Roy Englert

Judo Biography

Roy Englert was born in December 1958 in Alexandria, VA. He received a degree in Mathematics from Princeton at age 19 and followed with a Juris Doctor Degree from Harvard at age 22. Roy has continued to practice law since that time. Highlights of his career include co-founding a new law firm in 2001 and 21 arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States, with a winning percentage of close to 90%. Roy is married to his longtime partner, Daniel Boettcher.

In Roy’s words, “I was a sickly, scrawny, anemic little kid. I was also socially maladjusted, with classmates mostly two years older than I was and a penchant for nerdiness. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. McKay, advised my parents that judo had done good things for her son, Ed. I started with Ray Vaughn and Jimmy Takemori in 1968 at Washington Judo Club. I made Shodan in 1975. I made Rokudan in 2008. I have refereed since 1973, when Takemori Sensei told me to become a referee.”

Roy learned almost all of his judo, and almost all of his judo philosophy, under a great mentor, USJF Hall of Fame member Jimmy Takemori, Kudan. Takemori Sensei directed his students to wherever they would be most successful, in judo and in life. Four of his students – Dave Long, Gary Berliner, Teri Takemori, and Roy – became IJF-A referees. Outside of judo, his students became successful in medicine, law, military service, and various other professions.

In Roy’s case, although his Sensei pushed him as far as he could go in shiai, both knew that Roy would go further as a referee and as a professional than as a judo competitor. And Roy, as his careers have advanced, has tried to be (almost) as good a mentor to younger generations as Jimmy Takemori has been to him. Roy’s proudest refereeing accomplishment has been serving as a mentor to Karl Tamai, Sharon Landstreet, and Bobby Donaldson as they ascended the ladder to IJF-A referee status. Roy is even happier that those younger colleagues have long since exceeded Roy’s own accomplishments as an on-mat referee, for example, by working multiple events on the IJF World Tour.

Roy’s professional career has paralleled his career as a judo referee. His own accomplishments include working with the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg in his first year out of law school, and arguing 21 cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and winning the overwhelming majority of those cases. He has also served as a mentor to many in the legal profession over a span of more than four decades. In law, as in judo refereeing, Roy is proud of younger colleagues whose accomplishments have exceeded his own, including a Deputy U.S. Solicitor General who has argued 35 Supreme Court cases and a prominent professor of constitutional law who holds an endowed chair at the University of Chicago.

Roy believes that much of his professional success – in the classroom, in the courtroom, and as a mentor – can be traced directly to his judo experience and especially to the example set for him by older generations. He was fortunate that his mentors in Shufu Yudanshakai included other judo greats such as John Anderson, Ken Tamai, E.L. Beshimentob Mayfield, Dr. E.K. Koiwai, Dick Hugh, Gaile Spadin, Faye Allen, and Ken Hisaoka.

When Takemori Sensei passed away in 2015, a different Roy from Shufu – Roy Nanjo – wrote, “Kano Jigoro said ‘Nothing under Heaven is more important than education. The teaching of one virtuous person can influence many. What is well learned by one generation can be passed on to a hundred.’ Takemori Sensei has been our one virtuous person.” Roy Englert believes that he has been a beneficiary of a line of teaching that runs from Kano through Takemori to him. He hopes that he can play a role in continuing the line.

Roy has been a member of USJF since 1968 and became a Life Member in 1994. He has since become a Presidential level Life Member.

Roy has had a lifetime commitment to judo, first as a student, then competitor, instructor, referee, and administrator.

Judo Accomplishments

Tournaments

1977 – Eastern Collegiate Champion (143 lb.) and went on to compete at National Collegiates.
1978 – Shufu Eastern Open Champion (156 lb.)
1982–1988 – Competitor and Referee at Senior National Championships
1968–1991 – Local/Regional Competitor
2018 – Senior Nationals Master’s (now Veteran’s) Champion (see pictures below)

Senior Nationals, 2018

2018 Sr. National Masters (now Veterans) award stand picture

Senior Nationals, 2018

Referee Highlights

Local Referee (1973), National (1977), IJF-A (1996)
Shufu Yudanshakai Referee Chairman (1997–2018)
USA Judo Referee Commission (1996–2016) – Honored for Service to Judo as referee at 2017 Senior Nationals. (Commemorative Plaque reads – “In appreciation and recognition of over 20 years of leadership and service as an IJF International Referee and member of the USA Judo Referee Commission. Your calm and quiet demeanor, combined with your great intellect, empathy, and the ability to find reasonable solutions and resolutions has set the standard that we all strive to attain. Thank you for your countless contributions to judo and refereeing in the USA”)
Mentor to 3 Shufu IJF-A referees.
1995 – Rome World Military Games referee
1996 – Atlanta Olympics – Technical Staff

Tad Nalls, John Anderson, Roy Englert, Fran Vall and Jimmy Takemori – Technical Staff at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games

Roy in partial group picture of the Judo Technical Staff at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics

1998 – John Osako Award
2002 – Junior World Championships in Jeju, Korea – referee
2004 – US Judo Olympic Trials in Colorado Springs, CO – Referee
2006 – Tim Dalton Award from Shufu Yudanshakai
2015 – World Police and Fire Games in Fairfax, VA – Chief Referee
Refereed Internationally at Czech Open, World Masters, Cita de Roma, NY Open, German Open, Paris Open, Shoriki Cup, Pan-American Junior Championships,
Head Referee, Referee Jury or refereed at numerous national point events – US Open, Liberty Bell, Pedro’s Challenge, Am-Can Challenge and Senior Nationals

Random referee photos of Roy at various events

Roy as head Referee meeting

Roy in action as a referee

Roy post judo event

Roy in group referee picture at the NY Open

Judo Administration

Shufu Vice President – 2000–4
Shufu President – 2018–22
Presently serving on USJF Standards Committee.

Roy Englert Awarding Jimmy Takemori with Honorary IJF-A Referee certificate.

Group shot at Presentation of Jimmy Takemori’s honorary IJF-A Referee Certificate. Karl Tamai(IJF-A), Tad Nalls(IJF-B), Sharon Landstreet, Roy Englert, Dick Hugh (IJF-A), Air Force General John Hesterman and Jimmy Takemori at the awarding of an honorary IJF-A referee certificate to Jimmy Takemori.

Roy with Kayla Harrison

Mitchell Palacio, Hector Estevez, Roy and Pedro Kolychkine

Maurice Allan, Neil Adams, Tad Nalls, and Roy Englert

Roy Englert

Judo Biography

Judo Accomplishments

Tournaments

Referee Highlights

Random referee photos of Roy at various events

Judo Administration

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