Haruo Makimoto was born March 27, 1940 in Hiroshima, Japan. He was one of the survivors of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima. He was five years old at the time and remembers seeing a flash of light, then hearing the blast about 5 seconds later and then being thrown several feet by the impact of the bomb. Luckily, he never developed any radiation sickness.
Haruo began his Judo training in Japan when he was 10 years old. He started Judo because he was involved in many fights and his father felt that he needed to know how to defend himself. In 1957, Haruo came to the United States and settled in Loomis, California. At that time, he was a first degree brown belt. In 1959, he started a Judo club for Auburn Parks & Recreation, and in 1962 began teaching Judo at Aerojet in Sacramento. In 1965, he came to the Sacramento Judo Club to learn under Ben Campbell, who was the Team Captain of the first U.S. Olympic team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1971, he became the head sensei of the Sacramento Judo Club until 1992. In August 1992, Haruo started the Okubo Judo Club. In September 1996, Haruo was asked to become head instructor at the Asian Peace Officers Association (APOA) Judo Club. In March 1997, the Okubo Judo Club and APOA Judo Club merged to become the Okubo/APOA Judo Club under the head instructorship of Haruo Makimoto. In 1999, Sacramento High School asked Haruo to start a judo program in their Visual and Performing Arts Center. He taught at the high school until the school closed in 2003.
Haruo currently holds a 7th degree black belt (shichidan) and an International Judo Federation “B” Level Referee License. He was awarded a silver medal at the Pacific AAU competition in 1966 and a gold medal in the Pacific AAU competition in 1967. In 1968, Haruo became an American citizen and was then qualified to represent the United States in international tournaments. He was National Masters Champion in the 65 kg and under division in 1986. Haruo was also the National Masters Champion in the 70 kg and under division in 1986. Haruo is a life member of the United States Judo Federation and United States Judo Incorporated. He has served two terms as Chairman of the Board of the Examiners for the United States Judo Federation.
