| Fumio Demura | |
|---|---|
F. Demura, November 2006 |
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| Born | September 15, 1938 Yokohama, Japan |
| Residence | Santa Ana, California, USA |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Style | Shitō-ryū Karate |
| Teacher(s) | Ryusho Sakagami, Taira Shinken |
| Rank | 9th dan karate |
| Website | http://www.genbu-kai-hq.com/ |
Fumio Demura (出村 文男 Demura Fumio, born September 15, 1938) is a Japanese master of karate.[1] He is a well known master of karate and kobudo (weaponry),[2] and his martial arts skills featured in the Karate Kid series of films.[3] Demura holds the rank of 9th dan in Shitō-ryū karate.[1]
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Demura was born on September 15, 1938, in Yokohama, Japan.[1] At the age of 9, he began training in karate and kendo under an instructor named Asano.[1] At the age of 12 he started training under Ryusho Sakagami in Itosu-kai karate.[1] Demura received his 1st dan black belt in 1956,[1] and won the East Japan Championships in 1957.[1] In 1959, he began training in kobudo, a style of Okinawan weapons training, under the direction of Taira Shinken.[1][2] In 1963, 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.[3]
In 1965, Demura came to the United States, representing the Japan Karate-do Itosu-kai.[1] From his base in southern California, he became well known for his karate and kobudo skills.[3] In 1971, he was ranked 5th dan,[4] and he remained at that rank until at least 1982.[5] Through the 1970s and 1980s, Demura wrote several martial arts books, including: Shito-Ryu Karate (1971),[6] Advanced nunchaku (1976, co-authored),[7] Tonfa: Karate weapon of self-defense (1982),[8] Nunchaku: Karate weapon of self-defense (1986),[9] Bo: Karate weapon of self-defense (1987),[10] and Sai: Karate weapon of self-defense (1987).[11]
In the 1980s, Demura became involved in the Karate Kid series of films.[3] He was the stunt double for Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi.[3] Demura has appeared in several films and documentaries, including: The Warrior within (1976),[12] The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid, Part III (1989),[13] Shootfighter: Fight to the death (1992),[14] Rising Sun (1993),[15] The next Karate Kid (1994),[16] Masters of the martial arts (1998, presented by Wesley Snipes),[17] Mystic origins of the martial arts (1998),[18] Modern warriors (2002),[19] XMA: Xtreme Martial Arts (2003),[20] and Ninja (2009).[21]
In 1986, Demura was promoted to 7th dan in Shito-ryū karate.[1] In 2001, he was expelled from the Itosu-kai,[22] and became the Director of Shito-ryū Karate-do Genbu-kai.[1] In 2005, he was promoted to 9th dan.[1] He currently resides in Santa Ana, California.[23]