Jack Stern’s Judo career supposedly extended back to his many years spent in Japan and Korea during his military days fighting in the Korean War. He claimed that his son was a 1987 Olympic Gold Medalist in judo. I wont get into the fact that the Olympics' were actually in 1988. Sterns son never competed in judo and the highest medal in Olympic Judo won by a male was a silver at the time.
The point is it was all a lie.
Jack Stern doesn't seem to actually hold any ranks in judo nor does it appear he was even a member of any Judo association. Stern's Judo ranks appear to be non existent and total fabrication. Credentials that are supposedly Stern's can be found online on a website.
There are a total of seven cards from various judo organizations and a single Armed Forces Judo Association rank certificate that are supposedly Stern's. Several of these cards shown on the website have ID numbers as well as dates.... all of which can help in the verification process with the different judo entities. Not a single one turned out to be valid.
KODOKAN CARD
The first one that caught my attention was Stern’s supposed
Kodokan Member card. An email was sent along with a screen cap of the card and
the Kodokan responded with that there was no record of a Jack Stern nor could the member card be verified. No corresponding data could be found by name or birth date or card ID number.
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THE ARMED FORCES
JUDO ASSOCIATION MEMBER CARD AND RANK CERTIFICATE
The same website shows 2 documents from the Armed forces Judo Association, a member card and a rank Certificate that are supposedly Jack Sterns. The USJA was formerly The Armed forces Judo Association (AFJA). The AFJA changed its name in the late 60’s to The United States Judo Association (USJA).
According to the USJA there was no record of
Stern holding any rank or even being a member of The AFJA or The USJA. The only
record of Stern is in 2006 when he submitted falsified Korean documents for
judo rank. The submission of these fake documents subsequently resulted in Stern
being banned for life from the USJA (See email below).
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THE JUDO BLACK
BELT FEDERATION NEW YORK YUDANSHAKAI AND SHUFU YUDNSHAKAI CARDS
There are three other Judo member cards that are shown on
the website that are supposedly Stern’s as well; The Judo Black Belt Federation,
New York Yudanshakai and the Shufu Yudnshakai
The United States Judo Federation
was formerly the Judo Black Belt Federation (JBBF). The JBBF was organized
around regional/local Yudanshakai (black belt associations) two of these
regional orgs was the Shufu Yudanshakai and the New York Yudnashakai. The purpose
of these regional Yudanshakai was/is to promote judo in their own area. In the 1960s entry into the JBBF was restricted to only Black belt
judoka, regional Yudanshakai recognized black belts. The
USJF keeps extensive records of its members and former members since the
inception of the JBBF.
The USJF formerly the JBBF confirmed that no records of rank or even membership can be found on Stern. See emails below.
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KOREAN YUDO ASSOCIATION
The Broward County Sheriff’s dept had verified Sterns Korean Judo/yudo claims and his Korean rank documentation were false in 1996. By 2006, Stern was up to his old lying ways and the NGBs served Stern with a lifetime ban for trying to submit falsified Korean documentation for rank. I don't think that the NGBs or the Broward county Sheriff's dept are lying. These two sources alone verify Stern held no ranks in Judo or Yudo that were recognized by the Korean Yudo Association.
Jack Stern did not start The Korean Yudo Association (American branch) as stated online. The Korean Yudo association was the American affiliated branch of the Korean Judo Association, which is run by the Korean Judo Association. Bong yul Shin created the American branch of the Korean Yudo Association and since it has always been run by the alumni graduates from the Korean Judo College.
It seems Stern may have trained very breifly with Mr. Shin but only to a very limited extent….. Not long enough to earn any rank from Shin. In the 1960s, Mr. Shin was mainly doing seminars and not teaching regular classes. Taking a seminar doesn't actually qualify as training under someone.
Because of Bong Yul Shin’s extremely high rank internationally in judo and taekwondo, it is not surprising that some would latch on and claim to be a “former student” or to have "trained under" to try and claim a heritage/lineage. The three things that are verified are; 1.) Shin started the Korean Yudo Association – USA, NOT Jack Stern. 2.) Stern received no rank from Shin. 3.) Stern may have attended a seminar.
The above information pertaining the Korean Yudo Association parses with what the Broward County Sheriff's detectives found out during thier investigation and what stern confessed to; he held no rank in Korean yudo/judo nor did he start the American branch of KYA.
Conclusion
Not one of the eight old judo rank documents and cards that are supposedly Stern's are actually authentic. Not a single judo organizational body had any records of jack Stern as a black belt or even a member. The only record from the NGBs regarding Stern's supposed judo experience doesn’t pop up in until 2006 when he submitted falsified Korean documentation for rank which resulted in his lifetime bans from the Judo NGBs.
