Asturias is a powerhouse of Spanish judo thanks, to a large extent, to the teachings of Shu Taira, despite the fact that in his youth he had other priorities. What he was passionate about was theater, acting, but his father’s influence was decisive. At the age of 11 he began to practice in the Federation’s judo hall, of which his father was president. “The training was hard and I didn’t get to enjoy it. My father practiced kata in the living room of my house and I accompanied him, but I did not know what I was doing. Japanese teaching was like that. You had to find out what you were doing with intelligence, without explaining it verbally ”, he says.
After finishing his university studies in economics, during which he continued practicing judo, Shu Taira wanted to deepen his theatrical career. An admirer of Western works, he ventured on a trip to Europe, initially with Paris as his destination. But a visit to his compatriot Takeda in Madrid changed his plans. He ended up teaching at his gym in Oviedo, when judo in Asturias was an almost unknown sport. In fact, it was integrated into the Greco-Roman Wrestling Federation and did not have one of its own until two years later.
In the 1970s, judo began to be practiced normally in schools and sports centers. At that time, Taira had seven assistants to meet the demand for classes in her gyms. Due to his condition as a foreigner, Shu Taira could not represent Asturias in official competitions, but he did so in the “San Isidro” International Trophy, in Madrid, with significant foreign participation, which he won. “It was good publicity for Takeda and for Asturian judo,” said Taira.
He did not compete again and focused on teaching, with a recognized prestige not only in Asturias, but throughout Spain, as reflected in his ninth degree red belt, the highest recognition, reserved until now for only five teachers. But Taira always highlights that what fills him the most is the respect and affection of his students, thousands of people who soaked up his philosophy: “Judo and other martial arts, through their techniques, transmit a series of values: perseverance, research, suffering, a desire for improvement and humility. All this ends up forming a person to live in society with a more or less balanced mind. People who do judo, in general, are very healthy ”.
De Asahikawa a Asturias
Shu Taira was born in Asahikawa (Japan) on July 22, 1942. He began practicing skiing and skating, until at the age of 11 he opted for judo under the influence of his father, teacher and president of the local Federation. He studied economics, while combining judo with theater, a hobby that led him to travel to Europe in 1967. In Madrid he coincided with Takeda, who encouraged him to accompany him to Oviedo to teach at his gym. He stayed because “I found myself very comfortable, with people who respected me.” Until his retirement, shortly before turning 65, Taira estimates that he will have taught about 8,000 Asturians. “We were not dedicated to teaching how to fight, but how to live,” emphasizes the Japanese teacher, who has always been closely linked to the Asturian Judo Federation as an advisor to several presidents. He has written seven books, the last one on Jigoro Kano, considered the founding master of this martial art.
.
