When asked which man holds a 5th degree black judo belt, you might find it difficult to answer this question. You may be thinking of James Ward, Ichiro Abe, or Toshiro Daigo. These men are all famous judo practitioners, but who else holds a 5th degree black belt?
James Ward
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James Ward holds a 5th degree black judo belt, and has been practicing the art for nearly 40 years. He is a member of the Michigan Judo Hall of Fame, and was a well-respected head sensei of the Detroit Judo Club.
He won the European title in 1971 and won bronze at the 1972 World JUDO Championships. He also won a silver medal in the Munich Olympics and a bronze medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The former champion now lives in France and teaches judo. He is also credited as an accomplished cliff-jumper.
Ward studied Judo and akka kenpo as a child and has a 5th degree black belt in karate. In addition to training karate, he practices martial arts. His black belt was conferred on him by Senior Grandmaster Victor Moore, a 10th Dan. He has also published a book on Judo called “Ju-No-Kata.”
In his early years, Syd Jones trained in the Kodokan dojo in Tokyo. He also studied Japanese language and literature at SOAS. In 1964, he joined the British judo team and won the silver medal at the European Championships. In 1969, he also became the national coach of the British Judo Association.
Ward has been training judo for over forty-six years. He has earned a third degree black belt in judo and a 5th degree black belt in taekwondo. He has competed in many local and state tournaments. His current job is the Occupation Maintenance Life Safety Director at Harbor View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He credits his martial arts training with building his character.
Ichiro Abe
Ichiro Abe is one of the most popular and respected judo practitioners in the world. He has been in the dojo for more than thirty years. His career started in boxing and he was a member of the West Point Boxing Team. In addition, he won the Light Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the Western Area of the Air Training Command in 1950. In 1951, he began training in Judo at Travis Air Force Base in California under Sensei Walter Todd. Sensei Todd studied under Ichiro Abe and Kyuzo Mifune and is also a master of karate and judo.
In 1984, he was awarded his 10th degree by the Kodokan. At that time, he was the oldest person to receive the rank. At the time, he was eighty-three years old. This is still an exceptional achievement for a judo student.
Abe moved to England in 1955. At the invitation of a JUDO society in London, he established a judo club there and served as the international chair of the All Nippon JUDO Federation. His international links are extensive and he has taught JUDO throughout Europe. In his younger days, Abe was an amateur athlete and attained his 5th degree black belt in judo. He also trained in aikido, jukendo, and karate.
After gaining his 5th degree black belt, Abe worked for the Kodokan. He was a member of the Kodokan’s council, and served as head instructor of the International Division of the KODOKAN. He was also Vice President of the All Japan JUDO Federation.
Toshiro Daigo
The Japanese martial art of judo was invented by Jigoro Kano, a famous teacher who first entered KODOKAN in 1891. He became the head instructor of the International Division of KODOKAN, the governing body of the Japanese martial art, and was also a professor at Tokai University. He was also the Vice President of the All Japan JUDO Federation.
Toshiro Daigo was born in 1916 and is the author of Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques. He also served as the manager of the Japanese Judo Team during the 1976 Summer Olympics, and was an international referee. His judo skills have earned him numerous accolades including two All Japan Judo Championships.
Maeda was a student of kanji and kata in the early 1900s, and he earned his ShoDAN (1st degree) and NiDAN (2nd degree) belts within a matter of months. He also went on to become a famous instructor in various schools. In 1904, he went to the United States with Tomita and opened a JUDO club in New York.
Judo has a total of 10 dan ranks, each corresponding to a specific rank. Lower dan ranks can be obtained through competition and grading examinations, while higher dan grades can only be achieved after years of practice and significant contribution to the modern martial art.
Sensei Ros Scott
Sensei Ros Scott holds a 5TH degree black belt in judo and is a certified instructor through the American Ju-Jitsu Association. He holds a 4th degree black belt from the AJA and a 5th degree black belt from the Dai-Nippon Seibukan Budo/Kai (USA) in Kyoto, Japan. Aside from being an accomplished athlete, Sensei Scott holds a degree in Medical Informatics.
He holds the title of renshi, or expert instructor, from the Japan Judo Federation. He has been a student of the art for over two decades and has been promoted to Nidan and Sandan by various instructors. He teaches adult classes in the Grants Pass Dojo. He is also a licensed mental health counselor.
As a former high school competitor, Sensei Wayne began judo when he was seven years old and earned his black belt during his junior year of high school. He was a member of the Pearl City Hongwanji Judo Club at the age of ten. Sensei Wayne’s father, Sakabe Sensei, was the highest-ranking Judoka in Hawaii at the time. Before judo, Sensei Wayne was a computer programmer at Kaiser Permanente for 48 years and holds a 5th degree black belt in Judo.
Ros Scott studied judo in Korea and holds a 2nd Dan black belt in Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu. He has been training under Jerry Figgiani Sensei since 2009. Scott is also a San Kyu in Judo and has attended international seminars in China and Europe.
Kyoshi Richy Huneycutt
Kyoshi Richy Huneycutt is an American judo instructor and author. He holds black belts in judo, karate, and jiu jitsu. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Kodomo Bugei Kai, Inc., and has been trained under Hanshi Lemuel Stroud and Shihan Barry Huneycutt.
In 1984, he moved to Miami, Florida where he worked as a Special Agent for the US Treasury Department. He soon met Grand Master Manny Saavedra, who founded the World Sansei Goju-Ryu Karate. Montalvo trained and tested under him, and went on to achieve the rank of 5th Dan. He later went on to get promoted to 7th and 8th Dan. During his last four years of competition, he went undefeated.
Professor Jay received his Restorative Massage in 1945, and later received his Certificate of Mastery in Jujitsu from Professor Okazaki on February 22, 1948. Professor Jay’s wife, Bernice, is a Sandan, meaning she has been a 5th degree black belt for 30 years. Both of them have numerous national champions among their students. In fact, two of their students have won 120-pound national titles.
Grand Master Kim
Grand Master Kim, who hails from Seoul, has been training in martial arts for 45 years. His qualifications are impressive, as he holds a 5th degree black belt in Hapkido and a 7th degree in Tae Kwon Do. His experience includes training Arlene Limas, an Olympic gold medalist, in Chicago. He has also opened a school, Kim’s Academy, in Memphis.
Grandmaster Kim has also been active in Russia, where his 480-page Chayon-Ryu taekwondo book was published by a Moscow firm in August. His book has also prompted Russian newspapers to publish two-page articles on martial arts, and he has been answering questions from the Russian public for publication in future issues. Grandmaster Kim is also the recipient of numerous awards and recognition, including the Texas Governor’s Leadership Citation and the Houston City Council Member Mark Goldberg’s 35th Anniversary Proclamation of Excellence.
Grand Master Kim is a highly respected martial artist and educator. He has taught Judo for over fifty years. He stands six feet two inches tall and weighs about 230 pounds. His enthusiasm is infectious, and his school is often filled with laughter.
Grand Master Kim is also an active member of the Christian church and serves as an elder in his church. His martial arts column has been published in the Houston Asian Times, and he has been inducted into the US Naval Academy Hall of Fame. Throughout his life, he has touched the lives of thousands of students.
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