Charles Yerkow

Description

American judo pioneer and author born in 1912. He began practicing judo in the late 1920s and became an early instructor of the art in the United States. He taught judo at Queens College and at various YMCA clubs in the New York City area. He served as vice-chairman of the National AAU Judo Committee and was awarded a second-degree black belt by the Kodokan in Tokyo. Yerkow published six books on judo, including the three-volume Modern Judo series (Basic, Advanced, and 40 Gokyo Techniques), Sport Judo, Judo Katas, and Official Judo. Emilio Bruno described him in a 1972 letter as "one of our very excellent judo pioneers" who "published the first judo book in the U.S. during World War II."

Ranks (1)

• sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech2 dan Probable

  Probable

  His own book (Contest Judo jacket) only.

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

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Kodokan

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  His own book (Contest Judo jacket) only.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Yerkow has been active in physical education most of his life and is currently instructing Judo at Queens College and at various YMCA clubs in New York City. His many personal achievements in the Judo field include the vice-chairmanship of the National A. A. U. Judo Committee and the rank of Second Degree Black Belt of Kodokan, Tokyo.”

  — Yerkow, Charles. (1961). Contest Judoinfo

Offices held (1)

• corporate_fareVice-President of the National Judo CommitteeAmateur Athletic Union Probable

  Probable

  His own book; one side only.

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

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  His own book; one side only.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “His many personal achievements in the Judo field include the vice-chairmanship of the National A. A. U. Judo Committee”

  — Yerkow, Charles. (1961). Contest Judoinfo

Sources