Legendary San Jose State judo coach Yosh Uchida dies at age 104

SAN JOSE — Yoshihiro Uchida, a San Jose State graduate and erstwhile Spartans coach who overcame World World II-era prejudices to elevate judo in America, died Thursday morning. He was 104 years old.

San Jose State’s judo program and the United States Judo Federation announced Uchida’s passing. He was surrounded by family.

The man known as “Yosh” was a fixture at San Jose State over eight decades while turning the school into a national power in the martial art that made its Olympic debut at the 1964 Tokyo Games.