In the early 1990’s, Sensei Kevin Asano and Sensei Steven Alphabet met in Miami, Florida at a national judo training clinic. Kevin and Steven both had a vision to build the next generation through judo and after school academic programs.
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Over 30 years, Kevin and Steven continued their friendship. On several occasions, Kevin visited Steven in Atlanta, Georgia where he saw the success of his Kokoro Tatsu Judo Club and Judo the Ultimate Challenge programs. In 2017 Steven accepted Kevin’s invitation to move to Hawaii, and Honolulu Judo Club is the genesis of this vision.
The story behind our logo…
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Honolulu Judo Club’s logo is a symbolic representation of the beautiful harbor of Honolulu (in green) facing the crystal clear water of the Pacific Ocean (in blue) with the sunny Hawaiian sky (in yellow) above.
The yellow and blue shapes are actually commas, derived from one of judo’s traditional sacrifice throws called tomoe nage (literally “comma-design throw”) and Asano Sensei’s favorite throw.
The specific colors match the color of tatami (judo mats), blue and yellow for the mats at the Honolulu Judo Club dojo, and green for the traditional judo mats such as those at the Kodokan.
The inspiration for this logo originally came from a song, “God of Wonders” by Paul Baloche. “Lord of all creation, of water earth and sky…” declares the majesty of the creator God. The water symbolizes healing, the earth renewal, and the sky the presence of God.
Our sincere desire is that our members personally discover and experience the various meanings behind our club logo.