Jim Bregman

James Steven Bregman (born November 17, 1941, in Arlington, Virginia) was a member of the first American team to compete in judo in the Summer Olympics. He is of the Jewish faith.[1] He started Judo at the age of 12 and went to college in Japan.[2]

James Bregman
Personal information
Full nameJames Steven Bregman
BornNovember 17, 1941 (1941-11-17) (age 79)
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Medal record
Men's judo
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
1964 Tokyo Middleweight (80 kg)
World Championships
1965 Rio de Janeiro -80 kg
Pan American Judo Championships
1965 Guatemala City -80 kg
Maccabiah Games
1965 Maccabiah Games -80 kg

In 1964 he won the AAU Senior National Judo Championship.[3]

Judo was first in included in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and Bregman won a bronze medal in the under 80 kg category in those games—the only American to bring home a medal in judo in the 1964 Summer Games.[4][5][6][7]

The judo world sometimes speaks with pride of the 1964 US Olympic Judo Team as consisting of an American Jew, an African-American, a Japanese-American, and a Native American (see Nishioka's book in the references, below). [8]

In 1965 he won a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in the 176 pound division.[3] He also won a gold medal in the Maccabiah Games that year.[4][5] Additionally, in 1965, Jim Bregman became the first American to win a medal in the World Championships held in São Paulo, Brazil. He won another Bronze at that competition. Bregman has continued to be involved in the American judo community, serving three times as President of the United States Judo Association the organization which helped found in 1968.

In January 2018, Bregman was promoted to the highest judo rank of Judan (10th Degree Black Belt) by the United States Judo Association.

See also

References
  1. Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 9781903900871.
  2. "Jim Bregman Bio, Stats, and Results". Archived from the original on 2016-04-25.
  3. Murray, Jack (October 1976). "One Man's Dream for 'A Better Judo'". Black Belt. Active Interest Media. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  4. Yamakawa, Grazina (March 1968). "The Bitter Disappointed Judo Champ". Black Belt. Active Interest Media. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  5. "1973 Black Belt Hall of Fame". Black Belt. Active Interest Media. October 1973. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  6. Friedland, Stan (2007-12-26). The Judo Twins. ISBN 9781463482893. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  7. Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: the clash between sport and politics: with a complete review of Jewish Olympic medallists. ISBN 9781903900871. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  8. Nishioka, Hayward (2000). Judo Heart and Soul. ISBN 9780897501378. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
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