Geoffrey Robert Gleeson (1927–1994) was a British judoka.
Teacher:
Trevor Leggett
Trevor Pryce Leggett (22 August 1914 – 2 August 2000) was a British judo teacher, author, translator, and head of the BBC's Japanese Service for 24 years.Dunne, A., & Bowen, R. (2003): "Trevor Pryce Leggett, 1914–2000." In H. Cortazzi ...
. He went to Japan 1952-55 where he and
Charles Palmer were the first westerners to serve as a special research students at the Kodokan Judo Institute.
He studied most martial arts: Judo,
Kendo
is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spr ...
,
Aikido
Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in a ...
,
Bōjutsu
, translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. Some techniques involve ...
,
Jujitsu,
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 ...
, and also studied
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
. First
kenshusei
is a Japanese term for a live-in student/apprentice who trains under and assists a sensei on a full-time basis. The system exists in
''kabuki'', ''rakugo'', ''shogi'', ''igo'', ''aikido'', ''sumo'', ''karate'' and other modern Japanese martial ...
post World War II. Posthumously awarded 9th
Dan.
He won two silver medals at the
1951 European Judo Championships in the 3rd dan and open classes.
He was captain of the first British team to win the European championships and was appointed national coach in 1960.
[Jack Murray, "British Coach Analyzes U.S. Judo", Black Belt magazine, February 1973, pp 24-25.]
Selected publications
* Gleeson, Geof (1975) ''All About Judo'', EP Publishing Ltd, Cranford.
* Gleeson, Geof (1967) ''Judo for the West'', A.S. Barnes and Company, Cranford.
* Gleeson, Geof (1993) ''Judo Inside Out: A Cultural Reconciliation'', Lepus Books, Wakefield.
References
1927 births
1994 deaths
British male judoka
People from Brentford
{{UK-judo-bio-stub