Harold Sharp
| Harold Sharp | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1927 |
| Died | 2021 |
| Style | Judo |
| Rank | 10th Dan Judo |
Harold "Hal" Sharp (1927 – March 21, 2021) was an American judoka and author of books on judo.
Personal life
[edit]Sharp was born in 1927.[1] Sharp was deployed with the army in 1945 to Japan and learned about martial arts.[2] He attended Los Angeles State College.[3]
Judo competition
[edit]He earned his first black belt from the Kodokan.[3] In Japan, he was assigned as being a body guard of Emperor Hirohito.[4] He was a student of Takahiko Ishikawa. He was the winner of the first Foreign Judo Championships in 1954.[2] He became captain of the 1955 US Goodwill Team.[5] Sharp though stated that the Captain was John Osaka and he was a member of the team.[6]
Author
[edit]He co-authored The Sport of Judo,[7] Boys' Judo: Sport, Defense,[8] and The Techniques of Judo (Tuttle Martial Arts). The Techniques of Judo, originally published by Tuttle in 1960, has been cited as one of the foundational English-language manuals on the art. It blends traditional Japanese instruction with modern explanations suitable for Western students.[9][10] These books sold over 250,000 copies.[1] He served as a technical advisor for "Mrs Judo", a movie about Keiko Fukuda.[11] He is a 10th dan in Judo, promoted by the Nanka Judo Yudanshakai on October 31, 2020. His final book was "The Road To Black Belt".
Judo career
[edit]Sharp had a number of Judo friends including that of Charles Palmer (judoka)[12] He also served as instructor for Star Trek's William Shatner.[12] In 1968, Sharp attended a martial arts forum at Black Belt Magazine representing Judo.[13]
Honors
[edit]Sharp was inducted into the USA Judo Hall of Fame in 2019.[14] Sharp died on March 21, 2021.[1][15]
Further reading
[edit]Hal Sharp: My Life and Judo, Black Belt, November 1964
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Harold Sharp". US Judo Federation. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
- 1 2 "A Martial Arts Love Affair - Fight Times Magazine". Magazine.fighttimes.com. 2004-12-01. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- 1 2 "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc. 1 November 1964 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Harold Sharp Obituary (1927 - 2021) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com.
- ↑ "Black Belt January 1965 - Google Books". January 1965. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- ↑ "Black Belt February 1965 - Google Books". February 1965. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- ↑ "Harold E. Sharp: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle". Amazon.com. 1989-12-15. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- ↑ Sharp, Harold E.; Cook C Hadly JR (October 2011). Boys' Judo: Sport, Defense: Harold E. Sharp, Cook C. Hadly Jr., Bob Owen: 9781258128371: Amazon.com: Books. Literary Licensing, LLC. ISBN 978-1258128371.
- ↑ "Judo Formal Techniques (9780804851480)".
- ↑ Takagaki, Shinzo; Sharp, Harold E. (15 February 1998). The Techniques of Judo (Tuttle Martial Arts): Shinzo Takagaki, Harold E. Sharp: 0676251821123: Amazon.com: Books. Tuttle. ISBN 0804821127.
- ↑ "L.A. Screening of 'Mrs. Judo'". Rafu.com. 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- 1 2 Goltz, Gary (March 23, 2021). "The Legendary Hal Sharp was a Real Mensch!" (PDF). Archived from the original on March 24, 2021.
- ↑ Dreis, David (June 1968). Martial Arts Forum, International Convention, Why?. Black Belt Magazine. pp. 32–35.
- ↑ "In Memoriam Harold Sharp". Archived from the original on 10 December 2022.
- ↑ "The Life of Harold E. Sharp, judo icon and beloved member of Nanka Judo Yudanshakai". nankajudo.com. April 3, 2021. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022.