Sunday, April 24, 2011
One of our most powerful - but lesser known - fighters
When people talk about powerful fighters, they seldom mention one I consider one of the strongest - Val Mijailovic. I met Val when he was a young teenager, training at Soke Kubota's Hollywood dojo. Through the years, he fought very successfully in many major traditional tournaments, representing the U.S. in international competition on several occasions. He is now one of the most respected and loved of Soke Kubota's students. The following is a clip of Val in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_SkqjDxiI0
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Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your thoughts re: Val Mijailovic. Your views are all relevant and on point. I met Val in the early 70's at IKA headquarters when the dojo was on Kenmore. Then the young man, (maybe 16 yrs)was such a strong kid who had more power then most men..not to mention his excellent speed. He trained very hard to improve his skills. I recall thinking at that time, that IKA had another special champion in the making thanks to Soke Kubota's tutelage and guidance.
Thanks for the look back at some great times!
Best regards,
Logan
Logan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your note. And thanks for your support. Yes, Val was always a special guy, even when only a kid and hasn't changed as an adult and father. I trained many times at the Kenmore dojo. I have a funny story - not for the punk on the receiving end - that occurred at the Kenmore dojo between John Gehlsen and a guy outside, who mistakingly thought he was tough. I'll likely get to it one of these days. Take care, Jim
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteRe: Sensei John Gehlsen
One of my fondest memories at the dojo was training on New Years Day. Soke's IKA tradition was to bring in the new year with a vigorous energetic work out. It always would be a tough session, but there was always wonderful spirit, (in spite of the hangovers) it was a terrific way to welcome the new year. After one grueling workouts, I recall John Gehlsen broke out a large bottle of sake and offered me a swig. Man those were some good times! As you know he also passed way too soon. Seems like a 1000+ people attended his funeral. Soke honored his fallen friend by creating Tamashi kata. What an amazing tribute to sensei John's fighting spirit.
All the best,
Logan
Thanks for the additional insights. I was at his funeral too. We were all in shock. We knew he was in trouble but figured he'd pull through. It was like Superman died. He was very young. But, I think, his lifestyle - cigarettes and diet (burgers, etc.) of a single guy - didn't help. They said that if he hadn't been as strong as he was, he would have died many days sooner. He was one of our best. I'll likely do more stories on him. I first met him when he was a green belt. Just before he went to Paris for the '72 WUKO world championships (and died soon after he returned), he gave me what I considered a great complement. After we sparred, he told Soke, "He could be very good." From him, that was huge, at least in my eyes. Miss him and Ron and George and Kenny and Adam...
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