Brandon University Dick and Verda McDonald Sports Wall of Fame
Rick Williamson was born and raised in Belmont, Man. and the small town farm boy took a unique path to the BU Sports Wall of Fame.
Williamson took up the sport of judo when he was 13-years-old and over 50 years later his passion for martial arts remains as strong as ever.
He represented Manitoba four times at national championships and in 1971 attended the Canada Winter Games in Saskatoon.
Williamson also had a big year in '71 as a member of the judo team at Brandon University. BU hosted the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship and Williamson won the middleweight division. The following year, he successfully defended his title at the westerns in Winnipeg.
After graduation, Rick became a teacher and spent 29 years at Arthur Meighen High School in Portage la Prairie.
He became the head jiu-jitsu instructor in Portage where he has trained over 40 of his students to black belt level.
Williamson's contributions were recognized in the spring of 2017 by the World Kobudo Federation, who promoted him to seventh-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu. The highest ranking in the world is tenth degree and Williamson is among a select few in Canada to reach seventh degree or higher.
