Mr_Hackett

Mr. Merle Hackett

Kitei-Shodan Black Belt

Danzan Ryu Jujutsu / Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu®

Hikari Ryuza Ryu Do Kan®

Mr. Hackett

I was born on March 15, 1935 in Buffalo, New York. When I was 5 years old, shortly after the birth of my brother, my mother and father decided to leave Buffalo and go to a small upstate town (Hornell, New York). My parents decided their boys should be brought up in a small town environment. My father became foreman of a small machine shop in Hornell and during World War II the shop made parts for the war effort so Dad received a military exemption. Growing up in a small town proved to be pretty laid back, where we walked and I rode my bicycle because my parents sold their car in order to buy their first home. I was never much for high school sports but a group of us guys used to play pick up games during the football and baseball seasons.

My mother, being an accomplished pianist wanted me to join the band in school, which I did in junior high school and spent 6 years with the high school and, playing the clarinet. While we played and marched for all the football games, we were considered a symphonic band of 90 plus members and performed concerts throughout the year in western New York State and even in Ontario, Canada.

In 1951 my father had an opportunity to go to work for IBM in Poughkeepsie, New York. It was my senior year in high school, but it was a great opportunity for Dad, so we moved. I finished my high school year and graduated in 1952 in Hyde Park, New York. At that time, IBM had an excellent apprentice program for tool and die makers. In order to be considered for that program, I had to take an extra year of high school, including physics, mechanical drawing and shop practices. I was accepted into the apprentice program at IBM in the summer of 1953.

While my future wife (Marlene) graduated at the same time, we did not start dating until after graduation and by the time I had been in the apprentice program for 1 ½ years, we were becoming pretty serious. Since I was registered for the draft, we decided I should volunteer for the Army for 2 years to get it out of the way. After testing for the service and thanks to a smooth talking recruiter, I signed up for 4 years with the Air Force. I spent 30 weeks in Biloxi, Mississippi at Keesler Air Force Base taking basic electronics and airborne radar repair. On completion, Marlene and I were married on October 1, 1955.

Our honeymoon was a cross country trip to Sacramento, California where I was to be stationed at Mather Air Force Base, maintaining and repairing radar equipment. In the course of my tour, I achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant.

In November 1958, I returned to Poughkeepsie and IBM. We applied and within a year, had adopted our son, David. During that time, IBM offered myself and 2 others the opportunity to add to our tool and die making apprenticeship with classes in an electronic technician program. After a total of 4 years in the programs, I graduated and was assigned to a mechanical engineering department as a technician, the first graduate to do so at IBM.

After having had a taste of California life, I applied for a transfer to the San Jose IBM plant. After almost a year of waiting (with no success) and after going to California for a vacation, I interviewed with Lockheed Missile and Space Company in Sunnyvale. Subsequently, I was offered a position and relocation to Sunnyvale and I gave my notice to IBM. After we arrived in California, we applied for and were able to adopt our daughter, Cindy. After approximately 2 years, I had an opportunity to return to IBM picking up my previous service and going to work in the tool room, so I left Lockheed in 1965. In 1967 I was made manager of the tool room and machining operations at the IBM San Jose plant.

Early 1969 I was offered an opportunity to set up tool room operations with a newly formed Memorex Equipment Disk Drive group in Santa Clara, CA. I left IBM again and spent the next 9 years managing various departments involved with machining, assembly and test operations.

In 1979 a reconditioning program for disk drives was developed and I was offered the opportunity to relocate the operations to a small manufacturing company in Santa Ana, California that Memorex had purchased. I committed to one year with this program. During that year in Santa Ana I was able to obtain my private pilot license.

In 1980, anxious to pursue the dream of every American to own his own business, Marlene and I moved to Fresno and bought an ACE Hardware franchise. Unfortunately, the economy in the early 80's was such that we only lasted 14 months. I spent the next 2 years with Duncan Ceramics as manager of their Kiln Department in the Fresno area.

In 1983 I went back to work for Memorex and spent most of the next 3 years traveling the country with a team to obtain and certify suppliers for computer components.

In 1986, heeding the call of a new challenge (also a stock option) I went to a small disk drive company. Within a year, venture capitalists pulled the funding and the company closed, and at the age of 52, for the first time in my career, I was "out of a job" (very traumatic). For the next year or so I bummed around working for a heavy machine mover, a small electronics firm and a local machine shop until I was offered a job at BT North America (Telephone Company of Great Britain). I stayed with BT for 5 years as assembly and test manager for new and reconditioned routing equipment.

In 1993, having had enough of the bay area and the electronics world, Marlene and I moved to Penn Valley, California where we purchased a coffee and sandwich shop.
After 6 ½ years, it was time to really retire and we sold the business. Anticipating retirement, prior to selling the business, I was made aware of the Nevada County Sheriff's Volunteer Program. A new class was about to start so I joined the group. One of the classes taught during the Volunteer Academy Program was self defense taught by Dr. Crimi and his staff. After graduating, Dr. Crimi offered additional training in the area of jujutsu to those who might be interested at his Dojo in Penn Valley. I thought "it might be fun" and would have a chance to improve on the techniques taught in the academy program. It was when we started training at the Dojo that I learned that there was much more to the Martial Art of Jujutsu than just learning "how to block a punch" or escape from a "bear hug".

Grandmaster Crimi's teachings run much deeper than the techniques of self defense. He instills a sense of integrity and sincerity with his students while developing a friendship that is both intimate and humorous. He is a demanding, compassionate and patient teacher. Almost without exception, students of Grandmaster Crimi develop a dedication to the Art and a sense of humility, regardless of the skill level that they have obtained. I appreciate Grandmaster Crimi's and Professor Geary's faith in me by affording me the rank of Kitei Shodan at the age of 74.

Marlene (my wife of almost 55 years) and I enjoy traveling and have visited many countries throughout the world. I am also passionate about playing Senior Softball and have been doing so for 24 years. Another rewarding activity is being a volunteer with the Nevada County Sheriff's Department.

I am honored to be one of Grandmaster's students and look forward to ongoing training and enlightenment in Jujutsu.