James Bregman

James Bregman is a figure I find genuinely moving. As a member of the first American judo team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he won bronze on the sport's home soil, then earned World Championship bronze and Pan American gold. What captivates me most is that he studied at Sophia University in Japan, immersing himself in the source culture rather than admiring it from afar. Founding and presiding over the United States Judo Federation, he was both competitor and builder. I deeply admire people who master a passion and then become a bridge between nations. A true pioneer.

James Steven Bregman (born November 17, 1941, in Arlington, Virginia) was a member of the first American team to compete in judo at the Summer Olympics. A founding member and President of the United States Judo Federation, in his competitive career he was a bronze Olympic medalist (1964), a World Championships bronze medalist (1965), a Pan American Championships gold medalist, and a Maccabiah Games gold medalist (196…

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Name (English)

James Bregman

Name (Japanese)

ジェームズ・ブレグマン

Reading

じぇーむず・ぶれぐまん

Born

November 17, 1941 (age 84)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Scorpio / Snake

Origin

Washington, D.C., United States

Blood type

Private

Height

170 cm

Agency

Private

Occupation

judoka

Elementary school

Private

Junior high

Private

High school

Wakefield High School

University

Sophia University

Spouse

Private

Children

Private

Parents

Private

Siblings

Private

Motto

Private

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%82%BA%E3%83%BB%E3%83%96%E3%83%AC%E3%82%B0%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3

Tags

• judoka

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.