Mr George Kerr receives Japanese decoration

 
                                                                                                                                                                                3^rd November 2010

 
 

The Japanese government announced on the 3rd of November that it has conferred the Order of the
Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette on Mr George Kerr. The award is in recognition of his outstanding

contribution to the promotion of judo and exchange and understanding between Japan and the UK.

Mr George Kerr was born in 1937. He was first introduced to judo at 8 years old by his father.
At 16 years old, he was awarded his first Dan. In 1957, he won gold in the European Championships
in Rotterdam. Following this amazing success, he undertook judo training in Japan for four years
while studying at Nihon University. This was an invaluable experience as it was still relatively rare for

non-Japanese to train in Japan.

On returning to the UK in 1961, Mr Kerr became captain of the British judo team for 7 years. In addition

to his 1957 victory at the European Championships, he finished runner-up three more times, and won

bronze in East Berlin in 1964 and again in 1966 in Luxemburg. He was also two-time winner of the British

Open Championship, lifting the title in both 1966 and 1968.

He retired from competitive judo in 1968 but went on to build a reputation as a world-class referee and

coach. He refereed at the Olympics in 1972 and 1976, and coached the Austrian National Team between

1976 and 1988. He was awarded an International Judo Federation Gold Medal in 2003 in recognition of

his dedication to judo and was an inaugural member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2010,

at the age of 72, he became the youngest person to hold judo’s highest rank, the 10th Dan.

In the 1960’s, Mr Kerr established a successful judo and fitness club called “The Edinburgh Club”, which

had an exchange programme with Tokai University in Japan. He closed the club in 2003, but open another

in Edinburgh in 2004 called the “Junior Judo Club with George Kerr”, specifically aimed at children aged

4 to 15. He currently teaches judo to approximately 200 children. He has also written three books  “Judo

for Beginners”, “Modern Judo” and “Judo” which have helped to promote judo across the world.

He has also played a key role in the organisation and administration of judo in the UK and Europe. He was

Chairman of the British Judo Association from 1991 until 1997, and has been its President since 2001.

He was a member of the European Union Refereeing Commission, and Vice President of the European

Judo Union from 1994 to 2000.

Mr Kerr has tirelessly promoted judo both in the UK and abroad for the last 5 decades. He has provided

the opportunity not only for personal exchange but for cultural exchange between Japan and the UK and

has contributed enormously to youth development in judo. He should undoubtedly be honoured for this

achievement.. 

 

The ceremony where Mr George Kerr will receive his decoration will be held at the residence of Consul

General of Japan in January.