Fitness advocate was bodybuilding pioneer

Mitsuo Kawashima, who ushered in the sport of bodybuilding in Hawaii and promoted health and fitness to the islands’ masses for decades, died Feb. 3, three days short of his 94th birthday.

Known by all who met him as "Mits," Kawashima popularized bodybuilding in Hawaii in the 1980s as promoter of the Hawaiian Islands contest, an event that he co-promoted with his longtime friend Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kawashima and his late wife, Dot, ran the event from 1979 to 2007, with emerging Hollywood star Schwarzenegger emceeing the first seven contests before large crowds at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Mits Kawashima. I lost a great friend and mentor this week, and the world lost one of the best advocates of fitness and bodybuilding," Schwarzenegger wrote Feb. 6 on his Twitter feed.

"Mits was one of the first people I met when I came to America. From the moment we met, he was always a loyal and thoughtful friend, guiding me and inspiring me to always be at my best, whether I was working out in his gym or later in life when he would always be a phone call away with his wisdom. The Arnold Classic will have an empty chair this year in honor of Mits, and while I will miss him, I know that he has finally been reunited with Dot, the woman of his dreams."

"He was the pioneer in Hawaii in bodybuilding," said Tommy Kono, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner. "Mits was the first one who had a good bodybuilding studio over here. He brought over the idea from California."

Kawashima’s life was full of memories, turning any negative into a positive along the way.

Born in San Francisco, Kawashima was interned during World War II, but it was when he was relocated to Heart Mountain, Wyo., in 1942 that Kawashima, who weight trained as a teenager, entertained thoughts of operating a gym.

He started it in the same room as a dentist’s office. But Kawashima recalled that dropping heavy weights while patients were in a dentist’s chair wasn’t a good thing for dental patients. While in camp, he met Miki Azuma, who was from Hawaii and who convinced Kawashima to move to Hawaii with him after the war.

Kawashima arrived in Hawaii in 1946. He and Azuma opened up a gym in 1948. Kawashima bought out his partner and operated Mits’ Health Studio until 1979. He then opened up a health food business in Manoa, selling vitamins and supplements. But it was at his gym on Ward Avenue that he struck up a friendship with Schwarzenegger that lasted the rest of his life.

Relatively unknown at the time, the Austrian-born bodybuilder came to Hawaii in 1968 as a guest poser but was left stranded when the event promoter left town.

"We took him out to dinner, we loaned him our car," Kawashima said in an interview in 2007. "He worked out at our gym."

Kawashima and Dot took care of Schwarzenegger long enough for him to find his way back to California. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship between the hulking, seven-time Mr. Olympia and a wiry 5-foot-5 man of stern principles.

"Mits and Arnold had a special bond," Kono said. "When Arnold couldn’t make it (to the Hawaiian Islands contest), he made a videotape (with Schwarzenegger on a movie set thanking fans for coming)."

Even after he became a mega-star, Schwarzenegger never forgot the Kawashimas, often visiting them, and inviting them to watch his filming of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Kawashima was an usher at Schwarzenegger’s wedding.

Schwarzenegger flew to Hawaii for Kawashima’s 80th birthday party, and came to visit both Dot and their daughter, Karen Hirasa, in their final days, then returned to speak at their funerals.

But Kawashima wasn’t just friends with the stars.

"Mits was the guy that everyone looked up to when it came to bodybuilding," Kono said. "He was very straightforward, and when he instructed he made sure they followed his rules. No nonsense. He had a good rapport with his students and they all respected him because of that."

Kono said Kawashima "developed Dean Higuchi and he went on to the Mr. America contest (finishing sixth)."

"Mits influenced me by just talking, like Timmy Leong, their wisdom," said Ed Morishima, a 1987 world champion in powerlifting who became the third person in the history of the sport to bench more than three times his body weight (148 pounds, benched 448). "He had his point of view on things. We talked on life, things, it didn’t matter. (He was) honest, hard-working, loyal, a straight shooter … very humble."

Kawashima is survived by a brother, Take, who lives in Japan; two grandchildren (Michelle and Ian); and three great grandchildren. The funeral services will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at Hosoi Garden Mortuary.