05/30/2026
Sensei Gary Frame (Godan) recently passed away. Gary was a coach at Tulsa Judo for more than 30 years, and he both coached me (Sensei Chris) and my daughter. Gary was happy to donate his time and money to help make Tulsa Judo a successful dojo. Most importantly, Gary was simply the nicest person in the world. Kind, gentle, and positive would be the best way to describe Gary. On the mat, he was always willing to randori with the younger, bigger, and stronger but novice judoka, that is, those nobody else was willing to work with. Outside judo, Gary was a proud Marine Corp combat veteran. Moreover, you knew Garyβs truck because it was the one loaded down with what must have been a 1000 pounds of tools from his trade as a locksmith for American Airlines. Those of us who knew Gary were sad when he had to retire from judo. And though he was no longer on the mat, he continued to donate to Tulsa Judo during the tough years of the pandemic when funds were short. Personally, I will be forever grateful for this generosity. I will also cherish the memories of years of randori with Gary at the club. For those of us who shared a mat with Gary, his death is deeply felt. Rest in peace, my friend.