Hank Kraft

Henry Hank Kraft

With student Sensei 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

Henry Hank Kraft, born in Queens, NY attended Grover Cleveland High School and Pace College.[2] In 1963 he received his 3rd Dan in Judo.[2] At latest check he is 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.[4] He was drafted into the Army for the Korean War, and later studied Judo at the Kodokan.[4] He worked as an insurance salesman and real estate broker.[5]

Judo Official

Hank was instrumental in the Long Island Senior Championships.[6] He would serve as a rank chairman for the NY Judo Yudankashi [7] In 1969, he would work as the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee for the New York Judo Association.[8] 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.[9] Hank would serve as an administrator and on the board for the New York State Judo Association.[10] He would also serve on the interscholastic section for NYS Judo Association.[11] He would later be elected treasurer to the New York State Yudankashi of the Judo Black Belt Federation.[12]

Judo Coach

Kraft has trained over 55 national and international competitors who have ranked 1, 2, or 3 in their division.[13] His school, Queens Judo Center, was the winner of the Yoshida Cup in 1971.[14] During that year he would serve as the instructor for Arthur Canario, the number 3 ranked Judoka in the United States.[15] He served as the alternate manager for the U.S. judo team at the 1974 Pan American games.[16] He would serve as an alternate manager for the 1976 USA Judo Olympic Team.[17] He also trained American teams against a German Team for Judo.[18] [19] Kraft recently trained 2000 Olympic hopeful Alain Andrianov. Kraft as reported by the daily news said that Andrianov was a strong contender for a medal if not for citizenship issues.[20] Hank Kraft was registered by Team USA and USA Judo as a 7th degree black belt in Judo in 2013.[21]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.qchron.com/editions/central/judo-master-bids-farewell-to-famed-forest-hills-studio/article_1f537e45-1e53-59b2-8a2d-7e130086aac0.html
  2. 1 2 "Instructor's Profile", Black Belt Magazine, January 1965, p. 53, retrieved October 30, 2010
  3. ↑ United States Judo Federation High Dan Directory (PDF), retrieved October 30, 2010
  4. 1 2 "Judo Master Bids Farewell To Famed Forest Hills Studio", Queens Chronicle, December 6, 2007, retrieved October 30, 2010
  5. ↑ Black Belt.
  6. ↑ "Black Belt". google.com.
  7. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=KdkDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA53&ots=ijG0BwSpWV&dq=kiyoshi%20shiina&pg=PA53#v=onepage&q=kiyoshi%20shiina&f=false
  8. ↑ "Black Belt". google.com.
  9. ↑ "Black Belt". google.com.
  10. ↑ "Black Belt".
  11. ↑ "Black Belt".
  12. ↑ "Black Belt".
  13. ↑ http://www.usja-judo.org/GrowingJudo/GrowingJudo2009_06.pdf
  14. ↑ "Black Belt".
  15. ↑ "Black Belt". google.com.
  16. ↑ "Black Belt". google.com.
  17. ↑ "Black Belt".
  18. ↑ "Black Belt". google.com.
  19. ↑ "Judo in Arkansas" (PDF), Growing Judo, the magazine of the United States Judo Association, July 2006, retrieved October 30, 2010
  20. ↑ "Olympics bid in INS choke hold, judo ace needs papers", New York Daily News, November 27, 1998, retrieved October 30, 2010
  21. ↑ "2013". Team USA.
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