Jürgen Seydel

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Jürgen Seydel
Born(1917-09-12)12 September 1917
Bonn, Germany
Died3 August 2008(2008-08-03) (aged 90)
StyleShotokan Karate
Notable studentsElvis Presley

Jürgen Seydel (September 12, 1917 – August 3, 2008) was the father of karate in Germany according to the views of some people.[1]

In 1939 Seydel began judo training at the University of Bonn. In 1955, he read an article in a French magazine about karate, which was still unknown in Germany at the time; he traveled to Paris to learn this art. In 1957 Seydel founded according to the JKA the first karate club in Germany in Bad Homburg[2] and soon opened a studio in Usingen.[3] Jürgen learnt from a textbook by Henry Plée and with the knowledge he had acquired on courses. In 1959 he passed the exam for the 1st Dan. Until 1965 he was the only Dan carrier in Germany. Seydel's most prominent student was U.S. musician Elvis Presley, then stationed in Germany during his military service.[4][5][6]

Jürgen Seydel was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker for his services to karate in Germany.[7]

Literature[edit]

  • Werner Lind: Lexikon der Kampfkünste. China, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Indonesien, Indien, Mongolei, Philippinen, Taiwan u. a. Sportverlag, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-328-00838-1, (Edition BSK).

References[edit]

  1. ^ Inc, Active Interest Media (October 2, 1965). "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc. – via Google Books. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "Chronik des deutschen Karateverbandes". www.chronik-karate.de. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. ^ Rex und Elisabeth Mansfield: ELVIS in Deutschland. Collectors Service, Bamberg 1981, ISBN 3-922932-00-2, Page 72
  4. ^ Inc, Active Interest Media (1 March 1998). "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc. Retrieved 17 December 2017 – via Google Books. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ Tillery, Gary (9 September 2013). The Seeker King: A Spiritual Biography of Elvis Presley. Quest Books. ISBN 9780835630863. Retrieved 17 December 2017 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Jeansonne, Glen; Luhrssen, David; Sokolovic, Dan (17 December 2017). Elvis Presley, Reluctant Rebel: His Life and Our Times. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313359040. Retrieved 17 December 2017 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Bundesverdienstkreuz für Jürgen Seydel. In: Deutscher Karateverband (Hrsg.): karate magazin. Nr. 2, 1989, Page. 16 (PDF; 5,7 MB Archived 2012-04-07 at the Wayback Machine).