Donn F. Draeger

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Donn F. Draeger
Donn Draeger (1967).jpg
Draeger on the set of the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), for which he served as martial arts coordinator
Born Donald Frederick Draeger
(1922-04-15)April 15, 1922
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Died October 20, 1982(1982-10-20) (aged 60)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Style Judo and other martial arts
Rank 5th dan judo and ranks in other martial arts

Donald Frederick "Donn" Draeger (April 15, 1922 – October 20, 1982) was an internationally-known teacher and practitioner of Japanese martial arts. He was the author of several important books on Asian martial arts, and was a pioneer of international judo in the United States and Japan. He also helped make the study of martial arts and combat sports an acceptable topic of academic research.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Draeger on the set of the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. He is shown demonstrating bō technique. Notice actor Sean Connery in the background.

[edit] Personal life

Donald Frederick "Donn" Draeger was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 15, 1922.[2] His parents were Frank and Irma (Poetsch) Draeger.[3] In 1940, at age 17, he was living in Milwaukee with his father, his stepmother Dora, two half-brothers, and his father’s stepfather and mother.[4] He was married in Bluefield, West Virginia on June 18, 1949. During the next two years, Draeger and his wife had two sons. The family separated in the spring of 1951.

In 1956, Draeger attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC,[5] and in 1959, he was awarded the bachelor of science degree from Sophia University in Tokyo.[6]

Draeger died on October 20, 1982, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee. Cause of death was metastasized carcinoma. He was buried at Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee on October 25, 1982.[7][8][9]

[edit] Military service

Draeger served in the United States Marine Corps from 1943 to 1956 where he began his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in January 1943.[10] After graduation, he attended officer candidate school at Marine Barracks Quantico. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in April 1943.

Draeger received branch training as a signal officer, and in October 1944, he was assigned to Corps Signal Battalion, V Amphibious Corps. During February and March 1945, Corps Signal Battalion participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

In April 1945, Draeger was promoted to first lieutenant, and transferred to III Amphibious Corps, which was preparing for the planned invasion of Japan. However, when the Pacific War ended in August 1945, III Amphibious Corps instead went to North China to accept the surrender of Japanese soldiers, and from October 1945 to February 1946, Draeger served with a signal unit in Tianjin, China.

Draeger returned to the USA in the spring of 1946, and for the rest of the year, he served with Marine detachments in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In January 1947, he was reassigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While at Camp Lejeune, he was promoted to captain, commanded a company, and coached the base judo team.[11]

During the summer of 1951, Draeger was sent to Korea, where he served as a signal officer in the 1st Marine Division. While in Korea, his secondary duties included teaching judo in the division support area near Hongcheon.[12]

In October 1952, Draeger was reassigned to Headquarters Marine Corps. His primary duty assignment was with the Inter-American Defense Board.[13] While in this billet, he held the rank of major. Upon completion of this assignment, Draeger reverted to his permanent rank of captain, and he separated from the service on June 30, 1956.

[edit] Martial arts

Draeger reportedly began his involvement in the martial arts while living in the Chicago area, at around the age of 7 or 8.[8] His first training was in jujutsu, but he soon changed to judo and by age 10, he reportedly achieved the grade of 2nd kyu (not far below the first black belt level).[8][9]

By 1948, Draeger was ranked 4th dan in judo. This grading occurred before 1947, so it probably occurred while he was stationed in China in 1946. His known judo instructors in Tianjin included Mike Matvey.[14]

In 1952, Draeger was one of the leaders of the newly established US Judo Black Belt Association. This was the first national-level judo organization in North America, and the forerunner of what later became the United States Judo Federation.[15] Draeger's national-level postings included vice-president of the Pan-American Judo Association and chairman of the Public Relations Committee of the Amateur Judo Association of the United States.[16] He also helped promote judo throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.[17]

Draeger officially represented US judo interests during international contests held in Cuba and Belgium in 1953,[18] and in 1964, he was named the United States Amateur Athletic Union judo representative in Japan, in anticipation of judo's inclusion in the 1964 Olympics.[19]

Draeger also participated in judo activities in Japan. For instance, in 1961, Draeger and British judo athlete John Cornish were the first non-Japanese athletes selected to demonstrate nage-no-kata during the All-Japan Judo Championships.[20] Draeger became a member of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai, the oldest Japanese cultural organization for the study and preservation of classical martial arts. He was the first non-Japanese practitioner of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, achieving instructor status (kyoshi menkyo) in that system. He also held high ranks in Shindo Muso-ryu jodo and kendo.[21][22]

[edit] Later life

During the mid-1960s, Draeger became disenchanted with all the politics involved in international judo and this led him to gradually start focusing on other interests.[23] During the late 1960s, he began taking research trips through Asia,[24] and in the early 1970s, he shifted his operations from Tokyo to Kona, Hawaii, where he hoped to establish an international martial culture research center.[25] Unfortunately, he died before this plan reached fruition.

Cover of Draeger and Smith's Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (originally published as Asian Fighting Arts)

.

[edit] Books and other media

Draeger wrote dozens of books and articles about the Asian martial arts.[26] His most influential books were probably Asian Fighting Arts (written with Robert W. Smith, Tuttle, 1969) and Martial Arts and Ways of Japan (Weatherhill, 3 volumes, 1973-1974). Draeger's research, theories, and concepts inspired a generation of martial art researchers and practitioners,[27] and as of 2012, many of his books remain in print.

Draeger briefly worked in film. Specifically, he served as martial arts coordinator for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, where he also doubled for actor Sean Connery.[28] He also appeared in at least one television documentary about the Japanese martial arts.[29]

While living in Japan, Draeger collected woodblock prints, and in 2004, part of his collection of sumo prints was featured in an exhibition organized by the Seattle Asian Art Museum.[30]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Belzer, Mike (July 23, 2008). "Donn Draeger". Inosanto Academy. Retrieved 16 February 2012. "Donn Draeger was recognized as a world authority on Asian martial culture and human combative behavior." 
  2. ^ Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. Ancestry.com Operations, 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  3. ^ Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2002. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  4. ^ Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  5. ^ Georgetown University. Georgetown Alumni Online, Class of 1956 [1] Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  6. ^ ”Sophia International Awards 12 Degrees.” 1959, June 17. Pacific Stars and Stripes, p. 2.
  7. ^ Friman, H. Richard. 1999. "Donald F. Draeger’s Wisconsin Grave." Journal of Asian Martial Arts 8:3.. The exact site is Section 4, site 377. See United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Nationwide Gravesite Locator [2] and National Cemetery Administration. U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca. 1775-2006 [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006.
  8. ^ a b c Nurse, Paul. 2006. Donn F. Draeger: The life and times of an American martial arts pioneer Black Belt. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  9. ^ a b USA Dojo: Donn F. Draeger Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  10. ^ Unless otherwise noted, all Marine Corps information in this section comes from Ancestry.com. U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  11. ^ The source for the judo team is "Tony Scarano Judo Star in Marines." 1950, April 21. St. Petersburg Evening Independent, p. 19.
  12. ^ ”Marine Judo Expert Coaches Aspirants.” 1952, June 15. Pacific Stars and Stripes, p. 17.
  13. ^ Nichols, Harman W. 1954, January 27. “Your Nichols’ Worth,” Altus Times-Democrat, p. 4.
  14. ^ Draeger, Donn. 1999. Letter to Robert W. Smith, May 10, 1964, in "Judo," Journal of Combative Sport.[3] Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  15. ^ Brouse, Michel and David Matsumoto. 2005. Judo in the U.S.: A Century of Dedication. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, p. 84.
  16. ^ Smith, Bob. 1953, January. "American Commentary," Budokwai Quarterly Bulletin 8:4, p. 8.
  17. ^ Armetta, Paul. No date. "Shufu." [4] Retrieved on September 23, 2012.
  18. ^ Smith, Bob. 1953, January. "American Commentary," Budokwai Quarterly Bulletin 8:4, p. 8.
  19. ^ "Sports Liaison AAU Committee Set Up in Tokyo." 1964, May 18. Pacific Stars and Stripes, p. 22.
  20. ^ Photo caption in Budokwai Bulletin 66, July 1961.
  21. ^ Northern Virginia Jodokai
  22. ^ Smith, Robert W. 1999. "Donn Draeger: An Excerpt from Martial Musings." Koryu.com. [5] Retrieved 23 September 2012. Streaming video showing Draeger demonstrating techniques from various traditional Japanese martial arts are available. See, for example, "Uchida Ryu Tanjojutsu" [6] and "Donn Draeger Katori Shinto Ryu 1970's (sic) Pt (2)" [7]. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  23. ^ Draeger, Donn. 1999. Letter to Robert W. Smith, January 30, 1972, in "Judo," Journal of Combative Sport [8] Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  24. ^ Draeger, Donn. 2000. "On Safari." Journal of Combative Sport [9] Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  25. ^ Draeger, Donn. 2000. "Hawaii." Journal of Combative Sport [10] Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  26. ^ "A Donn Draeger Bibliography." 2000-2005. Journal of Combative Sport[11] Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  27. ^ For background to the writing and publication of Asian Fighting Arts, see Draeger, Donn. 2002, April. "Publishing Asian Fighting Arts," Journal of Combative Sport [12] Retrieved 23 September 2012. For an introduction to Draeger's thesis on the distinction between martial art (bugei) and martial way (budō), see Hurst, G. Cameron. 1998. Armed Martial Arts of Japan: Swordsmanship and Archery. New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 8. For information about the International Hoplology Society, which Draeger created, see [13].
  28. ^ Adams, Andy. 1967, August. "007's Newest 'Gimmick': A Whole Arsenal of Japanese Self-Defense Arts," Black Belt, pp. 34-39.
  29. ^ Kendo: The Path of the Sword (1980) at IMDb [14] Retrieved on September 27, 2012.
  30. ^ "Larger Than Life Heroes: Prints of Sumo Wrestling from the Donn F. Draeger Collection." 2004. Seattle Art Museum. [15] Retrieved 23 September 2012. For more information about sumo woodblock prints, see Bickford, Lawrence. 1994. Sumo and the Woodblock Print Masters, Tokyo: Kodansha.


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