Leo White (born November 3, 1957 [1] ) is a former Army Officer and two time member of the US olympic judo team. [2] White is one of the winningest judoka in US history. [3] White currently holds the rank of 8th degree black belt in judo.
Leo White (born November 3, 1957 [1] ) is a former Army Officer and two time member of the US olympic judo team. [2] White is one of the winningest judoka in US history. [3] White currently holds the rank of 8th degree black belt in judo.
White was the son of a retired Army Sergeant [2] and attended Monterey Peninsula College. [4] White attended ROTC and graduated from Cumberland College in 1980. [2] In 1984, he competed in the Olympics as a Captain in the Army. [5] White along with Bob Byrd implemented a judo program in Atlanta as an option outside of serving time for minor criminal offenses. [6] White has been described as a gentleman and outstanding competitor. [7] He married judo competitor Jackie White in 1993 [8] and is currently the coach at Wakamusha Judo Club. [9]
White started judo at the age of 10 in Monterey California at the Monterey Judo, Jujitsu Academy and was instructed by sensei Bernard Baptista. At age 18 he won the 1976 United States Judo Federation Young Men's Championships. [10] White won the collegiate championships in 1976 as well as the 1980 Pan Am's [2] and AAU Nations. [4] White won a silver in the 1981 CISM games. [11] In 1982, White won two Golds in the World Military Judo Championships. [12] White was a member of the US Team that won the Dutch Open in 1983. [13] White became a 1983 Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame Competitor of the Year. [14] In 1983, White beat out Brewster Thompson for a berth at the 1984 Olympics. [15] White was on the 1984 US Olympic Team as well as the 1992 US Olympic Team. [16]
Yasuhiro Yamashita is a Japanese judoka. He currently works as an instructor or advisor for numerous organizations, including Tokai University, the International Judo Federation, and the All Japan Judo Federation. He retired from competitive judo on 17 June 1985 after a remarkable career where he won five gold medals in international competitions and marked 203 consecutive victories until his retirement where he went undefeated his entire career against non-Japanese wrestlers. He received the Japanese National Prize of Honor on 9 October 1984. He is considered by many to be the greatest judoka ever.
Michael Lee Swain is one of the most successful American judoka. He competed in countless international competitions. He is now the VP of Martial Arts at Dollamur, Sports LP where he develops and sells Martial Arts equipment and continues to be a spokesperson and board member for USA Judo.
Teimoc Johnston-Ono is an Olympic judo competitor and instructor. He has won the World Masters tournament in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, making him the only person to have done so.
Mark Berger is a Ukrainian-born Canadian judoka. He won the gold medal in the men's heavyweight judo event at the 1983 Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also competed in sambo, winning silver at the 1988 World Championships.
Tina Takahashi is a Canadian judoka, coach and author. She won Canada's first gold medal at the World University Games in Judo in 1984 and coached Canada's first women's Judo Olympian Sandra Greaves in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Takahashi was the first Canadian woman to achieve the rank of roku-dan, and the first women's Sport Canada carded athlete.
Shintaro Higashi is a Japanese-American judo competitor and 6th degree black belt in judo for the United States in the 100 kg category. He is the head instructor at the Kokushi Budo Institute, a member of the New York Athletic Club, and a professor at Brooklyn College.
Eve Aronoff-Trivella is a former Olympic judoka from the United States.
Lynn Joyce Roethke is an American female judoka. Among her most notable accomplishments, Lynn is a two-time Olympic athlete, a Pan American gold medalist, and World Champion Silver medalist. She was the first female to be inducted to the Black Belt Hall of Fame and voted as Olympic Athlete of the Year. She competed in the −61 kg division for most of her competitive career.
James "Brewster" Thompson is a former judoka competitor. James was an Olympic alternate for the US team in 1984.
Richard " Blinky" Elizalde is an American judoka, coach and former competitor.
James "Jimmy" Pedro Sr is a former national level judoka from the United States and an alternate for the US 1976 Olympic judo team. Jimmy Pedro started Judo at the age of 19, earning his black belt in 2 years. Jimmy won the black belt division at the 1971 Taka Invitational Tournament, and went on to win the 1972 New England AAU Tournament. He earned bronze in the 1974 Senior Nationals, and bronze in the 1974 Pan American Championships. Jimmy trained with Olympians Jimmy Martin and Pat Burris and was selected to take part in the 1975 American Team to Challenge Europe's best judoka. In the US National Championships, James earned a silver in 1978, a bronze in 1979, and a silver in 1980. In 1978, Jimmy Pedro was selected to the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame as a judo coach. He coached his son, Jimmy Pedro who became the first person from the U.S. to take home two Olympic medals., and went on to be selected as the 2012 US Olympic Team Assistant Coach.
Steve Seck is a former competitive judoka for the United States. Seck was the 1976 alternate for the U.S. Judo Team.
James Takemori was an American judoka and World War II veteran.
Yoshito Vince Tamura was a former international competitor in judo.
Jan Trussell is a former competitor in judo, freestyle wrestling and sambo. She won the US National Championships in sambo. Trussell also won the US National Championship in judo. She accomplished this at the age of 18. She is a multiple time winner in the World Sambo Championships. She is the sister of Rebecca Trussell. She qualified for the Women's Freestyle Wrestling Championship in 1989 defeating Asia DeWeese in the first U.S. international women's freestyle wrestling tournament at San Francisco. Jan is an advocate against drug use.
Steven Jay "Steve" Cohen is an American former Olympic judoka and Olympic coach. He won the US National Judo Championships in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1985, and 1987. He won a gold medal at the 1973 Maccabiah Games, a bronze medal at the 1975 Pan American Games, and a silver medal at the 1986 Goodwill Games.
Miguel Tudela is a former judoka for the 1980 United States Olympics team but he did not compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.
Craig John Agena is a former Olympic level judoka for the United States. He competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Rebecca "Becky" Scott, née Trussell, is an American retired martial arts athlete who competed in sambo and judo. She is a US National Championships Bronze Medalist in judo. At the time, this was the highest level of competition as there was no world championship. She eventually became a team alternate for the first Judo World Championship for women. Scott competed at 149lbs. Scott competed at the Sambo at the 1983 Pan American Games Scott was a five-time National Champion in sombo. She additionally won the 1984 AAU National Women's Sombo championships. She later competed in the Sambo at the 1983 Pan American Games. It was here that she initially won the title. She also served as the coach for the Judo Junior National Team for the United States.
Karen Hummer, from Cranford, New Jersey, is a former competitor in Judo and a US National Champion.
