David Rudman (April 13, 1943 – February 8, 2022) was a Russian-American wrestler, Sambo world champion, and judo European champion.[1][2]
Early and personal life
Rudman was born in Kuybyshev (now Samara, Russia).[1][3][4] He emigrated to the United States in 1994,[5] and lived in New York City, where was involved in sports administration.[1][citation needed] Rudman died on February 8, 2022, at the age of 78.[6][7]
Wrestling career
He was a member of the sport association "Dynamo".[1]
In 1965–69 and 1973, he was the USSR Wrestling Champion at 70 kg.[1] He was second in the USSR championship at 70 kg in 1970–72, and third in 1974.[1]
Sambo career
In 1967, he was the Champion of the first International Sambo Tournament, at 70 kg.[1][8][9] Rudman described sambo as "is a combination of many forms of martial arts, designed to give Soviet soldiers the edge in combat fighting".[9] In 1973, he was the first World Champion in the weight category up to 68 kg.[1] He was a six-time USSR sambo champion.[4]
Judo career
In 1969, he was the European Judo Champion in individual competition as a light-middleweight (U70), winning all of his matches in Ostend, Belgium, ahead of Antoni Zajkowski and Czeslaw Kur of Poland, and Patrick Vial of France.[3] He won a bronze medal in the 1969 World Judo Championships in Mexico City in the U70 weight class.[1][2][3][10][11][12] In 1970, he was part of the European Team Judo Champion at the championships in Berlin, fighting in the U70 weight class.[1][2][13][14]
He was the President of the American Amateur Sambo Federation since 2004, and President of the Federation International Amateur Sambo from 2005 on.[1][9][16]
Honors
Rudman was an Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, and an Honored Coach of the USSR.[1]