Kaito Gakko
It is with a heavy heart that I must send the following news:
To all our fellow Martial Artists and Friends,
This morning the Martial Arts World lost one of the all time best. Uncle David Nuuhiwa passed away in Honolulu at 8:00.
Sijo Gascon and myself spent time with Uncle David in Waikiki the past few days. I feel so fortunate to have spend time with him and his family during the past few days. I last saw Uncle David at "Dukes" at the Outrigger Hotel Tuesday. He was over looking the water and was happy to be at his birth place. I knew this was the last time I would see Uncle David. I knew how happy he was to be at home.
With Love and Respect,
Mike Rash
Read at Uncle Davids Hawaiian services:
My name is Sonny Gascon. The year I met Uncle David Nuuhiwa was around 1947. I used to go to Kakaako to play with his younger brothers Jonah, Stanley & Jimmy. We would go to Waikiki or Ala Moana beach to catch waves or just hang around.
Uncle David used to be a doorman at the Waikiki theater. On Friday nights they would have the first view of a movie. Lots of students from all the high schools would attend. When anyone got out of line, Uncle David would discipline them. Sometimes the individual he scold would challenge him. So after the movies was pau,(finished) we would all go to the parking lot and they would fight. Uncle David would never lose.
In 1958 I opened up a martial arts school in Burbank California. Two months after I opened, Uncle visited me and he seen that I wasn't wearing a patch. So he gave me his personal patch " Kaito Gakko" and told me to put it on my Kempo Gi. I always wore his patch & my students would wear my patch. Even today I still wear his patch.
Uncle's younger brother, Jimmy Nuuhiwa was living in Northern California when he heard I opened up a school. He moved to help me run my dojo.
Whenever I went to California, I would call him or go to his residence and talk story.
In 2003 or 2004, Kajukenbo had a gathering on the island of Maui. I met Uncle there and he was telling me about his health. It seems that anyone invite him, he would always attend. It could be Las Vegas or any part of the United States.
Last month Uncle David & Melody came to Hawaii and I visited them at the Outrigger Hotel. I stayed with them for half a day. Before they went back to California they told me they would be coming back in January. I am so happy that I had the opportunity of being with Uncle David. He was my big brother, my teacher and my protector.
