Keeping Up With the Honorable Fumio Demura
by Brian Suerth

Fumio Demura, one of World Black Belt’s most prominent Founding Members, is a truly amazing individual that has done more for the worldwide martial arts community than most people could only dream of doing. At the age of 65, Shihan Demura is just as busy today sharing his knowledge and skills with thousands of martial artists around the globe as he was 40 years ago when he established himself as America’s first Karate performer.

On a typical weekend you will find Mr. Demura giving Karate seminars and demonstrations to both children and adults, which is something he started back in 1968 at the Japanese Village Deer Park in Buena Park, California. During these demonstrations Shihan Demura conducts weapons demonstrations, illustrates the fundamentals of Karate, and provides valuable knowledge to his many observers. He is known for his skills with various weapons and he demonstrates the use of bo, shi, nunchaku, tonsa, kama, and eku-bo.

Mr. Demura has become one of the great ambassadors of Karate sharing his wisdom and skills as he travels around the world several times over each year. In 2003 alone, he made 6 separate trips to Europe and has traveled extensively throughout Asia, South America and the Unite States. The size of his audiences have been absolutely phenomenal. At one demonstration in Paris this year, there were over 20,000 people in attendance.

When Shihan Demura is not going from continent to continent educating people on his craft he is busy giving back to his community. In addition to being one of the great martial artists of all time, he is also a prominent community leader. He strongly believes in helping people and he does this by conducting certain demonstrations for free. In return he asks his audience to donate cans of food. He started this several years ago and it has turned into a huge hit. For example, Mr. Demura just recently performed at Riverside City College on November 22nd. All food items went to the college’s student body and from there they were distributed to charitable organizations such as the local food bank. Shihan Demura remained anonymous and his only concern is that these items went to the right place to assist people in need. Volunteering and being an active contributor of society is something he preaches during his demonstrations and training sessions. It is an essential part of philosophy surrounding the fundamentals of Karate.

Most people would have to take a breather after doing all of these activities, but not Shihan Demura. On top of his already busy schedule, he can be found in Hollywood working on a major movie, TV show, or documentary. His acting career dates back to 1974 when he entered into the Hong Kong film industry and continued in 1975 when he joined the Hollywood film industry. In 1977 he appeared in his first movie, The Island of Dr. Moreau. Many films followed such as Karate Kid I, II, III, and IV where he was the stunt double for Pat Morita's character 'Miyagi'. He continued to be the stunt double for Pat Morita in the television series O'Hara and others for approximately 14 years. His movie credits also include Rising Sun, Mortal Kombat, Walker Texas Ranger and many others. On November 30 of this year, the Discovery Channel is showing special documentary titled “Xtreme Martial Arts.” This special event showcases Mr. Demura teaching the basics of Karate along with a detailed history of traditional martial arts. Shihan Demura and Karate have become sysnonymous with the film industry.

In addition to his entertainment career, Shihan Demura operates 32 dojos. His schools reach all ends of the earth including Sri Lanka, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, Japan, Trinidad and Bangladesh to name a few. He instructs students as often as possible teaching the basics of Shito Ryu, which he introduced to the United States in 1965. His main goal is making Karate fun and seeks to help people find enjoyment from it. During our conversation, Shihan Demura discussed the importance of training. He made the following analogy to illustrate his point. “Karate is like a pot of water. If you put fire on the water you bring it to a hot boil. If you shut the fire off the water gets cold. This is the same for the mind and body. If you stop training and in essence shut it off you will lose your martial arts skills.” Rather than emphasizing competition, Sensei Demura emphasizes personal growth and mental discipline in his training to help people become better human beings. Through his valuable teachings and open mindedness he has been an example to others including: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Segal, Sho Kosugi, Mike Stone, Richard Norton....and many other top martial artists today.

Rooted in all of his teachings is the message of maintaining proper health and nutrition. Shihan Demura mentioned that this is crucial to enhancing the skills of any martial artist regardless of their skill level. He warns people not to eat junk food or take improper substances because it leads to complications with health and training. He uses himself as an example to emphasize the importance of heath. Last year, after years of unhealthy eating, Mr. Demura experienced a heart attack, which required open heart surgery. He attests to the fact that this probably would not have happened if he had monitored what he ate and took the right supplements. However, he attributes martial arts to his quick recovery and saving his life. This is exactly why Shihan Demura preaches proper eating to his audiences and students. Today, Shihan Demura’s diet primarily consists of fish, which he catches off the coast of California, rice, and vegetables. He watches what he eats very carefully and continues to maintain a healthy diet.

As you can see Shihan Demura has led an absolutely amazing life. From martial arts expert to movie star to community leader, he has definitely done it all. And, its incredible that he has yet to slow down. Keeping up with Mr. Demura is not an easy thing to do and World Black Belt was fortunate to have had the opportunity to gain a special inteview with such a legend.