09/02/2026
Joe Svinth was a pivotal figure in PNW martial arts circles back at the turn of the century. He always advocated working on the history of your local area and wrote the landmark work Getting a Grip: Judo in the Japanese American communities of Washington and Oregon, 1900-1950, which exemplified that idea. In addition he contributed and edited collections like Martial Arts of the Modern World and Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation with Thomas Green. He cofounded EJMAS.com with the late Kim Taylor and was a moderator on the E-Budo.com bulletin board where many serious martial artists connected and networked.
He did work with Robert Smith, early judo historian, and maintained a lifelong task of documenting boxing fatalities, literally combing historical and newspaper archives for references.
There was a time when he was a constant figure organizing and attending various seminars and get togethers with notable figures like Bernie Lau, Neil Yamamoto, Loren Christensen, and Don Angier among others. Most notably he organized two pivotal seminars with Jon Bluming, famous Dutch judoka and protege of Don Draeger.
Although he went on to do other work in later life. I think he will be missed and fondly remembered as a unique figure in PNW martial arts and cultural studies.
