James Martin

Category

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Martin, an eighth-degree black belt, made his mark in the world of karate. He was named Mid-Atlantic Region 10 fighter of the year as a semi-pro in 1980 and 1981, an amateur in 1982 and a senior in ’81, ’82 and ’83. He was named Region 10’s Black Belt of the Year and named Karate Illustrated Magazine’s top fighter in the region which covers Pa., Va., West Va., Del., Md .and Wash. D.C. Martin won bronze medals at the National Karate Championships in 1986 and 1987 and won silver medals at the East Coast Karate Championships. During Martin’s 10 years of competition, he has won 312 trophies, including 121 for first place. He was awarded the Robert Lee Shortlidge Memorial Award for outstanding achievement as a karate competitor. He was a volunteer martial arts instructor at the Wilkes-Barre YMCA and awarded their Layman of the Year Award in 1979.