Professor Willy Cahill was born in Honolulu on November 21, 1935.  His parents, John and Abbie Cahill, were Professors and founders of the American Judo & Jujitsu Federation and were also affiliated with the Northern California Judo Federation. Training in the martial arts was an early acquired skill for Willy and he competed in judo from an early age.

 Willy was a co-founder of Jujitsu American along with Professor Wally Jay, himself a black belt student of Professor Okazaki.  Willy has been recognized as a Danzan Ryu Jujitsu Judan (10th dan) by Jujitsu American, American Jujitsu Institute and Shoshin Ryu Yudanshakai.

He was very successful in competitions and has coached numerous judo teams, including the U.S. National Judo Team and the 1988 U.S. Judo Olympic Team. Since 1963, Cahill’s Judo Academy has produced over 1,000 national and international medal winners, and four Olympic and Paralympic coaches. The Cahill’s Judo Academy in San Bruno, California celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2008.

Willy took over Cahill’s Judo Academy upon the death of his father, John, in 1962.  He moved the club to San Bruno that year and has taught continuously since that time. Prof. Cahill has received numerous awards, including being named to Black Belt Magazine’s Black Belt Hall of Fame as Judo Coach of the Year.  Professor Cahill retired from the AJJF in the mid 1990’s.

Information from Danzan Ryu:  An Unbroken Tradition (1992) by permission of the author, Mary L. Boland.
Additional information provided by Bob McKean, July 8, 2008.