Geof Gleeson
Geoffrey Robert Gleeson was a British judoka.
Teacher: Trevor Leggett. He went to Japan 1952-55 where he and Charles Palmer were the first westerners to serve as a special research students at the Kodokan Judo Institute. He studied most martial arts: Judo, Kendo, Aikido, Bōjutsu, Jujitsu, Karate, and also studied Zen Buddhism. First kenshusei post World War II. Posthumously awarded 9th Dan.
He won two silver medals at the 1951 [European Judo Championships] in the 3rd dan and open classes.
He was captain of the first British team to win the European championships and was appointed national coach in 1960.
Selected publications
- Gleeson, Geof All About Judo, EP Publishing Ltd, Cranford.
- Gleeson, Geof Judo for the West, A.S. Barnes and Company, Cranford.
- Gleeson, Geof Judo Inside Out: A Cultural Reconciliation, Lepus Books, Wakefield.