The Okubo Judo Club was founded by Haruo Makimoto and Chris Mitsuoka in August 1992.
In May 1992, Haruo retired from Judo after 28 years of teaching at the Sacramento Judo Club. One month after retirement, four of his previous judo students got together and asked if he would come out of retirement and help train them for the Junior Nationals. With their persistence, Haruo said he would prepare them for the Junior Nationals. This is how the Okubo Judo Club was born.
As for the name of the club, “Okubo” is Haruo’s ancestor’s samurai name. Haruo’s family name was changed because his great grandfather was not able to adjust to the emerging new Japan. After his death, the family changed the name to “Makimoto”. The Okubo Crest rests in the Iwakuni castle to this day.
When Haruo returned to Japan for a brief visit in December 1992, he was granted permission from his family to use the family crest for the club logo. The Okubo family crest means maru-ni-ken-katakoni (Circle-Sword-Katakoni Flower).
In March of 1997, the Asian Peace Officers Association Judo Club in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Sacramento and the Okubo Judo Club merged to become the Okubo/APOA Judo Club under the head instructorship of Haruo Makimoto until the program closed June 2015.
In November 2015, the judo club reopened in Lodi, CA at the Gracie Lodi Gym, owned by MMA fighter Nate Diaz. In October 2016, the Gracie Fighter Gym was preparing to move which gave us the opportunity to move back and reopen in Sacramento on November 1, 2016 at the IYa Taekwondo in the Greenhaven / Pocket area.
