Harold Howard
Encyclopedia
Harold Clarence Howard is a Canadian martial artist who earned a blackbelt in Jujutsu
under O-Sensei Steve Reynolds and in Gōjū-ryū karate
under Yogi Israel and was the first World Sport Jujutsu Heavyweight Champion in 1984. Howard is more widely known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
where he made it to the final of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's third tournament
. Howard is also well known for once executing a scissor-flip kick similar to that of Japanese pro wrestler Jushin "Thunder" Liger during his battle with Steve Jennum
in the UFC 3
finals.
Howard has earned a 4th degree in Iki Shin Do (under Sensei John Anderson), 3rd degree in Jujutsu Kai (O-Sensei Steve Reynolds), 3rd degree in Gōjū-ryū (Hanshi Yogi Israel), and a 2nd degree in Shito-ryū (Sensei Monty Guest). He is the founder of the Katsudo-te-Jitsu style and is a 6th Degree - 2 grades above his highest ranking students.
At the 1984 World Championships, he was a member of the gold medal winning Canadian team (heavyweight) and also won the individual World Heavyweight Jiu-Jitsu Championship as the gold medal winner of the mens heavyweight fighting division.
After career ending back surgery in 1988, Howard made his return to compition in 1992 (at 34) and won a silver medal at the NBL (National Blackbelt League) World Championships in Sport Karate. He was undefeated entering the finals but had to bow out of the final 2 matches to due to injury.
, where his first opponent was Roland Payne. He scored a KO in 46 seconds and went on to face the feared Brazilian, Royce Gracie
, who threw in the towel before the contest due to exhaustion from his previous bout. Howard then advanced to the finals of the tournament, since there were no other opponents for Howard to face (the two alternate competitors for the card were already being utilized to replace the injured Ken Shamrock
and Keith Hackney
).
Howard faced Steve Jennum
in the finals. Jennum was an alternate on the card, replacing Ken Shamrock, which meant that Jennum was placed in the finals of the tournament without having to win a single match. Howard would lose to Jennum due to strikes at 1:27. After the fight, an unusually upbeat Howard said during an interview, "Well, I told you, if it worked it worked. But it did and I didn't. So in the end it didn't."
Following his loss to Jennum, he succumbed to two more losses against
Mark Hall and Hugo Duarte, both due to submission (strikes). His professional career was cut short by injury after only two years.
At the weigh in to UFC Fight Night 20, Tom Lawlor
paid tribute to Howard, imitating an axe kick which the former threw against Jennum, as well as his trademark saying "If you're coming on, come on!"
On December 22, 2009 Howard was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a weapon, attempted breaking and entering, failure to remain, flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, mischief and two counts breach of recognizance after being captured by police. The events leading to said arrest include attacking his sister and nephew with a hammer, attempting to force his way into his estranged wife's home, and finally crashing his car into the Fallsview Casino. In the end, Harold was sentenced to just shy of five years in prison.
|Loss
|align=center|2-3
|
Hugo Duarte
|Submission (punches)
|UVF 3 - Universal Vale Tudo Fighting 3
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:29
|Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|2-2
|
Mark Hall
|Submission (strikes)
|UFC 7
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:41
|Buffalo, New York
, United States
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|2-1
| Steve Jennum
|Submission (punches)
|UFC 3
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:27
|Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States
|
|-
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1-0
| Roland Payne
|KO (punch)
|UFC 3
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:46
|Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States
|
|-
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
under O-Sensei Steve Reynolds and in Gōjū-ryū karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
under Yogi Israel and was the first World Sport Jujutsu Heavyweight Champion in 1984. Howard is more widely known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
where he made it to the final of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's third tournament
UFC 3
UFC 3: The American Dream was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.-History:UFC 3 used an...
. Howard is also well known for once executing a scissor-flip kick similar to that of Japanese pro wrestler Jushin "Thunder" Liger during his battle with Steve Jennum
Steve Jennum
Steve Jennum is a retired American mixed martial artist and Nebraska police officer. He was the winner of the UFC 3 tournament in 1994.-Mixed martial arts career:...
in the UFC 3
UFC 3
UFC 3: The American Dream was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.-History:UFC 3 used an...
finals.
Early life
Howard grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He began training at age 17 with O-Sensei Steve Reynolds in Jiu-Jitsu Kai. Harold moved to Niagara Falls in 1983 and taught Karate and Jiu Jitsu at James Morden School and the YMCA. Harold opened his Action Karate and Jiu Jitsu Centre (as the Niagara Fighting Griffin Fitness and Martial Arts) in 1984 and has excelled both as a competitor and as a trainer/coach having various students among the top Sport Karate and Sport Jiu-Jitsu competitors in the world.Howard has earned a 4th degree in Iki Shin Do (under Sensei John Anderson), 3rd degree in Jujutsu Kai (O-Sensei Steve Reynolds), 3rd degree in Gōjū-ryū (Hanshi Yogi Israel), and a 2nd degree in Shito-ryū (Sensei Monty Guest). He is the founder of the Katsudo-te-Jitsu style and is a 6th Degree - 2 grades above his highest ranking students.
Jujutsu
In 1984, Harold was the first Canadian Heavyweight Sport Ju-Jutsu Champion and represented Canada in the first world ju-jutsu championships sanctioned by the World Council of Ju-Jutsu Organizations (WCJO).At the 1984 World Championships, he was a member of the gold medal winning Canadian team (heavyweight) and also won the individual World Heavyweight Jiu-Jitsu Championship as the gold medal winner of the mens heavyweight fighting division.
Karate
Howard captured the Canadian Heavy Weight Karate Championship three times in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and was a member of the Canadian National Karate team in 1986 and 1987. During that time he was the top rated sport karate fighter in Canada.After career ending back surgery in 1988, Howard made his return to compition in 1992 (at 34) and won a silver medal at the NBL (National Blackbelt League) World Championships in Sport Karate. He was undefeated entering the finals but had to bow out of the final 2 matches to due to injury.
Mixed martial arts
Howard's first professional bout was in UFC 3: The American DreamUFC 3
UFC 3: The American Dream was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.-History:UFC 3 used an...
, where his first opponent was Roland Payne. He scored a KO in 46 seconds and went on to face the feared Brazilian, Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
, who threw in the towel before the contest due to exhaustion from his previous bout. Howard then advanced to the finals of the tournament, since there were no other opponents for Howard to face (the two alternate competitors for the card were already being utilized to replace the injured Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
and Keith Hackney
Keith Hackney
Keith Hackney , is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter. He competed in two Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments.-Biography:...
).
Howard faced Steve Jennum
Steve Jennum
Steve Jennum is a retired American mixed martial artist and Nebraska police officer. He was the winner of the UFC 3 tournament in 1994.-Mixed martial arts career:...
in the finals. Jennum was an alternate on the card, replacing Ken Shamrock, which meant that Jennum was placed in the finals of the tournament without having to win a single match. Howard would lose to Jennum due to strikes at 1:27. After the fight, an unusually upbeat Howard said during an interview, "Well, I told you, if it worked it worked. But it did and I didn't. So in the end it didn't."
Following his loss to Jennum, he succumbed to two more losses against
Mark Hall and Hugo Duarte, both due to submission (strikes). His professional career was cut short by injury after only two years.
At the weigh in to UFC Fight Night 20, Tom Lawlor
Tom Lawlor
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Lawlor is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts:...
paid tribute to Howard, imitating an axe kick which the former threw against Jennum, as well as his trademark saying "If you're coming on, come on!"
Personal life
Harold is married with three children, two sons and a daughter. Up until 2009, Howard was doing roofing jobs while still operating a small school—Howard’s Self-Defense Systems in Niagara Falls, Ontario.On December 22, 2009 Howard was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a weapon, attempted breaking and entering, failure to remain, flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, mischief and two counts breach of recognizance after being captured by police. The events leading to said arrest include attacking his sister and nephew with a hammer, attempting to force his way into his estranged wife's home, and finally crashing his car into the Fallsview Casino. In the end, Harold was sentenced to just shy of five years in prison.
Mixed martial arts record
|-|Loss
|align=center|2-3
|
Hugo Duarte|Submission (punches)
|UVF 3 - Universal Vale Tudo Fighting 3
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:29
|Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|2-2
|
Mark Hall|Submission (strikes)
|UFC 7
UFC 7
-External links:***...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:41
|Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|2-1
|
Steve JennumSteve Jennum
Steve Jennum is a retired American mixed martial artist and Nebraska police officer. He was the winner of the UFC 3 tournament in 1994.-Mixed martial arts career:...
|Submission (punches)
|UFC 3
UFC 3
UFC 3: The American Dream was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.-History:UFC 3 used an...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:27
|Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1-0
|
Roland Payne|KO (punch)
|UFC 3
UFC 3
UFC 3: The American Dream was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.-History:UFC 3 used an...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:46
|Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
External links
- http://www.mmafighting.com/interviews/peterodley.html