James Chico Hernandez

James "Chico" Hernandez (born 14 April 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) is an accomplished athlete in the sport of Sombo wrestling and a five-time member of the Team USA National Team.

ombo and wrestling activities and achievements

Hernandez competed for Reavis High School in Burbank, Illinois. After graduation from Reavis in 1972, Hernandez began wrestling in a city-sponsored park wrestling program when he won the City of Chicago Park District Championships. In 1975 he attended Chicago State University where he was awarded a wrestling scholarship. He took second place at the 1976 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District #20 Championships and qualified for the NAIA National Wrestling Championships held at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. He transferred to the University of Maine at Presque Isle where he won the University of New Brunswick Canadian Open, Acadia University, Nova Scotia Open and was a 3 time NAIA All-New England wrestler. Hernandez is a brother of Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity. He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor Arts Degree in Social Science.

Hernandez was named head wrestling coach at University of Maine at Presque Isle for the 1980-81 season. He left coaching and joined the Army where he won three Fort Riley, Kansas and three U.S. 1st Infantry Division Championships. He was selected to the All-Army Wrestling team in 1983.

In 1987 he won the Amateur Athletic Union National Sombo Championship and was named Outstanding Wrestler at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. He earned a Silver Medal at the 1989 Amateur Athletic Union National Free-Style Wrestling Championships held at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. Two years later; he won a Gold Medal and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1991 Amateur Athletic Union National Masters Free-Style Wrestling Championships held at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan.

In 1995 he took fifth place at the FILA World Veterans Freestyle Wrestling Championships held at the Universiade Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria. Hernandez returned to Sombo and continued to have success by winning AAU National titles in 1997, [ [http://image.aausports.org/sports/wrestling/results/Grand_Nationals/1997_gn.pdf wade6MONTHJOB.xls ] ] held at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California, in 1999, held at MCB Quantico, Virginia and in 2000, held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Hernandez also won the Federation International Association West Sombo Pan-American Bronze 1999, and FIAS West Pan-American Silver in 2000.

In 2000 he won a pair of World FIAS West Bronze medals at the Federation International Association Sombo World Championships; one in Sport Sombo and the other in Combat Sombo. Hernandez also won the World FIAS West Masters Championship held at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Later that year; Hernandez was selected by the United States Sombo Association to represent the United States at the FIAS World Cup of Sombo Wrestling held in Nice, France and won a silver medal losing to defending World Champion Vanio Toderov of Bulgaria. [ [http://worldcup.sambofrance.org/tatami/ Tatami ] ] In 2001 Hernandez was selected again to represent the United States at the FIAS World Cup of Sombo held in Nice, France and placed fifth.

He won the World AAU Iron Man Wrestling Championships in 2003 in Knoxville, Tennessee. [ [http://image.aausports.org/sports/wrestling/results/2003/ironman.htm 2003 AAU Elementary National Duals - Results ] ] Hernandez is a 31-time National AAU All-American in Sombo, Freestyle, Greco-Roman and American Folkstyle Wrestling and he is an AAU National Champion in all four styles.

In 2004; he won the British Sombo Open Silver Medal at the FIAS East British Sombo Championships held at the Swallows Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne, Kent, England. In 2005; Hernandez won the Silver again losing to FIAS East World Sombo Medalist Paul Sawyer of Bournemouth, England 2-0 at the FIAS East British Sombo Championships held in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. [ [http://www.sittingbourne.org/BritishSomboFederation/2004_british_open.htm 2004 BRITISH OPEN ] ]

In 2006 he won the Silver at the North American Grappling Association New England Championships and later that year; a Gold and Silver in the No-Gi & Gi competition at the North American Grappling Association Championships held at Sacred Heart University William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, Connecticut.

In 2007 Hernandez took the Silver Medal and was defeated by FIAS East World Sombo Medalist and World Cornish Wrestling Champion Darrin Richardson, Gosport, England, 2-0, in the finals of the FIAS East British Sombo Open Championships held in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. [ [http://www.ultimategrapplingmag.com/content/view/538/56/ James Chico Hernandez wins silver and broze at Sambo Championships ] ]

Hernandez, won a pair of world titles April 5, 2008 at the North American Grappling Association's World Championships at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey. He won a Bronze and Silver Medals in the No-Gi & Gi competition. Despite his age at 54, Hernandez continues to compete internationally in sombo, wrestling and submission wrestling events. He processes a total of 11 World Titles in Submission Grappling, Sombo and Wrestling.

Honors and awards

Hernandez was featured on a box of Wheaties Energy Crunch in December 2001. Hernandez was welcomed into the Wheaties Family by Olympic Champion Mary Lou Retton and Tiger Woods in Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. [ [http://www.dmswire.com/EnergyCrunch.htm Wheaties Energy Crunch ] ] "Being on the Wheaties box was one of the biggest thrills of my wrestling career, and I'm honored!"

Hernandez is the First Sombo Wrestler to be on a Box the Breakfast of Champions Wheaties. Over 15 million boxes were produced and sold all over the world from December 2001 until January 2005.

Hernandez also said that he received one of the greatest honors that has ever been bestowed on him, one he'll never forget.“I received a letter of congratulations from the US Army Reserve's Command Sergeant Major Alex Lackey," Hernandez said. "He told me that I am the Everyday Champion and I represent over 205,000 Reservists all over the world". "I never received that kind of letter or acknowledgement from anybody in my entire military career! I was deeply honored". [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20020812173838/http://www.army.mil/usar/news/2002/05may/chico.html newsstory ] ]

He was also featured in "Sports Illustrated"'s "Faces in the Crowd" and CNN/SI "Faces in the Crowd.". [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/faces/1027/index.html CNN/SI - Faces in the Crowd ] ] Hernandez is the First Sambo Wrestler to appear in CNN/SI “Faces In the Crowd”.

On June 4, 2006; he was inducted with All-Star Shortstop Mike Bordick into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. The Master of Ceremonies Dick Costello; Athletic Director at the University of Southern Maine introduced Hernandez as "The State of Maine's Most Decorated Wrestler ever". He also rec'd Congratulations from Maine Governor John E. Baldacci. [ [http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Gov+News&id=17444&v=Article Governor Baldacci: News: Full Story ] ]

Hernandez has been inducted into these athletic Halls of Fame:
*University of Maine at Presque Isle Athletic Hall of Fame [ [http://www.umpi.maine.edu/info/lib/stawaszl/fame.htm Hall of Fame Room ] ]
*Illinois Wrestlers Hall of Fame
*Latin American World Wide Martial Arts Hall of Fame [ [http://www.geocities.com/latin_americanma/hfame2002.html Hall of Fame 2002 Inductees ] ]
* Diversified League Of Martial Artists Hall of Fame

Hernandez has been presented by Maine Governor Angus King with the State of Maine Legislative Sentiment Awards for his work in Wrestling and Sombo. He has been Awarded a total of fourteen State of Maine Legislative Sentiment Awards by both the Houses of the Maine State Legislature. [ [http://janus.state.me.us/house/hcal/050413.htm The House Calendar ] ]

He was selected to serve as the Grand Marshall of the Washburn August Festival Parade in 2002. Hernandez threw out the first pitch at the 4th of July 2003 Portland Sea Dogs Baseball Game at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.

In 2006, the American Sombo Association has awarded Hernandez with a National Honorable Mention Certificate of Nomination for being a Pioneer in the development of American Sombo. The winner was UFC Fighter and Movie Star Oleg Taktarov.

Professional life

Hernandez works as a licensed social worker at the Maine State Prison, and serves as the Self Defense Instructor for the Maine Department of Corrections. He is a 10th Degree Black Belt Sport Sombo, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 9th. Degree Black Belt Wrestling, Martial Arts Academy of America, 3rd Degree Black Belt Military Combat Sombo; USMC Quantico, Virginia, 2nd Degree Black Belt Submission Fighting, Metro Fight Club Detroit, Michigan, 1st Degree Black Belt Hybrid Wrestling, Modesto, California, 1st Degree Black Belt Sombo, British Sombo Federation, Sittingbourne Kent England, 1st. Degree Black Belt Sombo, Bulgarian Sports Ministry, Varna, Bulgaria.

He volunteers in local schools to warn children of the dangers of drugs and crime. He also donates his time by helping out with town recreational activities, sports and martial arts.

Hernandez was a First Sergeant (1SG) and has served as a Combat Basic Training Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Lewis, Washington and Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania in the United States Army Reserves from 1990-2005. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20020812173838/http://www.army.mil/usar/news/2002/05may/chico.html newsstory ] ] He is also a Master Fitness Trainer and is a Graduate of Premier Class from Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana in 1983. Hernandez during his military career earned a total 26 Physical Fitness Badge of Excellence.Prior to his military career; Hernandez was also a DJ for CBS Radio FM 101-WOZI and known as "Chico The Midnight Rambler" from 1980 to 1982.

Hernandez resides in Washburn, Maine.

References

[http://worldcup.sambofrance.org/tatami/]

[http://image.aausports.org/sports/wrestling/results/2003/ironman.htm]

[http://www.sittingbourne.org/BritishSomboFederation/2004_british_open.htm]

[http://www.ultimategrapplingmag.com/content/view/538/56/]

[http://www.dmswire.com/EnergyCrunch.htm]

[http://web.archive.org/web/20020812173838/http://www.army.mil/usar/news/2002/05may/chico.html]

[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/faces/1027/index.html]

[http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Gov+News&id=17444&v=Article]

[http://www.umpi.maine.edu/info/lib/stawaszl/fame.htm ]

[http://www.geocities.com/latin_americanma/hfame2002.html ]

[http://janus.state.me.us/house/hcal/050413.htm]

[http://image.aausports.org/sports/wrestling/results/Grand_Nationals/1997_gn.pdf ]

[http://web.archive.org/web/20020812173838/http://www.army.mil/usar/news/2002/05may/chico.html]

External links

*http://www.ussambo.com/press_article_june_06.html
*http://lutte-wrestling.ifrance.com/
*http://www.ultimategrapplingmag.com/content/view/538/56/
*http://www.britishsombo.co.uk/chico_hernandez.htm

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