Harold Clarence Howard (born 1958) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

retired

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

ist who earned a blackbelt in

Jujutsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subd ...

under Steve Reynolds and in

Gōjū-Ryū , Japanese for "hard-soft style", is one of the main traditional Okinawan styles of karate, featuring a combination of hard and soft techniques. Both principles, hard and soft, come from the famous martial arts book used by Okinawan masters d ...

Karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

under Yogi Israel and was the first World Sport Jujutsu Heavyweight Champion in 1984. Howard is more widely known for competing in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

where he made it to the final of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's third tournament. Howard is also well known for once executing a scissor-flip kick during his battle with Steve Jennum in the UFC 3 finals.

Biography

Early life

Howard grew up in

Richmond Hill, Ontario Richmond Hill ( 2021 population: 202,022) is a city in south-central York Region, Ontario, Canada. Part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is the York Region's third most populous municipality and the 27th most populous municipality in Canada. Ric ...

. He began training at age 17 with Steve Reynolds in Jiu-Jitsu Kai. Harold moved to

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the U.S. state, state ...

in 1983 and taught

and

Jiu Jitsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subd ...

at James Morden School and the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

. Harold opened his Action Karate and Jiu Jitsu Centre (as the Niagara Fighting Griffin Fitness and Martial Arts) in 1984 and has excelled both as a competitor and as a trainer/coach having various students among the top Sport Karate and Sport Jiu-Jitsu competitors in the world. Howard has earned a 4th degree in Iki Shin Do (under John Anderson), 3rd degree in Jujutsu Kai ( Steve Reynolds), 3rd degree in Gōjū-ryū (Yogi Israel), and a 2nd degree in Chito-ryū (Monty Guest). He is the founder of the Katsudo-te-Jitsu style and is a 6th Degree - 2 grades above his highest ranking students.

Jujutsu

In 1984, Harold was the first Canadian Heavyweight Sport Ju-Jutsu Champion and represented Canada in the first world ju-jutsu championships sanctioned by the World Council of Ju-Jutsu Organizations (WCJO). At the 1984 World Championships, he was a member of the gold medal winning Canadian team (heavyweight) and also won the individual World Heavyweight Jiu-Jitsu Championship as the gold medal winner of the men's heavyweight fighting division.

Karate

Howard captured the Canadian Heavy Weight Karate Championship three times in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and was a member of the Canadian National Karate team in 1986 and 1987. During that time he was the top rated sport karate fighter in Canada. After potentially career ending back surgery in 1988, Howard made his return to competition in 1992 (at 34) and won a silver medal at the NBL (National Blackbelt League) World Championships in Sport Karate. He was undefeated entering the finals but had to bow out of the final 2 matches due to injury.

Mixed martial arts

With a final record of 1-3 in NHB(No Holds Barred) what would later become known as mixed martial arts, Howard went 1-2 in the UFC.

Personal life

Harold is married with three children, a daughter and two sons. Up until 2009, Howard was doing roofing jobs while still operating a small school—Howard’s Self-Defense Systems in Niagara Falls, Ontario. On December 22, 2009, Howard was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a weapon, attempted breaking and entering, failure to remain, flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, mischief and two counts breach of recognizance after being captured by police. The events leading to said arrest include attacking his sister and nephew with a hammer, attempting to force his way into his estranged wife's home, and finally crashing his car into the

Fallsview Casino The Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort (commonly known as ''Fallsview Casino'') is a resort casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It opened publicly on June 10, 2004. The $1 billion complex overlooks the Horseshoe Falls and is one of the most ...

. In the end, Harold was sentenced to just shy of five years in prison.

Mixed martial arts record

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Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 1-2 , Mark Hall , Submission (strikes) ,

UFC 7 ''UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 8, 1995, at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and l ...

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Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1-1 , Steve Jennum , Submission (punches) , UFC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:27 ,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

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References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Harold 1958 births Living people 21st-century Canadian criminals Canadian male criminals Canadian male judoka Canadian jujutsuka Canadian male karateka Canadian male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Shitō-ryū Mixed martial artists utilizing Gōjū-ryū Mixed martial artists utilizing jujutsu Sportspeople from Niagara Falls, Ontario Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters