Fumio Demura

is a well known Japanese master of karate and kobudo (traditional weaponry).Clayton, B. D., Horowitz, R., & Pollard, E. (2004): ''Shotokan's secret: The hidden truth behind Karate's fighting origins'' (p. 108). Black Belt Books. ()Japan Karate-Do Genbu-Kai International: Sensei Demura at a glance ...
(''c.'' 2007). Retrieved on March 3, 2010. He was Pat Morita's martial arts stunt double in the first, third and fourth ''Karate Kid'' films (and the inspiration for "Mr. Miyagi").USA Dojo: Shihan Fumio Demura
(''c.'' 2009). Retrieved on March 3, 2010. Demura holds the rank of 9th '' dan'' in Shitō-ryū karate.

Early life

Demura was born on September 15, 1938, in Yokohama, Japan. At the age of 9 (1947/48), he began training in karate and kendo under an instructor named Asano. At the age of 12 (1950/51) he started training under Ryusho Sakagami in Itosu-kai karate. Demura received his 1st '' dan'' black belt in 1956, and won the East Japan Championships in 1957. In 1959, he began training in kobudo, a style of Okinawan weapons training, under the direction of Taira Shinken. In 1963, he "came to
know the Koga Ryu Ninjutsu Soke, Seiko Fujita- a 14th Generation Koga Ryu Ninja - personally" (quote attributed to Fumio Demura himself). Demura met martial arts scholar Donn Draeger, who introduced him to Dan Ivan, who would eventually bring him to the United States of America as a karate instructor.

Career

In 1965, Demura came to the United States, representing the Japan Karate-do Itosu-kai. From his base in southern California, he became well known for his karate and kobudo skills. In 1971, he was ranked 5th ''dan'',Demura, F. (1971): ''Shito-Ryu Karate'' (p. 4). Burbank, CA: Ohara. () and he remained at that rank until at least 1982.Demura, F. (1982): ''Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense'' (p. 5). Burbank, CA: Ohara. () Through the 1970s and 1980s, Demura wrote several martial arts books, including: ''Shito-Ryu Karate'' (1971),Demura, F. (1971): ''Shito-Ryu Karate''. Burbank, CA: Ohara. () ''Advanced nunchaku'' (1976, co-authored),Demura, F., & Ivan, D. (1976): ''Advanced nunchaku''. Burbank, CA: Ohara. () ''Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense'' (1982),Demura, F. (1982): ''Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense''. Burbank, CA: Ohara. () ''Nunchaku: Karate weapon of self-defense'' (1986),Demura, F. (1986): ''Nunchaku: Karate weapon of self-defense''. Burbank, CA: Ohara. () ''Bo: Karate weapon of self-defense'' (1987),Demura, F. (1987): ''Bo: Karate weapon of self-defense''. Burbank, CA: Ohara. () and ''Sai: Karate weapon of self-defense'' (1987).Demura, F. (1987): ''Sai: Karate weapon of self-defense''. Burbank, CA: Ohara. ()

In 1986, Demura was promoted to 7th ''dan'' in Shito-ryū karate. In 2001, he was expelled from the Itosu-kai,Karate World: Fumio Demura expelled from Itosu-kai
(November 1, 2001). Retrieved on March 3, 2010. and became the Director of Shito-ryū Karate-do Genbu-kai. In 2005, he was promoted to 9th ''dan''. He currently resides in Santa Ana, California.Demura, F. (2006)
Fumio Demura resume
(June 6, 2006). Retrieved on March 3, 2010.

In October 2010, Demura performed for the ''United States Martial Arts Festival'', hosted by Koyamada International Foundation (KIF) at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach, California.

Karate Kid films

In the 1980s, Demura became involved in the ''Karate Kid'' series of films. He was the stunt double for Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi. ''The Karate Kid'' screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen stated that Mr. Miyagi was named after Chōjun Miyagi, the founder of the Goju-ryu karate style, and that Fumio Demura was the inspiration for the character.

Demura has appeared in several films and documentaries, including: ''The Warrior within'' (1976),IMDb: The Warrior within (1976) – Full cast and crew
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. '' The Island of Dr. Moreau'' (1977), ''The Karate Kid'' (1984), '' The Karate Kid Part III'' (1989),IMDb: The Karate Kid Part III (1989) – Full cast and crew
Retrieved on March 3, 2010. ''Shootfighter: Fight to the death'' (1992),IMDb: Shootfighter – Fight to the death (1992) – Full cast and crew
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. '' Rising Sun'' (1993),IMDb: Rising Sun (1993) – Full cast and crew
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. ''The Next Karate Kid'' (1994),IMDb: The next Karate Kid (1994) – Full cast and crew
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. ''Masters of the martial arts'' (1998, presented by Wesley Snipes),IMDb: Masters of the martial arts (1998)
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. ''Mystic origins of the martial arts'' (1998),IMDb: Mystic origins of the martial arts (1998)
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. ''Modern warriors'' (2002),IMDb: Modern warriors (2002)
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. ''XMA: Xtreme Martial Arts'' (2003),IMDb: XMA – Xtreme Martial Arts (2003)
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. and ''Ninja'' (2009).IMDb: Ninja (2009) – Full cast and crew
Retrieved on March 4, 2010. Demura is the subject of the 2015 documentary "The Real Miyagi".IMDb: The Real Miyagi (2015)
Retrieved on March 16, 2016.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Demura, Fumio
Living people
1938 births
American stunt performers
Japanese emigrants to the United States
Japanese male karateka
Karate coaches
Shitō-ryū practitioners
Martial arts writers
Sportspeople from Santa Ana, California
Sportspeople from Yokohama
American sportspeople of Japanese descent