As with all our other articles, we have only limited information available. It is necessary to take conditional for everything that follows.
Traditional Karate and Taekwondo :
Jeffrey "Jeff" Smith is a practitioner of Taekwondo. He begins his career in this sport in Texas, before moving to Washington DC, where he trains with Jhoon Rhee. Jeff Smith is 5'11'', or 180 cm.
Jeff Smith takes part at the Universal Open and Tournament of Champion, in New-York. His fight with Byron Jones is delayed, because of an accidental eye injury received by Jones.
Jeff Smith took part in Mike Warren's Kim Joo II Tournament in Akron, Ohio. According to October 1971 Black-Belt issue, he finishes second in the lightweights ?, losing against Mike Warren.
Thereafter, Jeff Smith takes part in tournaments of traditional Karate.
Jeff Smith wins the Grand-Champion of the Pan American Championships in Baltimore.
During the North American Championships in Toronto/Canada, Jeff Smith wins the heavyweights title, but loses against Mike Warren for the Grand-Champion.
Battle of Atlanta. Jeff Smith beats Frank Hargrove, John Natividad and Everett Monsterman Eddy in the semi-finals. In finals, Howard Jackson beats Jeff Smith.
05.31.1973 : Jeff Smith beats Bill Wallace 5-1, Fred Wren 5-1, Darnell Garcia 5-1 and Howard jackson 6-5 at the US Pro/Am (or US Open Championships), in Ocean-City.
For the Karate Team Championships, the Texas team is composed of Kurban, Butin, Gotcher, Watson and Havanas, and is coached by Allen and Pat Steen Burleston. The Washington DC team, coached by Jhoon Rhee, is composed of Gordon Franks, Wayne Booth, Wayne Van Buren, Pat Worlen and Jeff Smith. Smith won his match against Havanas 3-0 and the team of Washington beat Texas 6-4.
Jeff Smith (left) against Demetrias Havanas
US Team Championship 1973
Top Ten Nationals. Jeff Smith beats first John Natividad, and after James Butin for the heavyweights finals, 4-3. For the Grand-Champion, Jeff Smith loses against Johny Lee, during the first fight.
1973 : US Open Professional. Ocean City. Jeff Smith beats Howard Jackson 7-6, in the finals. Video of the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOjqz2SWdls
1973 : Jeff Smith wins the title of Grand Champion at the first "Professional Karate Tournament", for the West Coast team.
Henry Cho's Tournament of Champion. Mike Warren beats Jeff Smith in the finals. Before that, Jeff Smith beats Doo Han Kim and William Oliver.
Jeff Smith loses against Ernest Russel, in the US championships, after a victory over Eddy Everett. Jeff Smith beats Everett Eddy once again during the team tournament and his team from Washington DC wins the title. Jeff Smith gets the trophy Bruce Lee, in the same time.
04.20.1974 : Battle of Atlanta : Jeff Smith def Johnny Lee, 4-3, then lost to Howard Jackson 4-3. For the 3rd place, Jeff Smith beats Eddy Everett, 3-2.
Beginning of may 1974 : On Hidy Ochiai's National Karate Classic, Jeff Smith loses against Eddy Everett, for the title of Grand Champion.
On May 17th 1974, in Berlin, is held the first European Championship Professional Karate. Various European fighters are selected for Los Angeles. At the end of the day, fights take place between the Europeans and the Americans. Jeff Smith def Harald Schrader by 5/0, second in the European middleweights.
A few days later, he beats before the limit Peter Kredijt, a Kyokushinkai practitioner, in a match between the USA and the Netherlands, in Amsterdam.
Jeff Smith vs. John Nativitad, circa 1973 or 1974.
July ? Augustus ? 1974 : Jeff Smith def Darnell Garcia, in the Ed Parker's Internationals Karate Championships, in Long Beach.
06/15-16.1974 : Parker Shelton beats Jeff Smith 1-0, for the USKA Grand-Nationals.
07.13/14.1974 : Jeff Smith is announced in the US Pro Am Karate Championships, in Ocean-City, as the defending champion. Results ?
07.19.1974 : Jeff Smith beat Fred Wren for the middleweight crown, at the Karate Olympics in Houston. Thank you to Ian McGeachy and Steve Van Dien for this information.
07.20.1974 : Jim Butin beats Jeff Smith 7-5, for the Top Ten Nationals, in St. Louis.
Full Contact :
Sept. 14th 1974 : Los Angeles: The world championship are organized by a new federation, the PKA (Professional Karate Association). Traditional karatekas from the USA and European fighters, are sorted in a unknown manner. Jeff Smith, like all other participants, have no experience of fighting with KO, with the notorious exception of Joe Lewis and Wally Slocki (which have already met in a match with contact).
During the first battle, Jeff Smith def Budimir Vejnovic, Yugoslavia, a resident of Berlin, in the 1st round, with a right hand followed by a kick. Jeff Smith beats Wally Slocki, Canada, on points. Smith wins the first round and Slocki the second. Finally, Smith wins the third round, as a point is deducted against Slocki, following the instructions given by the referee. Video of the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qDbxdQ29os
That evening, Jeff Smith becomes World Champion of the middleweights for the PKA. Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace also become champions of the World, in their respective categories.
July 1975 : Jeff Smith wins against Jim Butin/USA, by tko in the 5th .
07.27.1975: Jeff Smith def Ben Wilbor and Augie Evans, in Hawaii, each by ko in the 2nd round, during fights planned in 3 rounds. They took place during the 4th Tommy Lee's World Series of Martial Arts. A special feature is noteworthy. As shown on the photos, fighters are wearing protections on the elbows and are allowed to use these body parts to hit their opponent.
10.10.1975 : At the 3rd fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in Manila/Philippines, Jeff Smith defends his title on points, in 11 rounds, against Karriem Allah/USA, aka Karriem Abdallah. This game is widely broadcast on television. The title holder wins by a split decision, Allah winning the first rounds and Smith imposing himself towards the end of the battle.
May 25th 1976 : Jeff Smith def Arno Koschnik (Koschik)/Germany, in Paris, at the Palais des Sports, during an evening in which Bill Wallace and Isaiah Duenas also defend their title. Jeff Smith earns on points in 3 rounds, having dropped his opponent 6 times on the ground.
August 2nd 1976 : Jeff Smith def Wally Slocki, on points, by a split decision, at the Battle of Atlanta.
Jeff Smith vs. Wally Slocki in Atlanta, 2nd fight.
1977 : Jeff Smith beats Keith Haflick, on points, in Charlotte/NC.
05.21.1977 : Jeff Smith def Jim Horsley.
05.22.1978 : Jeff Smith beats Dominique Valera/France on points, in 9 rounds, in Paris. Dominique Valera, former champion Traditional Karate, practices full-contact since 1975, following his disqualification at the WUKO World Championships in Long Beach. The fighters are wearing boxing gloves and no more full-contact gloves.
Jeff Smith (right) wins against Dominique Valera
00.11.1979 : Jeff Smith def Carl Beamon, on points in seven rounds, in their first battle, for the title.
1979 : Dan Macaruso, brown belt at this time, but wearing a black belt during the fight, beats Jeff Smith, for the title, on points in 12 rounds, via a split decision. Video of the fight : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAwDhf-izM8
Macaruso will never give a rematch to Jeff Smith. Macaruso will beat Dominique Valera (ko 6), Dale Michaud (ko 1) and Carl Beamon. From 1982 to 1985, Macaruso disputes also boxing fights (8 wins, 3 losses, from 1982 to 1985).
1980 : Jeff Smith beats Mark Bunell, in Orlando, ko3. Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl6sktTovq0&feature=related
1980 : Jeff Smith beats Carl Beamon by tko 3, for the title of US light heavyweights, during the 2nd fight. Carl Beamon is 40 years old and has a record of 20 wins, 5 defeats. Excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPS5lniRSI
1980 : Jeff Smith beats Steve Krowell, by ko 3, at the Star Challenge.
00.00.0000 : Jeff Smith has a fight against Kerry Roop ?
Record : 20 victories - 1 defeat ? According to the July 1981 Kick-Illustrated issue, Jeff Smith has a record of 21 wins, 1 defeat, 7 ko.
He defends his title of World Champion 7 times .
Conclusions :
Currently, Jeff Smith is announced as a 9th Dan Taekwondo black belt. He teaches this Martial Art in the USA.
We do not know of a book, video or published about him.
Two videos of his last two fights mentioned above are available on You Tube. Jeff Smith had a tremendous stamina. It has been noted that Jeff Smith is relatively slow and give many blows, donated with full power, in order to put his opponent ko. From that certainly comes the second part of his nickname "DC Bomber", the capital Washington/DC is the raison for the first part. .
1 commentaire:
Jeff was from Kingsville Texas. He started Tae Kwon Do at the Texas A&I University TKD club in 1965 and got his Black Belt Sept of 1969. Jhoon Rhee would come every 3 months to Texas and teach and test at the several college clubs that he had started while at the University of Texas.
There were not many tournaments available in those days but we would travel to Houston, Galveston or Dallas to compete. Jeff won the white belt division in his first tournament in Austin, Tx and continued his winning streak as a lower belt.
After he got his Black Belt, Mr. Rhee invited him to come to Washington D.C., teach in his schools and train.
(I started TKD at the same time as Jeff and got my BB at the same time.)
Enregistrer un commentaire