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Bernie Semel
He was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1950. After five years of participating in various sports at the local YMCA, his father encouraged him to take up Judo, which he did in 1963 when he joined the Tidewater Judo Club. Under the initial instruction of Y. Jack Palmer, a 3rd class brown belt, he got a solid and well-rounded education in the basics of Judo. In addition, he learned about Seriyoku Zenyo (Maximum efficiency with minimum effort) and Jita Kyoei (Mutual benefit, mutual welfare), which taught him to give back to Judo, which he has done for over 40 years. He earned his senior brown belt on his sixteenth birthday. He served as an assistant instructor in the senior class for many years.
In 1967, when he was just seventeen, he founded the Tidewater JCC Judo Club. This first effort with only a junior class lasted less than a year. He restarted the club in 1972, again with an all junior program. In 1973, he was promoted to black belt by Shufu Yudanshakai, whose leaders and high standards did much in shaping his Judo career. He served as the Virginia State Junior Olympic Judo Chairman for two years and as the Virginia State AAU Judo Chairman for one year. He was a 10-time state champion, placed 4th in the East Coast High School Championships, 3rd in the Eastern Collegiate Judo Championships and competed in three Senior Nationals.
In 1978, he moved to New York where he studied under N. Higashi at the American Buddhist Academy and K. Shina at Japan Judo, both 6th Dan. He then studied under T. Kawasaki, 6th Dan at Sawtelle Judo Club in Los Angeles, before moving to Florida and studying under Jack Williams, 6th Dan, at the Miami Dade Judo Club. His last move in 1981 to San Diego, began an 18-year relationship with Al Holtmann, 6th Dan, and the San Diego School of Judo where he was the senior assistant instructor.
He was inspired by the 1984 Olympic Judo competition in Los Angeles. This prompted him to become the best referee he could be. He became a licensed USA Judo National Referee in 1985. In 1996, he was selected to serve as a technical official at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. In 1997, he was certified as a Pan American (PJU-C) Referee. He has officiated at over five hundred tournaments over the years and continues to referee at events of all levels. Since his passion is referee education, he serves as the referee chairman for both California Judo Inc. and the Pacific Southwest Judo Association, testing and certifying new referees each year.
He joined Judo America in 2005 and serves as an assistant coach for both the kids and adults classes.
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