Neil Adams (judoka)

{{Infobox judoka

| honorific_suffix = MBE

| image = London 2012 - Neil Adams crop.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Adams at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

| full_name = Adrian Neil Adams

| nationality = British (English)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1958|09|27}}

| birth_place = Rugby, Warwickshire, England

| hometown = Coventry, England

| height = 5 ft 10 in

| weight = 12 st 3 lb

| relatives = Chris Adams (Brother)

| country = Great Britain

| weight_class = –71 kg, –78 kg

| rank =

| rank_ref = {{cite web |title=IJF Dan Grades Awardees |url=https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2023/02/Liste_Grades_14022023-16764493-1676449342.pdf |website=International Judo Federation |access-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218112607/https://78884ca60822a34fb0e6-082b8fd5551e97bc65e327988b444396.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/up/2023/02/Liste_Grades_14022023-16764493-1676449342.pdf |archive-date=18 February 2023 |page=1 |language=en}}

| dan = 9

| club =

| worlds_rank = 1

| worlds_year = 1981

| worlds_weight =

| regionals_type = EU

| regionals_rank = 1

| regionals_year = 1979

| regionals_weight =

| regionals_year2 = 1980

| regionals_weight2 = Men's 78 kg

| regionals_year3 = 1983

| regionals_weight3 =

| regionals_year4 = 1984

| regionals_weight4 =

| regionals_year5 = 1985

| regionals_weight5 =

| nationals =

| olympics_rank = 2

| olympics_year = 1980

| olympics_weight = Men's 71 kg

| olympics_year2 = 1984

| olympics_weight2 = Men's 78 kg

| show-medals =

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country| {{GBR2}} }}

{{Medal|S| 1980 Moscow | {{nbnd}}71 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 1984 Los Angeles | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1981 Maastricht | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|S| 1983 Moscow | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1979 Paris | {{nbnd}}71 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1985 Seoul | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1979 Brussels | {{nbnd}}71 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1980 Vienna | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1983 Paris | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1984 Liege | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1985 Hamar | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1977 Ludwigshafen | {{nbnd}}71 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1978 Helsinki | {{nbnd}}71 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1982 Rostock | {{nbnd}}78 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1976 Madrid | {{nbnd}}70 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1977 Berlin | {{nbnd}}71 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1976 Lodz | {{nbnd}}70 kg }}

{{Medal|G| 1974 Tel Aviv | {{nbnd}}58 kg }}

{{Medal|B| 1975 Turku | {{nbnd}}65 kg }}

| updated = 19 June 2023

}}

Adrian Neil Adams, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (27 September 1958) is an English judoka who won numerous Olympic and World Championship medals in judo representing Great Britain.{{cite web|url=https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/4889/Neil_Adams/judo-career|title=Neil Adams profile |website=Judo Inside |access-date=16 August 2022}}{{cite Sports-Reference}} He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1983 New Year Honours for services to judo.UK & Commonwealth list: {{London Gazette |issue=49212 |date=30 December 1982 |pages=12 |supp=y |nolink=yes}}

Early life

Adams was educated at Myton School in Warwick. Adams' brother was the late professional wrestling star Chris Adams, who himself had a successful career in judo before turning to pro wrestling in 1978.

Judo competition career

Adams was the first British male to win a World title, and the first British male to simultaneously hold a world title and a European title. Other achievements include a gold medal at the 1981 World Judo Championships in Maastricht, the Netherlands, plus silver medals in the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games and the 1983 Judo World Championships. Adams was also five-time European Champion. He is also a two times champion of Great Britain, winning lightweight and half-middleweight divisions at the British Judo Championships in 1976 and 1988.{{cite web|url=https://www.judoinside.com/event/search?EventSearch%5Btype%5D=4&EventSearch%5Bname%5D=&EventSearch%5Byear%5D=&EventSearch%5Bcity%5D=&EventSearch%5Bcountry%5D=ENG&yt0=Hajime&q=&q1=&EventSearch%5Btype%5D=&EventSearch%5Bname%5D=british+championship&EventSearch%5Byear%5D=&EventSearch%5Bcity%5D=&EventSearch%5Bcountry%5D=&yt0=Hajime&q=&q1=|title=British Championships - Event results |website=Judo Inside |access-date=18 August 2022}}

On 18 December 2018 he was promoted by the International Judo Federation to kudan - 9th Dan at the age of 60. He was presented with his certificate of grade (at the Paris Grand Slam tournament) on 10 February 2019 by the federation's president, Marius Vizer.

Coaching career

Since retiring, Adams has run a coach education business called Neil Adams Effective Fighting, as well as teaching Judo around the world.

He was national coach of VJF judo in Belgium. He then became head coach of the Welsh Judo Association, a position he took on after being asked to take up the role by close friend and chairman of the association Keven Williams, a position he resigned in March 2009.{{citation |author = Kombatclinic.com |title = British Judo legend Neil Adams MBE |date = 2009-10-06 |url = http://www.kombatclinic.com/blog/?p=22 |accessdate = 2009-11-03 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713163840/http://www.kombatclinic.com/blog/?p=22 |archivedate = 13 July 2011}}

Personal life

Neil's brother Chris Adams grew up practising Judo alongside him, however, Chris did not pursue the sport as an adult and instead chose to enter professional wrestling.{{cite podcast |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/podcasts/wrestling-observer-radio/wrestling-observer-radio-wrestlemania-schedule-aew-and-wwe-ppv-numbers-dynamite-chris-adams |title=Wrestling Observer Radio: WrestleMania schedule, AEW and WWE PPV numbers, Dynamite, Chris Adams |work= Wrestling Observer Radio |host=Bryan Alvarez, Dave Meltzer |date=18 April 2024 |time= |access-date=18 April 2024 |url-access=subscription}}{{Cite episode |title=Chris Adams: The Gentleman and the Demon |work= |episode-link= |url= |access-date= |series=Dark Side of the Ring |series-link= |first= |last= |network= |station= |date= |season=5 |series-no= |number=7 |minutes= |time= |transcript= |transcript-url= |quote= |trans-quote= |via= |language=}}

In the 1980s Adams was engaged to British Olympic swimming star Sharron Davies.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3610201/The-water-babe.html|title=The water babe|date=29 August 2004|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=5 October 2022|archive-date=19 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519094457/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3610201/The-water-babe.html|url-status=live}}

Adams married Alison Walker of Burford, and together had a son but they divorced in 2000.

He met former Canadian Olympic Judoka Niki Jenkins at the Sydney Olympic Games, and they married in 2002. The couple have two daughters, Brooke and Taylor, and live in Rugby.

Adams is a recovering alcoholic.

https://www.bjjee.com/articles/judo-legend-neil-adams-on-how-he-was-able-to-beat-his-alcohol-addiction/

Bibliography

(1986) "Olympic Judo: Throwing Techniques" Pelham (with Cyril Carter)
(1986) "Olympic Judo: Variations on Groundwork" Pelham (with Cyril Carter)
(1988) "Olympic Judo: Preparation and Training" Pelham (with Cyril Carter)
(1991) "Tai-otoshi" Judo Masterclass Techniques Ippon Books
(1991) "Arm Locks" Judo Masterclass Techniques Ippon Books
(1991) "Grips" Judo Masterclass Techniques Ippon Books
(2016) "A Game of Throws – celebrating 50 years in Judo" Fox Spirit Books

In popular culture

Adams was so fondly regarded in Japan that he was given the nickname Happo Bigin (Everyone's friend).[http://m2002.thecgf.com/Sports/Judo/Heroes/default.asp Judo Heroes] – 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games website

A canine version of Neil Adams made a 'guest appearance' in episode 44 of the online comic series Dog Judo[http://www.dogjudo.com/ Dog Judo site]

On 2 December 1983, he was one of the guests on the U.K. children's programme Crackerjack together with Lynsey de Paul and Kim Wilde.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4283272/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title = "Crackerjack!" Episode #28.10 (TV Episode 1983) - IMDb| website=IMDb }}

Adams was also a contestant on the BBC TV series The Adventure Game in 1983

He is now a commentator for the IJF.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ijf.org/news/show/bionic-commentator-neil-adams|title = Bionic Commentator: Neil Adams}}

References

External links

{{Official website}}
{{Sports links}}

{{The-Sports}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110423021144/http://www.realjudo.net/Legends/Neil_Adams.html Neil Adams] at RealJudo.net (archived)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060202112337/http://nacorporatehealth.co.uk/ Neil Adams Corporate Health] (archived)
[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4zzti_judo-maastricht-1981-neil-adams-gbr_sport Video: Judo Maastricht 1981: Neil Adams (GBR) – Jiro Kase (JPN)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110523210449/http://jukkendo.com/html/magazine.html 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games Judo Event Magazine]

Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:English male judoka

Category:Olympic judoka for Great Britain

Category:Judoka at the 1980 Summer Olympics

Category:Judoka at the 1984 Summer Olympics

Category:Judoka at the 1988 Summer Olympics

Category:English Olympic competitors

Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain

Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Olympic medalists in judo

Category:Sportspeople from Rugby, Warwickshire