While at the university he trained, competed, and coached collegian Judo.
• He became a senior instructor at the Tokyo Japan Police Academy and later became a senior martial arts instructor for the Emperor of Japan's Royal Palace Secret Service.
• Sensei Kudo became the All-Japan Amateur Sumo Champion in both 1963 and 1964.
• All Japan (Kokutai) National Judo Champion in both 1965 and 1966
• He has also been a coached to the United States Judo team.
• Sensei Kudo taught Karate, Jujutsu and Judo in his hometown of Springfield, Mass.
• He has been on the staff of the International YMCA Judo camp since its establishment as a senior instructor.

Israel Gelpi, Kaidan, with Hanshi Miguel Ibarra 10th Dan and his son Rene Ibarra, Dai-Shihan, and 9th Dan in Yama Bushi Jujutsu and Aiki-Jujutsu. Jose Gonzales, Raphael and Omar Melendez

Israel Gelpi, honored to train with Miguel Ibarra, Bill Hayes and the late Jody Paul at the 2014 IKKF / ISMR JOINT ANNUAL TRAINING in Reading PA.

George Pasiuk, Seventh Degree Black Belt and Headmaster Instructor of the Bronx Judo Dojo. George has been a competitor, and an instructor since the 1960s.

While in the USMC (1960 to 1964) he became engaged in Judo and Combat Judo training. In 1962, George became a Combat Judo instructor at his assigned battalion. After his enlistment he continue training and teaching judo and self-defense.

George graduated from CCNY with a degree in Japanese Studies and a Minor in Phys. Ed. While in college he worked as a Judo and Personal Defense Instructor at NYAC, American Legion and the YMCA. After graduation, he held a number of directorships positions with the YMCA. Such as the YMCA Physical Education Director at the Mc Burney YMCA, Prospect Park YMCA, and the Yonkers YMCA.

In 1965 and 1966 he won the Metropolitan AAU Judo Championships in his weight division.
While working and starting a family, George continued to train, and ended up taking 1st Place in the Metropolitan Masters Judo Grand Championships 1975 & 1976 and in 1999 took 1st Place in the AAU National Championship – Masters. In 2005 he won a Silver Medal in the World Judo Masters.

In 1980 George became an assistant and organizer in the International YMCA Judo Camp, one of the oldest and largest Judo camp in the United States which operated for over 40 years.

George Sensei, was the originator and organizer of the Metropolitan Area, Nakabayashi memorial tournament, which was in honor of his Sensei, Mr. Sadaki Nakabayashi 9th Dan. The proceedings went to help and send under privileged children to the YMCA Judo camp.

In 2001 George became the Head Judo instructor at Biwako Dojo at Campos Rec. Ctr. NYC, a Non-for-Profit dojo that was free to all the neighborhood children and a minimal fee to adults.

George also served as President of the Metropolitan Judo Association, for several years. And he served on the New York State Judo Inc., Board of Directors.

George studied under Judo legends such as: Sadaki Nakabayashi 9th Dan (1965 to 1976); Tadashi Yoshida (1966-1967); Yoichiro Matsumura 9th (1972–2005) Dan and George Harris 10th Dan (1970-1972).

George as served as a National Judo Referee for most of his Judo career. He is a lifetime Member of USJA, USJF & USJI

George has dedicated his entire life to Judo. He is at our dojo 6 days a week, overseeing all the training. He is a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing his feelings or complaining, he would donate a kidney to a perfect stranger, or go without eating to give a friend his very last dollar.

George and Kerry at the Y-Camp 40th Year Anniversary...

Celebrating at Sensei Noriyasu Kudo’s Lifetime Achievement award dinner...

The 1964 USA Judo team, with Sensei George Harris a co-founder of the NY YMCA Judo Camp. Jim Bregman the "Living Legend" and Ben Cambell.

Bronx Judo and Martial Arts School updated their business hours.