John Young Death, Obituary – Everyone at the Cluarankwai Judo Club is in a state of sadness due to the passing of John Young on June 11th at the age of 85. John Young was a longtime member of the club. John has been a member of the club for a very long time. In the late 1950s, John started his training in judo, and ever since then, he has been an active member of the club. John was able to rise through the ranks of the dojo and become a senior instructor after devoting his entire life to the sport and eventually receiving the title of 4th Dan.
During his time at the club, he was in charge of guiding thousands of club members as they advanced through the several levels of the organization. John was able to do many things in his life and in the sport, including serving in the military, becoming a BJA Personal Safety Coaches Assessor, educating future coaches on self-defense tactics, coaching BJA Goshin Jutsu, and working as a referee, time keeper, scorer, and recorder.
In addition, John was able to coach BJA Goshin Jutsu. John always made sure to keep his hand in, attending the clubs yearly tournaments and committee meetings, helping to pass the club on to the next generation, even though his health stopped him from coaching in the last couple of years. Despite this, John made sure to keep his hand in.
John remained an active member of the club’s committee and served in a variety of capacities throughout his time there, including the position of Chairman at one point. Everyone in the club and in the Judo world will miss him very dearly, and his presence will be sorely missed. He was a huge asset to the sport.
Our thoughts and prayers are with him as well as his wife and children during this difficult time.