I was born in Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia that time) and started judo when I was 9 years old.
With some years of breaks when I worked in foreign countries - I have about 40 years of active judo (and MMA) experience and about 30 years of coaching experience. I am a Black Belt in Judo.
When I was 20, I started a judo club at the University and since then I doubled as a coach and fighter for many years to come.
Accomplishments:
16 years old - Junior Champion of Czechoslovakia for the first time.
In Junior years - (up to 21 years of age) I had another Champion title, plus two silver medals.
All the time on the junior national team.
I have won most of the tournaments I entered at that time - approx. 15
In my senior years I was mostly coaching - 2 years of women team, then coached the second division team Sparta Praha.
Became a fighting coach again and help the team advance to the First Division and kept coaching and fighting for several years.
There was one year when I have won all my fights (18) in the team First Division competition in that year.
I have also won several tournaments (about 5) and placed in medal position in another 5 (approx).
International tournaments:
We lived in communist country, we were nearly never allowed to travel.
In all my career in Communist Czechoslovakia I was allowed to compete in 2 international tournaments only.
In Junior category, when I was 18, I went with Czechoslovakian Junior national team to East Germany, to participate in a tournament with fighters from 5 east European countries.
Due to restriction on number of participants, I was entered by my coach into the heavy weight category (no weight limit - I was 75 kg that time). In spite of fighting opponents in the range of 90 - 100 kg, I won a silver medal. Czechoslovakian national team got only 2 medals. Mine was one of them.
My second international tournament was at the age 33, in Torino, Italy. 7 European countries participated.
I again placed second and got silver medal. On my way to the final I have defeated the whole Italian national team (3 fighters) - the last one in semi-final was bronze medalist from European Championship.
In Canada:
I worked out in Vancouver Judo Club with the late Sensei Tom Tamoto.
I started to compete again around the age of 36
I won BC Winter games twice, one time got third.
I placed in medal position in several tournaments in BC.
I eventually retired from active fighting at the age of 40, because of shoulder injury - but before that I still won two tournaments in Seattle.
After several years of break from sport, due to my work abroad as a consultant, I joined a MMA club and started to teach
MMA, Pankration, all based on my knowledge of Judo and Jiu-Jitsu techniques.