Dominique Valera
Valera in 2008
Born (1947-06-14) June 14, 1947
Lyon, France
NationalityFrance French
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
DivisionHeavyweight
StyleKarate
WebsiteOfficial site
Medal record
Representing  France
Karate
European Championship
Gold medal – first place 1966 ParisKumite −80 kg
Silver medal – second place 1968 ParisKumite −80 kg
Silver medal – second place 1971 ParisKumite −80 kg
Karate
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 1970 TokyoTeam Kumite
Gold medal – first place 1972 ParisTeam Kumite

Dominique Valera (born June 14, 1947) is a French kickboxer and karateka, based in Lyon. He has a 9th Dan black belt in karate and is the winner of multiple European Karate Championships.[1][2] Since retiring from competitive karate Dominique Valera has starred in French movies such as Let Sleeping Cops Lie.

Karate

From a family of Spanish immigrants, Dominique Valera began karate shotokan in 1960, after six years of judo.

He is a team world champion and has never become individual world champion following a disqualification due to a disagreement with a referee1 at the 1975 World Karate Championships in Long Beach, California. The matter then flows far more ink than blood, and the champion suffers immediate consequences. He is excluded from the French federation held by Mr. Delcourt and can not reinstate him until much later when his friend Francis Didier will be the president by integrating karate contact as new section.

Five years earlier, he won one of the first two individual bronze medals in the world karate championships, finishing third with Tonny Tullener of the United States at the end of the men's ippon championship world of karate 1970 in Tokyo, Japan

Full Contact Karate

In 1975 Dominique Valera entered Full Contact Karate and fought the likes of Bill Wallace and Jeff Smith.[1] [3][4][5][6][7][8] He finished his full contact karate career with 14 victories and 4 defeats.

Achievements

Filmography

References

  1. 1 2 3 Black Belt January 1978. January 1978. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  2. "Ton évolution, c'est toi qui en es responsable" (in French). Karate Magazine. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  3. Black Belt September 1975. September 1975. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  4. Black Belt October 1973. October 1973. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  5. Black Belt October 1971. October 1971. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  6. Black Belt September 1968. September 1968. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  7. Black Belt July 1972. July 1972. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  8. Black Belt February 1976. February 1976. Retrieved 10 November 2014.


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