Judo Students From 40 Years ago Attending my 80th Birthday Party

[Jeff_Beish]

Funny, my 80th birthday is this Saturday, so my wife and daughter have planned a birthday party for me. They got on Facebook and located some of my Judo students from Miami, Florida from 1973 until 1980 or 82 -- and several of them will be coming from various locations around the state. Wow, they are all grandparents! Back then they ranged from grade school to high school age. I taught Judo on and off from 1965 until 1988 when I just lost interest. Looking back and wondering; if one could see in the future back then maybe my teaching days would have continued on. Here are a few photos of some of them attending:

 

[Buka]

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

 

[Jeff_Beish]

My wife and our daughter planned and executed my birthday party in our small home her in Lake Placid, Florida that went very well. Several local friends came and some of my old Judo students from the 1970’s drove in from a few locations in Florida. It was great, they are all grandparents now! Really make one feel old! A couple friends or old students could not come due to health or COVID-19 reasons.

We talked a mile a minute and had such a grand time. They told me of other former students that are still in contact with each other and they talk about our Judo days all the time. So nice to have people remember me. Live a clean life, have friends and treat them well; they remember you forever.

 

[dvcochran]

Happy birthday Jeff! Great story.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Happy belated birthday Jeff!. Glad to hear the party went well.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Happy Birthday Jeff

 

[Jeff_Beish]

thanks gang.

 

[Brian King]

Wonderful. Happy Belated birthday.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

This is awesome, congrats on your clearly good impact on your students, and on your birthday!

 

[Jeff_Beish]

Sometimes I think of all the Judo kids and adults I taught from the past 56+ years ago and wonder where they are now. Some still keep in touch and even visit! Then in early 2002, while visiting our Navy son and family in Japan, we went down to the Kodokan and I ran into the library curator, the late Naoki Murata, who had assisted Kotani sensei with our SAC/ARDC combative measures classes in 1961. Wow, did we have a great conversation. I just learned of his passing in April 2020; he was 9 years younger than me. Sad, our discussion brightened his day and mine as well.