Donn Draeger . The original Steven Seagal

Now , if you have read my earlier posts , you know how i wanted to be like Seagal , going to Japan and training there . Well , it seems that there is this one guy whom Seagal himself admired ! Donn Draeger , short form for Donald Frederick Draeger . Here is a short bio about him

 

      Born on April 15, 1922, Donn grew up in Wisconsin and began his martial training
       in the art of Jujutsu at a very early age. He soon switched to the practice of Kodokan
     Judo and received the rank of nikyu by the age of ten. He continued his involvement
       with Judo throughout his life. 

Donn Draeger was recognized as a world authority on Asian martial culture and
human combative behavior. As a research historian, author and lecturer; he was
considered the leading exponent of the Japanese martial disciplines. He held a large
number of expert ranks and teaching licenses, and investigated Japanese martial
culture more deeply than any non-Japanese in history.

  

After retirement from the service, Donn made his home in Tokyo, Japan. From this
base he pursued his interests in martial training and research. Approximately four
months out of each year was spent conducting expeditions to various countries to
study and document their diverse combative traditions. Southeast Asia was an area
of special interest to him.

Donn followed a simple and natural lifestyle. He neither smoked nor drank and he
had no heat or air conditioning in his small Japanese style apartment. He got up
with the sun and usually jogged around his hometown of Narita. The rest of the day
was spent training, teaching and conducting research.

 Sadly while in Sumatra in the 1980s , Draeger and his research team were poisoned .   Draeger was the only one that didnt recover fully and unfortunately , died from it . 

Here is a picture of him . How i wish i had a body like him .