David Williams | |
Birth Date: | 3 October 1965 |
Birth Place: | Minnesota, |
Sport: | Judo |
Dan: | 6 |
David Williams (born on October 3, 1965) is an American Judoka.
He is a native of Minnesota.[1] Williams won the Minnesota State Junior and Senior Championships in Judo numerous times before the age of 17. He attended and Wrestled at Iowa State University and transferred to San Jose State University in 1985, where he earned a degree in International Business, minoring in French and Japanese. After completion of his first degree he moved to Tokai University in Kanegawa, Japan, where he trained on and off until the Olympic Trials in '96. Later he completed a Masters in Intercultural Communications in 2003. He was a national and international competitor in Judo.[2] His last known rank is Ryokudan. He won the US National Judo Championships in 1996. Though he attempted to join the Olympic Team for the United States, he earned the alternate spot to Jimmy Pedro when he placed second in the 71 kg division.[3] He was selected as the Olympic Alternate.[4] He has had a 23-year competitive career. He also has worked as a Physical Education Professor at San Jose State University, where he completed his 20th year of service to the California State University system.[5] In 2015, he became the first Black IJF-A Referee in USA Judo history.[6]