Hank Kraft
| Henry Hank Kraft | |
|---|---|
| File:HankKraft.jpeg With student Michael | |
| Born | Queens, New York City, USA |
| Other names | Hank Kraft |
| Style | Judo |
| Teacher(s) | T. Ishikan[1] |
| Rank | 7th degree red and white belt in Judo |
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Henry Hank Kraft, born in Queens, NY attended Grover Cleveland High School and Pace College.[2] In 1963 he received his 3rd Dan and is currently a 7th Dan in judo.[3]
A New York City based Judo Instructor for almost 4 decades, Kraft picked up Judo after enrolling in a month-long course at CUNY Queens College.[1] He was drafted into the Army for the Korean War, and later studied Judo at the Kodokan.[1] He worked as an insurance salesman and real estate broker.[4]
Judo official[edit]
Kraft was instrumental in the Long Island Senior Championships.[5] He served as a rank chairman for the NY Judo Yudankashi In 1969,[4] he worked as the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee for the New York Judo Association.[6] He worked with a Judo committee to get US Grand Champion and future Olympic Bronze Medalists Allen Coage (who became wrestler Bad News Brown) a full scholarship to the Kodokan.[7] Kraft served as an administrator and on the board for the New York State Judo Association.[7] He also served on the interscholastic section for NYS Judo Association.[6] He was later elected treasurer to the New York State Yudankashi of the Judo Black Belt Federation.[8]
Judo coach[edit]
Kraft has trained over 55 national and international competitors who have ranked 1, 2, or 3 in their division.[9] His school, Queens Judo Center, was the winner of the Yoshida Cup in 1971.[10] During that year he served as the instructor for Arthur Canario, the number 3 ranked Judoka in the United States and later National Champion.[11] He served as the alternate manager for the U.S. judo team at the 1974 Pan American games.[12] He served as an alternate manager for the 1976 USA Judo Olympic Team.[12] Kraft was key in training Olympic Bronze Medalist and WWE Star Bad News Brown.[13] He also trained American teams against a German Team for Judo.[14][9] Kraft trained 2000 Olympic hopeful Alain Andrianov and thought that Andrianov was a strong contender for a medal if not for citizenship issues.[15] Hank Kraft was registered by Team USA and USA Judo as a 7th degree black belt in Judo in 2013.[16] Former US National Champion Hayward Nishioka listed Kraft as being one of the pioneers Sensei's of American Judo.[17]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Judo Master Bids Farewell To Famed Forest Hills Studio", Queens Chronicle, December 6, 2007, retrieved October 30, 2010
- ↑ "Instructor's Profile", Black Belt Magazine, p. 53, January 1965, retrieved October 30, 2010
- ↑ United States Judo Federation High Dan Directory (PDF), retrieved October 30, 2010
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Black Belt January 1965. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07. Search this book on
- ↑ "Black Belt July 1969". google.com.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Black Belt June 1969". google.com.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Black Belt November 1970". google.com.
- ↑ "Black Belt March 1965". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Judo in Arkansas" (PDF), Growing Judo, the magazine of the United States Judo Association, July 2009, retrieved October 30, 2010
- ↑ "Black Belt June 1971". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ↑ "Black Belt October 1971". google.com.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Black Belt February 1975". google.com.
- ↑ "USJF Judo Hall of Fame". Usjf.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- ↑ "Black Belt January 1971". google.com.
- ↑ "Olympics bid in INS choke hold, judo ace needs papers", New York Daily News, November 27, 1998, retrieved October 30, 2010
- ↑ "2013". Team USA.
- ↑ Hayward Nishioka. "Sensei Building" (PDF). Files.ctctcdn.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
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