Description

Belgian judo pioneer, credited with introducing the sport to Belgium. Studied judo formally for the first time in Berlin in January 1941 at the school of Erich Rahn, the first Belgian to do so, continuing until 1943. Founded the first Belgian judo club, the Judo and Jujutsu Academy Bushido-Kwai, at Schelle on 20 May 1946; a Mechelen branch followed on 14 March 1951 and in 1996 the club became the first in Belgium to be granted the Royal predicate. Promoted to shodan in September 1952 and from that year a first-generation, dedicated student of Tokio Hirano. Pioneer of judo instruction to the Belgian police from the early 1950s and of children's and women's judo programmes. His notable students include Carl De Crée and Jeannine Meulemans. The city of Mechelen named its new combat sports hall after him in October 2012, following his death in August of that year.

Teachers (3)

• 
  Erich Rahn

  sports_martial_artsJūjutsu Confirmed

  Confirmed

  De Smedt joined the Jujutsu and Judo Verein Erich Rahn in Berlin in January 1941 and practised there until 1943; the Bushido-Kwai club's own history page independently corroborates his instructor diploma from Rahn's school.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1941–1943)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  De Smedt joined the Jujutsu and Judo Verein Erich Rahn in Berlin in January 1941 and practised there until 1943; the Bushido-Kwai club's own history page independently corroborates his instructor diploma from Rahn's school.

  “In January 1941, he studied judo formally in Berlin, and was the first Belgian to have done so. [...] De Smedt was impressed the demonstration and in January 1941, he became a member of the Jujutsu and Judo Verein Erich Rahn [...] He continued his practice until the movie theatre was bombed in 1943.”

  — Felix De Smedt - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

  “Hij behaalde zijn diploma voor Judo & Jiu-Jitsu instructeur aan de befaamde school van Erich Rhan [sic] te Berlijn.”

  — (2006). Club historiek - Felix De Smedt, stichter van de Judo-Karate Academie Bushido-Kwailink history info
• 
  Jean de Herdt

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Probable

  Probable

  English Wikipedia records that De Smedt increased his expertise under Jean de Herdt, who promoted him to blue belt 2nd kyu in November 1949 and to brown belt 1st kyu in June 1950.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  (1949–1950)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  English Wikipedia records that De Smedt increased his expertise under Jean de Herdt, who promoted him to blue belt 2nd kyu in November 1949 and to brown belt 1st kyu in June 1950.

  “In November 1949, de Herdt promoted De Smedt to blue belt 2nd kyu, and in June 1950 to brown belt 1st kyu.”

  — Felix De Smedt - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info
• 
  Hirano Tokio

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Probable

  Probable

  English Wikipedia states that De Smedt was introduced to Tokio Hirano by Ger F. M. Schutte and became a first-generation and dedicated student of Hirano from 1952 until Hirano left.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  (1952)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  English Wikipedia states that De Smedt was introduced to Tokio Hirano by Ger F. M. Schutte and became a first-generation and dedicated student of Hirano from 1952 until Hirano left.

  “De Smedt was introduced to Tokio Hirano by Schutte, and became a first-generation and dedicated student of Hirano from 1952 until Hirano left.”

  — Felix De Smedt - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

Lineage

• Kōdōkan JūdōJean de Herdt ← Kawaishi Mikinosuke ← Takahashi Kazuyoshi ← Yokoyama Sakujiro ← Kanō Jigorō · 5 generations

Ranks (1)

• sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech2 dan Probable

  Probable

  English Wikipedia records that at his death De Smedt held the judo rank of nidan (2nd dan), to which he had been promoted by Tokio Hirano and which had been recognized by the Belgian Judo Federation through its technical director Ichiro Abe. The date of the promotion is not recorded.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Hirano Tokio

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  English Wikipedia records that at his death De Smedt held the judo rank of nidan (2nd dan), to which he had been promoted by Tokio Hirano and which had been recognized by the Belgian Judo Federation through its technical director Ichiro Abe. The date of the promotion is not recorded.

  “At the time of his death De Smedt held the judo rank of nidan (second degree black belt) to which he had been promoted by Tokio Hirano and which had been recognized by the Belgian Judo Federation through its technical director Ichiro Abe; he also held the rank of 6th degree black belt in his club's Judo-Karate fighting system, based on a combination of Kodokan judo and Ashihara karate.”

  — Felix De Smedt - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

Students (1)

• 
  Carl De Crée

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  De Crée's own Judo Pour Tous biography names Felix De Smedt as his principal teacher at the time he obtained his black belt at 16; independently corroborated by the English Wikipedia biography of De Smedt, which lists Carl De Crée among his students.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  De Crée's own Judo Pour Tous biography names Felix De Smedt as his principal teacher at the time he obtained his black belt at 16; independently corroborated by the English Wikipedia biography of De Smedt, which lists Carl De Crée among his students.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “À 16 ans, il obtient la ceinture noire de jùdô. Son professeur principal à l'époque était Felix De Smedt (1923-2012), fondateur de la Jùdô et de la Jujutsu Academy Bushido-Kwai Mechelen.”

  — Carl De Crée. Carl de Crée - page de présentation (Judo Pour Tous)link history info

  “Among his students are: Gustaaf De Waele, François Van Onckelen (-60 kg), Jeannine Meulemans (women's -56 kg), Carl De Crée (-78 kg), and Sonja Maes (women's -72 kg).”

  — Felix De Smedt - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

Sources

Identifiers