Charlie Hooks has a killer handshake - the kind of clasp developed only by hanging from a steel bar until his hands go numb. "That develops the hand muscles," explains the 64-year-old judo instructor. "A powerful grip is important."
Hooks, of Granger, is a genuine "judoka" - an expert in the martial art that uses power in natural body movements to overcome one's opponent. He is a four-time national heavyweight judo champion, a national referee and former Olympic judo team manager who shares his expertise with students at the South Bend and Elkhart YMCAs and at the University of Notre Dame.
After more than 30 years in the sport, Hooks is still going strong, able to easily toss surprised student challengers to the mat. "There's always someone who wants to whip me," laughs Hooks. "But judo is balance. If you can get someone off balance, you can do anything. That's why age doesn"t have that much of an effect on your ability."
Balance is the secret Hooks learned early on that enabled him to beat men in his weight class who were up to 100 pounds heavier. In 1971, '74, '75 and '77, he earned national heavyweight titles, usually as the smallest contender in his class.
Injuries kept Hooks from Olympic competition. The first time he went to Olympic trials, he twisted an ankle. The second time, in 1980, he tore a muscle in his elbow. But he still got to go to the Olympics several times in the capacity of judo team manager. Olympic events have taken him around the world - Tokyo, Vienna, Munich, Anchorage, Los Angeles. Serving as a national championship referee takes him across the nation to officiate matches in the traditional Japanese language of the game.
"Judo's been good to me," says Hooks. "And it's forced me to stay in shape." He rides a stationary bike, lifts weights and scuba dives, all of which keep him strong. His knees are his only weak point because of missing cartilege. Hooks plans to have the joints replaced so that he can continue judo for years to come. "I don't ever see myselfing retiring from it," he says.
Originally from Cleveland, Hooks moved to the South Bend area in 1975 for an accounting position with Bendix. He retired from the company in 1991. Not one to slow down, though, he immediately began substitute teaching for the South Bend school system. Now he is practically a full-time substitute teacher in the Elkhart and Penn-Harris districts, where he stands in for one class or another nearly every weekday.
The junior and high school kids
he supervises often become aware of Hooks' judo background and want to
"test" him. A demonstration of his skills sometimes gives them a new appreciation
of an old physical art form. A judo instructor for more than 20 years,
Hooks has seen student interest in the sport wax and wane, but his enthusiasm
for judo never diminishes.
"I love it," says Hooks. "And if
I stay in shape, I can keep doing it."
Photo caption
JUDO EXPERT: A four-time national
heavyweight judo champion, Olympic team manager and national championship
referee, Charlie Hooks of Granger teaches judo at the South Bend and Elkhart
YMCAs and at the University of Notre Dame. (Photo by Mary Beth Biltz)