[3] At the age of 9 (1947/48), he began training in karate and kendo under an instructor named Asano.

[3] Demura received his 1st dan black belt in 1956,[3] and won the East Japan Championships in 1957.

Demura met martial arts scholar Donn Draeger, who introduced him to Dan Ivan, who would eventually bring him to the United States as a karate instructor.

[4] The Karate Kid screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen stated that Mr. Miyagi was named after Chōjun Miyagi, the founder of the Goju-ryu karate style,[14] and that Fumio Demura was one of the inspirations for the character.

[15] Demura appeared in several films and documentaries, including: The Warrior within (1976),[16] The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part III (1989),[17] Shootfighter: Fight to the death (1992),[18] Rising Sun (1993),[19] The Next Karate Kid (1994),[20] Masters of the martial arts (1998, presented by Wesley Snipes),[21] Mystic origins of the martial arts (1998),[22] Modern Warriors (2002),[23] XMA: Xtreme Martial Arts (2003),[24] and Ninja (2009).